William Helms: “I am certainly not alone in my disappointment at the recent turn of events in Northern Ireland. It is a disheartening…”

“I am certainly not alone in my disappointment at the recent turn of events in Northern Ireland. It is a disheartening development. With the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998 and the overwhelming desire for peaceful resolution of the conflict--in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland--the prospects for peace in that troubled region had never seemed better. The Good Friday Agreement, like all negotiated peace settlements, offers incentives to all parties but it also requires compromises-- compromises that most people are willing to make, and have made, in order for peace. I do not pretend to speak for any side in Northern Ireland, but I can imagine that it was difficult for many in the Unionist community to see convicted IRA bombers walk free from prison. And it was certainly difficult for many in the nationalist community to accept the principal of continued British sovereignty over Northern Ireland. But David Trimble, John Hume, and other honorable men and women have fulfilled their obligations under the Good Friday Agreement in order to give peace the opportunity to take root in Northern Ireland. The current crisis stems from the refusal of one organization--the Irish Republican Army--to begin the process of decommissioning of their weapons and explosives.”