Government to argue for inclusion of SF at White House

THE Government will argue for the inclusion of Sinn Féin at the White House St Patrick’s Day ceremony despite the round of denunciations the party will face later this week.

Three days ahead of the International Monitoring Commission's (IMC) report on the Northern Bank robbery which blames the IRA for the raid and for recent punishment shootings Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern acknowledged that it would cause further damage to the process.

However, as he departed for a visit to the US, Mr Ahern said that he would urge the White House not to exclude Sinn Féin from US President George W Bush's "shamrock ceremony" on St Patrick's Day.