I can't believe warhorse politicians are so naive, but it seems they are! Of course, it's actually cynical - Blair will appease the IRA to AD Infinitum in order to keep the bombs from Great Britian - understandable, but misguided.
I can't figure Bertie Ahern's reasons, though...
"in order to keep the bombs from Great Britian - understandable, but misguided"
You know, I wonder if that's the case. 30 years ago or so, people who now occupy senior public positions would have been at university (or not long left). From what I've read, those universities (hotbeds of the far left as usual) were sympathising with and encouraging support for PIRA's bombing campaign back then. And we also have a terrorist threat (including the most devastating one to date last year) from TROP.
(to carry on from my previous post)
In effect, they have always liked to be friendly with Sinn Fein/IRA