20 September 2001 Edition
IRA move demands mature response
In spite of the continued failure of the British government to deliver on its commitments, further obstacles being erected as a block on the road to a new police service and the recent intense media barrages against it, the IRA has again demonstrated its commitment to the peace process.
In today's An Phoblacht, the IRA leadership confirms that its representative will intensify engagement with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). Again, the IRA asserts its ``commitment to deal satisfactorily with the question of arms''.
Gerry Adams, welcoming the statement on behalf of Sinn Féin, said that ``while there are many difficulties, it remains my firm view that none of these matters are intractable. What is required is focused political action''.
Making a rational and progressive response to this statement should now be the focus of unionism and the British government. The IRA statement of 8 August, which revealed that it had made proposals to the IICD on the arms issue ``which will put IRA arms completely and verifiably beyond use'', was welcomed by the British government and was heralded by the Dublin government as ``historic''.
Despite the tremendous opportunity on offer, however, the British government chose to revert to type, using powers outside the terms of the Agreement to suspend the political institutions at the behest of the Ulster Unionists.
The process leading to its 8 August initiative, the IRA stresses, ``involved considerable problems'' for the organisation. Therefore, the ``IRA leadership's ability to speedily and substantially progress the decision was completely undermined by the setting of further preconditions and the outright rejection of the IICD statement by the UUP leadership''. Subsequent actions by the British government, the Army states, removed the conditions necessary for progress.
Since 1994, the IRA has maintained two successive cessations. It has continually asserted its commitment to peace and has made leaps of faith that have been unprecedented in republican history. But as it says in its statement, peace making is a collective reponsibility.
As Gerry Adams said in his welcoming statement, the issue of weapons should never have been allowed to become a precondition or a blockage on the rights and entitlements of citizens. It must be resolved politically.
In today's An Phoblacht, the IRA leadership confirms that its representative will intensify engagement with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). Again, the IRA asserts its ``commitment to deal satisfactorily with the question of arms''.
Gerry Adams, welcoming the statement on behalf of Sinn Féin, said that ``while there are many difficulties, it remains my firm view that none of these matters are intractable. What is required is focused political action''.
Making a rational and progressive response to this statement should now be the focus of unionism and the British government. The IRA statement of 8 August, which revealed that it had made proposals to the IICD on the arms issue ``which will put IRA arms completely and verifiably beyond use'', was welcomed by the British government and was heralded by the Dublin government as ``historic''.
Despite the tremendous opportunity on offer, however, the British government chose to revert to type, using powers outside the terms of the Agreement to suspend the political institutions at the behest of the Ulster Unionists.
The process leading to its 8 August initiative, the IRA stresses, ``involved considerable problems'' for the organisation. Therefore, the ``IRA leadership's ability to speedily and substantially progress the decision was completely undermined by the setting of further preconditions and the outright rejection of the IICD statement by the UUP leadership''. Subsequent actions by the British government, the Army states, removed the conditions necessary for progress.
Since 1994, the IRA has maintained two successive cessations. It has continually asserted its commitment to peace and has made leaps of faith that have been unprecedented in republican history. But as it says in its statement, peace making is a collective reponsibility.
As Gerry Adams said in his welcoming statement, the issue of weapons should never have been allowed to become a precondition or a blockage on the rights and entitlements of citizens. It must be resolved politically.