THE Sinn Fein president addressed a fund-raising lunch in New York
yesterday. Earlier it was revealed loyalist representatives would be at
President Clinton's St Patrick's Day lunch which Mr Gerry Adams will
also attend.
Mr Adams told celebrities, including Bianca Jagger and real estate
developer Donald Trump at the 200-dollar-a-plate event in Manhattan,
that it was time for Mr Major to stop making excuses and start making
peace.
He said he wanted to unite Ireland as a country for loyalists,
republicans, Roman Catholics and Protestants.
He responded positively to the news that Mr Gary McMichael, the leader
of the Ulster Democratic Party, would also attend the St Patrick's Day
party.
''I think that's very good. We want to see an Ireland that is
inclusive and St Patrick's Day is not a nationalist holiday, it is an
inclusive Irish celebration and I welcome everyone into that
celebration.''
Mr McMichael, chairman Joe English, and vice-chairman John White leave
for Washington today.
Mr McMichael, whose father was killed by an IRA bomb attack in
December 1987, said they had agreed to accept the invitation after much
consultation.
The two main Northern Ireland Unionist parties and another loyalist
fringe group, the Progressive Unionist Party, have all refused.
But Mr McMichael said it was necessary for them to go. He said:
''Gerry Adams has been given credibility and legitimacy, and we are
going there to counter that.
''The Americans do not acknowledge the validity of loyalist opinion.
We will not influence that by staying at home.''
He said he was not interested in shaking the hand of the Sinn Fein
president, saying he did not trust him and thought his commitment to the
Northern Ireland peace process was less than clear.
Mr McMichael added: ''We understand the gravity of the decision we
have taken. We have consulted within our party and also with our wider
community, and we are satisfied we are making the right decision.''
The Clinton administration pressed Mr Adams to take a new step towards
peace by pushing the IRA to scrap its weapons.
Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke told the House
International Relations Committee in Washington that Mr Clinton had
taken a risk by inviting Mr Adams to the United States and it was now up
to Sinn Fein to show it was serious about ending violence.
''The ball is in their court now to show that they are serious about
removing the gun from the political arena in Northern Ireland,'' Mr
Holbrooke said.
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