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CNN Live Event/Special

Irish Peace Process Depends on Both Disarmament and Politics

Aired October 24, 2001 - 06:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get some perspective on this news today, and bring in Tom Bogdanowicz of CNN. He is in London.

Tom, how is this news being received there?

TOM BOGDANOWICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I should point out that I'm in Belfast in Northern Ireland, standing in front of an installment, where the power-sharing Northern Ireland assembly usually sits.

This is being received very positively across Northern Ireland by most parties. So the more moderate Unionist parties are broadly welcoming this move. Of course, the SDLP, the Catholic party, is welcoming it as well.

And the question remains whether the more hard-line Unionists will come and support the IRA move, and whether they'll support the political process here at the installment, because that process was in danger of suspension, because ministers had resigned -- Unionist ministers had resigned. And unless they resumed their posts this week, that could still happen.

But with the IRA decision to decommission weapons, that now seems unlikely, and therefore, the political process here may resume, and with it, the peace process, and that's the critical point -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Tom, let's get some more perspective on this exact news. The IRA saying they're putting some of these weapons beyond use, but we're really talking about a small portion of the weapons that they have at their disposal.

BOGDANOWICZ: Yes, absolutely. This is not everything. Nobody has said that it is.

What we have heard is that David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionists who spoke to John de Chastelain, who in turn is the leader of the decommissioning body, David Trimble said that he was told that it was a substantial amount of weapons. And they haven't just been put out of use in some ambiguous manner, say by concreting over an arms dump, of which we know there are several, because the commissioners saw them.

These weapons have been permanently put out of use. So it was enough to satisfy the Ulster Unionist party, and perhaps it will be enough to satisfy others, although, perhaps, not the hard-line Unionists, who wanted to actually see the weapons. They wanted to see the decommissioning.

And it's difficult to know whether that will ever happen, because as long as the process continues -- and that's important that it continue -- John de Chastelain has said that he is not interested in revealing exactly how many weapons, which weapons. We know that it's ammunition, explosives, arms. Those are going into decommissioning. But he hasn't given us full details, because he's worried about how that might affect the future process, and he doesn't want to jeopardize that -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, quickly tell us what the next step is in that future process in light of this encouraging news.

BOGDANOWICZ: Well, it's very encouraging, because it could keep this political process going, and without a political process, this is very little progress. This is the whole point. There has to be a peace process and a political process. And if the installment behind me can become an active power-sharing base for Northern Ireland, then we have the makings of a peace process.

That's why this is critical. The decommissioning of arms was essential to that process. The Ulster Unionists weren't prepared to participate in the political process until that was happening. Now, it's happening. They are prepared to participate. If other parties can get behind them, then we have the makings of a peace process going again -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Tom Bogdanowicz in Belfast, Ireland. I apologize for putting you in the wrong city there. Thank you for that update.

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