Plans to scale down British army in North 'unacceptable'

The British government was accused today of sacrificing moderate unionism as it pushed through plans to scale down the Army presence in Northern Ireland.

As Ulster Unionists prepared for a showdown between rival wings of the party over the British and Irish governments’ plan for the peace process, Councillor Danny Kennedy said he had a “robust exchange of views” with a Northern Ireland Office minister about the security policy along the Irish border.

Emerging from his meeting at Stormont with Northern Ireland Office security minister Jane Kennedy, the Newry and Armagh UUP representative said: “There is no way I can support any of the security measures in the joint declaration by the two governments especially when the IRA has failed to undertake any acts of completion.

“They are also foolish when you consider the ongoing threat from dissident republicans.

“The minister has been left in no doubt that as far as I am concerned plans to withdraw the home battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment are unacceptable.

“The removal of Army watchtowers in Cloghogue and Tievecrum in May were premature and the general process of demilitarisation by stealth is reckless particularly in the absence of anything from Sinn Fein/IRA.

“The government cannot play fast and loose with the lives of people living along the border in counties Armagh and Fermanagh given the recent military history of those areas.

“There are also serious political consequences and the government has been told that it appears with these measures they are prepared to sacrifice moderate unionism. That is something they will live to regret.”

Under the joint declaration released by the British and Irish governments last month, troop levels in Northern Ireland would have been slashed by nearly 10,000 soldiers had the IRA announced an end to all paramilitary activity.

The document also pledged to pull down Army watchtowers in south Armagh, Belfast and Derry.

Around 14,500 soldiers are currently deployed in Northern Ireland but the two governments planned to cut this to a permanent garrison of 5,000 if peace was regarded to have taken hold.

Hard-line unionists have been outraged by the proposals on demilitarisation.

Their fury has been fuelled by a leaked memorandum from Britain's General Officer Commanding to Army chiefs that the Royal Irish Regiment’s home battalions could be disbanded.

British army chiefs have since pulled back, insisting the 3,000 soldiers attached to the battalions in Omagh, Armagh City and Holywood, Co Down, will only go when the paramilitary threat in Northern Ireland disappears.

Anti-Good Friday Agreement Ulster Unionists are to urge the party’s 900-member ruling council to reject the Joint Declaration and its proposals on demilitarisation when it gathers on June 16.

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