Pressure grows on IRA to start disarmament
The IRA tonight faced new demands to begin its promised disarmament amid a developing security scaledown in the North.
Unionists still in shock at the speed of the demilitarisation process urged British Prime Minister Tony Blair to lean on the Provisionals.
Decommissioning chief General John de Chastelain, who has had fresh talks with an IRA representative, has returned home to Canada – dimming hopes of an imminent weapons destruction.
As the uncertainty deepened, Democratic Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: “What are the IRA waiting for?
“Given all the publicity that has surrounded these so-called normalisation moves, why are the IRA proposing to decommission in secret?
“What are they ashamed of? What have they got to hide?”
His anger rose as soldiers today began tearing down a military watchtower despised by republicans in west Belfast.
The Divis Tower observation post has been used by the British army since the 1970s to scan the streets of Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams constituency.
Claiming the surveillance equipment mounted on top of the 19-storey accommodation block had suppressed the community, Mr Adams declared: “I’m an Irish republican and the British army should never have been here at all.”
But he refused to offer any new insight into the IRA’s plans to honour a pledge to ditch its guns as part of ending its armed struggle.
“I’m not going to speculate on any of that,” he insisted.
“The IRA has made its commitments on that. It’s between the IRA and the IICD (Independent International Commission on Decommissioning).”
Demolition work has already started at a number of army posts in south Armagh and Derry as part of the dramatic changes to Northern Ireland’s security landscape.
Earlier, Washington joined the clamour for the Provos to back up their historic statement with deeds.
On his first official visit to Northern Ireland, the new US Ambassador to Britain, Robert Holmes Tuttle said: “I think the President (George Bush) said it best.
“It is a great step forward and I am really proud of everything that has been done but now we have got to see the actions.”
In another move, the British government today announced the current Northern Ireland Policing Board membership would be extended for another year in an attempt to stave off instability.
The 19-member authority split between politicians and independents was due to be revamped in the autumn, with the DUP’s electoral strength set to win it more seats.
But asking representatives to stay on until October 2006 at the latest, Secretary of State Peter Hain said: “My overriding concern during these deliberations has been that the board, which successfully fulfils a vital role in policing accountability arrangements, is provided with stability and continuity to continue its important work.”
Yet for Mr Donaldson, the Government’s number one priority should be pressing the IRA into disarming.
“It shouldn’t be down to unionist politicians,” he stressed.
“Where is the Prime Minister on all this?
“He said he would judge the IRA by their actions, but he and his Government have made numerous concessions over the last few days without the IRA lifting a finger.
“We will be putting it up to the Prime Minister when we meet him on Thursday that its time he stopped his double standards on terrorism and was just as robust in dealing with the IRA as he is in dealing with other terror groups.”
