ARMY and police chiefs in Northern Ireland have responded to the IRA’s decision to end its armed campaign by initiating moves that will lead to the withdrawal of 5,500 troops from the Province.

One of the eight army observation towers in South Armagh, the notorious “bandit country” on the border with the Irish Republic, was partially dismantled yesterday.

A small army base inside a police station at Forkhill in South Armagh was also closed and the removal of a “super-sangar” reinforced observation post in Newtownhamilton began.

This part of the country has been at the heart of many of the confrontations between the IRA and the security forces — 270 soldiers lost their lives in South Armagh during the conflict.

Under a formula agreed between the British and Irish Governments in 2003 a series of dramatic changes to the security profile of the Province will take place over two years.

Military sources said yesterday that the “starting pistol” had not yet been fired for troop withdrawal. This would happen only if Sir Hugh Orde, the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland’s police service, and Lieutenant- General Sir Redmond Watt, who is General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland, decided that the security status was stable enough to begin “normalisation”.

This decision could be made before the end of this year — the Army has worked out plans to cut the present garrison of 10,500 troops to 5,000 at 14 bases by 2007.

There are currently two brigades in Northern Ireland, with eight infantry battalions. They include the 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment, the 2nd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets and the three “home service” battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.

It has not yet been decided whether the 3,100 men of the Royal Irish Regiment will stay on permanently.

The shrinking to a normal-sized garrison would make it possible for Army chiefs to restructure the infantry, removing for the first time the need to cater for a major operational commitment in Northern Ireland. Yesterday’s initial downsizing was mainly in South Armagh, where Thomas “Slab” Murphy, allegedly the IRA chief of staff, has his home.

The observation tower earmarked for destruction was at Sugarloaf Hill, near Camlough, sitting on a volcanic hill in an area known as the Ring of Gullion. Five other towers have been pulled down since December 1999.

Yesterday’s changes brought condemnation from the Unionists.

Gregory Campbell, the Democratic Unionist security spokesman, said: “After saying that IRA words are not enough and actions from the Provos [Provisional IRA] need to follow, the Government have turned their own words on their head and acted in advance of any substantive movement from the IRA.

“It is utterly irresponsible to abandon these installations with such haste.”

Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, admitted that the IRA had broken its word before, and agreed with Bertie Ahern, the Irish Prime Minister, that all violence and crime had to end.

General John de Chastelain’s international disarmament body is on standby to oversee the decommissioning effort and the Independent Monitoring Commission is assessing the ceasefire.

“It’s up to the IRA to deliver and they will be watched and we will be scrutinising everything,” Mr Hain said.

“By actively shutting down I don’t just mean bullets and bombs, I mean punishment beatings, criminality, targeting and the robbing of banks.”

General de Chastelain is due to meet an IRA representative as part of plans to empty arms dumps.

Two clergymen — one Protestant, one Catholic — have been chosen to witness the destruction with the General.

Mr Ahern said that there was “no ambiguity” in the IRA’s statement and insisted that there would be no “side deals” allowing the organisation to escape responsibility for criminal activity, such as the Northern Bank raid last December.

“It has been very clear what we required — that decommissioning had to be dealt with, that the IRA had to move to a new mode and that we had to see exclusively peaceful means followed in the future,” he said.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Charles blazes trail as sun king
• Thalidomiders win payout 50 years on
• Libel gag on talk of 'medical hurricane'