(9 Feb 2000) English/Nat
President Clinton expressed hope on Wednesday that Northern Ireland's troubled peace accord will be salvaged.
He called on everyone involved to - quote - "belly up to the bar and do their part."
The president also commented on the latest crisis in South Lebanon, urging both Israel and Lebanon to stop the violence and continue their peace efforts.
Speaking to reporters on his way to a political fundraising trip in Texas, President Clinton said he'd been working hard behind the scenes to resolve the latest Northern Ireland crisis.
The accord is in jeopardy once again because the Irish Republican Army (I-R-A) has refused to disarm in support of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.
Clinton says the British and Irish governments, along with leaders of all the political factions, are working very hard to preserve the peace plan.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are working very hard on it, and I have some hope that we may find a way through this which would enable every aspect of the Good Friday accord to be realized, that's after all what the people of Northern Ireland voted for overwhelmingly, and that could achieve that objective without interrupting the progress so far. But I have nothing else to report to you except to say that I'm working very hard, the British and Irish governments are, and I think that the leaders of all the political factions are. I think everyone understands we're at a very important moment and we're trying to keep it going and we have a chance. And I just hope everyone will, everyone will belly up to the bar and do their part so that we don't have any backsliding or reversal here. We've come too far."
SUPER CAPTION: US President Bill Clinton
The president also discussed the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, saying the two sides should urgently go back to the negotiating table.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are doing our best to get the peace process back on track and I think it is clear that the bombing is a reaction to the deaths - on two separate instances - of Israeli soldiers, and what we need to do is stop the violence and start the peace process again and we're doing our best to get it started and we're working very hard on it."
SUPER CAPTION: US President Bill Clinton
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, convened his Security Cabinet on Wednesday to decide how to proceed with the bombing campaign aimed at subduing Hezbollah guerrillas.
The Hezbollah rebels have killed six Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon in two weeks.
Barak has repeatedly pledged to withdraw Israeli troops from Lebanon by July.
He needs to have a treaty with Syria in place by then if he hopes to get Damascus' blessing and guarantees for calm on Israel's northern border.
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