Paisley accused over Clinton attack
The Rev Ian Paisley was accused today of acting irresponsibly after he launched a withering attack on former US president Bill Clinton
Mr Paisley branded the former president a “political has-been” last night after he challenged the Democratic Unionist leader’s claim that the Good Friday Agreement was dead and should be buried.
The veteran unionist was in turn criticised by Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew for his broadside against Mr Clinton.
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP said: “It is possible that if Ian Paisley had the courage to remain within the political negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement instead of walking away and then catching up with the process years later, he may have experienced at first hand the positive role which was played by President Clinton and his administration in the search for peace and justice in Ireland.
“Mr Paisley’s ill-judged remarks today are the latest in a long line of irresponsible commentary from the DUP leader.
“Mr Paisley needs to reflect upon the political responsibility which comes with an increased political mandate and behave accordingly.”
The DUP leader accused Mr Clinton of “unmitigated cheek” following his comments on the Agreement during a visit to Dublin.
The former president did not agree with the DUP leader’s claim outside Downing Street last Thursday that the 1998 accord was dead.
He also stated his view that the next move to reinvigorate the political process in Northern Ireland was in the IRA’s court.
The former president said: “If they were to give up their arms and criminality, I think it would put a lot of pressure on Mr Paisley and others.”
Mr Clinton added that the Good Friday Agreement was fair to everyone in Northern Ireland.
He said: “I hope it can still be revived.”
The DUP leader responded that the Agreement was devoid of democracy.
There needed to be a new beginning in Northern Ireland which froze the representatives of terrorism out of government, he insisted.
The North Antrim MP continued: “Clinton cannot have his way to force IRA/Sinn Féin terrorists into the government of this part of the United Kingdom, as I told him to his face when he was in Belfast.”
Mr Paisley said when Mr Clinton was in the White House he would not have allowed the Oklahoma bombers to take posts in his government.
“Rather, he threatened them with the almighty punishment of his government. Yet he dares to dictate to the free people of Northern Ireland that they must have such terrorists in their government,” the veteran MP, who has been buoyed by the strong General Election performance by his party, said.
“Don’t do what I do, but do what I say – that is the hypocritical way of Bill Clinton, a has-been.”
Mr Paisley also launched a vigorous attack on SDLP leader Mark Durkan after he insisted the DUP should not be allowed to dictate the pace of political progress in Northern Ireland following the recent elections.
The Democratic Unionist claimed Mr Durkan had been mixing for far too long with Sinn Féin.
Ms Gildernew said Sinn Féin was determined to see political progress in the time ahead.
She said: “The two governments (the British and Irish) clearly have a massive responsibility to ensure that this happens.
“The people of Ireland who voted for the Good Friday Agreement in such large numbers cannot be expected to wait forever for the DUP to begin to grasp basic concepts of equality and democracy.”
