Britain unveiled a two-year plan Monday to slash its military presence in Northern Ireland by more than half and soften policing methods in response to the IRA's historic pledge last week to disarm. The announcement, however, outraged hard-line Protestants who warned that the British government would pay a high price as its proposals largely affected home-grown soldiers belonging to the Royal Irish Regiment, which will lose three of its four battalions.
Under the programme, Britain hopes to cut troop levels to peacetime numbers of 5,000 from 10,500, shut army watchtowers, defortify police stations and repeal a set of anti-terrorist laws related to the territory.
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said the move was part of a so-called normalisation programme first outlined in April 2003.
"Following the IRA statement of July 28, we are now moving quickly to begin that process," he said, referring to the Irish Republican Army's decision last Thursday to order its militants to lay down their weapons and pursue peaceful means to end British rule.
Despite the proposed loosening of security, Hain emphasised that his priority was people's safety and security in Northern Ireland, which has been marred by sectarian bloodshed since the 1970s.
"We will not do anything that will compromise that," he said.
"Provided the enabling environment is established and maintained, this programme will be achievable within two years, though if the conditions are right to move more quickly in implementing elements of the plan, the government will do so."
In a sign of trouble ahead, however, members of the largest Protestant group, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), reacted furiously to the news.
Comments
Comments are closed.