What the papers say

Journalist Andy Wood takes a look at what is making the headlines in Wednesday's morning papers.

The News Letter confronts its readers with a question. But it's clear that it's really directed at the police and the IRA.

"Did the IRA fire shots?" it asks, picking up reports that Provisional IRA hardliners - angered by the latest act of decommissioning - fired shots into the air at a Halloween night bonfire in Keady, south Armagh.

The paper says police have confirmed that an incident did indeed take place and that spent cartridge case were recovered.

The News Letter moves across the channel for the subject of its leader column - the plans by Home Secretary David Blunkett for hi-tech ID cards.

The paper says that in a world of pin numbers, passwords and holographs, the new cards may add slightly to the feeling of living in a Big Brother state - but not much.

People in Northern Ireland, long used to driving licences with photographic ID, are unlikely to see more modern measures as a "significantly greater intrusion on our civil liberties".

New technology

But the Guardian is rather less relaxed about Mr Blunkett's proposals, saying that the Home Office sees the "roll-out" of ID cards as an unstoppable steamroller.

It also accuses Mr Blunkett of "fudging on the costs" exhibiting "a worrying faith in the new biometric technology", and "true to his tradition of showing little concern for civil liberties".

The London Independent is no less welcoming. A cartoon of a mock-up of Mr Blunkett's own card reads: "Surname - Blunkett; Forenames - David Attila Genghis; Occupation - jack-boot tester and card number 1984."

The Daily Telegraph says the absence of any requirement to produce them on demand would make them of limited use in fighting crime, illegal working or immigration.

The Telegraph leader concludes: "Whatever the question, ID cards aren't the answer."

The Daily Express - a declared supporter of ID cards - objects to the cost saying that the government should provide the cards free of cost, even if the taxpayer ultimately has to meet the bill.

History reminder

There's support from the Mirror which says that if cards help to crack down on the lawless, they should be a price worth paying.

From the Irish News - and appropriately in Armistice Week, a reminder that history is not really all that far away.

The paper says a report commissioned by Belfast City Council, on how City Hall commemorates its war dead, recommends that German and Italian government representatives - along with an Irish Army Band - should be invited to future ceremonies.

An unnamed DUP councillor says this would logically mean the IRA should also be present but that Sinn Fein would first have to apologise for its wartime support of Hitler before any republican presence would be seen as credible.