Bomb plot foiled as Blair flies in
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.TONY BLAIR flies into Belfast today in an attempt to rescue a peace process whose fragility was yesterday underlined by the interception of a large bomb apparently destined for the city of Londonderry.
Gardai in the Irish Republic foiled the bombing mission, which appears to be the work of renegade republicans, as the device was being taken from the Co Donegal town of Letterkenny towards Londonderry. A van that was stopped at a garda checkpoint was found to contain bomb- making components.
Two arrests were made during the operation, following which the RUC searched a number of homes in the Creggan district of Londonderry. A major bomb attack such as was evidently planned would have provided the worst possible backdrop for the attempt to make political progress.
As a prelude to the main talks in Belfast, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble went into brief early-morning talks at Downing Street yesterday. The Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, with whom Mr Trimble does not get on, was not present.
Mr Blair will this morning meet the Irish Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in London before the two men fly to Belfast. The two governments are said to have formulated new proposals aimed at breaking the decommissioning deadlock.
The Government made it clear yesterday that a breakthrough in the talks would mean that Dr Mowlam could put forward a devolution order in the House as soon as 1 July, the day after the deadline set by Mr Blair.
Mr Trimble asserted yesterday that he would not sit in government with Sinn Fein unless the IRA makes a credible start to giving up its guns.
Describing decommissioning as "the important fundamental obligation", he added: "For them to come to the point of explicitly acknowledging what the document they endorsed last year clearly says isn't really, from our point of view, significant progress."
Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, gave a hint of possible flexibility on the republican side.
"From our point of view, we - and maybe people think this is a fault - only like to ask the question when we have a fair idea of what the answer is going to be. The danger is that asking the question and getting a negative could actually be detrimental to the type of work which we are involved in."
t The Protestant civil-rights "Long March" from Londonderry to the parades flashpoint of Drumcree faced two nationalist protests yesterday.
Fears have been expressed that the march will heighten tensions across Northern Ireland. Pleas from Protestant churchmen and John Hume's SDLP for the parade to be called off fell on deaf ears.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments