Robin Oakley
Robin Oakley
Robin Oakley, OBEin Kidderminster, Worcestershire is a British journalist. He was European Political Editor at CNN International. Prior to CNN, he was Political Editor at the BBC...
among asking bank blamed buy fighters huge ira last money northern pensions question robbery skepticism year
There is skepticism among unionists as the IRA is blamed for the huge Northern Bank robbery last year and the question they are asking is: Will that money be used as pensions for old IRA fighters or to buy new arms,
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But it comes at a time when the IRA is under intensive pressure. It has been put on the defensive over the arrests in Colombia of IRA members working with FARC rebels and there are allegations it was involved in a burglary of Special Branch offices in Belfast in March,
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It has dominated the media, ... There is deep worry about the image of the British army and deep worry about the effect on Iraqi elections.
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They are now talking much more about the suffering of the Iraqi people. The British government used to say nothing of regime change, ... both (leaders) need a second U.N. resolution.
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were very much trying to present themselves as reluctant warriors. They were very much reacting to demonstrations of public opinion.
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(Blair) was saying that one way or another inaction was not a possibility -- there has to be action of one kind or another.
east looking peace
(Blair) looking to jumpstart the Middles East peace process.
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But one thing he didn't address, having raised in his speech the suggestion that politics in France had to change, he didn't have anything to suggest how the political system should change,
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Both sides know that with stock markets everywhere in free fall it is hardly the time to spark an all-out trade war.
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Bush will be there to show that the rest of the world is still interested in this peace process and to kick it along.
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Bush isn't going to follow the detail to the same extent (as Clinton), but he is helping to put his imprimatur on that process in an important week, when Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern put forward their latest proposals to revive the peace process,
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Basically what it boils down to is whether Angela Merkel detaches the Greens from Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder into a coalition with her and the Free Democrats, or whether Chancellor Schroeder detaches the Free Democrats from Angela Merkel's side.
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Basically, he has to go back to the drawing board ... to have another go at it, ... It's not a crisis or a complete disaster. It's a mess and it's a humiliation.
hot potato
such a hot potato that it was dropped.