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Bruton appeals for final end to IRA violence
September 11, 1996
Web posted at: 1:45 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Irish Prime Minister John Bruton called Wednesday for a final end to violence by the Irish Republican Army so that peace might finally be achieved in Northern Ireland.
"That can only happen when everyone has been convinced that violence will never again be used to intimidate opponents, or to control supporters. Never again," Bruton said in a speech delivered to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.
Bruton said that differences -- such as the centuries-old conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland -- should not be barriers to a democratic coming-together of the region's peoples for common benefit.
"We're not asking Unionists to cease to be loyally British," he said. "Nor are we asking nationalists to cease to be loyally Irish."
Instead, he said, the peoples of Northern Ireland should
acknowledge their differences and move beyond procedure
toward a genuine negotiation for peace.
(18 sec/192K AIFF or WAV sound)
"Living with difference -- that's the challenge for the
United States today," he said. He also said living with difference was important for Ireland and Northern Ireland. (22 sec/256K AIFF or WAV sound)
Prefacing his address with a history lesson that compared the
creation of the United States with that of the European Union
some two centuries later, Bruton said that the EU had grown
from the model set by the United States in the late 18th
century. (22 sec/256K AIFF or WAV sound)
The European Union, he added, now provides a model of cooperation among peoples of varied allegiances.
"If such a model can work for Europe, it can work for Northern Ireland," said Bruton. "And it can provide a model for the world."
Bruton also called for a reform of the United Nations, adding Ireland's support to what he called the U.S. push for "world rules against terrorism."
Related stories:
- New roadblock in Irish peace talks - September 9, 1996
- Northern Ireland talks resume despite protests - July 17, 1996
- Bomb rocks hopes for peace in N. Ireland - July 14, 1996
Related sites:
- Northern Ireland Information Centre
- The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
- Sinn Féin Election Headquarters
- Ulster Unionist Party - Home Page
- Northern Ireland Government Home Page
- Northern Ireland Tourist Board - Northern Ireland information
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