Bush spurs on Irish deal

Saturday, 27 November 2004 12:00 AM

US President George Bush has personally intervened in the Northern Ireland peace process to spur on the new power-sharing deal.

Mr Bush telephoned Dr Rev Ian Paisley, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, the province's largest political party, and is due to call Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, on Saturday.

He will call on both to embrace the agreement proffered by the British and Irish governments.

Dr Paisley said Mr Bush had encouraged the two groups to "get a deal done".

He said he had "a long and very useful conversation" with Mr Bush.

The North Antrim MP said he had told the president he would like to be in a position to make a deal, but that any deal "must be fair".

"I reminded the President of the fact that he would not have terrorists in his government, and that we must be satisfied that IRA terrorism is over and cannot return."

Speaking in Crawford, Texas, Mr Bush said: "Of course the primary movers are Prime Minister Blair and Bertie Ahern of Ireland, who have been working very diligently on this. I appreciate their efforts, and anything I can do to help keep the process moving forward, I'm more than willing to do so."

It is assumed Jonathan Powell, the Prime Minister's chief of staff, called on Mr Bush to intervene.

Parties in the province now have the weekend to ruminate on whether to accept the new deal, which sets in train devolved government in the province.

The main point as ever is the verifiable decommissioning of weapons.

Mr Adams - who met Mr Blair in London yesterday - said he had yet to speak with the IRA about the deal, as there was no "comprehensive package" to offer.

"Why haven't we gone to the IRA? We haven't gone to the IRA because we haven't got a comprehensive package," he said.

"As far as we are concerned, all of these issues (on weapons) should be issues for that organisation to decide.

"As far as us as a political party is concerned, the arms issue should be dealt with under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, which means the de Chastelain commission."

Mr Adams said Mr Paisley's apparent optimism for the new deal was "a huge journey for him".

The Assembly - built on the foundations of the historic 1998 Good Friday accord - was suspended two years ago amid allegations of an IRA spy ring at Stormont.

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