Blair accused of lies over arms

The PM said people would be satisfied if they knew the details

The Prime Minister Tony Blair has been accused of lying by saying he knows more about the IRA's latest act of decommissioning.

Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley said that General de Chastelain had told him the only way that Mr Blair could know more was if the IRA had communicated it to him.

Speaking after a meeting with the general on Thursday, Mr Paisley said he had been told that the prime minister had not be given any more detail beyond that contained in the public statement made by the general on Tuesday.

However, Mr Blair has said he hopes a way can be found to give Ulster Unionists the reassurance they need about the IRA's weapons.

He was speaking during his monthly press conference in Downing Street.

On Tuesday, Ulster Unionists rejected the IRA's latest act of decommissioning as not being transparent enough.

General de Chastelain confirmed a third quantity of IRA weapons had been put beyond use

Arms chief General de Chastelain's report confirmed the quantity of weapons put beyond use by the IRA was "considerably larger" than that which had been previously decommissioned by the republican movement.

The prime minister said that if the information he and the Irish Government had been given regarding decommissioning was in the public domain, people would be satisfied.

UK Unionist leader Robert McCartney, who also met the general, said that if the prime minister had additional information that had not come from the commission, he should reveal it.

Northern Ireland Unionist leader Cedric Wilson said General de Chastelain was clearly resisting being used as a "political pawn".

Responding to the DUP leader's remarks, a Downing Street spokesman said Mr Blair had made the statement after an hour-long meeting with the general at Hillsborough on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, further talks have been held between Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists, as efforts continue to try and rescue the latest deal to deliver devolution.

It also emerged that Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been speaking by telephone to the Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, the Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Mr Blair.

He also spoke with US special envoy, Richard Haass.

Contact between British and Irish officials is continuing.

Rebuilding confidence

Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist peer Lord Rogan has called on the government to explain how legislation prevents the disclosure of information on the IRA's latest act of decommissioning.

Speaking in the Lords on Thursday, he asked to whom the confidentiality clause applied.

"If, as the prime minister suggested, the IRA has undertaken a substantial act of decommissioning and is now finally and fully committed to the political process, will the government now assist in rebuilding lost confidence by disclosing the details of the latest decommissioning event?" he asked.

Speaking in the Irish parliament on Wednesday, Mr Ahern said he knew a lack of detail over IRA decommissioning would prove problematic for the political process.

He said a demand for clarity was always going to prove a difficulty.

Mr Ahern told the Dail that Downing Street was aware that on Tuesday morning he was reluctant to travel to Hillsborough because of concerns about the decommissioning element.

On Wednesday, Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy told the Commons he had made an order to enable fresh elections to the assembly to take place on 26 November.

The devolved administration at Stormont was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in the Stormont government.

The announcement of an election date came after weeks of top-level negotiations between Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists, as well as the British and Irish Governments.

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The joint declaration between British and Irish Governments
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