Sinn Féin President Mr Gerry Adams has said "nobody can be surprised" by the IRA's withdrawal of its plan to put its weapons beyond use.
The IRA withdrew the plan it had put to the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) in a statement this morning, citing unionist rejection of the scheme.
"For the unionists to reject the IICD determination and for the British government to do what it did is hardly the stuff of peace making," said Mr Adams.
"I appreciate the universal welcome that the IICD determination received, most notably from the Taoiseach, but also across the spectrum of progressive opinion.
"It is clear that this issue will only be resolved in the context of political progress. The British government should know that by now," Mr Adams said.
Sinn Féin negotiator Mr Mitchel McLaughlin said this morning's IRA statement is a "direct consequence of unionist rejection of the breakthrough IICD determination and the British government's failure to create the appropriate political conditions".
"The clear intention of the unionists, as spelt out by David Trimble last October, is to create a crisis, blame republicans, achieve suspension and renegotiate the Agreeement".
