Tony Blair tried to steer speech for Gerry Adams on IRA disarmament

Tony Blair attempted to amend a Gerry Adams statement on IRA disarmament, newly unsealed documents show.

On April 27 2003, then-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams gave a lengthy address on the decommissioning of arms by the IRA.

It followed the prime minister calling on the IRA to provide clarity on “three questions” that arose from a statement issued by that organisation.

It came after then-taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Mr Blair issued a joint statement in early April that said all parties had a collective responsibility to fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement.

That was met shortly thereafter by a communique from the Provisional IRA to the two Governments, which was later made public.

The letter said that the responsibility for advancing the political impasses at the time rested with the two governments, particularly the UK government – and that the IRA was disappointed with the lack of full implementation of the Agreement.

In the response, the IRA said it supports the peace process, expressed resolve for a “complete and final closure of the conflict” and announced a further act of decommissioning.

It also said that its ceasefire remained intact but added that the context for a definitive setting aside of arms was the full and irreversible implementation of the Agreement.

The wording of the IRA statement provoked some unease despite the UK and Irish governments initially stating that it showed progress and a clear desire to make the peace process work.

Further clarity on the statement was sought from the IRA.

Newly unsealed documents from the Irish Government’s Department of Affairs reveal a back-and-forth involving Mr Adams, the department, and the British government around a draft statement for the Sinn Fein leader for more than a week.

Mr Ahern and Mr Blair had met on the margins of an EU summit on 16 April, 2003 where the two leaders agreed that Sinn Fein and the IRA needed to provide clarity and an endorsement of their interpretation of the IRA statement.

Departmental minutes say that the prime minister expressed concern that the Sinn Fein/IRA strategy was to split the two Governments, and that UUP leader David Trimble would be “eaten alive” if he was to accept no further clarification.

Both Mr Ahern and Mr Blair agreed that it would be best for the IRA to provide another statement but that a clarification from Sinn Fein or Mr Adams could be sold to Mr Trimble.

They gave the following wording to Mr Adams for a possible statement: “I agree and endorse the interpretation of the IRA statement put forward by the two governments.

“Furthermore, the substantial act of putting weapons beyond use authorised by the IRA is a clear endorsement of the basis of proceeding as set out in the Joint Declaration.”

On the same day, extracts of lengthier remarks that Mr Adams was prepared to make that evening were shared with the taoiseach and prime minister’s officials.

Mr Blair ultimately publicly requested that the IRA answer the “three questions” the governments had about the IRA statement on April 23.

In essence, the first of the questions was whether the IRA would end targeting, procurement of weapons, and so-called punishment beatings.

The second was whether the IRA was committed to putting all arms beyond use through the decommissioning commission.

The final question was whether the IRA would consider “complete and final closure of the conflict” if all parties completed all their obligations under the Agreement. The IRA is not a party to the Agreement.

Mr Adams, as president of Sinn Fein, later addressed these three questions in a speech on April 27.

The documents show that Mr Adams had provided some drafts to Irish officials, and that the Department of Foreign Affairs had communicated with Mr Blair’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell.

Mr Powell provided the department with notes from Mr Blair, to which they amended their drafts for Mr Adams.

The amendments from Mr Blair did not feature word-for-word in Mr Adams’ final speech.

In response to the first of Mr Blair’s questions, the Sinn Fein leader said the original IRA statement is one of completely peaceful intent and that it was logical that there should be no activities inconsistent with peace.

On question two, Mr Adams said it is “obviously” about putting all arms beyond use.

On question three, he said that if all parties fulfil their commitments under the Agreement that this would provide the basis for a complete and final closure of the conflict.

The newly unsealed documents show the Irish side found the responses on the final two questions to be reasonably clear.

However, it found that Mr Adams’ response to the key first question relating to ongoing IRA activity “failed to hit the target with sufficient precision”.

The IRA would later accuse the two Governments of a breach of trust, saying its original April 12 letter had been “mischievously leaked and misrepresented”.

:: This article is based in documents in 2024/130/15