Bush holds NI summit

Bush holds NI summit

The two leaders are holding talks at Hillsborough

President George Bush has arrived in Northern Ireland for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair on the war in Iraq.

Mr Bush was accompanied by US Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Richard Haass, the special American envoy on Northern Ireland.

After Air Force One touched down at RAF Aldergrove at 1823 BST, Secretary of State Paul Murphy accompanied the President by helicopter to the UK government's official residence at Hillsborough Castle for a war summit with Mr Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

The village of Hillsborough in County Down was virtually sealed off amid intense security and an anti-war protest by hundreds of demonstrators.

Both leaders are also expected to discuss the political process in Northern Ireland and are to meet the leaders of the pro-Agreement parties and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at Hillsborough Castle.

Northern Ireland's power-sharing administration was suspended on 14 October 2002 amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering at the heart of the Stormont government.

The talks will continue on Tuesday.

I think the fact that we have got these world leaders and prime ministers with us will actually help that process

Paul Murphy, Secretary of State

Bush flies in for war talks

Mr Blair's spokesman said he believed this week would be an important one in the Northern Ireland political process.

He said Mr Blair believed it was time for those involved in the process to "take the final steps towards acts of completion of the Good Friday Agreement".

"I think it is time to encourage the parties to take the big steps that are necessary, but how they respond will be up to them," said the spokesman.

Earlier, Mr Murphy said President Bush could help persuade the IRA to disarm.

The secretary of state said the summit would be extremely helpful for the Northern Ireland peace process.

"I do hope that in the next week we will see these acts of completion being described, whether it is from us in terms of our joint declaration, or whether it is the IRA doing what they have to do," he said.

"I think the fact that we have got these world leaders and prime ministers with us will actually help that process."

Speaking on Monday morning, Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble said this week was "the moment of truth" for the political process.

Blueprint

Mr Trimble said he would be disappointed if the outstanding issues in the process were not resolved by Thursday.

The anti-Agreement Democratic Unionist Party has expressed outrage at not being invited to give its views to Mr Bush.

The party was offered a meeting with Ambassador Haass.

However, party leader Ian Paisley said: "Given the willingness to accommodate a meeting between the President and those who have a smaller mandate than the Democratic Unionist Party, we will not be meeting with Ambassador Haass at this time."

With Mr Blair and Mr Ahern due to return to the province on Thursday to reveal their blueprint for restoring devolved government, many see Mr Bush's arrival as being instrumental in delivering a final breakthrough.

Mr Blair and Mr Ahern held crucial talks in the province last month, but failed to reach agreement with the pro-Agreement parties on a number of key issues.

Mr Blair and Mr Bush will address the NI political process

Unionists insist on sanctions against parties who break the terms of the Agreement, however Sinn Fein object to the measures which they say are aimed solely at them.

Other controversial proposals by the governments to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly include allowing paramilitary "on-the-run" paramilitaries to be dealt with through a judicial commission.

With an IRA statement expected some time after the joint statement by the British and Irish premiers, Mr Trimble is demanding that disarmament has to be both visible and transparent.

Prayer service

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said his party needed to be reassured that there would be no further threats from unionists to bring down the power-sharing institutions.

On Sunday, Mr Adams said the decision to hold what he called a "war summit" in Northern Ireland was insensitive.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan, who will meet President Bush on Tuesday, encouraged his party supporters to take part in peaceful, dignified protests against the war in Iraq.

These people do not care at all that the people of Iraq are being massacred

Jamal Iweida
Belfast Islamic Centre

Meanwhile, there has been a rally and prayer service for Northern Ireland soldiers serving in Iraq.

Mr Paisley attended the rally, along with party colleagues Peter Robinson and Iris Robinson.

Meanwhile, anti-war protesters have staged a demonstration directly outside Hillsborough Castle, despite a three-mile exclusion zone imposed by the security forces.

As President Bush's helicopter was landing a group of about 20 protesters, who were mingling with local people, removed their outer layer of clothing to reveal white shrouds.

Some then ran onto the road and lay down. The road was blocked briefly before police carried the protesters off.

The security forces reacted quickly to the demonstration, deploying police in riot gear while soldiers used mechanical diggers to move steel barricades onto the road.

The main road through Hillsborough was blocked for about 45 minutes by the security forces.

At least one protester was handcuffed and taken away by police.

Former independent MP Bernadette McAliskey urged the pro-Agreement parties to boycott their planned talks with Mr Bush.

"George doesn't care if you don't show up. You don't need, George, you don't like George, you don't agree with George so go home and spend time with your family," she said.

Sinn Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin was jeered during his address to protesters.

Patricia McKeown of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said Mr Bush was "an international disgrace".

Jamal Iweida of the Belfast Islamic Centre said the protest would not have any effect on the war in Iraq.

"These people do not care at all that the people of Iraq are being massacred," he said.