McGuinness In Iraq Peace Mission

Returning from a visit to Iraq on Monday, the North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness suggested that further peace talks between the factions in Iraq could be hosted in Ireland.

Mr McGuinness, who visited Iraq with former Assembly Speaker Lord Alderdice, suggested that the Iraqi people desired an end to the conflict in the same way as those in Belfast had before the Good Friday Agreement.

While in Iraq, he and Lord Alderdice spent time encouraging the Shia and Sunni groups to sign up to an agreement that would commit them to non-violence, a path similar to the 'Mitchell Principles' used in the North.

Such an agreement would bring the two sides together to negotiate peacefully and would be predictated on the disbanding of all paramilitary groups.

On his return, the Deputy First Minister described his impressions of Iraq telling reporters that, "If you want a glimpse of what World War III would be like, it's there on the streets of Baghdad. So I think it's of vital importance that the process, which is now beginning to move, moves speedily," he said.

"I also want to applaud the courage and leadership shown by these Iraqi politicians. I think something very important, something very powerful is beginning to happen.

Lord Alderdice also came away from the visit with vivid memories of Iraq, saying: "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.

"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," he concluded.