Blair and Ahern under pressure to exclude SF

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern are due to hold talks in Dublin today as pressure mounts on them to impose sanctions against Sinn Féin over alleged IRA activity.

The two are expected to review the state of talks aimed at restoring devolution in Northern Ireland and to warn republicans that they can no longer continue pursuing their aims through paramilitarism and politics.

In his speech in the Ballymun area of Dublin last night, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams expressed concern that the British and Irish governments were preparing to exclude his party from the political process in Northern Ireland.

As he sounded his warning, senior Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey warned republicans that Sinn Féin must “get rid of the IRA” if it is to be part of any future political settlement.

Against a background of scathing criticism of Sinn Féin’s links with the IRA, Mr Adams claimed political opponents, including Dublin Government ministers, were engaging in the “old politics of conflict and division”.

The West Belfast MP said: “Gone are the concepts of inclusivity, of dialogue, of seeking agreement and of working together.

“In my view the Irish Government is actively considering the exclusion of Sinn Féin from the political process in the North (of Ireland) as an option.

“It is actively considering going back to the old agenda, the failed policies and attitudes of the past.

“This, like the current negative politics, the negative campaigning, is wrong. It is destructive and it betrays an absence of real political debate on the part of the establishment and it is something that Sinn Féin will not engage in.”

Tensions between Sinn Féin and the Government have been mounting following a series of public attacks on the party by Justice Minister, Michael McDowell, over its links to the IRA.

Republicans have also faced fresh demands for an end to all paramilitary activity by the IRA after the organisation was accused of attempting to kidnap Belfast republican Bobby Tohill from a city centre bar last month.

Even though the Provisionals’ leadership has denied authorising any attempt to abduct Mr Tohill, unionists have urged British and Irish ministers to impose sanctions on Sinn Féin.

The four-member Independent Monitoring Commission, which was set up last year to assess all paramilitary activity, has been asked by both governments to bring forward its first report on the state of the ceasefires to May.

On Tuesday, the Commission hinted it may produce a report specifically on the Tohill incident.

Mr Blair and Mr Ahern are also expected to address concerns about the pace of the talks at Stormont among the Northern Ireland parties.

But they will also take note of senior Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey’s warning that there could be no place for Sinn Féin in any settlement while the IRA remains active.

The former Stormont Culture Minister said last night: “The Republican leadership continues to media-manage their way through the current crisis by finger-pointing, buck-passing, wriggling, prevaricating, in fact doing anything to avoid facing the real cause of the deadlock – on-going activity by paramilitaries.

“Frankly this won’t wash. We have been here before.

“Sinn Féin can try and side-track the issue by raising any number of issues, whether it be alleged collusion, human rights, the Cory Report or on-going loyalist activity.

“But at the end of each avenue that they may wish to divert people’s attention down they will find one escapable fact: If Sinn Féin can’t get rid of the IRA, they can’t be part of any political settlement here, mandate or no mandate.

“It is a very simple choice. Either they are a bone fide political party, or they are the political wing of a terrorist organisation. There isn’t, nor ever was, any in-between.