Adams dismisses Keenan row as ‘silly distraction’

Sinn Fein President Mr Gerry Adams today dismissed as a "distraction" the political row over comments from a leading republican…

Sinn Fein President Mr Gerry Adams today dismissed as a "distraction" the political row over comments from a leading republican which appeared to question whether the IRA war was really over.

Northern Ireland First Minister Mr David Trimble has challenged the republican leadership to "repudiate" remarks made at the weekend by Mr Brian Keenan, reputedly the IRA's go-between with the international De Chastelain arms decommissioning body, over the weekend.

Mr Keenan said: "The revolution can never be over until we have our country, until we have British imperialism where it belongs - in the dustbin of history."

Ulster Unionist leader Mr Trimble said the remarks contradicted those of Mr Adams three years ago, when he said violence must be a thing of the past, "over, done with, gone".

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But asked about the row over Mr Keenan's remarks, Mr Adams today said: "I think it's a distraction, I think it's silly, I think it's stupid."

He said political parties should be putting their energies into finding a lasting peace, and resolving the policing issue, decommissioning and the permanence of the institutions.

Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's The World at One, Mr Adams said: "There wouldn't be a peace process if it wasn't for people like Brian Keenan, and in an area like South Armagh ... where people have seen no benefits in terms of a lessening of the military occupation of that area ... let's put all of this into context ..."

Mr Adams agreed with Mr Keenan that the Belfast Agreement had to be judged on its outcomes.

"The Good Friday Agreement is a template, a charter for the changes which are required, it will be measured, and is increasingly being measured, by people, on whether it is able to deliver the type of changes which are required," he said.

Mr Adams warned against the British Government ever again collapsing the political institutions set up under the Agreement, whatever the difficulties with the peace process.

Mr Keenan made his weekend comments in a rare public address urging support for the peace process.

He told republicans at the gathering: "Don't be afraid of the phase we are in. This phase will either be successful or it will be over. The Good Friday Agreement will either stand, or it will fall."

PA