Republican sources have attributed the Provisional IRA statement, which has been widely interpreted as hardline, to internal problems. However, they have predicted that there will be more conciliatory and moderate comments from the Sinn Fein leadership at least later this week.
One source said hardline grassroots opinion within the paramilitary group was restraining the leadership from moving as rapidly as it wished but he insisted it was still absolutely committed to the peace process.
He said the leadership had to play to different audiences and yesterday's statement was clearly aimed at pacifying hardline elements and keeping them on board. The problem with dissidents did not end when the former quarter-master general and other senior members resigned from the IRA last October, and many ordinary activists remained very wary of the peace process, he added.
He said behind-the-scenes discussions were continuing between the Sinn Fein leadership and "all interested parties" about "moving the situation on" for the Clinton visit.
A senior dissident republican source also believed the situation was fluid. "It is not unknown for one statement to be released for the hawks, only to have something else follow for the doves," he said.
Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, yesterday welcomed the "positive and helpful tone" of the IRA statement.
Unionists reacted angrily to the Provisional IRA statement. The DUP's justice spokesman, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, accused the paramilitary group of hypocrisy for calling on the `Real IRA' to disband. He said it was a "meaningless statement driven by the need to be seen to be doing something hours before President Clinton touches down in Northern Ireland".
Mr Paisley said: "The statement is designed to perpetuate the myth that there are good and bad terrorists. That the good terrorists are telling off the bad ones so we can all sleep well.
"IRA/Sinn Fein should immediately desist from all activities and disband their paramilitary organisation. It has been their 30 years of unjustified violence that has caused so much heartache here." Meanwhile, the UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, yesterday insisted decommissioning must be completed by May 22nd, 2000. He denied media reports that his party would be willing to allow the Provisional IRA to hold on to handguns if Semtex and other arms were handed over.
"We will stick by the terms of the agreement and that makes it exceedingly clear all arms must go by the 22nd May, 2000," he said. It was disclosed yesterday that the UUP has set up two special Assembly task force teams to monitor the security situation and advise the leadership on political tactics. The security team will compile a detailed dossier of paramilitary incidents including `punishment' attacks. Its members include Mr Fred Cobain, from North Belfast, Sir John Gorman, from North Down, Mr Danny Kennedy, from Newry and Armagh, and Mr George Savage, from Upper Bann.
The politics group comprise the hardline member for East Antrim, Mr Roy Beggs jnr, Mr James Leslie, of North Antrim, Mr Billy Bell, of Lagan Valley, Mr Derek Hussey, of West Tyrone, and the party's senior talks negotiator, Mr Reg Empey.
It remains unclear if the UUP will agree to Sinn Fein entering the new power-sharing executive if there is no substantial IRA decommissioning or declaration that the war is over. Sinn Fein criticised the proposed new security measures to be debated North and South tomorrow as "contradictory to the spirit and intent of the Good Friday Agreement".
Its Northern chairman, Mr Gerry O hEara said: "Those political leaders who have advocated and supported the proposed enactment in Dublin and London of a number of so-called security measures are contributing to the subversion of the Good Friday Agreement.
"Nowhere in the agreement was provision made for introducing legislation which will not only undermine delivery of a fair and impartial system of justice to the community as outlined in the agreement, but will in all likelihood directly contravene European human rights law.
"The potential for abuse of this legislation, particularly in the hands of the RUC whose own existence is very much under review - and the negative impact it will hold for many people who endorsed the Good Friday package should have served as a restraint for those politicians who have unquestioningly accepted the erroneous need for such repressive measures."