IRA decommissioning not part of secret deal -Reid
The IRA’s latest decommissioning of weapons was not part of a secret deal to allow on-the-run terrorists back into Northern Ireland without fear of prosecution, the Government insisted today.
Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid acknowledged that the Government wanted to find a way to resolve the issue of fugitive IRA members.
But that issue was not related to yesterday’s announcement that the IRA had put more weapons beyond use.
Dr Reid said: ‘‘This is genuinely good news ...
‘‘There is a long way to go on all of the Northern Ireland peace process, we have a long way to go on the Assembly, giving more powers to that, a long way to go on reform of policing, a long way to go with the Loyalists, some of whom aren’t even on ceasefire.
‘‘That should not diminish the significance of this, because it means that last October’s historic event wasn’t a one-off and ... it shows that people are serious about their commitment,’’ he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
The Government was keen to move the process forward, he stressed.
‘‘I want to see the British troop level diminish further as well. We want to see the reforms of institutions going ahead.’’
He insisted: ‘‘There has been no secret deal.
‘‘It is no secret that we want to deal with the issue of those prisoners who have been on the run ... But it is a difficult one, we have to think of the victims, we have to think of the non-Republicans who can’t come back because of the threat from the paramilitaries.
‘‘We have to think of a range of issues and we haven’t got the method of resolving the problem yet.
‘‘But there has been no secret deal or trade-off here.’’
