Planned talks between Lord Eames and Gerry Adams have been put on hold -
just hours after the IRA moved to rule out a meeting with the Consultative
Group on the Past.
According to a source a "formal request" for a meeting with the
IRA leadership was to have been made this morning - in scheduled private
talks involving the retired Church of Ireland Primate and the Sinn Fein
President.
But the Belfast Telegraph understands that a
face-to-face meeting at Stormont was postponed at the last minute at the
request of Lord Eames.
The talks are to be rescheduled when the
co-chair of the Consultative Group has had more time to reflect on
yesterday's republican briefing.
That was not conducted by the
IRA's 'P O'Neill', but by a senior republican source.
On the
Eames/Bradley Group, he said:
The body was appointed by the British Government
Its terms of reference were set by the British Government
It's reporting back to the British Government.
"In that context they (the IRA) don't have confidence in the body.
Therefore it's highly unlikely that they would want to meet them," the
source continued.
In effect the IRA answered Lord Eames' question
before it was asked.
But it is understood the Eames/Bradley Group
will still make a formal request for a meeting.
As exclusively
revealed in this newspaper, the group recently held private talks with the
UVF leadership in Belfast, including the most senior figure in that
organisation's 'Command Staff' - a man suspected of being a long-time
Special Branch agent.
Approaches have also been made to the UDA.
But through an authoritative republican source the IRA has made its position
clear.
That will not stop the group from making its recommendations
this summer.
Its work is but one phase in a wider process.
One source speaking about the group's remit said its job "was not to
sign, seal and deliver this" - meaning to settle every issue and answer
every question at this stage.
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