Decommissioning vital, says Ahern

THE decommissioning of all paramilitary weapons must be carried out on a convincing basis, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said last night.

As Foreign Minister Brian Cowen and Northern Secretary Paul Murphy prepare for a new round of talks in Belfast, Mr Ahern said there was also a need for the republican movement to back the new policing arrangements. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mr Ahern will be heavily involved in crucial talks at Leeds Castle in Maidstone in a bid to restore the power-sharing Executive at Stormont.

These talks are due to begin on September 16 and last for three days.