Oh dear-a Unionist not rolling over to have his tummy tickled. How disobliging. I bet he's not even asking Hugh Orde to chuck in a few watchtowers to mollify the Provos. I mean what kind of negotiating is that?

davidbrew
I mean what kind of negotiating is that?
Quite a normal form of negoitation (IMHO).

You set out your proposals, you argue a bit to see if there is any give and take on initial positions. After a while you fully understand your opponents postion and they understand yours. When you reach that stage. It's either yes or no thank you.

The DUP are quite a liberty to do the same thing to SF (and I suspect they are). My guess is that SF believe that a poor deal (from their perspective)supported by Paisley, is more valuable than a good deal supported by Robinson (at some time in the future). Which is why the DUP have the advantage in the current negoitations. Will they make use of it?

The problem with the game of chicken, is that the result can be lose-lose. Time moves on.

Given that, as the article says, "neither Dublin nor London knows whether the IRA would even allow photographs to be produced after devolution was reinstated", the speculation that the timing of the release of those photographs is a sticking point is more than a little premature.

Under the terms of the GFA de Chastelaine was mandated and obliged to produce proof. Gerry is still playing Weston Park.

Hugh Orde has signalled the biggest moves on demilitarisation are yet to come and will take place quickly. Thanks DUP!

Adams says move on....aka....Adams says no to the two governments package.

Adams has a cheek complaining about the DUP needing to "move on". It's over 4 years past May 2000, and we're STILL waiting for the completion of decommissioning. Why hasn't he been calling for the "process" to "move on" without the Provos during these last 4 years?

The IRA could avoid the photos and the logjam by simply destroying all their weapons outside of the DeChastelain scheme. Simply announce that the weapons have all been destroyed. End of issue.

Would anyone believe them?

willowfield

Are you going to believe a photograph?

Why wouldn't I?

I'm assuming that any photograph is provided by the IICD, and not by the Provos, by the way.

But how will you know they haven't got other weapons?

We won't. We just have to trust military intelligence and the IICD on that one.

willowfield

The IICD will have no way of knowing what they haven't been shown and military intelligence would be as likely to know if the IRA did it themselves.

We have to trust their judgement on it, nonetheless.

If you trust their judgement then you don't need pictures.

i wish the meath people had to eat Gerry Adams.

It's not me who needs or wants pictures: it's the DUP.

So the IRA decommission and unionist working class areas are held to hostage by the people who were in their element attacking the media outside the court in Chichester St.
I almost feel pity for the people on the Shankill and elsewhere.

Is that an admission from Pat that the IRA are presently holding nationalist working class areas hostage which they will no longer be able to do when they decommission ?

I rather think it is :)

Quantum leap thinking - very odd.

willowfield

It's not me who needs or wants pictures: it's the DUP.

I accept that. Do you think that their demand is really for some kind of fig leaf to cover the fact that they are accepting David Trimble's deal?

Fig leaf, is it ?. Yeah hes probably got a licenced weapon under it.

Great negotiation but extremely boring. Wonder if Paisley has a figleaf -on second thoughts....

Henry94

I accept that. Do you think that their demand is really for some kind of fig leaf to cover the fact that they are accepting David Trimble's deal?

In part, yes. But partly also because every time we have a decommissioning episode, the bar gets raised in response to the concessions won by the Provos. November last year it was "transparency". This time it's a "visual aspect".

Davros, they are being held hostage all the way to the polling booths.
I don't believe the comparison is a valid one