Blair to warn Adams over terror links

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will tell Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams today that republicans must sever all ties to criminal and paramilitary activity if they are to be involved in power-sharing in the North.

In their first meeting since the IRA was accused of carrying out last month’s £26.5m (€38m) Northern Bank raid, Mr Blair will insist at Chequers that unionists cannot be expected to go into government with Sinn Féin while the IRA remains active.

Republicans have furiously denied claims by Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde that the IRA carried out the meticulously-planned heist.

The accusation has torpedoed any lingering hopes that Mr Blair and Bertie Ahern had of resurrecting last month’s failed bid to restore devolution and sparked a wave of recrimination between parties in the peace process.

Mr Blair had been due to meet Sinn Féin yesterday but was forced to rearrange his schedule.

But in a stark warning to republicans on Wednesday, he told MPs time was running out for the IRA and loyalists to abandon criminal and paramilitary activity.

He said: “It’s important that we continue to strive to take this forward on an inclusive basis but it cannot be the case, and frankly time is running out for this decision to be made by those who are connected with paramilitary groups, any longer that there is a process of transition here.

“People have to decide: they are either part of the democratic process or they are not. That moment of decision has long since passed and it has simply got to be clear whether people have made their decision or not.”

Mr Adams warned in London yesterday the peace process had hit its deepest crisis yet.

The Sinn Féin president, who briefed MPs and foreign journalists at Westminster on the problems in the process, also played down suggestions that his party was going to be taken to task at the meeting.

The West Belfast MP said Mr Blair knew exactly where republicans stood on the peace process.

“We are approaching the meeting positively,” he declared.

“No-one should think for one moment that we are going to be at a meeting which will be characterised by the spin. Tony Blair knows us well enough, knows what has been achieved, knows his own contribution to it, knows our contribution to it, and knows that confrontation just won’t work.”

On Wednesday, Democratic Unionist leader, the Reverend Ian Paisley called on Mr Blair to tell Sinn Féin all paramilitary and criminal activities must cease.

“Substantial time will be needed for the people of Northern Ireland to be convinced that paramilitary and criminal activity has completely ended,” he said.

“It is the people of Northern Ireland, not government agencies that will have to be satisfied that all IRA activity is over.

“There can be no question of the talks process that was brought to an end by Sinn Féin/IRA being renewed.

“We are now in a completely different situation and I have told both governments that they have an obligation to serve an ultimatum on IRA/Sinn Féin to cease immediately from their terrorist and criminal activity and to prove so by their deeds.”