IRA in arms breakthrough

BBC ^ | 23rd Oct 2001 | BBC

[slhill]

The IRA has said it has put some weapons "beyond use" in what will be widely seen as an historic breakthrough for the Northern Ireland peace process. Confirmation of what the IRA called an "unprecedented" move came in a statement on Tuesday. The IRA leadership confirmed that a scheme agreed with the decommissioning body in August to put weapons "completely and verifiably beyond use" had been implemented.

"This unprecedented move is to save the peace process and to persuade others of our genuine intentions" --IRA statement

This is the first time that a republican group which has violently resisted the British presence in Ireland has ever disposed of weaponry. The move - long demanded by unionists - seems certain to breathe new life into the troubled peace process. As yet there is no detail as to what quantity of arms was involved or where it occurred. If there is to be more detail, it may come in a report from the de Chastelain arms commission later.

'Process in jeopardy'

The statement referred to a political process on the "point of collapse" and said such a "collapse would certainly and eventually put the overall peace process in jeopardy". The IRA said its motivation was "to save the peace process". UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to make a statement on the IRA move later on Tuesday.

If the move is acceptable to Northern Ireland's largest unionist party, the Ulster Unionists, led by David Trimble, it could lead to the restoration of Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive. The UK government is expected to respond swiftly to the move, possibly by scaling back on some controversial military bases in south Armagh.

The move by the IRA to begin decommissioning had been widely expected after a statement from Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams on Monday that he had recommended a "ground-breaking" step on the arms issue. The absence of decommissioning of arms has been a key stumbling block to progress in the stalled Northern Ireland political process. The leader of the nationalist SDLP, John Hume, said he hoped the move would lead to a positive response from Mr Trimble and his party in putting the institutions back in place.

The latest crisis was precipitated by David Trimble's resignation as first minister in July, a move designed to put pressure on the mainstream republican movement. In August, the IRA confirmed that it had agreed a scheme with the international arms decommissioning body to put arms "completely and verifiably beyond use". However, the unionists rejected the IRA statement, and Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid suspended the devolved institutions for one day to trigger another six-week negotiating period. That sparked fury among nationalists - with republicans accusing the British Government of pandering to the unionists. Less than a week after widespread speculation that decommissioning could begin, the IRA issued a new statement, withdrawing the offer it had put before General John de Chastelain's international arms body.

Political crisis

However, in September, the IRA said it would "intensify" its engagement with the de Chastelain commission.

Then, in October, David Trimble said he intended to bring the political crisis to a head by withdrawing the rest of the Ulster Unionist ministers because his party could no longer sit in the executive with Sinn Fein.

The Democratic Unionist Party also said it would withdraw its ministers from the executive.

The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, headed by General de Chastelain was set up under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement and began its work on 24 September 1997.

Its role is to verify the decommissioning process.

[Norn Iron]

TUAS, the tactical use of armed struggle, will continue. It's most unlikely that any Semtex will have been disposed of.

Blair is caught between the demands of the European Union and the struggle in Northern Ireland.

The EU will probably have pressed for the division of the UK into 12 smaller regions so that it can be more easily absorbed into the 'Europe of the Regions'. Regions are more easily dealt with than nation states. Don't forget it was Sinn Fein/IRA that led the NO campaign on the recent referendum in Ireland(republic) on the Nice Treaty. It doesn't want to see the end of the Irish nation and its neutrality.

Blair and Ahern are quite content to let the terrorists expand their fiefdoms so long as the violence is contained within NI. You've seen how little they've done in North Belfast as republicans apply pressure to the small loyalist enclave in Ardoyne and the violent loyalist reaction to that pressure. Note that the pressure was applied in the run up to that most unstable period in NI, the marching season.

[Colosis]

You've seen how little they've done in North Belfast as republicans apply pressure to the small loyalist enclave in Ardoyne and the violent loyalist reaction to that pressure

I love reading your excuses for the blast bombing of catholic going to school. Can you not accept that children have a right to go to school without bring terrorized?

[Norn Iron]

I support their right to go to school without being terrorised. You are merely condemning one of the guilty parties. Why?

I think it's shocking that children should be used and abused by republican and loyalist thugs in Ardoyne.