Trimble 'satisfied arms beyond use'

General de Chastelain said his commission was satisfied

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has said he is satisfied that the IRA weapons seen by the Northern Ireland arms body "would never be used again".

The IRA leadership confirmed on Tuesday that a scheme agreed with the decommissioning body in August to put weapons "completely and verifiably beyond use" had been implemented.

Mr Trimble was speaking after meeting the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) to hear confirmation of their report.

He said: "This is a day we were told would never happen - IRA decommissioning.

"We are dealing with something that satisfies the statutory definition of decommissioning and I think that is extremely important."

He said he had been advised that the amount of material was substantial.

He accepted that the decommissioning body would not release more details of what had taken place.

David Trimble: "It was said this day would never come"

"This is evidence of a commitment by republicans to a full implementation of the Agreement," he said.

"I believed that this day would come because it was the logic of the (peace) process."

Mr Trimble said he was calling a special meeting of his Ulster Unionist executive on Saturday.

"I am going to go with a recommendation that the party approve our action in reconstituting the Northern Ireland Executive."

"If that (recommendation) is approved, then we can look forward to the necessary steps so that a first minister and a deputy first minister can be elected next week," he said.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair earlier paid tribute to the Sinn Fein leadership for "the boldness" of their move which led to the IRA statement on decommissioning.

Mr Blair said that despite all the setbacks "the peace process is working today".

He said while there would be difficulties in the future, it was now a process which would move forward.

Dissidents

He called on all paramilitaries to hand in their weapons and warned against the actions of loyalist and republican dissidents.

We have now witnessed an event - which we regard as significant

Decommissioning Body

The IICD said: "On August 6th 2001 the Commission reported that agreement had been reached with the IRA on a method to put IRA arms completely and verifiably beyond use.

"This would be done in such a way as to involve no risk to the public and avoid the possibility of misappropriation by others.

"We have now witnessed an event - which we regard as significant - in which the IRA has put a quantity of arms completely beyond use. The material in question includes arms, ammunition and explosives.

"We are satisfied that the arms in question have been dealt with in accordance with the scheme and regulations. We are also satisfied that it would not further the process of putting all arms beyond use were we to provide further details of this event.

Tony Blair: "All paramilitaries must hand in their arms"

"We will continue our contact with the IRA representative in the pursuit of our mandate."

Irish Premier Bertie Ahern said there was "no doubting the significance and importance of this move".

"I know that taking this step has meant a lot to the leadership of the IRA and I fully acknowledge that this was not an easy decision for them," he said.

"I believe that we can now move forward on the basis of this development."

'Truly historic'

Sinn Fein's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness said it was a courageous decision by the IRA.

"It is unprecedented and it is truly historic," he said.

"It can be a turning point in the troubled history of Ireland."

David Ervine: "UVF will give an answer in its own time"

Anti-Agreement Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: "If it's a one-off gesture then that presents a problem for unionism. I think it would be wrong to make a judgment in advance of getting answers from the general."

Gregory Campbell of the Democratic Unionist Party said people needed to "look beyond IRA rhetoric" and called for all of the group's weapons to be destroyed.

Alliance Party leader David Ford said the IRA's decision to put arms beyond use must be welcomed by unionists as the key to reinstating ministers in the executive.

David Ervine of the Progressive Unionist Party, which is linked to the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force, said: "The leadership of the UVF and Red Hand Commando - in their own time and their own space - will give whatever answer to the question of whether they will or will not reciprocate."

IRA says it has complied with the IICD scheme

SDLP leader John Hume said he regarded the IRA announcement as "very welcome".

Former Irish Premier Albert Reynolds, who is seen as one of the main architects of the Northern Ireland peace process, said it was "a great day".

"We will have to wait and see the detail, but I believe they (the IRA) will decommission now they have crossed the Rubicon," he said.