“I don’t believe that we are in that position.”

Anonymous briefings aside, it looks like the Irish Times report [and the previous BBC one] will be accurate in that the IMC will likely say that “while the [Provisional IRA] army council still exists, it poses no paramilitary threat.” The confirmation comes from none other than Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP leader Peter Robinson, as quoted in this short report

Speaking after meeting Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde, Mr Robinson said he was told the army council remained in place but was not involved in terrorist activity.

The DUP leader said his party had always demanded a final end to the IRA as the price for further political progress. But he said: “I don’t believe that we are in that position.”

That should give the Sinn Féin leadership something to talk about. Adds And from the BBC report

Mr Robinson said he was told the army council remained in place, but was not involved in terrorist activity. “I accept what the chief constable says that they (the army council) are not meeting for any terrorist purpose. “But we require the removal of the IRA’s army council and we’ve always made that clear,” the first minister said.

And in another report

Mr Robinson says he discussed the state of the IRA with Sir Hugh Orde: “I think he recognises that some parts of the structure are still there. But they are not being used, according to the Chief Constable, for any paramilitary or terrorist purpose. We still take the position that the structures must be removed completely. There is no purpose of having a structure if you do not intend to operate in a paramilitary fashion.”

Pete Baker