|
(Continued from page 70)
9 September 1997. Sinn Féin commits itself to the Mitchell principles.
11 September 1997. The IRA says "the IRA would have problems with sections of the Mitchell principles" but what Sinn Féin did "was a matter for them".
24 September 1997. The International Commission on Decommissioning is launched with the Canadian General John de Chastelain as its Chairman.
8 October 1997. The US State Department drops the Provisional IRA from its list of terrorist organisations, thus allowing fundraising to take place on its behalf.
10 April 1998. The Stormont talks conclude with the Good Friday Agreement. The third paragraph of the section on decommissioning says: "All participants accordingly reaffirm their commitment to the total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations. They also confirm their intention to continue to work constructively and in good faith with the Independent Commission, and to use any influence they may have, to achieve the decommissioning of all paramilitary arms within two years following endorsement in referendums North and South of the agreement and in the context of the implementation of the overall settlement." In a note to Trimble written before the Agreement is signed, Blair says "in our view the effect of the decommissioning section . . is that the process of decommissioning should begin straight away". The Sinn Féin delegates do not endorse the Agreement, saying that a party conference will be necessary.
April 1998. Adams tells a Sinn Féin conference that Sinn Féin had the right to support parts of the Agreement but to reject others.
30 April 1998. In reply to a statement by Trimble that Sinn Féin could not enter the Executive to be set up under the Good Friday Agreement until the IRA had disbanded, an IRA spokesman says that the IRA remained committed to assisting the search for peace but "let us make it clear that there will be no decommissioning by the IRA. This issue ... is a matter only for the IRA, to be decided and pronounced upon by us
10 May 1998. The next Sinn Féin conference passes a resolution that successful Sinn Féin candidates should participate in the Assembly to be set up under the Good Friday Agreement, but its position on the rest of the Agreement is not made clear.
|
|
