Cowen welcomes Bush move on NI police

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen, has welcomed the decision by the US to lift a ban on Northern Ireland’s police officers training with the FBI.

Members of the force, known then as the RUC, were banned from training in America in 1999 under a law passed by Congress because of concern over the RUC’s human rights record.

President George W Bush’s move will allow PSNI officers to train at the FBI's prestigious academy and hold exchange programmes with US law enforcement agencies.

Mr Cowen said it showed the US government were acknowledging the "considerable advances" being made in implementing the Patten report.

"The provision of international training can only help to transform policing in Northern Ireland," Mr Cowen said.

Future PSNI members who wish to avail of the training programmes will be vetted to ensure they have not been implicated in any human rights violations in Northern Ireland.