THE REPORT of the International Body on Decommissioning, led by Senator George Mitchell, which was given to the British and Irish governments last night, recommends that there should be no preconditions to all party talks, according to informed US sources.
The report concludes that an act of decommissioning before talks the condition set by the British government and known as Washington Three is impracticable and cites evidence from the police forces on both sides of the Border to support this, the sources said.
While this recommendation will produce a positive reaction from Sinn Fein, it is understood that the report also emphasises the principle of consent in political negotiations. This principle, as spelled out in the Downing Street Declaration, has never been publicly accepted by Sinn Fein.
However, the language of the report, which runs to just less that two dozen pages, may be sufficiently close to the Hume/Adams document of 1993 to be acceptable to Sinn Fein, according to sources who have been briefed on the report's contents.
It refers to a series of confidence building measures which can be taken to build up trust on all sides. One of these is a rejection of punishment beatings, the sources said. Others deal with prisoners, policing, plastic bullets and information for families about missing persons.
The report suggests that some form of decommissioning after the start of all party talks may be such a confidence building measure one which could prove the bona fides of the parties concerned.
It is said to be very carefully worded, reflecting Senator Mitchell's concern that the report itself should not become part of the problem.
The body, whose remit in the "November 28th Downing Street communique was "to provide an independent assessment of the decommissioning issue", is also said to conclude that a commitment to decommission illegal arms is as important as actual decommissioning.
On elections to an assembly, the body does not make firm recommendations, but is believed to suggest that this could move the situation forward if mandated within the framework of the three strand talks and if the body which, was created enjoyed cross community support. It notes, however, that this is outside the scope of its inquiry.
The three members of the inter national body are said to have started with an approach recognising the importance of the IRA and loyalist cease fires and to be of the opinion that the achievement of establishing the ceasefires has not been adequately recognised.
The question of whether or not to include the principle of consent is said to have taken up much of the body's time at the weekend, when the three members were preparing the report.
The Mitchell body, which also included General John de Chastelain, from Canada, and Mr Harri Holkeri, from Finland, is said to have taken as a key guide line Section 10 of the Joint Declaration of December 15th, 1993, signed by the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, and the then Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds. This deals with the political consequences of the ceasefires and does not lay down any preconditions for all party talks.
It states "The British and Irish governments reiterate that the achievement of peace must involve a permanent end to the use of, or support for, paramilitary violence. They confirm that, in these circumstances, democratically mandated parties which establish a commitment to exclusively peaceful methods and which have shown that they abide by the democratic process are free to participate fully in democratic politics and to join in dialogue in due course between the two governments and the political parties on the way ahead."