[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       IRA CEASEFIRE ANNOUNCEMENT

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, while the Congress was in recess, there was 
important and welcome news from Belfast. On August 31, the Irish 
Republican Army announced an end to its military operations, creating 
hope that the violent cycle which has touched so many people on all 
sides during the last 25 years will finally be broken.
  For peace to take hold, however, all parties responsible for violence 
in the region must declare a final end to the fighting. While some 
moderate Protestant leaders appear to be open to advancing the peace 
process, extremist groups continue to wage their own terrorist 
campaign.
  There has been a flurry of activity during the past 2 weeks, with 
most agreeing that the IRA announcement creates a positive atmosphere 
in which to pursue the peace process launched by last December's Joint 
Irish-British Declaration, the so-called Downing Street Declaration.
  In the days following the cease-fire announcement, Sinn Fein leader 
Jerry Adams met with the Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds and John 
Hume, the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, Northern 
Ireland's mainstream Catholic party, to discuss the next step toward a 
settlement in Northern Ireland. These three men deserve great credit 
for their courageous efforts to stem the violence in Northern Ireland.
  In particular, I would like to express my high personal regard for 
John Hume, a strong proponent of nonviolence who has worked tirelessly 
to bring Northern Ireland's two communities together. Press reports 
indicate that both Mr. Hume and Mr. Adams may visit the United States 
in the near future, which would provide us with an opportunity to 
commend and bolster their peace efforts.
  President Clinton too, should be recognized for his leadership in 
advancing the cause of peace in Northern Ireland. He is personally 
engaged in the issue, and continues to play a pivotal role in fostering 
an atmosphere of dialog among the various parties. For example, his 
decision earlier this year to grant Jerry Adams a visa to visit the 
United States, helped to shore up Mr. Adams' credibility among the Sinn 
Fein hardliners, thus helping to pave the way for the cease-fire.
  Years of violence have taken their toll, however, and the British 
Government is still skeptical about the recent developments. It has yet 
to recognize the IRA statement as a commitment to a ``permanent'' 
cease-fire, which British Prime Minister Major insists is a 
precondition for negotiating with Sinn Fein. Signalling that it trusts 
the IRA's veracity on some level, however, the British Government has 
instructed its troops in Northern Ireland to shed their combat helmets 
in favor of berets.
  I am hopeful that the cessation of hostilities will indeed be 
permanent and that the parties will move forward under the auspices of 
the Downing Street Declaration. The issues separating the people of 
Northern Ireland are difficult ones that will take a great deal of 
courage and creativity to overcome. I believe, however, that the Joint 
Declaration process provides the best hope of resolving those 
differences peacefully.

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