The IRA's withdrawal of its proposal for a decommissioning method to the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning is the latest development in an already shaky relationship.
The IICD was set up in August 1997. It had made no progress by April 10th, 1998, when the Belfast Agreement was signed.
On April 30th, 1998, the IRA said there would be no decommissioning by the organisation, a statement it reiterated on August 30th of the same year.
Less than three months later, the IRA announced it would appoint a representative to discussions with Gen John de Chastelain. On January 31st, 2000, Gen de Chastelain reported that while the IRA and various loyalist paramilitary groups had entered discussions with the commission, no date for IRA decommissioning had been mentioned.
Following the suspension of the North's institutions by the then Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, the IRA withdrew from co-operation with the IICD on February 14th, 2000.
On May 6th, 2000, the IRA issued a statement holding open the prospect of putting arms beyond use. It confirmed it had agreed to allow the inspection of some arms dumps by former Finnish prime minister, Mr Martti Athisaari and African National Congress member Mr Cyril Ramaphosa.
On June 26th, 2000, the IRA said it had re-established contact with the IICD, and that the two inspectors had been taken to a number of arms dumps. Further inspections were confirmed to have taken place in October 2000 and last May.
Gen de Chastelain confirmed on March 22nd this year that the IRA had re-engaged with his commission.
Last week statements by the IICD and the IRA confirming that a method for decommissioning had been agreed proved insufficient for the Assembly's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, to withdraw his resignation. The Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, was forced to suspend the Assembly for 24 hours on August 10th. The IRA withdrew its proposal yesterday.