Netwatch

The Washington Post
After a chaotic day of negotiations that left just about every politician confused and angry, Britain8217;s Northern Ireland Secretary, Peter Mandelson, announced that the historic new government would be shut down for an indefinite period because the IRA8217;s commitment to giving up weapons 8220;wasn8217;t sufficient8221;. Within minutes, though, the IRA8217;s political wing, Sinn Fein, announced what it called a 8220;breakthrough proposition8230;on the arms issue8221;.

The new IRA proposal involves a series of trade-offs. The proposal was submitted to the international commission on disarmament, and the commission subsequently issued a report saying the new IRA position 8220;holds out the real prospect of an agreement8221;.