BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The standoff between parties in Northern Ireland's peace process appeared to grow wider after a tumultuous day of talks Monday.
Democratic Unionist Party leader the Rev. Ian Paisley demanded Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern apologize after he called "unworkable" their call for photographic evidence of IRA weapons disarmament.
Ahern made the comment after talks with Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Fein -- the political wing of the IRA -- in Dublin.
Paisley then announced a DUP boycott of talks with the Irish government, saying Ahern couldn't be trusted. He later said Ahern apologized, but he would wait till the matter was further clarified in the Irish Parliament before resuming talks.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Ahern announced substantial progress on a peace agreement in Belfast last week, but the deal faltered over photographing the IRA disarmament.
The DUP had demanded the measure before it would enter into any agreement with Sinn Fein, who for their part said they would not submit to such a "process of humiliation."
