The Associated Press
Published: October 4, 2006
DUBLIN, Ireland The Irish Republican Army is committed to nonviolent politics and has shut down key units responsible for weapons-making, arms smuggling and training, an expert panel reported Wednesday, in dramatic findings designed to spur a revival of Catholic-Protestant cooperation in Northern Ireland. The prime ministers of Britain and Ireland, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, embraced the report by the Independent Monitoring Commission. The panel, which includes former chiefs of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the anti-terrorist branch of Scotland Yard, listed statistics and trends that demonstrated the shadowy group's determination to consign its terrorist capability to history. "The IRA has done what we asked it to do," Blair declared at his Downing Street office in London. Unusually, hard-line Protestant leader Ian Paisley also welcomed the report for what he called signs that the IRA "is progressively abandoning its terrorist structures." But he emphasized his Democratic Unionist Party would not share power until Sinn Fein, the IRA-linked party that represents most Catholics, accepts the authority of Northern Ireland's police force, the last major obstacle in a 13-year-old peace process. The report concluded that the IRA — which killed 1,775 people and maimed thousands more from 1970 to a 1997 cease-fire — no longer believed it could overthrow Northern Ireland by force. Instead, it said, the IRA was committed to supporting Sinn Fein's march into mainstream politics. The U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland, Mitchell Reiss, said Washington was "particularly heartened by the commission's conclusions that the IRA is now firmly set on a political strategy, eschewing terrorism and other forms of crime." The commission said IRA commanders had sanctioned no killings over the previous 12 months, were cracking down on members involved in criminal rackets, and had cut off members' financial stipends as it trims its rank and file. And crucially, the experts said the IRA had shut down three departments that for decades oversaw the recruitment and training of members, arms smuggling from overseas, and construction of bombs and other weapons systems. Analysts agreed that shutting down such units could presage the gradual death of the IRA, while the experts' use of the word "disband" appeared a deliberate nod to Paisley's core demand for the IRA's total disbandment. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said the IRA's moves removed any excuse for the Democratic Unionists not to form a Cabinet alongside their longtime enemies. "We could do a deal tonight. We could do it tomorrow. It's all up to Ian Paisley," Adams said. Blair and Ahern said they are increasingly optimistic of achieving progress in a negotiating summit Oct. 11-13 in Scotland, during which they hope to get Paisley and Adams into face-to-face negotiations for the first time. The two premiers, whose close cooperation since 1997 has inspired much of the peace process, plan to lead the talks — and bill them as their last effort to revive power-sharing, the central goal of Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace accord of 1998. They have threatened to dissolve the Northern Ireland Assembly, a 108-member legislature with the power to elect a Catholic-Protestant administration, if both sides cannot strike a deal before a Nov. 24 deadline. "While issues like policing remain to be resolved, the door is now open to a final settlement, which is why the talks next week in Scotland are going to be so important," Blair said. Ahern said he and Blair were "serious about the deadline. It is fixed. The time has come to establish whether people want to govern together or not. ... Frankly, and in all honesty, I cannot see any good reason for them not to do so." The IRA's longtime refusal to disarm — a policy at odds with the Good Friday pact — sabotaged Northern Ireland's previous Catholic-Protestant administration. The coalition suffered repeated breakdowns, and collapsed in 2002 over an IRA spying scandal in government circles. But the IRA last year declared its cease-fire permanent and handed over its secretly stockpiled weaponry to disarmament chiefs. Britain responded to that breakthrough by accelerating its military cutbacks. But Sinn Fein's official hostility to the Police Service of Northern Ireland — a force undergoing a mammoth decade-long program of reform as part of the Good Friday deal — looms as the most likely deal-breaker. Moderate Catholics are backing and joining the police, but Sinn Fein has gained votes and maintained internal unity by shunning the force. "If Sinn Fein wish to be treated on the same basis as everyone else, then it is for them to support the police, the courts and the rule of law," Paisley said. "There can and will be no toleration for those who are half in and half out of the democratic club." ___ On the Net: Link to report: The Irish Republican Army is committed to nonviolent politics and has shut down key units responsible for weapons-making, arms smuggling and training, an expert panel reported Wednesday, in dramatic findings designed to spur a revival of Catholic-Protestant cooperation in Northern Ireland.The prime ministers of Britain and Ireland, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, embraced the report by the Independent Monitoring Commission. The panel, which includes former chiefs of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the anti-terrorist branch of Scotland Yard, listed statistics and trends that demonstrated the shadowy group's determination to consign its terrorist capability to history."The IRA has done what we asked it to do," Blair declared at his Downing Street office in London.Unusually, hard-line Protestant leader Ian Paisley also welcomed the report for what he called signs that the IRA "is progressively abandoning its terrorist structures." But he emphasized his Democratic Unionist Party would not share power until Sinn Fein, the IRA-linked party that represents most Catholics, accepts the authority of Northern Ireland's police force, the last major obstacle in a 13-year-old peace process.The report concluded that the IRA — which killed 1,775 people and maimed thousands more from 1970 to a 1997 cease-fire — no longer believed it could overthrow Northern Ireland by force. Instead, it said, the IRA was committed to supporting Sinn Fein's march into mainstream politics.The U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland, Mitchell Reiss, said Washington was "particularly heartened by the commission's conclusions that the IRA is now firmly set on a political strategy, eschewing terrorism and other forms of crime."The commission said IRA commanders had sanctioned no killings over the previous 12 months, were cracking down on members involved in criminal rackets, and had cut off members' financial stipends as it trims its rank and file.And crucially, the experts said the IRA had shut down three departments that for decades oversaw the recruitment and training of members, arms smuggling from overseas, and construction of bombs and other weapons systems. Analysts agreed that shutting down such units could presage the gradual death of the IRA, while the experts' use of the word "disband" appeared a deliberate nod to Paisley's core demand for the IRA's total disbandment.Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said the IRA's moves removed any excuse for the Democratic Unionists not to form a Cabinet alongside their longtime enemies."We could do a deal tonight. We could do it tomorrow. It's all up to Ian Paisley," Adams said.Blair and Ahern said they are increasingly optimistic of achieving progress in a negotiating summit Oct. 11-13 in Scotland, during which they hope to get Paisley and Adams into face-to-face negotiations for the first time.The two premiers, whose close cooperation since 1997 has inspired much of the peace process, plan to lead the talks — and bill them as their last effort to revive power-sharing, the central goal of Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace accord of 1998.They have threatened to dissolve the Northern Ireland Assembly, a 108-member legislature with the power to elect a Catholic-Protestant administration, if both sides cannot strike a deal before a Nov. 24 deadline."While issues like policing remain to be resolved, the door is now open to a final settlement, which is why the talks next week in Scotland are going to be so important," Blair said.Ahern said he and Blair were "serious about the deadline. It is fixed. The time has come to establish whether people want to govern together or not. ... Frankly, and in all honesty, I cannot see any good reason for them not to do so."The IRA's longtime refusal to disarm — a policy at odds with the Good Friday pact — sabotaged Northern Ireland's previous Catholic-Protestant administration. The coalition suffered repeated breakdowns, and collapsed in 2002 over an IRA spying scandal in government circles.But the IRA last year declared its cease-fire permanent and handed over its secretly stockpiled weaponry to disarmament chiefs. Britain responded to that breakthrough by accelerating its military cutbacks.But Sinn Fein's official hostility to the Police Service of Northern Ireland — a force undergoing a mammoth decade-long program of reform as part of the Good Friday deal — looms as the most likely deal-breaker. Moderate Catholics are backing and joining the police, but Sinn Fein has gained votes and maintained internal unity by shunning the force."If Sinn Fein wish to be treated on the same basis as everyone else, then it is for them to support the police, the courts and the rule of law," Paisley said. "There can and will be no toleration for those who are half in and half out of the democratic club."___On the Net:Link to report: http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org
Republican mural, Derry 1986, with evidence of vandalism.
The Independent Monitoring Commission has reported that the Provisional Irish Republican Army has undergone major changes within their military structure and shows that the IRA Army Council wants to put its military campaign behind it. The Commission consists of John Alderdice, a former Alliance Party leader; Joe Brosnan, former Secretary General of the Department of Justice, Republic of Ireland; John Grieve, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and former head of the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terror Branch; and Dick Kerr, former Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Agency.

The report states the IRA no longer has the capacity to mount a military campaign anymore or return to one. The units that have been shut down were responsible for weapons-making, arms smuggling and training. The IRA decommissioned their arms last year.

The report also mentions that the IRA has also put its criminality beyond use and is "clamping down" on criminals within the organization, said Lord Alderdice, as he presented the report. He also added, "That doesn't mean that criminal activity by all members has stopped but the leadership has made public statements and internal directions, investigated incidents of breach of the policy, even expelled some members and has emphasised the importance of ensuring that business affairs are conducted in a legitimate way." 

Finally, the report added that there is not enough evidence or intelligence to identify who killed Denis Donaldson, a British spy who infiltrated the IRA and Sinn Fein, before revealing his status as a spy.

However, the report added that splinter groups like the Real IRA (RIRA) and Continuity IRA (CIRA) are still threats and are still continuing their activity. The Real IRA was the group behind the deadly 1998 Omagh bombing. The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) "was not capable of undertaking a sustained campaign against the British State, nor does it aspire to" according to the report.

It is also noted the creation of two new organizations, Oglaigh na hEireann (Irish Gaelic for "Volunteers of Ireland" and is used by the Irish Defence Forces and the various IRAs.) and the Republican Defence Army. However, the groups are small dissident factions according to the report. 

The report also added that the two loyalist paramilitaries, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) are also beginning to move from violence but at slower pace and not at a grassroots level like the IRA. Another loyalist paramilitary, the Loyalist Volunteer Force

The report was received warmly by Irish Toaiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Ahern, said "These positive and clear-cut findings are of the utmost importance and significance. It is time to make decisions and for Northern Ireland to look to the future."

"The IRA has done what we asked it to do, and while issues like policing remain to be solved, the door is now open to a final settlement, which is why the talks next week in Scotland are going to be so important." said Tony Blair in a live statement.

In a surprising reaction, the notoriously hardline leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Ian Paisley, also welcomed the report. He believes that his party's pressure is working and if Sinn Fein signs up to policing there could be a deal. Paisley said, "If the police question is settled absolutely on a democratic basis and principle we would have come a long way along the road."

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said "The DUP don't have anything other than very limited options. They will or will not participate in power-sharing arrangements. If they don't participate they are condemning people here, but particularly their own constituents, to second class public services, run by second class fly-in, fly-out British ministers. All the DUP can do is to delay, is to attempt to slow down, but they can't stop the process of changing."