Security must be measured against threat - NI minister

The Northern Ireland security minister Mr Ian Pearson has said that all 'normalisation' arrangements with regard to security must be measured against the prevailing security threat.

Responding to the second Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report today, he said the IMC made this clear. "The level of community support that the police enjoy is also a vital factor.

"For the Government's part, the day when we can have normal security arrangements in Northern Ireland cannot come soon enough," Mr Pearson said.

But Sinn Féin, which has faced financial punishments following the commission's previous probe into the IRA's ceasefire, claimed the body had no credibility among nationalists and republicans.

Senior Ulster Unionist Mr Michael McGimpsey backed the authorities, pressing for an end to all terrorist operations.

He said: "The Government undertaking further moves on demilitarisation are dependent upon the need for acts of completion and an end to all paramilitary activity must continue to be strictly adhered to."

The SDLP's policing spokesman Mr Alex Attwood said the report of the IMC should have called  on the British government to do more on normalisation now and that it was important the British government is not allowed to use normalisation and demilitarisation as "bargaining chips in the political process".

"The IMC report falls short of the SDLP's submission which called for a scheduled programme of defortification, closure of police stations and reduction of army presence," Mr Attwood said.

"Given the continuing improvement in the security situation, the report should have challenged the British government to demilitarise and normalise

"Security statistics across a broad front confirm the reduced paramilitary activity and reduced security threat, although there is still some way to go. The British government should be required to respond to this new environment, and the IMC could have contributed much more to this process."

Mr David Ford, leader of the cross-community Alliance Party, urged future security decisions to be made on the basis of an objective threat assessment rather than political considerations.

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Mr David Lidington added: "Nobody wants to see what the IMC describes as abnormal security measures for a minute longer than they are necessary.

"But our firm view remains that the two-year timetable for normalisation must only be triggered by the professional advice of the chief constable and the (Army) GOC, consistent with the prevailing levels of threat."

Lord Alderdice, who is a member of the four-man commission, insisted the body was not in a position to comment on whether the current security suggestion merited such high troop levels in Northern Ireland.

At a press conference in Belfast he said: "There's a fairly complex threat assessment to determine that.

"At this juncture we are not mandated to do such a threat assessment, give advice or make public comment on whether the level of military support is appropriate."

But the commissioner, a former speaker in the suspended Northern Ireland Assembly, refused to express any frustrations with the situation.

"We have made what comments we think we reasonably can. We look forward to the time when we will be able to go further because a programme will be laid out and we will be able to follow that through. We are keen to get on with our business as quickly as we can," he said.