Unionists lay down strick rules over IRA disarmament

IRA disarmament will have to be verified, permanent and accompanied by the dismantling of the republican paramilitary group’s structures if it is to satisfy unionists, Ian Paisley said tonight.

With speculation mounting that the IRA is planning to seal its arms dumps soon, the hardline unionist leader claimed unionists would not be duped by any "smoke and mirrors".

In an uncompromising statement, the Democratic Unionist leader declared: ‘‘If decommissioning is to take place, then it must be seen to be done.

"Too often in the past the unionist population have been deceived by empty words and hollow gestures. Only if any decommissioning is genuinely verified will it satisfy the unionist population.

"Decommissioning must also be permanent. There must be no way back for the weapons and explosives to be recommissioned. Tricks with smoke and mirrors will not dupe the unionist people.

"Indeed, if decommissioning is for real, then it must be accompanied by the dismantling of the terrorist structures. There can be no legitimate reasons to keep the machinery of war intact."

The North Antrim MP was speaking as Northern Ireland braced itself for the possible withdrawal of Ulster Unionist ministers from the power-sharing government in protest at the lack of action on IRA decommissioning.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was in Washington DC today where he held, according to a party spokesman, "a constructive meeting" with US President George Bush’s special adviser on Northern Ireland, Richard Haass.

Mr Trimble also met US Congressmen and briefed American journalists on the current state of the peace process.

He is due to return to London on Wednesday and is expected to begin pulling his ministers out of the power-sharing executive shortly afterwards if there is no move on IRA arms.

The Upper Bann MP was urged at Stormont today by Sinn Fein minister Martin McGuinness to think again.

The Sinn Fein chief negotiator and Mid Ulster MP called on Mr Trimble instead to "work flat out" to save the political process.

"There is a democratic imperative on all of us - and not least David Trimble - to ensure that the people’s institutions survive.

"And I still believe, even though we have had many difficulties within this process, that there is a very resounding majority of our people out there, unionists, loyalists, republicans and nationalists who want the peace process to continue," he said.

Mr McGuinness refused to speculate on whether the IRA would make a gesture on decommissioning in advance of the UUP withdrawing from the Executive.

"The reason why we are in the mess we are in today is because David Trimble has walked away from his responsibilities," he said.

"The question is, is David Trimble prepared to work flat out with the rest of us to resolve this problem?" he asked.

Sinn Fein and Ulster Unionists were accused tonight by the incoming leader of the nationalist SDLP Mark Durkan of attempting to dilute the Good Friday Agreement.

The Foyle MLA, who takes over from John Hume as SDLP leader next month, observed: "In the last few days, we have had Sinn Fein calling for an alteration of the Agreement to allow British ministers on to the executive while the UUP’s David Burnside has called for the executive to be remodelled on a majority rule basis.

"Clearly both these scenarios veer sharply away from the Agreement.

"What is worrying is the fact that Sinn Fein has suggested a model of the Agreement which dispenses with unionists, while Burnside also talked up a return to direct rule.

"The only way to realistically move our society forward is one based on an inclusive and balanced approach - an approach which the SDLP pioneered."