Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the IRA's political partner pledged a commitment to peace after talks Tuesday that provoked outrage from Protestants in Northern Ireland and a cool response from Britain.
Prime Minister Albert Reynolds and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said they were "totally and absolutely committed to democratic and peaceful methods of resolving our political problems."The talks were held less than a week after the Irish Republican Army declared an open-ended truce in Northern Ireland. The 90-minute meeting, which began with a handshake between Adams and Reynolds, underlined the huge political change in Northern Ireland wrought by the cease-fire.
Their joint statement was endorsed by John Hume, leader of Northern Ireland's main Roman Catholic political party, who also was at the meeting.
Reynolds, Hume and Adams declared that "our objective is an equitable and lasting agreement that can commend the allegiance of all." But they stopped short of mentioning a permanent cease-fire, as demanded by the British.
Adams said before entering the Government Building: "It is a historic day, a historic occasion."
Protestant politicians said the meeting proved their charges of a secret deal with the IRA. They accused Reynolds of "indecent haste."
Reynolds defended his first face-to-face meeting with Adams as part of the search for peace.
"What we are trying to do here is establish peace - and that's all, with no strings attached. Peace, on its own, so nobody should be afraid of it," he said.
In London, Prime Minister John Major conferred with Cabinet ministers, and afterward his government demanded that the IRA "make clear by words and deeds" that its cease-fire is permanent.
Major and Reynolds demanded last December that the IRA permanently halt its violent campaign to end British rule in Northern Ireland before Sinn Fein could participate in talks.
The events underlined the rift between Dublin and London. Reynolds insists the IRA cease-fire declaration is genuine. London seeks a firmer pledge before starting the clock on a three-month interval between the cease-fire declaration and preliminary talks involving Sinn Fein.
In Belfast, David Trimble, a legislator for the Protestant Ulster Unionist Party, said the meeting in Dublin "confirms our view that there is a deal between Adams, Hume and Reynolds and shows that the Irish are trying to force the pace."
Reynolds has been meeting party leaders in advance of an Irish-organized National Forum for Peace and Reconciliation scheduled for late October. It will offer Adams his first chance to share the stage with Ireland's other nationalist leaders.
The Rev. Ian Paisley, hard-line Protestant leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, protested that Reynolds had elevated Adams to "the place of credibility."
The goal of the British and Irish governments, outlined in a joint declaration in December, is for all parties to negotiate a future for Northern Ireland.
Reynolds plans to brief Vice President Al Gore at Shannon International Airport in southwestern Ireland on Wednesday.