Dire Warnings On Irish Peace

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams told his party's annual conference Saturday that Northern Ireland is risking "a slide back to conflict."

Adams is urging Britain to order Protestant politicians to resume sharing power with Catholics.

He says if that doesn't happen, the peace efforts of recent years could be "frittered away."

He's appealing to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to transfer powers immediately back to the province's four-party government, which was created under the two-year-old Good Friday peace accord and suspended in February.

Adams' warning comes amid new violence in the strife-torn province.

An explosion damaged fencing and demolished the wall of a guards' room at a British army base Thursday. There were no casualties but nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution, officials said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack at Ebrington Barracks in Londonderry, and police superintendent Ian Hamill said, "it would be wrong to speculate" on who did it.

Residents of 15 homes were evacuated.

David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, the main Protestant party, said the attack was likely mounted by dissident members of the Irish Republican Army who oppose the group's cease-fire.

"There is reason to believe that dissident republicans are trying to launch a sustained campaign," Trimble said.

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern agreed, and condemned the attack as "futile and criminal."

He told the Irish parliament that the bomb was "an attack on peace" and added that it appeared to be the work of dissident republican groups opposed to the peace process.

"Such actions are anti-republican and they will not overturn the democratic will of the Irish people," he added.

It was the second attack at an army base in the British province in the last six weeks.

On Feb. 25, a bomb shattered windows at an army base at Ballykelly, 12 miles from Londonderry. Three unexploded devices were also found near a dormitory.

On April 5, a full prime rocket launcher was found near a military base near Dungannon. Police claimed an imminent attack had been prevented.