De Chastelain on standby for IRA arms destruction

AN early act of decommissioning by the IRA, possibly this weekend, could pave the way for talks aimed at restoring devolution in the North beginning as early as September.

The International Independent Commission on Decommissioning, chaired by Canadian general John de Chastelain, is on standby to oversee any new step the IRA takes towards the destruction of its arsenal, following the organisation's statement that its armed campaign was over.

General de Chastelain will oversee the decommissioning process together with two clergymen one Protestant, one Catholic.

Irish Government sources could not say with certainty last night when the first act of decommissioning might take place, but believed it could be "within the next couple of days".

Both governments want a rapid completion to the decommissioning process, and if they deem sufficient progress has been made by September, Northern Secretary Peter Hain will launch new talks aimed at restoring the power-sharing institutions.

But given that the £26.5 million Northern Bank raid and the killing of Robert McCartney have fuelled unionist scepticism about the IRA keeping its word, Mr Hain warned the Provisionals yesterday that their every move would be studied.

"It's up to the IRA to deliver and they will be watched and we will be scrutinising everything," Mr Hain said. "By actively shutting down, I don't just mean bullets and bombs, I mean punishment beatings, criminality, targeting and the robbing of banks."

SDLP leader Mark Durkan similarly warned that the IRA should not be allowed to "privatise" criminality in the wake of its pledge to abandon its arms.

"It's ... important that we don't have a notion that people are licensed to do what they want as long as it is on a personal basis, not on a corporate basis," he said.

However, the IRA received the first payback for its statement when, to the fury of unionists, the British Army confirmed it is closing a base at Forkhill in south Armagh. A watchtower at Sugerloaf Hill, Camlough, and the lookout post at Newtownhamilton police station will also be dismantled.

The DUP was incensed by the security scaledown, with party MLA Arlene Foster saying: "It's criminally irresponsible of the [British] government to do that, given what has gone on in those Border areas."

But Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams called on the DUP to respond positively to developments, urging Ian Paisley to enter face-to-face talks in a bid to restore devolution. He also appealed to loyalists to follow the IRA's lead and commit to dumping its arms.

US President George W Bush spoke with both Mr Adams and Mr Paisley by telephone yesterday, indicating to the former that the IRA's words had to be followed by actions.

Former US President Bill Clinton, meanwhile, said the IRA decision was "potentially the biggest thing to happen in the peace process since the Good Friday Agreement".

The International Monitoring Commission, which monitors paramilitary activity, also said the IRA statement was "potentially" very significant. It said it would "monitor the consequences" of the statement for reports it is due to deliver to the governments in October and January.