Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton response to the IRA statement

"The cause for peace has once again been taken up by the people of Ireland. The announcement by the Irish Republican Army marks an historic forsaking of violence and a call to all parties to engage in the political process so that the tenets of lasting democracy for Northern Ireland, as established by the Good Friday Agreement, will remain firmly in place.

Today, all of the people of Ireland have won a victory, for their future path is one of peace. The IRA's statement is a clear signal to all parties that the political process is the exclusive way to determine Northern Ireland's future and that will be achieved by the restoration of the devolved government that is representative of all communities.

The Good Friday Agreement envisioned that a day would come when all paramilitary activity would cease. All paramilitary groups, be they nationalist or loyalist, must cease to operate so that peaceful debate about Northern Ireland's future in the world can begin. Today is an historic day in Northern Ireland and the potential for further progress remains strong.

We in the United States should do all that we can to support the Northern Ireland peace process."