Old foes, all smiles in Belfast
MILESTONES toward peace in Northern Ireland seem to arrive every six months, but until now they have not produced the breakthrough that would bring tranquility to the six counties. This time, however, the amity between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party seemed genuine as they re-started the provincial government Tuesday. If these old adversaries can get along with no more than the usual friction among coalition partners, the conflict really is over.
Credit for reconciling the extreme wing of Irish nationalism to nonviolent politics goes to Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, his chief lieutenant and deputy first minister in the provincial government. They were among the leaders of the Irish Republican Army (Adams denies this but few believe him), and they realized more than two decades ago that the IRA could not win the war against unionism and Britain.
Adams and McGuinness maneuvered the IRA and Sinn Fein, its political wing, toward peace -- first by contesting elections in the Irish Republic and in the north, then by talking with moderate nationalists, agreeing that Sinn Fein would no longer insist on a united Ireland, signing a peace agreement, cajoling the IRA into declaring itself out of business, and finally agreeing to support the reorganized police force. Unionists and the British, Irish, and US governments pressured the IRA to end the war, but Adams and McGuinness orchestrated the transformation.
By coincidence the assembly was restarted on May 8, the 20th anniversary of the ambush at Loughgall, where British commandos slaughtered eight of the toughest IRA fighters. As members of the army council, Adams and McGuinness probably knew that the eight were mounting a terrorist campaign that included blowing up the Loughgall police station. Adams and McGuinness probably also approved other IRA operations, including the bombing at the Armistice Day commemoration in 1987 that killed 10 civilians. Their status as peacemakers should not obscure their leadership in terrorism.
Still, Ian Paisley, once the excoriator of the IRA and now the first minister, beamed as he stood next to the avuncular McGuinness at the assembly reopening this week. Until a few months ago, Paisley was denouncing Sinn Fein as unworthy of government, but he's learned from the Sinn Fein leadership how to move beyond seemingly steadfast positions.
The law creating the Northern Ireland government is designed to lock adversaries in harness, not the usual approach to effective performance in office. Now that the IRA war is over, Paisley and McGuinness will need to adjust to the realities of everyday governance. Yesterday's first controversy came over the water authority's plan to lay off 500 workers. There are no unionists or nationalists when the water bill comes due.
