Shankill bomber freed ahead of historic statement

THE IRA is within hours of making its historic statement that it is to end a campaign of violence that has dominated Irish political life for more than a generation.

Meanwhile, an IRA bomber who was returned to jail was last night released in the North in expectation of the statement.

Sean Kelly, who killed nine people in a bomb attack on a fish shop on Belfast's Shankill Road, was granted temporary release pending application to the Sentence Review Commission.

Mr Kelly was returned to jail last month after Northern Secretary Peter Hain suspended his early release licence under the Good Friday Agreement.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesman confirmed Mr Hain had approved Mr Kelly's temporary release.

The announcement by the Provisional IRA is expected to be made by mid-afternoon.

Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness who travelled to the US yesterday in anticipation of the statement is due to give a press conference before midday local time (5pm Irish time) at which he is expected to outline the changes in the IRA's status.

Officials from the two governments were last night drafting a joint statement and both have scheduled press conferences for this evening.

Yesterday, the mood was one of marked optimism that the IRA will give an unambiguous commitment to disband and sever its links with criminal activities and punishment beatings.

The likelihood of an afternoon announcement was given impetus by comments by New York-based publisher Niall O'Dowd to RTÉ yesterday.

Mr O'Dowd, who played an influential role in the run-up to the 1994 ceasefire, said the McGuinness briefing will be made once the statement was issued.

Speaking at the Galway Races yesterday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he expected the development within 24 to 36 hours.

"I genuinely believe we are within days of seeing an enormous change in the situation," he said.

Mr Ahern said he wanted to see a number of issues dealt with in the statement.

"We want to see the issues of decommissioning fully dealt with, the full range of arms and explosives and all the military armoury dealt with. We want to see criminality and all of the issues the targeting, procurement, training fully and comprehensively ended.

"The only way that can be done is if the Provisional IRA move and instruct their volunteers to end the campaign that has gone on for years."

Sources said last night that while the Government had not seen the definitive statement, there was a degree of certainty of its contents.

The IRA will not disband immediately but will wind down. The statement will commit the IRA to eschew all criminal activities.

There was uncertainty last night over whether the head of the decommissioning body, General John de Chastelain, will also report today.