An IRA statement at present would only distract attention from the unionist paramilitaries, who have been the most active in recent years and who- to date- have remained unaccountable.

Personally, I believe the IRA should make any statement conditional upon unionist politicians taking responsibility for compelling what Senior Belfast Orange Order figure, Bro. McMurdie, claimed were the paramilitaries on "OUR SIDE" to publicly match the IRA on decommissioning and ending violence. (BBC Interview, July 11)

This should extend to the institutions being suspended when unionist paramilitaries engage in sectarian attacks on catholics, particularly when prompted by unionist politicians- as will undoubtedly happen in Ballymena now that Paisley Jnr has threatened violence against a republican parade in the nationalist district of the town.

Only when unionist paramilitaries are brought into the process- in the sense that their activity is accountable to political unionism and is seen to have a price- will we really be moving to the next level here.

Until then, political unionism will continue to manipulate 'their' paramilitaries for political ends and republicans will be compelled by the weight of nationalist sentiment to maintain its military cohesion as a defensive bulwark.