British, Irish leaders promise to solve IRA's disarming issue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 22, 2003

British, Irish leaders promise to solve IRA's disarming issue

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British and Irish leaders pledged to keep working to solve the Irish Republic Army's decommissioning issue shortly after Protestant leader claimed earlier Tuesday that IRA's big disarmament act was "not enough."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern said in Belfast that they hoped their governments could find a way through the difficulties in the process although it would take time.

"We are very, very close to what I believe will be an historic day for Northern Ireland," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.

He also described Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble's attack on IRA as "a last minute glitch." Earlier, Trimble said he needed more evidence of the weapons decommissioned by the IRA. "There is a clear agreement between us and republicans that there should be greater transparency," Trimble, the former First Minister, said in a statement. His remarks were immediately seen as a huge setback for the province's peace process.

"We had made it very clear to republicans, to the governments and to General John de Chastelain that what we need in this situation was a clear transparent report of major acts of decommissioning... Unfortunately we have not had that," Trimble claimed.

"We are in effect now putting the sequence on hold," he admitted.

General John de Chastelain, head of the independent decommissioning body, said the IRA's third act of decommissioning of arms, including automatic and semi-automatic guns, machine guns, explosives and explosive materials, was "considerably larger" than the previous time.

Earlier on Tuesday, the IRA announced, "We have also authorized a further act of putting arms beyond use. This will be verified under the agreed scheme."

And IRA's political wing Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams welcomed the announcement of the Nov. 26 election date for the Northern Ireland Assembly, saying the IRA was genuinely interested in the peace process.

The Northern Ireland Assembly elections were postponed in May over what the British government called a lack of clarity about the IRA's future intentions.

Northern Ireland has been plagued by three decades of political and sectarian violence between Protestants committed to keeping the union with Britain and Catholics who want to end it and unite with the Irish Republic.

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