Republican News · Thursday 24 April 2003

Reckless Blair plays Orange Card

Martin McGuinness has reacted angrily to comments made by the British Prime Minister at a media briefing on Wednesday morning. Sinn Féin's Chief Negotiator said he was dismayed by the approach of Tony Blair and by his ability to be "reckless in many ways with what is a very difficult and very sensitive situation". He was critical of Tony Blair's decision to state publicly his interpretation of the IRA statement given to the two governments last week and angry at the accusation that the IRA statement was unclear. "There is a difference between clear and unambiguous and what is unacceptable to David Trimble," he said.

"I am extremely disappointed that the British Prime Minister is prepared to come out on the public airwaves and give his interpretation of what the IRA said. I don't think that that is conducive to a proper, respectful negotiation," said McGuinness.

"I think he needs to ask himself, whether or not the approach that he has adopted is conducive to getting the type of result that, I think, this process needs."

McGuinness was responding to a briefing in Downing Street at which Blair publicly posed three questions about the IRA's statement.

Those questions were:

- What do the IRA mean when they say that their strategies and disciplines will not be inconsistent with the Good Friday Agreement? Does it mean that there would be an end to all activities, including targeting, procurement of weapons and so-called punishment beatings?

- When they say that they are committed to putting arms beyond use through the Decommissioning body, does that mean all arms?

- When they say they support the Good Friday Agreement and want it to work, does that mean that if the two governments and all the other parties fulfil their obligations under the Good Friday Agreement and the Joint Declaration, that means the process is complete and there is final closure to the conflict?

Blair claimed the questions were very clear and that the process needed clarity and not ambiguity. David Trimble responded predictably, saying that he agreed with the Prime Minister and that if an election took place in May without a clear statement from the IRA, then there would be a "crash".

Martin McGuinness rejected the accusation that the IRA statement was unclear, and said he found it interesting that the British Prime Minister would use the terms clarity and ambiguity.

"Myself and others within the Sinn Féin leadership have sought clarity from the British government on a number of issues dealing with the Joint Declaration, and it's clear that the declaration is conditional, qualified, and at best a process towards implementation. We have sought clarity from David Trimble on the sustainability of institutions, we cannot get clarity from him on a date for the transfer of powers on policing, we couldn't get clarity from him on the establishment of a North-South inter-parliamentary forum, on the whole issue of a single Equality bill, and a Human Rights bill.

McGuinness said he believed that the IRA statement had clarity.

"The reality is that the IRA statement is clear and unambiguous, the difficulty is that Tony Blair appears to be saying that it is not acceptable, those are two different concepts.

McGuinness also expressed frustration with David Trimble, saying the UUP leader wanted a personal victory.

"The unionists have been saying for 25 years that there was no war. The real dynamic of this process is divisions that exist in unionism - that is the battle that is being fought out. David Trimble has decided - and unfortunately the two governments have decided to go along with it - that he needs a victory over the IRA, so that he can march in triumphalist fashion to the elections on 29 May. I don't think that that is the way to resolve the conflict in this country and anybody who thinks that needs to re-evaluate their contribution to this process."

He added that he did not think unionists could be pleased.

"Trimble told us in recent months that words from republicans were meaningless, and the attitude within the constituency that I come from, and the rest of the North, is that nothing satisfies these people.

"The issue of decommissioning was a perfect example of this. I broke people's hearts on that issue. We all thought that the unionists would see the decommissioning that took place, embrace it and run with it, and what do they do? They put it in their pocket and started making more demands.

"In my view, no matter what the IRA says over the coming days, it's not going to be enough for Trimble, and I don't think that that's a game that should be played with this process."

When the interviewer pointed out that he appeared angry, McGuinness said: "Yes, I am very angry. I am angry that we have a British Prime Minister going on TV and revealing important aspects and dimensions of very sensitive negotiations.

"At the end of the day, he lives in London and I live in Ireland, and I have a responsibility to real people here who have been denied their rights and entitlements for far too long. Now we have to listen to an approach suggesting that those people will not see the publication of the Joint Declaration.

McGuinness said the implementation of the Agreement should not rest upon the dictat of the unionists.

"I have to say I am fed up to the back teeth of British government ministers and indeed, some Irish ministers, telling us that the Good Friday Agreement cannot be implemented because of opposition coming from unionist political leaders. That is no way to pursue a peace process."

McGuinness said, however, that he remained hopeful about the process as a whole. "I think there is hope because I think we're going to succeed, e said. I think the peace process will contnue, I think republicans will continue to contribute to that and I think, no matter how long it takes, eventually we will succeed. It's a question really of when."

Gerry Kelly also reacted angrily to Blair's statements.

"It has been made clear by Gerry Adams that the IRA statement is clear and unambiguous. As you would expect it does not use British or unionist words but it does set out in clear and unambiguous terms the IRA's position. Both the British and Irish governments have recognised the positive nature of the statement and crucially the clear desire of the IRA to see the peace process work. Of course we have to have clarity and certainty in this process - and in my view the IRA statement is the clearest and most certain element in this current negotiation.

"We have no certainty or clarity from the loyalist paramilitaries, who only last week were involved in orchestrating attacks on Catholic homes in Belfast- and no attention or focus on those groups at all.

"So of course we need certainty - but certainty all round - not just from the IRA."