Got a reply a couple of weeks back from Hazel and this has now been followed up with the response she sought from the NI office.

It is quite interesting in that it states quite categoricaly, and I quote vervatim here, "The Government through the mechanism of the Independant International Commision on Decommissioning, will resolutely continue to pursue comple decommissioning by all paramilitary organisations both republican amd loyalist"

The problem, they are saying, is not one of a one sided commission but rather of uneven reporting by the media. The under-secretary believes that due to the Provisional IRA's ties to Sinn Fein and the fact that Sinn Fein are now a major political party The PIRA gets, on the back of political coverage, a higher ammount of press coverage than the Loyalist para-military groups.

I am willing to belive that and I am quite happy that if the Government, at the highest level, are working towards a full decommissioning, we can safely ignore the rantings of Paisley and his minnions. I leave you with the final thought in the letter -

"We cannot force paramilitary organisations to decommission - but it is vital if Northern Ireland is to have a peaceful future that the decommissioning is completed and there is a cessation of all paramilitary activity thus stemming the rise of mafia-like culture that threatens to replace it.

The decommissioning of paramilitary weapons is only one element - although a vital one - in the process of taking violence out of politics in Northern Ireland permanently"

Cheers

Dave the Gnome