[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE GOOD FRIDAY PEACE ACCORDS

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, on March 17, 2000, the Irish 
and the Irish-at-heart around the world celebrated Saint Patrick's Day, 
a day to remember the spirit of comradery, friendship, and peace the 
patron saint of Ireland brought to the Emerald Isle. I rise today to 
pay tribute to the Irish people and the forty million Irish Americans 
in this country--who are also celebrating Irish-American Heritage 
Month--and offer my thoughts on an issue close to their hearts and 
mine: peace in Northern Ireland.
  The signing of the Good Friday Peace Accords on April 10, 1998 was an 
historic achievement in the quest for peace. After 32 years of conflict 
and bloodshed, the leaders of the principal Unionist and Nationalist 
parties in Northern Ireland agreed to a new governing structure for the 
province, one in which Catholics and Protestants would, for the first 
time, share power in a new assembly and executive.
  On May 22, 1998, the people of Ireland, in the North and in the 
South, voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Accords. Their message was 
clear: it was time for a new era of peace based on reconciliation, 
compassion, and respect.
  Thanks in no small part to the tireless work of our former colleague, 
Senator George Mitchell, the power sharing executive finally came into 
existence on December 1, 1999 and the formal devolution of power from 
London to the people of Northern Ireland took place. It appeared that 
the Irish would finally be able to celebrate the true spirit of Saint 
Patrick's Day.
  The quest for peace, however, took a step backwards when--on February 
11, 2000--the British government suspended the power sharing 
institutions and resumed direct rule of Northern Ireland from London. 
The Good Friday Peace Accords is now hanging by a thread.
  As I stated earlier, the people of Ireland, Protestants and 
Catholics, in the North and in the South, have made their feelings 
clear. They support the Good Friday Peace Accords. They support the 
power sharing institutions. They support peace and cooperation. They 
believe that the people of Northern Ireland should have the ability to 
govern their own affairs.
  Representatives of all parties in Northern Ireland met last week here 
in Washington with British and Irish leaders in an effort to break this 
impasse and return home rule to Northern Ireland. I am hopeful that 
their efforts will prove to be successful.
  I strongly support the Accords. They represent the best hope for a 
lasting peace in Northern Ireland. I urge all parties to stick to the 
agreement and make it work. They have a responsibility to keep their 
word to the Irish people and stop Northern Ireland from slipping back 
to the ways of the ``Hard Men'': intimidation, violence, and death.
  On this day, let us reflect on the turmoil the Irish have endured for 
so many years and commend them for their tremendous hope, persistence, 
and hard work. Let us remember the true spirit of Saint Patrick's Day 
and renew our support for the Irish people in the North and the South 
who desperately want, and deserve, a future of peace and 
prosperity.

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