Decommissioned arms to stay secret

A full inventory of arms decommissioned by paramilitaries during the peace process will not be made public, the body that oversaw the process has decided.

The detailed files on all the guns, munitions and explosives put beyond use by groups such as the IRA, UDA and UVF will instead be held by the US State Department in Washington, the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) said.

The move was revealed in the final report of the IICD which was published by the Irish and British governments today.

The commission said part of its rationale for keeping the information under wraps was to avoid discouraging future acts of decommissioning.

The last document produced by the commissioners reflected on its work since it first set up 1997.

In that period the IICD, led by retired Canadian general John de Chastelain, facilitated the destruction of arsenals belonging to all militant organisations on ceasefire.

Although a marginalised band of extremists continue to target the peace process using terrorism, the IICD’s job was to facilitate disarmament among those groups which had renounced violence, not persuade those still intent on conflict.

While there is no inventory in the final report, it does provide an account of decommissioning events, a summary of key factors that enabled the commission to deliver its objectives and highlights the lessons learnt.

After placing a copy of the report in Westminster’s library, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Owen Paterson said: “The Commission’s remit was to provide a mechanism, entirely independent of government, to execute the decommissioning of paramilitary arms in a manner that rendered them permanently inaccessible or unusable.

“The task was difficult and the Commissioners worked tirelessly to achieve it. There is no doubt that their independence and high level of commitment were crucial in gaining the confidence of paramilitary organisations. The resulting major acts of decommissioning they secured have contributed to making Northern Ireland a more peaceful, stable and inclusive society.

He added: “Many will be expecting an inventory to be included in the report. The IICD did not provide the British and Irish Governments with an inventory when they submitted their final report.

“This was rightly a decision taken independently by the Commission. The Commissioners say in their final report that providing details now of what paramilitary arms have been put beyond use, could, in our opinion, encourage attacks on those groups which have taken risks for peace. This is true of both Loyalists and Republican paramilitary groups.

“We would not wish, inadvertently, to discourage future decommissioning events by groups that are actively engaged today, nor to deter groups that have decommissioned their arms from handing over any arms that may subsequently come to light”.

“The IICD has made arrangements for the safe retention of the records of decommissioned arms by the United States Department of State in Washington who will hold them securely.”

Mr Paterson thanked the commissioners for their work over the past 14 years.

“Sadly, as recent violent events revealed, there remain those who have rejected peace and politics and who want to drag Northern Ireland back to its troubled past,” he said.

“However, the majority of paramilitary organisations have decided to pursue their goals by political and democratic means exclusively.

“The IICD’s final report is a valuable insight into how this has been achieved. Northern Ireland has made great strides towards stable, local democracy and I wish to place on record my immense gratitude to the Commission and their staff for their enormous contribution and long-standing commitment to their work.”

The IICD decision drew a strong response from Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson, who said the inventory must be published.

The Democratic Unionist leader said the list should have been passed to the two governments and insisted the public had a right to know what items had been put beyond use.

“It is vital that the public gets to see just how much terrorist weaponry has been decommissioned,” he said.

“On no fewer than four occasions in the House of Commons, the former security minister Jane Kennedy confirmed that our own government would be provided with a full inventory of weaponry destroyed by the IICD when they completed their work.

“The Government, in winding up the IICD, has clearly indicated that we are now at this point. That being the case, they should publish a complete inventory of everything that has been destroyed.

“Decommissioning was one of those issues that took a long time to be resolved: it soured the political atmosphere because of the foot dragging of those associated with criminal organisations to rid themselves of arms and support the police and rule of law.

“People will want to see just what has been achieved by the IICD in regard to putting the arsenal of illegal organisations beyond use.

“The public has a right to know what has been achieved and I would urge the Secretary of State to ensure the inventory, which should have been passed to our Government and the Government of the Irish Republic is published.”

He said the issue was all the more relevant given recent rioting in east Belfast which saw three people shot.

“There is also a wider issue about the logic of this move: only a week or so ago we witnessed guns being used on the streets of Northern Ireland,” he said.

“People will be naturally nervous that such arms are still in circulation and it is up to the Government to justify their decision to abolish the body responsible for dealing with these issues.”