IRA withdraws landmark arms proposal

The IRA has withdrawn its plan to put its weapons beyond use.

The terrorist group's leadership announced the decision after David Trimble's Ulster Unionists rejected the proposal.

The IRA had put the plan to General John de Chastelain's decommissioning body. It is not clear if the Provisionals will end direct contact with General de Chastelain himself.

In a statement, the IRA said: "Conditions therefore do not exist for progressing our proposition. We are withdrawing our proposal."

A new round of talks involving all the pro-Agreement parties are due to get under way in an attempt to agree a deal on disarmament, demilitarisation and future policing arrangements.

The IRA's move follows the republican outcry over the Government's decision to suspend the Northern Ireland Assembly for 24 hours.

That decision followed Mr Trimble's resignation as First Minister in protest at the refusal by the IRA to start emptying their secret arms dumps.

Unionists said the plan to put their guns completely and verifiably beyond use did not go far enough, and there are claims in Belfast that the arrest of three alleged republicans in Colombia confirmed the party's doubts about the IRA's commitment to the peace process.

The Provisionals leadership said their plan was an unprecedented development "which involved a very difficult decision by us and problems for our organisation."

But the IRA said the unionist rejection, compounded by what they claimed were the setting of preconditions and the Government's failure to fulfil its commitments, were totally unacceptable.

The statement added: "The conditions therefore do not exist for progressing our proposition. We are withdrawing our proposal. The IRA leadership will continue to monitor developments. Peacekeeping is a collective effort."