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Britain
Negotiations Seek End to IRA Threat
2004-09-16
The British and Irish governments summoned rival Northern Ireland parties Thursday to a moat-encircled castle in hopes of crafting a new peace package for the British territory. But progress in the expected three-day diplomatic push at medieval Leeds Castle east of London could depend, crucially, on the actions of an organization not officially at the table: the outlawed Irish Republican Army.
How many years have they been working on this?
A Catholic-Protestant administration for Northern Ireland — the central achievement of the U.S.-brokered Good Friday peace accord of 1998 — fell apart two years ago after suffering a string of crises linked to the IRA's activities and refusal to disarm.
It's called "negotiating in bad faith."
The prime ministers of Britain and Ireland, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, have long agreed that any revival of power-sharing requires the IRA to disband. Both are gambling that, under their stewardship this week, negotiations with the IRA's Sinn Fein party will finally deliver that goal.
Yeah. I'm gambling that I'm gonna wake up slender and svelt tomorrow morning, with a full head of hair...
Posted by:Fred

#12  The alternative being to demonstrate to them their incomplete understanding of the verses they've memorized. I assign homework: generally several books to read, and a list of questions to ask their minister in order to achieve proper understanding of the basis of their faith.

Not only do they not come back, but nobody rings our doorbell for months afterwards.
Posted by: trailing wife   2004-09-16 8:25:47 PM  

#11  *crickets*
What you hear around this house when the JW comes down the street. Even the dawgs know the routine, duck and cover, no noise, no movement and wait at least an hour longer than you think necessary.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-09-16 6:54:49 PM  

#10  No Surrender.
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-09-16 1:28:01 PM  

#9  Jehova's Witness, the ladies with the Watchtower.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-16 1:15:26 PM  

#8  JW's?
Posted by: jules 187   2004-09-16 1:11:51 PM  

#7  Think I prefer the IRA to JW's.
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-09-16 1:04:18 PM  

#6  BD no point trying to reason with IRA supporters. It was my first experience with the type. Then the ladies with Watchtower started knocking at the door on Saturdays.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-16 1:00:17 PM  

#5  dls - you ever met 'antiwar'? She's a terror apologist too. You'd get on well.
Posted by: Bulldog   2004-09-16 12:16:29 PM  

#4  The IRA will probably disarm when the Prods do..........that is to say, when hell freezes over. It takes a while to forget 700 years of British "stewardship".
Posted by: dls   2004-09-16 11:42:06 AM  

#3  Another euphemism for terrorist, outlawed organization.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2004-09-16 11:30:07 AM  

#2  an organization not officially at the table: the outlawed Irish Republican Army

Mmmm...
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-09-16 11:25:46 AM  

#1  It's being held in a castle with a draw-bridge. No-one gets out unless they want to swim the moat. An agreement of sorts could be likely.
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-09-16 11:24:28 AM  

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