IRA arms move depends on Trimble, SF says

The prospects of an IRA move on arms hinge primarily on guarantees from the Ulster Unionist leader that he will work to maintain all the institutions of the Belfast Agreement, according to Sinn FΘin.

Despite intense speculation and a security and political expectation that the IRA is prepared to move on arms, the paramilitary organisation has taken no such decision, a senior Sinn FΘin source said yesterday.

"There is no possibility of the IRA doing anything unless, for example, David Trimble was prepared to commit himself to sustaining and working the institutions," the well-placed Sinn FΘin source said.

Responsibility also lay with the British government to help provide the "context" to allow a possible gesture on arms by moving on issues such as demilitarisation and ensuring there would be no further suspensions of the institutions.

However, he indicated at a Belfast journalistic briefing that the chief republican requirement before an IRA gesture was a commitment from Mr Trimble to work the institutions of the Good Friday accord, and a willingness to allow Gen John de Chastelain's decommissioning body to deal with the arms issue subsequently.

A spokesman for Mr Trimble, who is due formally to pull his three ministers out of the Executive today, quickly responded to this briefing.

Mr Trimble's spokesman said last night that if the IRA started "meaningful and verifiable" decommissioning, his ministers could be re-appointed "immediately".

The UUP leader had already indicated that if the IRA moved on arms he would seek re-election as First Minister. He further indicated that he would then be prepared to leave the matter of decommissioning in the hands of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD).

"If the IRA moves, the process could still be in trouble - in fact it could be in worse trouble," said the Sinn FΘin source. "Because if the IRA moves and the unionists didn't respond politically then we would have caused huge problems if the IRA loses face for no good purpose."

"If we succeed in getting the context - and the IRA will have to take its own counsel and its own decision on this - it will be in many ways a bigger move than the IRA cessation, and therefore more difficult to achieve," he added.

He said Sinn FΘin was striving to create the context where the IRA could move. Sinn Fein was engaged "in very intensive discussions" with the British and Irish governments, and that there was also a chain of contact with the Ulster Unionists.

"If David Trimble hints that he may accept the IICD then of course that is good," the source said.

Rachel Donnelly, in London, adds:

The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, yesterday called on terrorist groups in Northern Ireland to end their links with other paramilitary organisations in countries such as Spain, Slovakia and Colombia.

Mr Blair told the House of Commons it was crucial that all in Northern Ireland were committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means and carried out their obligations under the Belfast Agreement.