London is pressing for a "concrete" act of IRA decommissioning to secure the Belfast Agreement ahead of President Clinton's visit next week, The Irish Times has learned.
British and Irish officials continued their negotiations at Downing Street yesterday - in preparation for talks between the Prime Minister, Mr Blair, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on the margins of the Nice summit, and the President's visit to Dublin and Belfast. At the same time it was confirmed senior Whitehall figures are seeking to have IRA weapons previously examined by the international inspectors put permanently beyond use.
The re-emerging idea appears to be that as part of an overall package the IRA might agree to literally concrete over weapons dumps previously inspected by Mr Cyril Ramaphosa and Mr Marti Ahtisaari. However, at this writing there is apparently no indication the republicans are prepared to engage with such an agenda.
Both governments clearly believe the Clinton visit has the potential to provide the "choreography" necessary to resolve at least the immediate political impasse in Northern Ireland.
However, speculation so far has focused largely on the possibilities for a relatively modest agreement - which would see Mr David Trimble lift his ban on Sinn Fein attendance at North-South Ministerial Council meetings in return for the IRA's re-engagement with the International Decommissioning Commission.
Even that speculation has been attended by doubt as to whether the republican movement is prepared to "expend further capital" in concessions to Mr Trimble, given the near-certainty of a further meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council in January.
Some key players have been urging London and Dublin to see the President's visit as the opportunity for a "once and for all agreement" which would break both the decommissioning deadlock and the by now regular challenges to Mr Trimble's survival as Ulster Unionist leader. The promised implementation plan to accompany the new Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 is now expected within days. Following Tuesday night's meeting between the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, Dublin sources confirmed "progress made".
It is unclear whether that progress will be sufficient to secure an early decision by the SDLP to proceed to nominate members to the new Policing Board. The British government, meanwhile, is said to be "hanging tough" on republican demands in respect of supporters currently "on the run", and on further radical "demilitarisation" measures.
The IRA's latest statement is a helpful move towards resolving the arms impasse, the head of the decommissioning body has said. Gen John de Chastelain said he was now looking forward to further co-operation with the republican movement on the weapons issue.