Posted 12/29/2023, 3:32:31 PM
Blair Government Faced Pressure Over Legacy of Troubles in Northern Ireland
- British government under pressure from Sinn Féin in 2000 to grant amnesty to IRA members "on the run" for pre-1998 offenses
- Gerry Adams told Tony Blair he and Martin McGuinness were "totally discredited" with IRA over failure to resolve issue
- Blair lobbied attorney general to drop attempted murder charges against senior Sinn Féin figure Rita O'Hare
- Irish PM Bertie Ahern raised concerns with Blair about people with minor 1970s convictions who fled to Republic
- Legacy of the Troubles remains contentious decades later, seen in UK's Legacy Act and Ireland's legal challenge over it