Adams calls for more effort from Blair and Trimble

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams was today continuing his visit to the United States, where he has called on the British Government and unionists to ‘‘knuckle down’’ and build on the IRA’s re-engagement with the decommissioning body.

Mr Adams told a St Patrick’s Night dinner in Atlanta, Georgia, he was disappointed the Government had not honoured its commitment to scale down the military presence in republican areas.

The West Belfast MP was last night returning to New York where he was expected to attend further engagements.

Speaking from Atlanta, Mr Adams also repeated demands for a permanent lifting of the unionist ban on Sinn Fein ministers attending North South Ministerial Council meetings.

Mr Adams said: ‘‘It is a pity that the space created by the IRA’s re-engagement with the de Chastelain Commission has not been utilised by either the UUP or the British Government to resolve some of the issues with which they have held up this process.

‘‘On the policing issue it is clear the British are going to have go back to implementing as a minimum the Patten recommendations and amend the legislation.

‘‘At Hillsborough, they said to us they were prepared to do that.

‘‘One of the positive outcomes of the Sinn Fein engagement with the British Government was the securing of that commitment but the Blair Government needs to knuckle down to that legislative change in a detailed way.

‘‘Demilitarisation clearly needs to be addressed. There can be no excuse for the British Army presence in areas.’’

Mr Adams argued Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was not helping matters by signalling the ban on Sinn Fein ministers attending meetings with their Irish Government counterparts may be lifted, only to be reimposed it if he is not satisfied with the IRA’s contacts with the disarmament commission.

The Sinn Fein leader also rounded on Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid for saying yesterday that it was reasonable to expect a lifting of the sanctions in return for substantial engagement by the IRA with the de Chastelain Commission.

‘‘Mr Trimble does not make the job any easier on the republican side when he says he may lift the ban on Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun attending North South meetings, but could reimpose it if the IRA do not respond to his terms,’’ Mr Adams said.

‘‘I can tell you quite categorically the only way this issue is going to be resolved as far as the IRA is concerned is the way which has been spelt out in its public statements.

‘‘Sinn Fein cannot and will not deliver the arms issue on Ulster Unionist or British Government terms. Everybody must play their part on all the issues.

‘‘A space has opened up that I wish will be filled with hope instead of the usual unionist shopping list of demands and some of the ambiguous waffle of some in the British Government.

‘‘I find the Blair Government’s response to Mr Trimble’s unlawful behaviour totally unacceptable. The refusal of the British to make it clear that it does not support and is opposed to Mr Trimble’s conduct is unacceptable.

‘‘The attempt to suggest that republicans are responsible for arms and unionists for the institutions is a complete distortion of the Good Friday Agreement and for a British minister to tolerate this says more about the ad hoc nature of the British approach to the rights of citizens.’’

The Sinn Fein leader welcomed the support shown for the peace process by US President George W Bush and his administration during St Patrick’s Day events in Washington, claiming it was proof that the peace process remained an issue.