David Trimble: drop de-commissioning if Sinn Fein miss 'the train'

Unionists Squabble as Northern Ireland Talks Re-open

Mr Trimble's comments led Dr Paisley to accuse him of "pulling down the flag and surrendering our province". Last Friday, Mr Trimble argued that if Sinn Fein did not enter the talks because of the lack of an IRA ceasefire, the decommissioning issue would become academic. proposed last Friday that if it was clear Sinn Fein was not entering the talks because there was no IRA cease fire, then the decommissioning issue became academic and could be sidelined until such a time the Republicans were nearing entry. The issue of the de-commissioning of paramilitary weapons has held up the talks for over a year now.

Paisley has accused Trimble of "surrender"

Dr Paisley, said, "What I am saying is that when Mr Trimble said that, he completely and totally sold out the position of the Unionist people in regard to anything useful coming out of these talks."

Ulster Unionist security spokesman Ken Maginnis defended the proposal and accused Dr Paisley of "negative politics, divisive politics". He said Mr Trimble had been suggesting that if the talks train was leaving without Sinn Fein then decommissioning was not an immediate problem for politicians.

"Mr Paisley should understand it is not a good idea to keep hanging on about doing nothing while others try to persuade Sinn Fein to come aboard," he said.

Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam attended the discussions but, contrary to expectations in Dublin, Irish Foreign Minister Dick Spring did not attend the talks and sent only officials.

The British and Irish Governments have been working on a joint paper on the decommissioning issue which they hope will leave the way open to progress. But it now seems that their efforts are on hold until the Irish Prime Minister elect, Bertie Ahern, forms a government and allots the Northern Ireland portfolio.

Mr Bates, once a member of gang known as "The Shankill Butchers", was jailed for life in 1978 for his part in a series of savage sectarian killings. The Catholic victims of the gang were all discovered with their throats slashed. Mr Bates was released in October 1996; friends say he had become a committed Christian.