SF pushing for British to cut security as part of deal
As the party's leadership prepares to meet with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Government buildings this afternoon, sources said Sinn Féin has put forward the view that commitments to demilitarisation should be "front-loaded" to facilitate a deal.
Demilitarisation was one of the key commitments contained in the joint declaration of the Irish and British governments that emerged from the Weston Park talks.
However, although 51 bases have been dismantled in the North to date, some 55 army bases remain including eight hilltop watchtowers and 11,000 British soldiers are still based there.
As part of the wider deal, Sinn Féin wants the pace of demilitarisation to be speeded-up to conclude within a matter of months. Such a concession would be a quid pro quo for perceived compromise to the DUP on decommissioning.
SF's meeting with Mr Ahern comes as the two main parties inch closer to a historic breakthrough that would lead to the standing down of the IRA and a return of devolution.
While both governments have said they want the two main political parties to decide by today on the latest power-sharing proposal, there is a possibility that informal deadline may be extended into tomorrow, as further clarity is sought.
Yesterday, Mr Adams gave a relatively positive assessment of his first face-to-face meeting with PSNI chief constable Huge Orde.
Describing it as "useful", Mr Adams said it had been confined to demilitarisation.
According to SF, Mr Orde had raised the subject of policing on the basis that it was interlinked but the party had "gently rebuffed" him. Mr Orde, for his part, described the meeting as a "step forward".
Separately, DUP leader Ian Paisley met with General John de Chastelain, the head of the decommissioning body, in Belfast.
Speaking as he left the meeting, Dr Paisley said negotiations were at a "very delicate stage".
He added: "If this decommissioning problem can be solved, then we are on our way. But it is not solved at the present time."
Both Mr Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair gave cautious responses to yesterday's moves.
"We have been here three times before but were not able to restore the institutions," the Taoiseach said, before adding: "I am determined to do it this time."
Similarly, Mr Blair said he did not want to raise hopes, mindful of the talks being backed into a "cul-de-sac".
The sequencing would be markedly different this time from that at Hillsborough in October 2003 it unravelled when the Ulster Unionist Party refused to make its agreed statement following the statement on decommissioning made by Gen de Chastelain.
It is envisaged that this time round it would start with an IRA statement and then one from Sinn Féin. There would then follow a statement from both governments, a statement from the DUP, ending with one from Gen de Chastelain.
