http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/current/international/stories/irish.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)
DUBLIN (Reuter) - The IRA voiced ``deepening disappointment'' Friday that its year-old cease-fire had failed to win its political arm, Sinn Fein, a place at all-party Northern Ireland peace talks.
The guerrillas said in a statement one year to the day after they silenced their guns that British Prime Minister John Major had failed to grasp an opportunity for a political settlement.
Yet the statement made no reference to any possible resumption of a 25-year war against British rule which the guerrillas halted last September 1 to try to win a reunited Ireland through political dialog.
``Regrettably, and after a full year, this opportunity has not been grasped by the British Government. It is a matter of concern that the British have succeeded only in preventing movement toward a resolution,'' the guerrillas said.
``The failure of John Major's Government to face up to its responsibilities is the source of deepening disappointment to all those who seek a just and lasting settlement,'' it said.
The IRA did not mention moves by Britain and Ireland to set up an international commission to deal with the surrender of IRA and Protestant Loyalist guerrilla arms, the issue which has brought the year-old peace process to a standstill.
Major and his Irish counterpart, John Bruton, are expected to propose setting up the body at summit talks in Britain next Wednesday called to breathe new life into what they say is the best ever opportunity for a settlement.
Sinn Fein said Thursday that it would reject such a body if it turned out to be another attempt by Britain to disarm the IRA and Loyalists before an overall political settlement had been negotiated by all parties to the conflict.
Britain and Ireland hope that the internationalization of the arms issue may break the deadlock caused by the guerrillas' refusal to hand over any arms until the shape of a new ``agreed Ireland'' is worked out at the conference table.
The Irish Times reported that former U.S. senator George Mitchell, President Bill Clinton's Ireland advisor, had been asked to head the commission and had tentatively agreed.
There was no independent confirmation of the report, which would bring Washington directly into the Anglo-Irish peace process for the first time.