Republicans Look to Demilitarization

As the IRA embarked on a new chapter (See IRA Statement Below) tonight, cities, towns and villages across Northern Ireland were expecting a dramatically changed landscape.

Republicans were hopeful that Army watchtowers which for decades have scarred the lush green hills of South Armagh would disappear forever.

But they also wanted a dramatic reduction in the number of troops and military activity.

As Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain`s officials
prepared a revised programme of demilitarisation, a Sinn Fein source gave an indication of what republicans were expecting.

"The British Government will have to move urgently and speedily," he told PA.

"That means fundamental and substantial movement on demilitarisation across British military bases, their presence on the streets and the occupation of places like Divis Tower and removing the watchtowers in South Armagh.

"Bear in mind that in South Armagh the overwhelming majority of people support the peace process. The minority includes the DUP and dissident republicans who have not raised their head there in years.

"Therefore there is no argument for the kind of watchtowers and helicopter activity which we have seen."

The Government outlined a programme for demilitarisation in May 2003 - some of which has already been implemented.

Among the pledges it made was the retention of the regular Army garrison in 14 bases including Aldergrove, Antrim, Ballykinler, Ballymena, Coleraine, Divis Mountain,
Lisburn, Holywood, Magilligan and St Lucia in Omagh.

Unionists were concerned that some of these bases would be sacrificed if there were plans to reduce more troop numbers and military installations.

At her Fermanagh-South Tyrone constituency office in Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, Democratic Unionist Assembly member Arlene Foster insisted that demilitarisation should be based on the level of threat to security and not political expediency.

"People here are asking: what more have we to give?" the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said.

"Fermanagh needs the military the most in Northern Ireland because of the level of dissident threat we have.

"People here are asking are they going to announce troop reduction? What effect is that going to have in this area, not just on military patrols but on general policing?"

Source: UTV