London explosives find further stalls progress on talks

THE multi party talks at Stormont are coming under increasing strain in the effort to find a way around the decommissioning logjam. Yesterday, it was acknowledged that whatever the overall chances of a breakthrough on the issue, there was little prospect of any movement this week following the IRA explosives find in London.

"There was a general understanding around the place that the bomb find did not bring any closer the prospects of an inclusive talks process," one Irish source said. A Ulster Unionist Party source said that there was now little prospect of substantive talks beginning "before Christmas if then".

Ulster Unionists attempted to blame the lack of progress on the Irish Government, while the SDLP claimed that pressure from the DUP and the UK Unionists was preventing the UUP from making reasonable compromises on the arms issue.

SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, warned yesterday that the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, appeared to be placing himself into a position in which the talks would become deadlocked on decommissioning. He believed that Mr Trimble feared the pressure from the DUP, the UK Unionist Party, and some within his own party who wanted no movement on decommissioning.

Mr Trimble said that some small progress had been made on the issue. At the moment, the UUP's main concentration was to ensure that the two governments created the legislative apparatus to deal with the mechanics and verification of decommissioning.

He said the talks were being stalled because the Irish Government had delayed bringing forward such legislation. He added that Mr Mallon would be better off going to the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, who once again is playing the role of bete noir. In this respect and persuade him to get his finger out, and to give the necessary commitments with regard to decommissioning". Decommissioning would not take place until Sinn Fein entered the process, but first the necessary legislation must be in place, Mr Trimble told BBC Radio Ulster yesterday.

The executive of the Ulster Unionist Council, the UUP's ruling body, will discuss the deadlocked talks at its regular quarterly meeting on Saturday. A UUP source said that there seemed little hope of movement to substantive talks until the legislation dealing with the mechanics of decommissioning was passed through the British and Irish parliaments.

The UUP was not prepared to accept Dublin's pledges that it will enact the legislation. "It must be in place," the source said.

Mr Peter Robinson, the DUP deputy leader, last night reiterated his party's position that at the start of talks there must be total decommissioning and weapons must be handed over.

Meanwhile, the Alliance Party has deplored a decision not to censure the two main unionist parties for their involvement in the Drumcree protest of early July. The judgment would "add insult to the injury" of the people who felt betrayed at what transpired at Drumcree, the party's deputy leader, Mr Seamus Close, said after the two governments announced their decision.

The Alliance indictment of the UUP and the DUP cent red on their involvement in the Drumcree protest organised by the Orange Order. It also sought to have the DUP security spokesman, the Rev William McCrea, reprimanded for appearing on a platform in Portadown with the dissident loyalist, Mr Billy Wright.

The two governments, however, ruled that Alliance had failed to establish that the two parties, or Mr McCrea individually, had "demonstrably dishonoured" the Mitchell principles on democracy and non-violence. They decided that no action be taken against the two parties.