The IRA 'has destroyed all its arms' what now for Northern Ireland?

[GonZ]

According to a report on the BBC news site the IRA 'has destroyed all its arms".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4283444.stm

"In September 2004, the commission got estimates of numbers and quantities of arms from security forces in both jurisdictions.

"Our new inventory is consistent with these estimates. We are satisfied that the arms decommissioning represents the totality of the IRA's arsenal."

Naturally there are sceptics;

"However, unionists are unhappy there has been no photographic evidence of decommissioning and reacted with scepticism to the report."

What do you think about this step? And what now for the future of NI, Eire and the UK?

[ShadesPanther]

Well I hope the have decommissioned everything. It is a good thing overall if it is true. Although time will only tell if they truely have.

Hopefully nopw this will mean the loyalist paramilitary thugs (Whom i consider worse than scum and about even with the IRA) will finally decommission as well and so stop strangling the inner cities and both sides will be free of paramilitaries

[lugh]

They're fools if they decommisioned everything. There is still a very signifigant threat from loyalist paramilitaries that needs to be addressed and so far the British government and the PSNI have not reated satidfactorily. I mean there's a virtual civil war ongoing within loyalism but all the attention is payed to the IRA. While Gerry Adams and co might be more than happy to be perpetually in the limelight, it's only embittering the working class loyalists even more. The thing is, the loyalist paras have no incentive to disband and disarm as world perception does not see them as an armed wing of the UUP and DUP.

edit: spellings.

[ShadesPanther]

Yes I do not think they really have got rid of everything. They might have a small amount tucked away just in case.

The loyalist paramilitaries are thugs and arent really classed as terrorists as the rest of the world sees it. They are scum and hopefully will be erradicated now

[Tribesman]

Good news , but the UVF and UDA have today stated that thet will not decommission anything .
Oh and Paisley isn't happy as the International Independant Commision and the independant observers were not independant enough for him and they only followed the process that had been agreed upon and didn't pander to his wants .

They're fools if they decommisioned everything.
Yes I do not think they really have got rid of everything.

They havn't , the British Government have allowed them to retain a small number of pistols for personal protection I suppose it is cheaper than issueing them with weapons and armed protection officers at government expense .
Isn't it funny that the6 counties are the only part of the UK where you can still own and carry a pistol (apart from black powder or single shot ones)