>>>>>> ARMED FOR PEACE


Unionists have called for an "extensive testing period"
following the announcement this week that the arms of the
Provisional IRA have been totally and unilaterally destroyed.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has now called on both
governments to move quickly to implement the 1998 Good Friday
Agreement. However, DUP leader Ian Paisley initially refused to
accept the word of the specially-constituted arms commission and
two independent clergymen witnesses, describing them as "IRA
appointees".

After formally ending its armed campaign on July 28, it was
confirmed this week that the IRA had last week completed the
process of putting all its weapons beyond use.

In a highly sceptical response, the DUP have now said the IRA
must now be seen to "end criminality" before the party will
enter any talks with Sinn Fein.

Mr Adams said unionists would need time to absorb the
"completeness" of the IRA's disarmament, announced by the head
of the arms decommissioning body. However, he said it was now
up to both governments to press on.

Ian Paisley's party has been sharply criticised by the rival
unionist UUP for questioning the independence of the two
churchmen who witnessed the weapons decommissioning.

Apparently backtracking this week, the party held two hours of
"frank" talks with the pair on Thursday. DUP Upper Bann MP David
Simpson, who attended the meeting, said his party was not
questioning the integrity of the two churchmen.

"No-one is disputing that the two men are faithfully reporting
what they saw. The question is did they see it all?" he said.

The party, however, has not backed down on its refusal to hold
talks with Sinn Fein, declaring that "decommissioning is only
one element of what is required from the IRA".

The DUP's Willy McCrea said on Friday his party would not
"bestow credibility on Sinn Fein/IRA when it's up to its neck in
criminality".

On the other side of the fence, hardline republicans have been
harshly critical of the arms move.

Republican Sinn Fein described the action as as act of
"treachery" which contravened IRA General Order No 11. Party
leader Ruairi O Bradaigh said: "With the destruction of their
own arms the Provisional IRA is no longer an army and should
dissolve immediately and stop the pretence."

Sinn Fein has pressed the British and Irish governments to take
quick advantage of the dramatic development, particularly
calling for movement on prisoners and Northern representation in
the 26-County parliament.

Gerry Adams urged British Prime Minister Tony Blair and
26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to "move speedily to fulfilling
their commitments and injecting momentum into the political
process".

"The goal should be the re-establishment of the Executive as
quickly as possible and before British direct rule ministers
take more decisions on health and education and transport and
investment which will adversely affect the people of the north,"
he added.

In Dublin, the arms move was strongly welcomed by Bertie Ahern.
In a debate at the Dail this week, Mr Ahern it was important now
to move the peace process forward because it would be
"unconscionable and unacceptable to fall back or to accept a
political stalemate".

Mr Ahern said there were those who remained unconvinced about
the decommissioning. "I can understand that it will take some
time for the full consequences of an ending of the IRA campaign
and the decommissioning of all their weapons to be fully
comprehended. But it is important also to begin to move on."