The Northern Secretary, Peter Mandelson, has said there are positive elements in General John de Chastelain's report on decommissioning which need to be explored further. He was speaking in Iveagh House this evening after discussing the latest crisis in the peace process with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen. The possibility of suspending the North's assembly and executive is being explored, but both ministers said breathing space was needed. Mr Mandelson said suspension of the northern administration would only become inevitable when there were no longer any other options. Mr Cowen said there was more work to be done, but that it was not necessary to bring back George Mitchell.
The peace process was thrown once again into crisis following the de Chastelain report on decommissioning. The report has not been made public, but the North's First Minister, David Trimble, said it concluded that there has been no act of decommissioning by paramilitary groups. Speaking at a press conference announcing the UUP's withdrawal from the executive, Mr Trimble said the basis of the administration that the Ulster Unionists had formed with Sinn Féin had now been falsified. He said there had never been any intention to place a party in Government that was allied to "terrorists". Mr Trimble said he now expected the process to be suspended and a review to begin within days.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said he did not accept that anything was inevitable. Mr Ahern told the Dáil today that it would be a disaster if any of the institutions were "to slide". He said that any weapons handed over could be replaced and the important issue at the moment was the commitment to decommissioning. The Taoiseach said he hoped people looked at the bigger picture and did not push themselves over a cliff. He said it had never been suggested that everything should be delivered by January 31st, but it was realistic to try to come to some resolution of how remaining difficult issues would be dealt with in order to avoid what he called "another high noon", every few weeks. Mr Ahern said it was easy for people to take stands, but that they had to remember the consequences at this extremely delicate period. He said it is vital that all parties to the Good Friday Agreement consider their next step with the utmost care and deliberation.
At the White House, US President Bill Clinton warned that a breakdown of the northern institutions would be a tragedy. The US President has been in intensive contact with the Irish and British Governments. However he said he was concerned that any comment from him on the merits of the current decommissioning position might do more harm than good. Downing Street confirmed today that the Prime Minister Tony Blair talked by telephone with both President Clinton and Gerry Adams last night. Mr Trimble earlier confirmed that he has contacted Senator George Mitchell and that he would welcome a decision by him to chair any new review. Mr Trimble said that Mr Mitchell supported his interpretation of the outcome of the last review, claiming that the understanding was that decommissioning would have begun by the time General John De Chastelain delivered his report. However, Mr Trimble said, given all that Mr Mitchell had contributed, he did not have the heart to ask the Senator to return. The Ulster Unionist Assemblyman, Michael McGimpsey, who negotiated the last Mitchell review on behalf of his party, said he doubted the usefulness of Senator Mitchell's return as talks chairman.
