Major Concession on IRA Arms

In a significant development, British Prime Minister John Major yesterday signalled that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) may not have to surrender its weapons as a condition for full talks with Sinn Fein. Speaking in Belfast, Major stated that as long as the weapons are decommissioned or destroyed and verification can be obtained, the IRA would not have to hand them over. This concession marks a departure from the Government's previous stance on the issue.

Key Takeaways:

• The Prime Minister's comments indicated that the Government has acknowledged the IRA's reluctance to hand over its weapons, despite the ceasefire.
• Major emphasized that the significant point is not the physical surrender of the weapons, but rather ensuring they are no longer available for use by terrorists.
• The exploratory talks with Sinn Fein will move to the multiparty stage only when there has been "huge progress" on the issue of arms.
• If progress is not made, not only will mainstream political parties in Northern Ireland and the British Government refuse to talk with Sinn Fein, but also with loyalist paramilitaries who retain the right to return to violence and large stocks of weapons.
• The Government's position has been that arms could be resolved only as part of an overall settlement, following Sinn Fein's statement on the matter.

Statistics:

• None mentioned in the source

Sources:

• The Times, Copyright (C) 1994