Trimble accepts commencement of IRA decommissioning

Following the IRA statement on decommissioning made on Tuesday and a meeting with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD), the Ulster Unionists have accepted that the IRA has commenced decommissioning.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said that he was “satisfied” that the IRA weapons seen by IICD would not be used again.

Speaking after meeting with the IICD Mr Trimble, who was told the quantity of arms involved was “substantial,” said: “This is the day we were told would never happen –IRA decommissioning.”

He said: “This is evidence of a commitment by republicans to a full implementation of the Agreement”.

The UK government warmly welcomed the report from the IICD and pledged to fully implement the Good Friday Agreement, including commitments made by the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern following the Weston Park meetings.

As the security situation improves, the UK government will implement: a programme to reduce the levels of troops and installations; further human rights and equality provisions; the Patten report; and the Criminal Justice Review.

The IRA statement, referring to the current political situation in the province, noted that the political process was “on the point of collapse” and that such a collapse would “certainly and eventually put the overall peace process in jeopardy”.

Continuing the statement the IRA said: “In order to save the peace process we have implemented the scheme agreed with the IICD in August. Our motivation is clear. This unprecedented move is to save the peace process and to persuade others of our genuine intentions.”

Although met with some unionist scepticism, the IRA announcement on Tuesday, October 23, looks like it will prevent the complete collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which had been facing suspension following a pull out by unionist ministers.

Although there are as yet no details on the sequence of events, the “ground breaking move” on decommissioning called for on Monday by Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams had already been seized on as a major step forward, one that had the potential to resuscitate a near lifeless political process. Northern Ireland Secretary of State John Reid is expected to make a statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon.

However, Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley said that evidence of commissioning would have to be substantial.

Following the resignation of all the unionist Ministers in the province’s power sharing executive last week in a move designed to collapse the province’s devolved government, the Assembly was facing suspension on Thursday, October 24, if no quick-fix solution to the issue of illegally held arms was forthcoming. (SP)