The Darkness of Violence and Fear : Irish and British moves now pressure the IRA

Timing and shrewd negotiating tactics are obviously crucial elements in any peace process. Thankfully, those elements are conspicuously present in the current Northern Ireland peace effort.

Until recently, the very phrase peace effort used in conjunction with that violence-racked part of the world would have seemed hilariously oxymoronic--a bad joke. No more. The latest step forward occurred Wednesday when a top British government official announced that London would shortly be withdrawing 400 British troops from troubled Northern Ireland, on top of the previously announced withdrawal of 400 officers. Although about 18,000 British troops still will remain, the two announcements sent an unmistakable message. For London and Dublin have been working closely to reduce the level of violence and hostility; for its part, the Irish government recently announced the release of seven more imprisoned members of the Irish Republican Army.

The net political impact of those coordinated moves is to enhance the position of Gerry Adams, the president of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA. Though a staunch Irish nationalist, Adams has begun to play ball with London and Dublin, and that cooperation is obviously essential if the current cease-fire is to hold and permanent peace is to settle over the province.

For that to happen, the IRA itself must eventually disarm, turning over all its weapons to authorities. An urgent and serious discussion about the process of domestic disarmament needs to commence. The beginnings of such a discussion, even to talk only about the “modalities of disarmament,” would not merely demonstrate good faith on the IRA side, it would pull the rug out from under the most extremist and nihilistic elements in the Protestant camp in Northern Ireland. In fact, while some Protestant militants have been bitterly accusing London of unilateral disarmament, Michael Ancram, British minister for political development, has already begun exploratory talks with some Protestant paramilitary organizations about demilitarization of those groups.

Irish Prime Minister John Bruton, British Prime Minister John Major and Sir Patrick Mayhew, Major’s Northern Ireland secretary, weren’t born yesterday. They are not asking that every IRA weapon and explosive be handed over immediately. But they are asking for substantial progress, however long it might take to reach that ultimate end. Thus the all-important next step is for the IRA to agree to begin a conversation about the arms stockpile. That discussion can go slowly, the process can move circumspectly. But it has to begin. And the process has to begin before the historic moment for change vanishes into the night of decades of violence, fear and mutual distrust.