Posted on 09/25/2005 6:13:21 PM PDT by Stoat
|
The international inspectors overseeing the weapons decommissioning are about to confirm they have supervised a full disarmament.
It comes two months after the IRA said it had formally ordered an end to its armed struggle.
A report on IRA decommissioning will be presented to the British and Irish Governments tomorrow.
General John De Chastelain, head of the International Commission on Decommissioning, will make his findings public at a press conference later.
Separate statements are expected from the two independent church witnesses, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and the IRA.
The two independent church witnesses are believed to be Father Alex Reid and former Methodist President Harold Good.
The latest development in the peace process follows the IRA's groundbreaking statement on July 28.
Sinn Fein chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said: "Of course, this is about more than arms. It is about reviving the peace process, it is about the future of Ireland."
However, Jeffrey Donaldson, senior representative for the Democratic Unionists, said the process had not been sufficiently transparent to reassure people.
And Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey said: "In order to restore confidence, we call on the decommissioning body to provide a detailed inventory of what has been disposed of."
Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will now pile pressure on the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland's two biggest political parties to agree to work together in a devolved administration.
LoL!
I mean to say yes they have.
Well, given that the whole IRA feud was based in widespread popular sentiment, the bobbies had better show better odds than 1 wrong killing to 1 killing.
My heart is filled with ease after these words.
As is the norm, most msm news articles mainly serve to cause one's eyes to glaze over and for a yawn to issue forth, but the benefit is that they provide the impetus for far more insightful commentary in forums such as Free Republic.
The IRA has destroyed all the weapons they're sure the British know about.
In Northern Ireland the most widespread popular sentiment was loyalty to England. The IRA was a very small, very vocal minority. If the UDL had their way, they would have run all the Catholics out.
Another man defending terrorists!
I hope you don't mean me. I don't care much for the IRA at all with the exeption of some to their songs which usually end with them getting hung or at least buried some place.
I am basically English and a small amount of American Indian. Now the UDL with the Black and Decker thing is a bit out of line. The IRA only shot people in the kneecaps with the UDL using a drill. I guess that was a bit more personal especially when the drill bit was broken off in the knee.
No I support the Orange and some of the best troops the British Empire ever had. I met a few of the British and Irish EOD folks that had to operate in Northern Ireland.
They had a tough job.
I misunderstood you, sorry - there are some here on FR who do support the 'Ra! I see no real difference between the the loyalists and the the Provos!
The enemy of my enemy is my friend thing. I have always supported Irish independence but never the ira. They are Godless communist terrorist gangsters and so are the prods. Not to make light of it but more gangsters are killed in L.A on a good weekend than in a decade in Ireland. The msm has a vested interest in keeping this conflict frontpage. It's a Christian religious war, see. We're no better than the mooselimbs, they say.
I met a Irish lady in New Zealand one time that felt the same way. That is why she moved to New Zealand.
The IRA supporters always try to say that all loyalist were put in Ireland by the English. If you look at a time line of the English and Scottish going to Ireland you find out it is about the same or prior to Ireland, Scottland, and England moving into North America.
The Green Irish have their part of Ireland and the Orange Irish have their part. The Green part of Ireland is independent from England and the Orange part of Ireland is independent from the Green part. Everyone should be happy.
But both sides still have neat songs. Irish and Scottish reels are the origins of Blue Grass.
Thanks for the ping.
Yes, the 'usual suspects' are strangely absent from this thread. They probably feel that their 'heros' are letting them down.
I'm Irish on one side and Scot on the other and I do love the music.
Marvellous news! The bonus is that it's Paisley's worst nightmare!
I wonder where kellynla is....
Probably still celebrating yesterday's Notre Dame football victory. Last time I tangled with him was on a sports thread.
Was he watching the All Ireland final?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.