IRA army council 'redundant' - IMC Report
THE body responsible for monitoring paramilitary groups says it does not expect an announcement from the IRA that its army council has been disbanded.
An assessment report by the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) on the status of the IRA army council was made public on Wednesday.
The IMC believes the Provisional IRA's campaign is "well and truly over" and that the army council "is no longer operational or functional".
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POLITICAL REACTION TO THE IMC REPORT
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The verdict comes ahead of crucial talks involving the DUP and Sinn Fein over the future of the power-sharing Executive on Thursday.
Unionists have argued the existence of the IRA army council is an obstacle to the devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont.
On Tuesday, DUP leader Peter Robinson reiterated his party's postion that the IRA army council should be disbanded.
The conclusions of the IMC would appear to fall short of the First Minister's wishes.
The 12-page document says: ""We are aware of the questions posed about the public disbandment of (Provisional Irish Republican Army's) PIRA's leadership structures.
"We believe that PIRA has chosen another method of bringing what it describes as its armed struggle to a final close. Under PIRA's own rules the Army Council was the body that directed its military campaign. Now that that campaign is well and truly over, the Army Council by deliberate choice is no longer operational or functional."
It added: "This situation has been brought about by a conscious decision to let it fall into disuse rather than through any other mechanism."
The report continues: "The mechanism which they have chosen to bring the armed conflict to a complete end has been the standing down of the structures which engaged in the armed campaign and the conscious decision to allow the Army Council to fall into disuse.
"By taking these steps PIRA has completely relinquished the leadership and other structures appropriate to a time of armed conflict," it concludes.
The Stormont Executive has not met since June 18, with Sinn Fein threatening to withdraw ministers if progress is not made over the policing issue.
The parties are also at loggerheads over the future of the Maze prison site, academic selection and the future of the Irish language.
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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