Blair Eases Terms for Sinn Fein to Join Talks
Giving the IRA a new chance, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a deal to let Northern Ireland’s rival paramilitary groups disarm under international supervision while their political allies hold peace talks. The initiative, agreed to by Britain and Ireland, abandoned demands by Britain’s recently ousted Conservative government that the Irish Republican Army disarm before the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party can join talks. Blair said Sinn Fein can enter talks six weeks after the IRA declares a new cease-fire. He set a May deadline for the end of negotiations--with disarmament to go on during the talks.
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