Estimates matched matériel

The head of the decommissioning body, John de Chastelain, was severely grilled by the assorted media at the press conference.. and, although he emphasised that the Decommissioning Body itself is satisfied that the PIRA arsenal has been fully decommissioned – based on security forces’ estimates, and on the matériel they witnessed – when asked if there could be other weapons still being held by PIRA, he acknowledged that, in a phrase that is likely to resurface in the weeks and months ahead, “We can never be completely certain”.

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