Sinn Fein accuses U.S. of blocking N.Ireland peace process

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams on Tuesday criticized the Bush administration for hampering the Northern Ireland peace process by limiting his party's ability to raise funds in the United States.

Adams, who was invited to the White House on Friday, told reporters that the continued ban not only goes against the principles of equality and inclusion that are at the heart of the peace process, but is being used by those opposed to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

"It's quite remarkable, I don't understand why this restriction is being put on me. I've been invaluable to the White House, and I don't understand why I can't walk around the corner and go into a restaurant," Adams said.

Last year, the Bush administration cut off Sinn Fein's fundraising privileges in the United States, dealing a hard blow on the party which relies heavily on support from Irish-American supporters.

Meanwhile, a leading Irish-American congressman said that the Bush administration does not plan to lift the fundraising ban.

Progress on implementing the Good Friday accords has been deadlocked since last October when Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive and assembly were suspended amid a row over alleged Irish Republican Army spy activities.

Northern Ireland has been plagued by three decades of political and sectarian violence between Protestants committed to keeping the union with Britain and Catholics who want to end it and unite with the Irish Republic.

Source: Xinhua