Congressman Richard E. Neal
"The historical significance of today's announcement on the island of Ireland cannot be minimized. The confirmation of full and final IRA weapons decommissioning will have a swift and dramatic impact on the Northern Ireland peace process. It is an extraordinary development that be should be welcomed by the United States, British and Irish governments in the strongest possible terms. By putting its arms beyond use, the IRA has ended its armed struggle. In the process, an unparalleled opportunity for peace and political stability has been created.
Today's breakthrough is a victory for those who have worked for decades to take the guns out of Irish politics. It is a victory for supporters of the Good Friday Agreement, the peace accord that promises the people of Ireland a future of equality, tolerance and mutual respect. And it is a victory for those individuals, on both sides of the Atlantic, who took risks for peace often in the face of great adversity.
The Sinn Fein leadership of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness deserve great credit for successfully convincing the IRA to exclusively embrace politics. It is clear that they have kept their word and honored their commitments throughout this process. The extraordinary work of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern must also be recognized.
Together they have formed a partnership that has brought peace and reconciliation in Ireland one step closer.
Today's landmark events should lead to substantive negotiations between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party with the goal of the swift restoration of devolution. The historical obstacles that have prevented these two parties from meeting directly are now gone. Unionists must now demonstrate in a clear and unambiguous manner that they are willing to share power with their nationalist neighbors. And the Good Friday Agreement, which represents the will of the people, must now be implemented in full."
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