"Irish News" for oct 14 97 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source: Paddy Newell From The Irish News 14 October 97 http://www.irishnews.com Now the talking really starts Blair meeting with Sinn Fein boosts talks By William Graham Political Correspondent NORTHERN IRELAND politics entered a new era yesterday with a symbolic handshake between Gerry Adams and Tony Blair - and the start of a serious "engagement" to secure a lasting peace settlement. It was a day heavy with symbolism and history as the British prime minister's helicopter touched down in the grounds of Stormont early in the afternoon. Mr Blair met all the political parties - Alliance, SDLP, UUP, PUP, UDP, Women's Coalition and Labour - but the main media focus was on his first face-to-face exchange with the Sinn Fein delegation led by Mr Adams. Inside Castle Buildings the Sinn Fein meeting started with Mr Blair exchanging handshakes with Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Pat Doherty and Siobhan O'Hanlon. The meeting, behind closed doors, lasted 20 minutes. Later it became clear that it had been a constructive encounter and Mr Adams and Mr Blair "had engaged each other". What happened yesterday gave not only an important boost to the talks process - but the calm and encouraging tone of this meeting certainly clears the way for another meeting between Mr Blair and Mr Adams, possibly in Downing Street. Yesterday was the first time a British prime minister has sat down with republican leaders since Lloyd George's meeting with Michael Collins in 1921. British government sources said afterwards that regarding the question of further meetings with Sinn Fein, Mr Blair "will look at this". Mr Blair also indicated to Sinn Fein that they were in the political talks now and they will get equality of treatment. Again according to British sources the atmosphere inside the room with Sinn Fein was "extremely encouraging" and "there were no negative noises". Also, it appears that Mr Blair emphasised it was important to seize the opportunity which the political talks process offered. He thought that if they don't seize it now they may not see it again in their lifetime. And it was very rare to make sense of history, but they had to. People on both sides, British sources said, had very strong feelings and the deep historical problems had to be addressed. It was pointless to go back to the old ways. Last night Mr Adams said it had been a good meeting with Mr Blair and "it was a real engagement". Mr Adams clearly put the issue of "Irish unity" to Mr Blair and indicated to him that while he in his generation of English politicians might feel they don't have responsibility for all of this situation in the north, he did have a view. Mr Adams asked Mr Blair to open his mind up to a new era and underlined the significance of yesterday's talks . It is understood that Mr Adams told Mr Blair: "I hope we do a better job of it this time than we did the last time." Sinn Fein, while signalling that they understood the trauma felt within unionism, also pulled no punches with Mr Blair concerning disputed killings by the security forces, collusion, the involvement of British military intelligence, 'spooks', plastic bullets and 'show trials'. Mr Blair, when asked yesterday about shaking hands with Mr Adams, replied: "I treated Gerry Adams and members of Sinn Fein the same way I treat any human being." The message from Mr Blair, who was accompanied by Secretary of State Mo Mowlam, was that people must leave the hatred and despair behind and "settle our differences by negotiation, discussion and debate". ___________________________________________________________ Protesters' fury sparks security By Colin O'Carroll QUESTIONS over Tony Blair's security arrangements and advice have been raised after yesterday's incidents at the Connswater Shopping centre in Belfast yesterday. Many of the enraged protesters got within striking distance of Mr Blair who had just come from shaking hands with Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams. Last night East Belfast DUP MP Peter Robinson said loyalists had been alerted by RUC officers who told members of the public that Mr Blair would be visiting the shopping centre. The British prime minister was only protected by a thin cordon of plain-clothes security officers and was clearly shocked by his reception but appeared determined to brave it out and forced a smile and wave at any friendly face. Police and bodyguards eventually surrounded him in a cordon and he took cover in a bank at one stage. It is not clear who decided Mr Blair should visit such a hardline loyalist area immediately after he had met and shaken the hand of Mr Adams. MP for the area Peter Robinson of the DUP said that Mr Blair should have been aware of the depth of feeling about his meeting with Mr Adams. Mr Robinson, speaking outside the shopping centre after meeting Mr Blair, said if it was foolish of the NIO to schedule this visit so soon after meeting Mr Adams. "I think that if they (the NIO) didn't expect that there would be a reception such as he got then they have underestimated the unionist community. They are starting to believe their own propaganda I think." Questioned on the security arrangements for Mr Blair and how the information his visit to the centre was to take place was made known to the demonstrators, Mr Robinson blamed the police. "The reality is that we started getting calls shortly after ten o'clock today from people telling us that Tony Blair was coming to Connswater because they had been told, having been around the centre, by the police. "So anything that happened is because the information got out through that source." He denied the protest was orchestrated by any political party. "I don't think you need to orchestrate this kind of event. I think that anybody that does not recognise that the prime minister of the United Kingdom shaking the hand of the person who has directed and supported IRA terrorism for years and years in this province really has an error of judgment that they didn't think it would have this reaction in Northern Ireland." Last night a Downing Street spokesman said: "Tony Blair was unfazed by angry scenes orchestrated by a small number of people, some carrying cameras. "The rowdy scenes contrasted vividly with the warm welcome he received earlier in the day when he met ordinary members of the public." ________________________________________________________ Loyalists in bid to heal rift UFF-UDA pull out of umbrella group By Brendan Anderson LOYALIST paramilitary leaders are expected to meet later this week in a bid to patch up a deepening rift between the UDA-UFF and the UVF. The move follows the news that the UDA-UFF intend to pull out of loyalist umbrella group, the Combined Loyalist Military Command which orchestrated the loyalist ceasefire three years ago. It is understood the UFF and its UDA parent body are withdrawing because they are unhappy that the UVF and its off-shoot organisation, the Red Hand Commando, have consistently declined to take part in demonstrations calling for the release of loyalist prisoners. Another source of discontent is the UVF and PUP refusal, for the second year in a row, to take part,in celebrating the loyalist ceasefire called on October 13, 1994. Representatives of the UDP and PUP, the political parties representing the UDA-UFF and the UVF, have, however, played down the significance of the split. Both parties have members on various councils and are represented at the Stormont peace talks and observers see the break-up of the CLMC as a sign that the parties are becoming more independent of each other and are pursuing their own, separate policies. Sources in both paramilitary camps have given assurances that UFF withdrawal from the CLMC will not place the loyalist ceasefire in jeopardy. One senior loyalist said: "It is hardly likely,that the UFF ceasefire would be in danger when they have just celebrated its third anniversary with a march and rally in Belfast." And a message from the UVF and Red Hand Commando leadership read out at Saturday's PUP conference offered full support to the party's delegation members at Stormont and encouraged them to continue the search for accommodation. UDP spokesman John White said there "had been discontent at the behaviour of the CLMC" in recent months. "There is a great amount of dissatisfaction that the UVF has not, joined in demonstrations calling for the release of loyalist prisoners. It has caused a bit of bewilderment as to why they do,not take part in such important events." But senior PUP member Billy Hutchinson was adamant that his party had heard nothing of the UFF withdrawal until the weekend. "We knew nothing about this until journalists raised the question late on Saturday evening when it appeared in the newspapers on Sunday. It is not something that has been discussed. When we heard, we were quite surprised. "My understanding is that the UVF has not been informed, either by the UFF or the UDA, that they have withdrawn. There is no,confirmation from them at this moment that they have withdrawn ,from the CLMC. "If people are withdrawing because the PUP did not take part in the celebration of the ceasefire, well, we did not do it last year either, the reason being that we have had Provo violence. We ,have only had 12 weeks of a ceasefire and we have had a CAC,bomb and therefore felt there was nothing to celebrate. We are ,entitled to our position on that. But I would not think it had ,anything to do with that, if it had, I would think that was quite shallow. "Irrespective of whether the organisations concerned are in the CLMC or not, I would encourage them to keep in contact. There needs to be contact between these organisations, particularly if there are going to be attacks from CAC and others on the republican side. I am not that concerned if they formalise that contact with a name but informal contact needs to be kept up," Mr ,Hutchinson said. Earlier, John White dismissed claims that nationalists were meant ,to be intimidated by military-style uniforms worn by marchers at Sunday's loyalist ceasefire anniversary rally in Belfast. "The demonstration and rally were about UFF prisoners. There was no intention to frighten or intimidate nationalists. The march was more directed towards the government who are refusing to act on the prisons issue," Mr White said. ________________________________________________ Actist priest publishes writings By Brendan Anderson A CATHOLIC priest who began writing because he was "moved by the blatant discrimination and harassment" endured by his parishioners, published a collection his lectures and writings yesterday. Father Joe McVeigh, from Fermanagh, was in Belfast yesterday for the public launch of his fourth book, Crying Out For Justice. The civil rights activist said his latest work reflected the worries, anxieties and concerns "of the people I work with, the people I know, my neighbours". "They have asked me on many occasions to speak out or address their anger in a way that they were not able to, because I, being a priest, have a platform and I have a responsiblity to be a voice for the voiceless." Fr McVeigh said the book was aimed at reaching a wider audience than was possible at the numerous meetings he had addressed throughout the country during the past 15 years. "Sometimes we might have had 50 people or 100 at the meeting and we had a good exchange. Sometimes, some of what I said was reported in the media or misreported, so I thought it was better to put it all together to let the people see it all and come to their own conclusions." West Belfast MP Gerry Adams, who attended the launch of Fr McVeigh's book, said he believed there was a need for such works. Crying Out For Justice, A Collection of Talks and Writings, by Joe McVeigh, is published by Lurg Publications and costs #5. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-10.15.97-17:45:03-14754