IRA denies holding back weapons

The IRA has denied holding onto arms following the publication of an Independent Monitoring Commission report claiming that not all of its weapons were handed over during the recent decommissioning process.

The IMC report said: "We referred in our previous report to the significant act of decommissioning reported by the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) on 26 September 2005.

"We have since received reports that not all PIRA’s weapons and ammunition were handed over for decommissioning in September. These reports are not able to indicate precisely what is the nature or volume of any remaining weapons but suggest two things: first, that there is a range of different kinds of weapons and ammunition; second, that the material goes beyond what might possibly have been expected to have missed decommissioning, such as a limited number of handguns kept for personal protection or some items the whereabouts of which were no longer known.

"We recognise that if these reports were confirmed the key question would be how much the PIRA leadership knew about these weapons.

"These same reports do not cast doubt on the declared intention of the PIRA leadership to eschew terrorism. For our part, we are clear that this latter is their strategic intent."

In a statement the IRA denied being in breech of pledges made in its declaration last year.

The statement from "P. O'Neill" said: "The IRA has honoured all public commitments made on July 28, 2005. Any allegations to the contrary are politically motivated."

A report from the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) also made today said that they had "no indication that the quantities of arms involved were substantial."

The IICD further stated that there was no suggestion that weapons had been retained with the approval of the IRA leadership.

The decommissioning body said that it had sought confirmation in a meeting with the IRA representative who had assured the commission that no IRA weapons were "retained or placed in long term hides."

THE IICD said that "none of the various intelligence assessments suggest the IRA leadership is moving away from its July 28 commitments."

The DUP's Nigel Dodds said that his party's position over the issue had been totally vindicated and that there were doubts about whether or not the IRA had retained small arms and other weapons.

UUP leader Sir Reg Empey, pointing to recent raids linked to IRA money laundering, said: "It is clear that they still have some way to go towards exclusively peaceful and democratic means."

The SDLP said it was still concerned that the IRA were operating spy rings for the benefit of Sinn Fein. The SDLP's Alban Maginness said this undermined trust and damaged the Good Friday agreement.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair, commenting on the reports, said it was absolutely crucial that "all criminal activity has to cease."

(SP)