IRA withdraws decommissioning offer

The IRA has withdrawn its offer to decommission its weapons blaming the British and Irish Governments for trying the republican paramilitary organisation's “patience to the limits".

In a statement released last night, the IRA leadership said it had demonstrated its commitment to the peace process "time and again" but that peace could not be built on "ultimatums, false and malicious accusations or bad faith".

The statement continued: “In 2004 our leadership was prepared to speedily resolve the issue of arms, by Christmas if possible, and to invite two independent witnesses, from the Protestant and Catholic churches, to testify to this. In the context of a comprehensive agreement we were also prepared to move into a new mode and to instruct our Volunteers that there could be no involvement whatsoever in activities which might endanger that agreement.

“These significant and substantive initiatives were our contributions to the peace process. Others, however, did not share that agenda. Instead, they demanded the humiliation of the IRA.

“Our initiatives have been attacked, devalued and dismissed by pro-unionist and anti-republican elements, including the British Government. The Irish Government have lent themselves to this. Commitments have been broken or withdrawn. The progress and change promised on political, social, economic and cultural matters, as well as on demilitarisation, prisoners, equality and policing and justice, has not materialised to the extent required, or promised.”

Commenting on the IRA’s decision, Sinn Fein President said the move was a "direct consequence of the retrograde stance of the two governments”.

"The two government have opted for confrontation,” the West Belfast MP said. “They are engaging in the sterile politics of the blame game without any regard for the consequences.

“This negative approach has effectively scuttled the enormous work done in persuading the IRA to undertake the unprecedented initiatives which they publicly outlined in December. All of this good work has now been undermined."

However, the Prime Minister's official spokesperson said the Government was not surprised at the IRA's position.

He said: "The fact remains that it was the IRA that did carry out the Northern Bank robbery and as the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach said yesterday therefore it is the IRA that is the sole obstacle to moving forward.”

He re-emphasised that the obstacle to political progress was the need for an end to criminality.

(MB/SP)