'Historic' IRA move may be imminent

Political process has been stalled over arms issue

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to make a statement on rising hopes that the IRA is about to make an unprecedented move to dispose of some arms.

The prime minister's spokesman said: "If there is a response from the IRA I think we all need to recognise just how far we have come and the truly historic nature of any response."

But he went on to say the government would not "second guess" the response.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said unionists would "respond positively" if the head of the decommissioning body verified an IRA arms move.

Gerry Adams: Call for "ground-breaking" move

Expectations that the IRA may make a first step are growing following a statement by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams in which he called for a "ground-breaking" move on the weapons issue.

The Northern Ireland political process has been deadlocked over an absence of decommissioning of IRA weapons and the final implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

Unionist ministers have resigned from the Northern Ireland Executive over what they say are the IRA's broken promises on decommissioning.

The institutions of the devolved government will almost certainly be suspended on Thursday if no agreement is found.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Trimble said that Mr Adams' statement was "potentially significant".

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The UUP leader said he did not think that Mr Adams would have made the statement if he did not expect a response from the IRA.

He said if the arms commission headed by Canadian general John de Chastelain verified that decommissioning has started, he would accept this and make moves to reinstate the party's Stormont ministers.

"The best thing to do is to simply wait and see," Mr Trimble said. Security sources believe an IRA move on arms may be imminent and are not ruling out developments within the coming days.

"If we have an act of decommissioning there has to be a security reassessment of the situation.

Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen

In his speech to republicans in Belfast, Mr Adams appealed to all of the pro-Agreement parties and the two governments to work together to ensure that crisis politics became a thing of the past.

Secretary of State John Reid said it was a "highly significant" statement coming from someone of Gerry Adams' authority and stature within republicanism.

Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen said further demilitarisation by the British Army should go ahead if the IRA makes a start to decommissioning.

Republicans have been calling on the British Government to dismantle hilltop security installations and other heavily fortified bases in south Armagh.

Speaking on Irish state broadcaster RTE, Mr Cowen said: "Obviously if we have an act of decommissioning there has to be a security reassessment of the situation.

"The need to proceed with demilitarisation is an important political imperative so people in those areas recognise that politics works."

That view was echoed by Sinn Fein chairman Mitchel McLaughlin who warned that there should be no repeat of the negative reaction by unionists in July when the IRA agreed a method of disarming with the decommissioning body.

"The result was the IRA stepped back," he said.

"Now lets hope that people have more generosity and maturity on this occasion."

Former Ulster Unionist minister Michael McGimpsey said: "There are promising parts in this statement and it may well be heralding other steps."

However, DUP leader Ian Paisley said if decommissioning did begin, unionists would need to see it for themselves.

SDLP leader-designate Mark Durkan said he hoped whatever confidence underpinned the Sinn Fein statement, it would be translated into "significant movement".