February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
In a public response, an Ulster Unionist spokesman said the U.S. group would not be present at the talks to rescue the Good Friday agreement and described its contribution as unbalanced and unfair.
Privately, though, it’s understood that Ulster Unionists were furious about the criticism of Trimble.
Bill Flynn, the NCAFP chairman and former head of the New York-headquartered Mutual of America, said: “One thing that has disappointed us about Trimble was that after receiving the Nobel Peace prize with John Hume he became very weak in his defense of the agreement. He has failed to stand up for it.”
Flynn was commenting as he outlined the NCAFP’s 10 requirements for a permanent peaceful settlement in Northern Ireland. They included full implementation of the Good Friday agreement; a statement from all paramilitary groups that the conflict is over, along with an agreement on the full decommissioning of their weaponry; the normalization of British military forces, armaments and installations to agreed peacetime levels; the full implementation of the Patten Commission recommendations, and unconditional support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Flynn, who played a role in securing a visa from former U.S. President Bill Clinton for Sinn F