No arms concession on Unionist terms, warns Adams

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said tonight there was "no possibility" of IRA weapons being conceded on unionist or British Government terms.

Speaking as pro-Agreement parties geared up for crunch talks starting in Shropshire tomorrow, Mr Adams also warned: "The IRA are not sheep."

His comments came after former Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble claimed the onus was on republican to "surprise" people at the negotiations with a significant gesture on arms.

"In my opinion there is no possibility of unionist demands on IRA weapons or British Government demands on IRA weapons being conceded by the IRA in the time ahead," Mr Adams told a rally marking the 20th anniversary of the death of hunger striker Joe McDonnell.

"It is not possible and it is not the responsibility of the Sinn Fein leadership to deliver the IRA on British Government or unionist terms."

He also told republicans at the commemoration in Lenadoon, west Belfast: "The IRA are not sheep.

"Joe McDonnell could not have been pressurised or herded or cajoled or fooled or tricked or hoodwinked into doing anything which he didn’t think was for the advancement of the republican struggle and for his children and grandchildren and the rest of the people on this island."

With five weeks for Ulster Unionist leader Mr Trimble to be either restored or replaced as First Minister before the new power-sharing regime faces another crossroads, Mr Adams said the challenges at the Shropshire talks lay with Sinn Fein and the Government but "particularly with the leaders of unionism and particularly the British Prime Minister Mr Blair".

Earlier Mr Adams’s party colleague Martin McGuinness said the Government must return to the template of the Good Friday Agreement.

And he also maintained further movement was needed on police reform in Northern Ireland as well as scaling down of security.

Yesterday Mr Trimble held out little hope of a breakthrough.

He said: "I have had discussions with these gentlemen (in Sinn Fein) before.

"I have listened to them saying about the great things they’ll do and I have seen the little that comes from it.

"On the past record there isn’t much to be hopeful about but I hope they can do it. It’s up to them. Let them surprise us. I hope they can."