A senior Ulster Unionist has called for the exclusion of Sinn Féin from the Stormont power-sharing executive over allegations the IRA sanctioned a trip to South America by three Irishmen now awaiting trial on charges of training FARC guerrillas in Colombia.
The UUP is holding a crucial meeting of its 110-member executive in Belfast tomorrow and unionist hardliners have warned in the wake of fresh allegations about the IRA that if Mr Trimble failed to take sanctions, they would "take matters into their own hands". Ulster Unionist MPs Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside have urged Mr Trimble to ‘get tough’.
Mr David Burnside, a hardline South Antrim UUP MP has called for the setting of a July 1st deadline for the expulsion of Sinn Féin ministers Martin McGuinness and Bairbre de Brun from the executive unless action is taken against the party by that date.
Mr Burnside’s comments come after an unnamed British security source alleged the IRA sanctioned, at the highest level, that members of its organisation could use Colombia as a testing ground for new weapons.
The comments were made in a report on BBC Radio Ulster and were attributed to an unnamed ‘senior security source.’
Sinn Féin dismissed the allegations with Martin McGuinness denouncing the "unattributable, mischievous" reports which, he said, were coming from "elements within the British military establishment" opposed to the peace process.
Mr. Burnside said if the UUP failed to persuade the nationalist SDLP and cross community Alliance Party and Women's Coalition to back such a move against Sinn Féin, it should pull its ministers out of the executive, collapsing the institutions.
First Minister David Trimble held talks with the British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the fringes of today’s summit of devolved and national governments in Jersey. The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern also held talks with Tony Blair.
It is understood the Donaldson wing of the UUP have outlined a number of options to party chairman James Cooper ahead of tomorrow's meeting. Mr Cooper confirmed tonight the executive would "discuss a number of proposals".
Additional reporting PA
