War & Peace
‘TIME FOR PEACE, says the message neatly painted on a Belfast wall – words heeded by the IRA which yesterday vowed to destroy its weapons within two months.
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| The new IRA paintball team were very good |
As the Times reports, the IRA has told its units to dump their weapons and instructed its operatives to end their armed campaign. They must engage in no other activities whatever.
What this last part means is a little unclear. But the paper says it has been taken by Tony Blair to mean that the IRA will not only cease all paramilitary behaviour, but all forms of criminality as well.
And its from Blair the paper first hears. Desperately in need of a sign that hes winning the war on terror, Blair must be elated and relieved that the IRA should denounce terrorism in the current climate.
This may be the day when after all the false dawns and dashed hopes, peace replaces war, politics replaces terror on the island of Ireland.
Ooer. Lets just hope the decommissioning of the IRAs arsenal runs smoother than Tonys rhetoric, which in its obvious attempts at sounding weighty, merely serves to display the limits of our leaders oratory.
But in bald terms the IRAs move is very good news. And anyone who doubts it can turn to the Telegraphs front page and note the list of killed (3,637), wounded (45,000), bombs (15,300), shootings (36,000) and terrorism convictions (30,000) that have blighted Ulster over the last three decades.
Inside, the paper produces that IRA statement in full. The outfit talks of purely political and democratic programmes, how Volunteers must show leadership, determination and courage and of a compelling imperative on all sides to build a just and lasting peace.
Words that, to the Telegraphs mind, caused genuine delight in Downing Street. The paper says there was a feeling that it could hardly have been better written by Number 10.
Which of course – just like that report by Lord Hutton into the death of Dr David Kelly – it wasnt…’
Posted: 29th, July 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
