Trimble accused of peace process ‘blunder’

The Sinn Fein leadership today accused David Trimble of making a massive blunder in rejecting General John de Chastelain’s determination that the IRA had started a process of decommissioning.

As the British and Irish Governments struggled to save the Good Friday Agreement and the future of the troubled peace process, Martin McGuinness said the Ulster Unionist leader had made a grievous error of judgment.

He said Mr Trimble should ‘‘butt out’’ of the International Decommissioning Commission and leave the General to get on with his discussions with armed groups.

The party’s chief negotiator claimed in Belfast: ‘‘Of all the mistakes made throughout the course of the last three years in the Good Friday Agreement process, what David Trimble has done in rejecting the determination of the IICD is the greatest mistake of all.

‘‘It is the biggest blunder of all ...’’