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| McGuinness in Iraq peace mission | McGuinness in Iraq peace mission |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has told Iraqi officials dialogue is the only way to bring peace to their country. | |
| Mr McGuinness is in Iraq to encourage Sunni and Shia factions to sign up to a commitment to non-violence similar to the Mitchell Principles used in NI. | |
| It includes an undertaking to engage in peaceful negotiations and the disbandment of all paramilitary groups. | It includes an undertaking to engage in peaceful negotiations and the disbandment of all paramilitary groups. |
| Mr McGuinness said he was hopeful progress could be made. | |
| Previous talks, involving the opposing factions, were held in Helsinki and included NI representatives and South African political figures. | Previous talks, involving the opposing factions, were held in Helsinki and included NI representatives and South African political figures. |
| Although Mr McGuinness said he was optimistic about the outcome of the initiative, he told the BBC that it was still very much "early days". | Although Mr McGuinness said he was optimistic about the outcome of the initiative, he told the BBC that it was still very much "early days". |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| "I described it before I left Ireland - our participation in Helsinki 1 and Helsinki 2 - as the dropping of a pebble in a pool with the waves reaching out to all shores," he said. | "I described it before I left Ireland - our participation in Helsinki 1 and Helsinki 2 - as the dropping of a pebble in a pool with the waves reaching out to all shores," he said. |
| "We have come to encourage them, to give them moral support, and to say that the world is watching and that the world expects that something very powerful can grow from what was a fairly weak seedling in a forest in Helsinki." | "We have come to encourage them, to give them moral support, and to say that the world is watching and that the world expects that something very powerful can grow from what was a fairly weak seedling in a forest in Helsinki." |
| Mr McGuinness is accompanied by the former speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Lord Alderdice, and political consultant Quintin Oliver. | Mr McGuinness is accompanied by the former speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Lord Alderdice, and political consultant Quintin Oliver. |
| The three men met with South African representatives and more than 30 Iraqi politicians inside Baghdad's high security green zone. | |
| "I have been to a lot of trouble spots in various parts of the world, but none of them are more militarised than this one," Lord Alderdice said. | "I have been to a lot of trouble spots in various parts of the world, but none of them are more militarised than this one," Lord Alderdice said. |
| 'Heavy duty' | 'Heavy duty' |
| "It's very heavy duty, and people are very careful indeed. Furthermore, the amount of military paraphernalia and concrete here is quite extraordinary. | "It's very heavy duty, and people are very careful indeed. Furthermore, the amount of military paraphernalia and concrete here is quite extraordinary. |
| "I was also saying to Martin McGuinness as we came into the airport, I've never seen an airport of that size with so few civilian planes in it." | "I was also saying to Martin McGuinness as we came into the airport, I've never seen an airport of that size with so few civilian planes in it." |