Northern Ireland
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05 October 2006
U.S. Encouraged by Report That Irish Group Has Abandoned Violence
By Stephen Kaufman
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- The Bush administration welcomes a report by the Independent Monitoring Commission in Northern Ireland that says the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) has forsaken terrorism and violence in favor of a political strategy.
In a statement released October 4, U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Ambassador Mitchell Reiss also urged Northern Ireland’s political leaders to “seize this important opportunity to reach a lasting political settlement” in their talks on power-sharing scheduled for October 11-13 in Scotland.
Ambassador Reiss described the Independent Monitoring Commission’s (IMC) 12th report as “very encouraging,” and also praised the panel for its “tireless efforts on behalf of peace in Northern Ireland.”
The 60-page report, released October 4, presented some statistics and trends that indicate the IRA has moved away from its terrorist past by disbanding units for weapons-making, arms-smuggling, recruiting and training. The Provisional IRA was formed in 1969 as the clandestine, armed wing of the political movement Sinn Fein, dedicated to removing British forces from Northern Ireland and integrating Ireland and Northern Ireland. The group has claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom since the 1970s.
The reaction of leaders from the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic, as well as Protestant and Catholic leaders in Northern Ireland, was largely positive.
Ambassador Reiss said the Bush administration is “particularly heartened by the Commission’s conclusions that the IRA ‘is now firmly set on a political strategy, eschewing terrorism and other forms of crime.’ This report, combined with previous Commission findings, confirms that the IRA has undertaken to do what it said it would,” he said.
He also noted that the leadership of the IRA’s political wing, Sinn Fein, has “accepted the need for engagement in policing and wishes to achieve it,” and expressed hope that “this can be accomplished as soon as possible.”
Reiss said the United States remains concerned over the security threat presented by “paramilitary and criminal activity among dissident republicans and some loyalist elements,” and added, “Such activity has no place in a democratic society.”
However, the ambassador said the positive conclusions of the IMC report should “help clear the way for serious discussions” in Scotland on power sharing during the coming week.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern have set a November 24 deadline for a power-sharing agreement based upon the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. (See related article.)
The Good Friday Accord of April 10, 1998, calls for Protestants to share political power with the minority Catholics, and gives the Republic of Ireland a voice in Northern Irish affairs. In turn, Catholics are to suspend the goal of a united Ireland unless the largely Protestant North votes in favor of such an arrangement.
At the State Department, deputy spokesman Tom Casey said October 5 that Ambassador Reiss would attend the all-party talks in Scotland.
Casey said the IMC report is “positive,” but echoed Ambassador Reiss’ concern over the continued paramilitary and criminal activities.
“I wouldn't say that this puts an end to the issue, but certainly it's a positive report and we welcome it,” Casey said.
A senior State Department official said the report is “certainly a step forward” on implementing the Good Friday agreement, which the United States helped broker.
“We think that’s been the approach we’ve been pursuing. It’s definitely positive,” the official said.
The full text of the report can be found at the International Monitoring Commission’s Web site.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) | 
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