The Northern Ireland First Minister, Mr David Trimble, last night challenged the republican leadership to "repudiate" comments from one of its leading members, who questioned whether the IRA war was really over.
Addressing a republican commemoration in south Armagh at the weekend, Brian Keenan - reputedly the IRA's go-between with Gen John de Chastelain's international arms decommissioning body - said he did not know what people were talking about when they said the war was over.
He told the gathering: "The revolution can never be over until we have our country, until we have British imperialism where it belongs - in the dustbin of history."
The UUP leader called for an immediate repudiation of the comments. He said that they contradicted those of the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, three years ago, when he had said that violence must be a thing of the past - "over, done with, gone".
In his address, Mr Keenan said: "Don't be afraid of the phase we are in. This phase will either be successful, or it will be over. The Good Friday agreement will either stand, or it will fall."
He added: "British imperialism is very strong. The reason it oppresses us is that we are weak. We need more political strength in every facet of revolution. And for a fraternal organisation to do that, we need a united front.
"The republican negotiators who have taken on the enemy at the point where the enemy is - at the negotiation table - need the support of a united organisation.
"Those who say the war is over, I don't know what they're talking about.
"The revolution can never be over until we have our country, until we have British imperialism where it belongs - in the dustbin of history."
