UK News 07-08-2001 IRA Offers Arms Compromise who: IRA what: Offers to set agenda for putting weapons "beyond use" where: BELFAST when: Yesterday snippet: "The Provisional IRA has proposed how it would get rid of its weapons," reports The Telegraph, "a move that was described yesterday as a start to decommissioning." "Precise details of the IRA proposals were unclear," says The Mirror, "but could involve flooding the buried arms chambers with concrete or disposing of weapons and explosives at sea." The "historic" news came from John de Chastelain, the Canadian former general charged with overseeing paramilitary decommissioning, reports The Guardian. It is "set to be followed by a statement from the two international inspectors who have already examined IRA arms dumps, testifying that they have been present while IRA weapons at those sites were destroyed before their very eyes." Nonetheless, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was cautious in his welcome of the news, reports the BBC. "We are glad to see the IRA has taken a significant step towards decommissioning," he said yesterday, "but it hasn`t begun decommissioning. We want to see that happen." [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!