Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BELFAST142
2008-11-13 13:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Consulate Belfast
Cable title:  

SCENESETTER FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S VISIT TO BELFAST,

Tags:  PREL ECON OVIP UK 
pdf how-to read a cable
O 131309Z NOV 08 HLB
FM AMCONSUL BELFAST
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1420
INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY DUBLIN PRIORITY 
AMCONSUL BELFAST
C O N F I D E N T I A L BELFAST 000142 


NOFORN

FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON OVIP UK
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S VISIT TO BELFAST,
NOVEMBER 18-19, 2008

CLASSIFIED BY: Robert H. Tuttle, Ambassador, London.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BELFAST 000142


NOFORN

FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2018
TAGS: PREL ECON OVIP UK
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S VISIT TO BELFAST,
NOVEMBER 18-19, 2008

CLASSIFIED BY: Robert H. Tuttle, Ambassador, London.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C/NF) Summary. Your visit to Northern Ireland will provide
an opportunity to demonstrate our continued support for the
historic achievement of creating a power-sharing government and
ending Northern Ireland's decades-long sectarian violence, and
an opportunity to restate a strong message concerning the need
to move forward quickly on devolution of policing and justice
powers. Northern Ireland's leaders recognize that positive U.S.
engagement during the past decade has led to the successful
power-sharing arrangement in place today. President Bush first
conveyed the need for devolution of policing and justice powers
to Northern Ireland's leaders when they visited the White House
in December 2007, and again when he visited Northern Ireland in
June 2008. It would be useful for you to reiterate the
President's tough message on devolution to Democratic Unionist
Party (DUP) First Minister Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein (SF)
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. During the successful
May 2008 US-NI Investment Conference, the President conveyed by
video a strong positive message to potential U.S. investors that
a stable government has returned to Northern Ireland. You may
want to underscore that the continuing lack of progress on
devolution and the current impasse between the DUP and SF could
create political uncertainty which would discourage foreign
investors and have a negative effect on Northern Ireland's
economic future. End Summary.

--------------
Last Piece of the Peace Deal
--------------


2. (C/NF) The Government of the United Kingdom devolved all
governmental powers to Northern Ireland's power-sharing
government on May 8, 2007, with the exception of powers related
to policing and the administration of justice. The October 2006
St. Andrews Agreement envisioned that policing and justice
powers could be devolved by May 2008. Progress on implementing
this final step of the devolution process has stalled because
the DUP is concerned about former IRA members (SF) being in
charge of security-related issues. A NI Assembly Review

Committee made recommendations for policing and justice
structures in spring 2008, but the DUP and SF have not yet
agreed to them.


3. (C/NF) President Bush delivered a strong message on the need
to move forward on devolution of policing and justice when
former DUP FM Ian Paisley Sr. and DFM Martin McGuinness visited
the White House in December 2007. Moving forward quickly on
devolution was also the centerpiece of the President's message
during his June 2008 visit to Northern Ireland. It would be
useful for you to reiterate the President's message on
devolution. You can convey that the U.S. is no longer
interested in excuses and that it is time to resolve the issue,
and you can tell Robinson and McGuinness that the lack of
progress on devolution could have a negative impact on the
positive outcomes of the May 2008 US-NI Investment Conference.
President Bush (via video message),UK PM Brown, and Northern
Ireland's leaders told potential investors that a stable
government had returned and Northern Ireland was a great place
to do business. This message will quickly fade if the impasse
between the DUP and SF continues.

--------------
PM Brown's Involvement
--------------


4. (C/NF) Viewing Northern Ireland's political issues as mostly
resolved, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has not been as engaged on
Northern Ireland as his predecessor Tony Blair. Brown's major
initiative was the May 2008 U.S.-NI Investment Conference which
he attended and during which he encouraged potential U.S. and
North American investors to consider Northern Ireland as a place
to do business. In September 2008 PM Brown returned to Belfast
to address Northern Ireland's Legislative Assembly. In his
remarks he called upon Northern Ireland's leaders to move
quickly to resolve the differences holding up the completion of
devolution. His remarks were praised by SF but not well
received by the Unionist Community.


5. (C/NF) DUP and SF are united on one issue -- the need for
the British government to provide additional funding for
devolved policing and justice. Thus far, Brown has been
reluctant to commit additional funds for this in advance. As
Chancellor under Blair, Brown made it clear to local political
parties that there was little he could do for them financially
to help make up for decades of economic stagnation.


6. (C/NF) Brown continues to enjoy what UK media have dubbed the
"Brown Bounce" for his perceived deft handling of the current
banking crisis, a phenomena that has improved Labour's national
polling numbers and narrowed what had been a double-digit lead
by the Conservatives. Labour won a decisive upset victory over
the favored Scottish National Party in a November 6 by-election
in the Scottish constituency of Glenrothes, further
strengthening Brown and helping to stave off any move to unseat
him as leader.

--------------
Political Overview
--------------


7. (C/NF) DUP FM Peter Robinson is known for his pragmatism and
shrewd handling of the many diverse elements within the DUP. In
March, Robinson orchestrated the retirement of the DUP's
long-time leader Ian Paisley. DUP Members of the Legislative
Assembly (MLAs) felt the party was losing support because
Paisley appeared to enjoy too much his working relationship with
DFM McGuinness. Paisley's son, Ian Paisley Jr, also became a
liability when alleged financial scandals forced him to resign
as Junior Minister. As Finance Minister, Robinson worked well
with his colleagues, including SF, to pass the government's
budget.


7. (C/NF) Deputy First Minister McGuinness also faces pressure
from within Sinn Fein, particularly regarding devolution of
policing and justice. Having signed up to policing in January
2007 in advance of the power-sharing arrangement, Sinn Fein
members now want to be seen as full participants in governance.
The added pressure of recent attacks on police officers by
dissident IRA has raised concern about Sinn Finn leaders'
ability to control dissident elements. McGuinness and Sinn Fein
leader Gerry Adams denounced these attacks, and mainstream SF
members are also being threatened by these dissident elements.


8. (C/NF) The Northern Ireland Executive Ministers have not met
for almost five months. SF has been blocking meetings of this
group because of the DUP's unwillingness to agree on a date for
devolution of policing and justice. The lack of an Executive
meeting has limited the devolved government's ability to tackle
serious economic, health, and education issues. Members of the
Executive from Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic
and Labour Party (SDLP) have been extremely critical of the DUP
and SF disagreement which has blocked the work of government.

--------------
Economic Development
--------------


9. (C/NF) Over the last decade the economic situation in
Northern Ireland has improved and the economy has been in
relatively good shape. Foreign investment into Northern
Ireland, particularly from the United States, has been robust,
with significant new U.S. investments regularly announced.
Northern Ireland's economy still needs to make up for several
decades of almost non-existent investment due to the sectarian
violence. Local economists believe the recent world economic
downturn will negatively impact Northern Ireland more than other
regions of the UK.


10. (C/NF) Ambassador to Ireland Thomas Foley, Special Envoy
Paula Dobriansky, and I worked closely with the Northern Ireland
government to organize a major investment conference in Belfast
in May 2008. The Conference highlighted for more than 100 U.S.
business executives the many attractions of doing business in
Northern Ireland, such as its stable, highly motivated and
educated workforce. The British and Northern Ireland
Governments were very pleased with the concrete outcomes and
success of the Investment Conference in May 2008 and very
appreciative of U.S. Government support.

--------------
Post Conflict Outreach
--------------


11. (C/NF) Northern Ireland's political leaders recognize they
have come a long way during the past few decades and many
politicians now enjoy sharing their negotiating experiences and
best practices with politicians from other regions in conflict,
including Iraqis, Israelis, Palestinians, Sri Lankans and
Kosovars. Most noteworthy is the work by DFM McGuinness and DUP
Junior Minister Jeffrey Donaldson, who during the past year have
met twice in Finland with a delegation of Iraqis, including
Sunni, Shia and Kurds, to share their experiences in achieving
peace. The Iraqis invited the delegation to visit Baghdad.
McGuinness and other delegation members traveled to Iraq in July
2008 to continue the work they started in Finland.


ELLIOTT