Clear differences were opening up within unionism yesterday on whether to adopt a guardedly positive response to IRA decommissioning, with DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley alleging a "cover-up" and the Ulster Unionist Party seeing potential for political progress from disarmament. Gerry Moriarty, Mark Hennessy & Dan Keenan report.
Dr Paisley and UUP deputy leader Danny Kennedy, who separately met Gen John de Chastelain yesterday, were at obvious loggerheads over the significance and reliability of the assessment of the decommissioning body and the clergy witnesses that the IRA had fully dismantled its huge arsenals.
As Northern Secretary Peter Hain said yesterday that he hoped the decommissioning would pave the way for political negotiations by January, Dr Paisley continued to question whether the IRA had fully disarmed and also the independence of the witnesses, Fr Alec Reid and former Methodist president the Rev Harold Good.
On Monday Mr Good, speaking for himself and Fr Reid, said they were independent and not appointed as witnesses by the IRA. Dr Paisley insisted yesterday that "the only people who could have appointed them was the IRA".
Dr Paisley said he planned to follow up this matter with the witnesses. Mr Good indicated yesterday that this would not pose a problem. "I am a pastor, and as a pastor my door is open to anyone who wants to come and see me," he said. It was up to the wider public to decide on the authenticity of his and Fr Reid's declaration that the IRA had fully disarmed, Mr Good added.
Dr Paisley's questioning of the independence of the clergymen prompted a stinging response from Mr Kennedy of the UUP and illustrated a developing division of opinion within unionism on the importance of IRA decommissioning, and whether it was full and complete.
Mr Kennedy said that, while the UUP had questions about the nature and extent of IRA decommissioning, he accepted that Fr Reid and Mr Good had faithfully recorded what they saw decommissioned and that the disarmament was a significant event.
He personally knew Mr Good. "Under no circumstances would I question or would my party question the integrity or honesty of the Rev Harold Good. However, I would have to say also that it remains a matter of regret that others from another Christian tradition have chosen to do so," added Mr Kennedy.
He said that in the coming months the UUP would give "careful assessment" as to whether the IRA was honouring its commitments to put away its weapons and end activity.
"It would appear that a significant act of decommissioning has taken place. There now remain issues of assessing on the ground the reaction of Provo volunteers in terms of their military actions and their criminal tendencies," Mr Kennedy added.
Dr Paisley, however, said many serious questions remained to be answered about the decommissioning.
"The more the searchlight is put on this, the more we discover that there is a cover-up," he added.
At the British Labour Party conference in Brighton yesterday, the Northern Secretary Peter Hain said he hoped that if the Independent Monitoring Commission could provide reports in October and January showing the IRA was inactive, this would allow the start of political negotiations, aimed at restoring devolution.
Dr Paisley, however, was dismissive of suggestions that the next two IMC reports could provide a "clean bill of health" for the IRA. "The IRA is supposed to be disbanded. How can they give it a clean bill of health?" he said.
In Cork Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said that he believed Dr Paisley realised that the IRA had put its arms beyond use, and his negative comment "was delaying stuff, was all negotiating".
"We have to give Ian Paisley a wee bit of space. . . We will get there with Ian Paisley and we will get there with the DUP," he said.