THE chairman of the Northern Ireland multi party talks, former Senator George Mitchell, has called for an end to intransigence as well as violence so that what he called good faith negotiation" can succeed.
In an impassioned address to a Washington audience which included the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, and the Sinn Fein chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, Mr Mitchell said bluntly that for meaningful, inclusive dialogue to come about, there must be an end to "the twin demons of Northern Ireland violence and intransigence" which "feed off each other in a deadly ritual in which most of the victims are innocent."
Without naming to whom he was referring, Mr Mitchell said: "There are those who don't want anything to change, ever. They want to re create a past that can never again be. But their way will only guarantee never ending conflict. It will ensure that the next half century is as full of death and fear as was the past half century."
Mr Mitchell, who was receiving the peace award of the American Ireland Fund, said: "The people of Northern Ireland must make it clear to their leaders that they oppose intransigence, that they want meaningful negotiation, not capitulation; not the surrender of conviction but good faith negotiation that places the interest of the people, the interest of peace, above personal or political considerations.
While Mr Mitchell emphasise the need for an end to intransigence on the part of certain politicians, he insisted that with this "must come a total and final repudiation of violence.
"Let me be clear on one more point. There is no moral equivalence between intransigence and violence. They are both wrong. But as bad as intransigence is, violence is worse."
Mr Mitchell gave no indication about his future role in the multi party negotiations when they resume in June. "I have devoted more than two years for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland," he said. "It is a worthy cause."
He struck a positive note when he declared: "There will be peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. I do not know exactly when it will come. But I am convinced that it is inevitable for one overriding reason. It is the will of the overwhelming majority of the people in Northern Ireland."
The people remain deeply divided along sectarian lines, and are suspicious and mistrust each other, Mr Mitchell said, and it will take "a very long time for the mistrust to end". But it need not take a long time for the violence to end.
"Once it does, once people can live free of fear, then gradually the walls of division will come down. Walls that exist on the ground, and in people's minds, will come down, brick by brick, person by person, slowly but inevitably," Mr Mitchell said.