Full statement by Tony Blair
Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this short press conference, where really what I want to do is to explain to you where we are in the process in Northern Ireland and to spell out for you and for people in Northern Ireland what I think the remaining difficulties are, because we are frustratingly close to an agreement, but we are not at an agreement yet.
The background for this is, as you know, is that last October, I made a speech saying there had to be acts of completion. In other words, we couldn't inch our way forward any more. We had to deal with all the outstanding questions for the Good Friday Agreement. And the Joint Declaration that the two governments have agreed as the result of this and it deals with literally all the outstanding issues.
It sets out on a strict timetable how we achieve total normalisation in respect of British forces in Northern Ireland. It sets out how we deal with the policing and justice issues. It sets out a path forward for human rights and equality. It sets out how we can make sure that the institutions in Northern Ireland are secure, in particular so that the government is secure. And the British and Irish governments are in complete agreement with this as the way forward, as indeed is the government of the United States of America.
Obviously a crucial part, however, of the whole deal is making sure we have a definitive end to paramilitary activity. Now this is the responsibility frankly of all armed groups within Northern Ireland.
The reason why there is a special focus, if you like, on the IRA is because Sinn Féin is a party that aspires to government and has been in government, and therefore there is a particular responsibility to make sure that the commitment in the Good Friday Agreement to exclusively peaceful means as the only basis for people being in government is adhered to.
Now the impasse is because there is uncertainty over the commitments given. And it may seem to you rather curious that this should be the case. Indeed it is rather curious that it is the case but it is the case, and the reason I thought I would speak to you this morning is because over the past few days I have read the speech by Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Féin, and also the words of Martin McGuinness, too.
And they say that the IRA commitments are clear and unambiguous, and the truth is, so far as we are concerned and the Irish Government is concerned, and the US government, they are not clear and unambiguous, they are uncertain. And there are essentially three questions that arise, and I think you will find when I describe these three questions, they are all questions that are all perfectly capable of clear and plain answers, and let me just spell them out for you for these are the three fundamental questions.
When the IRA say that their strategies and disciplines will not be inconsistent with the Good Friday Agreement, does that mean an end to all activities inconsistent with the Good Friday Agreement, including targeting, procurement of weapons, so-called punishment beatings, and so forth?
Secondly, when they say that they are committed to putting arms beyond use through the decommissioning commission, does that mean all arms so that the process is complete?
And thirdly, when they say that they support the Good Friday Agreement and want it to work, does that mean that if the two governments and the other parties fulfil their obligations under the Good Friday Agreement and the Joint Declaration, that that means the complete and final closure of the conflict? Now, I don't think those questions are very difficult questions. I think they are questions that are susceptible of clear answers and because this whole process is about the trust that people need and the confidence that they need, then the answers have got to be clear. And the truth is, clarity is our friend in this process and ambiguity is our enemy.
Now, just before I conclude my remarks let me say one other thing too. It would be a genuine failure, I think, of leadership all ways round if we are not able to resolve this.
That would be particularly so since my belief is that everyone in fact wants to reach the same destination, which is to get to the point where we do indeed have acts of completion, and I would pay tribute to all the leaders of the political parties that have been involved in this process. I think they have taken really difficult decisions. I think since I am talking particularly in the context of Sinn Féin and the IRA, I should say that I believe that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness are committed to this process, want to see it work, want to make it work, want to work with unionism in order to make it work. And I know people have come a long way and many things have changed on all sides, but we need to get to the point now where the clarity is there because without the clarity there won't be confidence.
And I hope very much over these coming days we will be able to go back into these matters again and reach agreement, because if we don't, the losers will be the people in Northern Ireland and as I say the reason I'm making this statement now and talking to you is that I think that it is only right, in view of all the speculation there has been and the discussion and reporting over the past few days, that the people in Northern Ireland know what the problem is, and the impasse and how we overcome it.