Paisley dismisses IRA weapons ‘stunt’

The DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley has described further IRA decommissioning of arms, as predicted by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, as an …

The DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley has described further IRA decommissioning of arms, as predicted by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, as an election stunt.

He said decommissioning is worthless without detailed information on the weapons destroyed.

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This is a stunt because of the election in the south of Ireland
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Rev Ian Paisley

The Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland believes they may be preparing their second act of decommissioning before Easter.

After a meeting with Mr Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street yesterday he said: "There will not be decommissioning, but there will be, I think, another event which will be called decommissioning.

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"I don't think anybody believes the last event did anything. It certainly didn't do anything to stop the killings and the activities of the IRA.

"This is a stunt because of the election in the south of Ireland."

At the meeting, Dr Paisley raised concerns over what his party sees as excessive government concessions to republicans.

The meeting followed talks on Monday at which the Sinn Féin leader Mr Gerry Adams pressed Mr Blair to declare an amnesty for IRA suspects on the run.

Dr Paisley said Mr Blair had told him no decision had been made on an amnesty, which he said was viewed with "very deep concern" by the unionist community.

PA