John Reid to announce security measures

Dr Reid said the IRA's move would mean "we can get stability into the political institutions".

"It means, secondly, we can implement the Agreement in all of its aspects.

"And it means we can respond both in the short term and hopefully plan for the longer term on a demilitarisation, a normalisation of Northern Ireland society," Dr Reid said on Wednesday morning.

Unionist response

The political focus has turned to the response of the Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble who withdrew his ministers from the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive last week.

He has called a meeting of his party's executive on Saturday to ask it to approve the reconstituting of the executive.

However, he could renominate his three ministers to the executive on Thursday, heading off a possible suspension of devolution.

But he needs the backing of his executive to ensure his move back into government with republicans is party policy, forcing critics of the policy to fall into line.

Meanwhile, Lagan Valley Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson said the party should retain the option to leave government again if there were no further IRA moves on arms.

Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Peter Robinson has criticised David Trimble's proposed move back into government.

"It is only when you know what has been put out of use that you can make a proper judgement," he said.

Logjam

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has said the issue of arms should now be left with General John de Chastelain's international decommissioning body.

Mr Adams said Tuesday's move by the IRA should now leave the way clear for the political impasse to be broken and real progress to be made.

"We got this initiative because the IRA wanted to save the process despite the way it was being handled," he said.

The international body charged with dealing with paramilitary weapons confirmed on Tuesday that it had witnessed the IRA put a quantity of arms beyond use which it described as "significant".

The material included arms, ammunition and explosives, it said.

Confirming its move, the IRA described its decision as an "unprecedented" decision to save the peace process and a demonstration to others of its genuine intentions.

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