Mitchell Accepts New N. Ireland Mission

The U.S. architect of Northern Ireland’s Good Friday peace accord launched a fresh round of diplomacy that government leaders hope will resuscitate the landmark deal. Former Sen. George J. Mitchell, who spent 22 months overseeing negotiations that produced the 1998 pact, accepted his mission in London in a low-key news conference standing alongside the British and Irish prime ministers, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. Mitchell will serve as “a facilitator” in discussions with the British province’s party leaders this week, Blair said.