(4 Sep 1997) English/Nat
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams had a meeting inside the White House on Wednesday - the first since the Irish Republican Army announced a new ceasefire seven weeks ago - but Vice President Al Gore stayed away despite being in the same part of the building.
Adams is in the U-S to try and gather foreign support in coaxing the pro-British Protestant majority to sit down at the negotiating table at the Northern Ireland peace talks on Tuesday.
Adams said his I-R-A-allied party did not feel snubbed when Gore
avoided the hour long briefing with National Security Adviser Sandy Berger.
But during the I-R-A's previous 17-month truce that ended in February 1996, Clinton or Gore usually dropped in informally when Sinn Fein was at the White House.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is in the U-S in the hope of garnering American participation in getting Northern Ireland's pro-British Protestant majority to sit down at the negotiating table.
Sinn Fein will participate in Tuesday's Ireland peace talks - known as the "Belfast talks" - at the invitation of Blair's new government, but two unionist parties who have vowed to sit out of talks with the I-R-A to join the process.
Adams had a meeting with National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, at the White House after which he was quizzed by reporters about the apparent 'snub' by Al Gore.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well the meeting was with Mr Berger and that's the arrangement that we had. Of course I would have been pleased to bump into the vice president. We had a very good meeting earlier today with the commerce secretary."
SUPER CAPTION: Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein President
During the I-R-A's previous ceasefire lasting 17-months, either Clinton or Gore usually dropped in whenever Sinn Fein visited the White House.
But this time Clinton remained on holiday on Wednesday in Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, and Gore also stayed away.
The White House has emphasised that the I-R-A must maintain the ceasefire it began on July 20th for Sinn Fein to make headway in Northern Ireland's peace negotiations with nine other parties.
Senator Edward Kennedy said the new ceasefire offered an opportunity for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"All of us here in the Senate and I think we speak for all Americans who want to be a positive and constructive force in trying to see that there's a real opportunity for peace that will be advanced and moved forward for a continuing, ongoing, a lasting peace that will respect the two traditions - that will provide a meaningful opportunity for progress for all the citizens in the north (of Ireland)."
SUPER CAPTION: Senator Edward Kennedy
Adams thanked the U-S government for its efforts in support of the peace process and expressed a wish for further encouragement in the search for a lasting peace.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I've been thanking them and commending especially President Clinton. We're also seeking - I know we're knocking an open door - an intensification of that encouragement, of that commitment, of that endeavour to move the entire situation forward into a lasting peace. I'm delighted that this is the first Sinn Fein delegation which has part of our negotiating team here and the first political representative - as is appropriate that we meet from the Senate and I thank Senator Kennedy and Senator (unclear)."
SUPER CAPTION: Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein President
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has set a May deadline to achieve
results in negotiations among Northern Ireland's largest parties.
Francisco.
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