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Rebuff by UUP throws process into confusion

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Anne Cadwallader

BELFAST — As the IRA withdrew its most recent decommissioning proposal on Tuesday, and politicians exchanged increasingly angry words, the Irish and British governments face a huge challenge in the six weeks now available to rescue the peace process. A showdown between Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists looms unless there is further progress on paramilitary decommissioning, policing and demilitarization.

A breakthrough is needed by the new deadline of Sept. 24, otherwise the peace process could be facing an even greater crisis than it had last week, when the British government unilaterally resumed direct rule from London for 24 hours.

After the Ulster Unionists rejected the most recent decommissioning proposals by the IRA, the Provisionals issued a statement saying that they had withdrawn the offer they had placed with the International Commission on Decommissioning the previous week.

In a mysterious separate development, three Irishmen were arrested by authorities in Colombia, allegedly members of the IRA, and, according to the authorities there, were found to have traces of explosives and cocaine on their hands. If the allegations against the three are substantiated, the arrests could have profound implications for the peace process.

Britain’s Northern Ireland secretary of state, Dr. John Reid, accused the IRA of falling into the hands of their critics.

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The Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams, claimed that UUP leader David Trimble threatened to pull all his ministers out of the power-sharing Executive unless the British government suspended both it and the assembly for 24 hours to allow the six-week grace period.

He also said the British prime minister, Tony Blair, had given him repeated reassurances that the institutions would not be suspended again, as they were last February. Adams claims that Trimble’s blackmail caused Blair to break his word.

In Trimble’s absence abroad on holiday, UUP anti-Agreement MP Jeffrey Donaldson said that the IICD’s word on IRA decommissioning was no longer sufficient for his party to be sure that weapons were truly “beyond use.”

Donaldson said that a “trusted” member of the Ulster Unionist Party would have to be a witness to the destruction of IRA weapons. This suggestion was greeted with derision by republicans. Already, DUP and UUP members are pointing to the arrests of the three alleged IRA members in Colombia, as proof that the organization cannot be trusted.

The British government has now pledged to reveal its revised Implementation Plan on policing this week, along with its plans on implementing changes to the justice system, including emergency laws and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

It is possible pressure will then come on the SDLP to agree to support the new police force, encouraging young people to join the new force and itself take up seats on the proposed Police Board to hold it accountable to the public.

Sinn Fein appears extremely unlikely at this stage to agree to support the new force, and it is likely the SDLP will likewise hold off. Ulster Unionists have become increasingly angry at the SDLP over policing, with Trimble accusing it of political cowardice.

It was a typically roller-coaster week for the peace process. Beginning with the Monday, Aug. 6, IRA offer on decommissioning, events appeared ready to move, but quickly ground to a halt in the current stalemate:

Tuesday, Aug. 7

Trimble confirmed he would not accept the IRA’s offer on decommissioning its weapons. He said there was a world of difference between initiating a process and actually starting it.

Trimble pointed out that he had twice gone into government with republicans in the expectation that the IRA would make a start to decommissioning. “We have taken risks, we have gone forward and formed this administration, not once but twice, on the basis of expectations. On both occasions we were let down.”

Wednesday, Aug. 8

The IRA issued its statement. “The IRA leadership has agreed to a scheme with the IICD which will put IRA arms completely and verifiably beyond use,” it said.

“We note the ongoing attempts in some quarters to prevent progress. They should not be permitted to succeed. Our representative will continue to meet with the IICD. The IRA leadership will continue to monitor political developments. P O’Neill”.

Thursday, Aug. 9

Appealing to the British government not to suspend the Assembly and Executive, Adams said: “David Trimble, in pursuit of his objective of suspension of the institutions, is threatening to withdraw UUP ministers unless the British government suspends the institutions.”

Friday, Aug. 10

Suspending the Assembly and Executive, Reid said significant progress had been made, and rather than plunge Northern Ireland into another election, he believed more time was needed for the sides to reach agreement.

“It is because of that potential — and the fact that we are, I believe, tantalizingly close to being in a different world here in Northern Ireland — that I believe parties should be given more time,” he said.

Adams, however, said, “Today’s decision to suspend the institutions is clearly the result of a deal between the British government and the Ulster Unionist Party.

“This is the second time in 18 months that the British government has given in to the unionist veto.”

Saturday, Aug. 11

With the Assembly and Executive suspended for 24 hours, Reid and the Republic’s foreign minister, Brian Cowen, reviewed the political crisis. British Prime Minister Blair, on holiday in Mexico, said he hoped more progress could be made.

The taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said that despite the slow and frustrating pace of progress, he believed the period ahead offered a further chance to “bridge differences.”

Sunday, Aug. 12

With the Assembly restored and power devolved back to the power-sharing Executive, Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein warned that their suspension could have jeopardized the IRA’s offer on putting its arms beyond use.

McGuinness said the Ulster Unionists’ rejection of the offer may also have caused a “serious situation.”

“Unfortunatel, we saw a week that began with the momentous announcement by the chair of the independent body on decommissioning and end with the suspension of the people’s institutions,” he said.

“If the British are saying that a deal is within reach, does that mean they are going to pull troops out of South Armagh, Tyrone, West Belfast and North Belfast?

“I hear also the patronizing tone that the institutions have been stood down for only one day and now it’s OK again. Well it’s not OK again. It isn’t OK to have all Ireland structures stood down, it isn’t OK that Sinn Fein ministers haven’t been accorded their rights and entitlement to do the job they were elected for.”

Monday, Aug. 13

Gerry Adams called on Reid to publish the revised implementation plan, to move on demilitarization and to stabilize the political institutions, partly by ensuring Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble returned as first minister.

Asked what the IRA would do in terms of its continuing contacts with the international decommissioning commission he said: “I don’t know. I’m sure that organization will make its own decision in its own time.”

Ulster Unionist Economy Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said the six-week period must be used to secure actual IRA decommissioning. Republican comments of a threat to progress in the process because of suspension were “codswallop,” he said.

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