Archives: Background: Mitchell's Good Friday Agreement [Fiasco Blair wants
to repeat]
Aaron Lerner Date: 5 June 2001

[8 April 2003: While UK PM Tony Blair already points to the Good Friday
Agreement as a fantastic success worth repeating with the Palestinians, US
President Bush said today at his joint press conference with Blair in
Northern Ireland that it will be an example for the Middle East "WHEN" it
succeeds. Instead of an example of a well crafted agreement, the Good
Friday Agreement stands witness to just how destructive sloppy work can be.
A warning that should be heeded as PM Blair presses for an incredibly sloppy
"roadmap" to be forced down Israel's throat in order to gain Blair a few
points in his domestic polls.]

The Northern Ireland multi-party talks concluded on 10 April 1998 with the
assistance of Senator Mitchell (the author of the recent "Mitchell Report")
with an Agreement on the future of Northern Ireland and the broader
relationships of which it is a part. The Belfast Agreement, on the future of
Northern Ireland and the broader relationships it is a part of, was
concluded at about 5.30pm on 10 April 1998, Good Friday, between the main
political parties in Northern Ireland, taking part in the multi-party talks.
It became known the "Good Friday Agreement."

Item #1 Excerpt from the Good Friday Agreement 10 April 1998

The following is the section of the agreement dealing with disarming:

DECOMMISSIONING

1. Participants recall their agreement in the Procedural Motion adopted on
24 September 1997 "that the resolution of the decommissioning issue is an
indispensable part of the process of negotiation", and also recall the
provisions of paragraph 25 of Strand 1 above.

2. They note the progress made by the Independent International Commission
on Decommissioning and the Governments in developing schemes which can
represent a workable basis for achieving the decommissioning of
illegally-held arms in the possession of paramilitary groups.

3. All participants accordingly reaffirm their commitment to the total
disarmament of all paramilitary organisations. They also confirm their
intention to continue to work constructively and in good faith with the
Independent Commission, and to use any influence they may have, to achieve
the decommissioning of all paramilitary arms within two years following
endorsement in referendums North and South of the agreement and in the
context of the implementation of the overall settlement. . . .

The stumbling block in the agreement with the DESTRUCTIVE ambiguity that the
agreemetn says when the "decommissioning" should be achieved ("within two
years") but not explicitly requiring any action BEFORE the end of two years.
Other elements of the agreement provide for the sharing of power BEFORE the
end of this period.

The meaning of the term "decommissioning" was also subject to DESTRUCTIVE
ambiguity.

Item #2 UK PM Blair describes the problem created by destructive ambiguity

++
REMARKS BY THE PRIME MINISTER THE RIGHT HONOURABLE TONY BLAIR MP ON BEHALF
OF THE UK AND IRISH GOVERNMENTS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE TAOISEACH,
BERTIE AHERN TD HILLSBOROUGH CASTLE, CO DOWN

1 APRIL 1999

. . .

DECLARATION

It is now one year since the Good Friday Agreement was concluded. Last May,
it was emphatically endorsed by the people, North and South, and as such it
now represents their democratic will.
.
Sinn Fein have acknowledged these obligations, but are unable to indicate
the timescale on which decommissioning will begin. They do not regard the
Agreement as imposing any requirement to make a start before the
establishment of the new Institutions. The UUP do not wish to move to the
establishment of the new institutions without some evident progress with
decommissioning.

Item #3 Senator Mitchell optimistic

18 November 1999

Senator Mitchell issues his final report on the Review stating that he now
feels there is sufficient consensus between the parties for the institutions
to be formed and decommissioning to occur. He acknowledges the unprecedented
level of understanding that now exists between the parties.

Item #4 Current situation:

Unionists believe that the IRA is not proving that it has set aside violence
until it actively destroys or hands in all the weapons and explosives in
it's possession. They believe that the Belfast Agreement (and a later
promise by Tony Blair) demands that weapons and explosives are removed from
the hands of Republicans.

The IRA has made it clear through their most recent statements that they
intend to put their weapons "beyond use". Their choice of words would seem
to indicate that there will be a longer term plan for decommissioning. The
IRA have already 'sealed' 2 of their arms dumps and shown them to
independent observers. The idea being that they can not be touched without
the authorities finding out about it and that they will eventually be
destroyed. There are other dumps, however, and Unionists believe that this
whole gesture falls well short of what they understand by the term
'decommissioning'.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
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Website: http://www.imra.org.il