Reasons for sanctions outlined

IMC members outlined details of their report

The body which monitors paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland has outlined its reasons for recommending financial sanctions on Sinn Fein and the Progressive Unionist Party.

BBC News Online looks at the International Monitoring Commission's verdict on continuing violence and criminal activity by the IRA, the UDA and the UVF.

The commission said people from various walks of life had come forward with information on paramilitaries.

People have been very forthcoming and we have acquired a wide range of information - from official sources, political parties, journalists, people in business and in academic life, and from private individuals, including from the bereaved and others who have suffered at the hands of paramilitary groups.

We understand that some are sceptical about the nature of the information we receive, especially from official bodies....

We have applied our best judgement to all of the material available to us, from whatever source we have received it, and the findings and recommendations we make are the result of our own considered assessment of that material.

The commission said the Provisional IRA remained active and ready to revert to more widespread violence if it wished to.

PIRA is not presently involved in attacks on security forces. One murder may be attributable to PIRA since 1 January 2003. In common with other paramilitary groups, involvement in riots is not a present issue.

But PIRA nevertheless remains active and in a high state of readiness. It has been undertaking training in the early part of this year. It maintains a capability on intelligence, both on political events and on potential targets, and on weaponry.

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This provides ample evidence of an organisation maintaining its capacity to undertake acts of violence or to participate in a terrorist campaign if that seemed necessary to it.

PIRA is highly active in paramilitary shootings short of murder. It has been responsible for eight such attacks so far this year.

This pattern is indicative of effective direction by the leadership; we are persuaded that decisions were taken at a senior level to restrict such attacks during the assembly election period and that the Provisional Army Council would have been aware in general terms of the imposition and lifting of these restrictions.

An earlier example had been the suspension of terrorist activity during a visit by President Clinton when at the same time plans were being made for the Canary Wharf bomb and attacks on London power stations.

In recent months PIRA was also involved in three abductions and an exiling.

PIRA remains a relatively sophisticated and well controlled organisation. It maintains itself in a state of readiness, and possesses the range of necessary skills, whereby it could revert to much more widespread violence, were the decision taken that it should do so.

In addition to its involvement in other criminal activities, PIRA is engaged in the use of serious violence which we believe is under the control of its most senior leadership, whose members must therefore bear responsibility for it.

The commission said the Ulster Defence Association was responsible for recent murders and arson attacks, and had targeted Catholic individuals and attacked retired and serving prison officers.

The UDA has the capacity to launch serious, if crude, attacks. Some of these attacks are of a sectarian nature directed at the Catholic community.

These are generally aimed at what are sometimes described as "soft" targets, often occur at the interface between the Protestant and Catholic communities, especially in Belfast, and involve the use of pipe bombs.

The organisation continues to be involved in targeting individual Catholics and has undertaken recent attacks against retired and serving prison officers.

It is responsible for recent murders and arson attacks.

It has declared a ceasefire but not decommissioned any arms. The UPRG recently announced the indefinite extension of the UDA's self-imposed "cessation of military activity" but even since then, the UDA have been involved in further violence.

In recent years, the UDA has been heavily engaged in crime, including drugs, particularly in urban areas.

This has led to feuds within the organisation, which in turn have contributed significantly to violence in Northern Ireland.

These feuds frequently culminate in murders, punishment beatings and in the exiling of individuals from Northern Ireland.

There is also continuing anti-social behaviour in support of this criminal activity, notably intimidation for the purpose of funding the organisation.

We are clear that the UDA is involved in murders and other forms of criminal activity.

Since 1 January 2003, the UDA committed some half of all paramilitary murders. We have no doubt that the UDA remains involved in paramilitary assaults and shootings, and in exiling people from Northern Ireland.

We are satisfied that many of these activities are known to the UDA at 'brigadier' level and so to the Inner Council.

In its report, the commission said the Ulster Volunteer Force was responsible for two recent murders, as well as being "heavily engaged in major crime and in punishment attacks".

The UVF has maintained a policy of no first strikes against the Catholic community, but is prepared to consider a response to republican attacks.

It engages in punishment attacks against people accused of anti-social behaviour and in violent clashes with members of other loyalist organisations, sometimes in connection with disputes over criminal activities.

The UVF has not decommissioned any weapons and maintains the view that it is under no obligation to do so.

Since autumn 2003, the UVF has been responsible for two murders; for a pipe bomb attack; and for assaults and shootings, including against the UDA.

It was also responsible for a bomb found outside a bar in Belfast on St Patrick's Day, which was defused by the security forces.

In addition, its members have been linked to recent racial attacks in Belfast but we believe these particular attacks were not sanctioned by the leadership.

It continues to recruit and train new members and to procure weapons and is involved in smuggling, robbery and extortion.

The Red Hand Commando (which is linked to the UVF) also continues to carry out punishment attacks on other members of the loyalist community, and is involved in drug dealing.

The UVF and RHC are ruthless and reasonably well controlled organisations, heavily engaged in major crime and in punishment attacks.

They retain a capacity for more widespread violence in which they would not hesitate to engage if they judged the circumstances made it appropriate.