News about the Irish & Irish American culture, music, news, sports. This is hosted by the Irish Aires radio show on KPFT-FM 90.1 in Houston, Texas (a Pacifica community radio station)

November 25, 2006

Attempt By Loyalist To Stall Irish Peace Process Fails




Washington, DC - Nov 25, 2006 – Loyalist Michael Stone’s
attempt to disrupt Stormont’s proceedings demonstrates the
critical need for a renewed commitment towards peace by all
parties and governments involved in the recent assembly
talks. The convicted killer brazenly stormed into the
Stormont building where politicians were debating the
restoration of the assembly. Stone was armed with a gun, a
knife and several makeshift bombs.

While the British and Irish governments have accepted
Paisley’s clarification statement as enough progress to
carry forward with the St Andrews Agreement, Irish America
still demands that the United States through the direct
influence of our State Department and Mitchell Reiss,
the President’s special envoy to N. Ireland, must
encourage the DUP to agree to enter government in
the duly elected Assembly.

On May 22, 2006 in the Assembly, Gerry Adams nominated
Ian Paisley as First Minister and Martin McGuinness as
Deputy First Minister in an attempt to restore the
devolved administration.

Sinn Fein has shown steadfast resolve in nominating Martin
McGuinness to serve as Deputy Minister while the DUP hasn’t
fully nominated Ian Paisley as First Minister. That
nomination would encourage movement towards peaceful
resolution and cooperate with the assembly.

The Police Service of N. Ireland (PSNI) has failed to
maintain security within N. Ireland as evidence yesterday
during Stone’s violent eruption in Stormont. Because the
PSNI has not demonstrated that it is accountable to the
community as a whole, Sinn Fein has not agree to sit on the
policing board.

In the light of continual disclosures of collusion between
the British army, the police force and loyalist
paramilitaries, which are still actively involved in
violent crime and have NOT disarmed, we believe that the US
government should encourage the British to disclose their
plans for devolving local policing authorities to the
northern Irish assembly.
# # #

Contact: Deanna Turner

Irish American Unity Conference
National Office
611 Pennsylvania Ave, SE #4150
Washington, D.C. 20003
800-947-4282

http://www.iauc.org/
Email: iauc@iauc.org

National Press Officer: Jay Dooling
Email: rdooling@swbell.net

"Working for Justice and Peace in a Re-united Ireland”
The IRISH AMERICAN UNITY CONFERENCE is a nationwide,
nonpartisan, nonsectarian, chapter-based human rights
organization working for justice and peace in Ireland. We
are a wholly American 501(c)(4) organization that advocates
the end of British colonial occupation and the peaceful
reunification of Ireland . We endeavor to achieve these
goals by working through the American democratic process.
Individually, our members represent every occupational and
educational stratum in the United States .

Posted by: Unknown / 9:49 AM
Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?