Although security sources are stressing that there could be further delays, both General John de Chastelain and Andrew Sens were asked to stay on in Ireland for the next few days instead of returning home to America this afternoon as planned.

The British and Irish governments believe the IRA could move as early as Thursday and Martin McGuinness, Sinn Fein’s chief negotiator, has said he believes the IRA will make a positive statement on its future.

In preparation for the move, McGuinness, Gerry Adams, and Martin Ferris, the TD for Kerry North, have resigned from the IRA’s ruling army council. The resignations are part of a reform of the IRA leadership, first revealed in The Sunday Times on May 1.

The story was confirmed by Michael McDowell, the minister for justice, on June 20 at a session of the Irish Peace Group. He said that McGuinness, Adams and Ferris “are now in the process of actually trying to get out of” the army council but would remain in control of the Provisional movement.

McDowell said the change was a “good thing” because it meant the IRA “is not going to be the centre of their political struggle in future”.

Sean Gerard Hughes, a Co Armagh hardliner, also resigned from the army council some months ago after losing interest in the peacetime IRA. Brian Keenan, a former chief of staff, has also resigned due to ill health.

Security sources believe that the current army council consists of Thomas “Slab” Murphy, as chief of staff; Brian Arthurs, the IRA commander in Tyrone; Bernard Fox, a former hunger striker; Sean “Spike” Murray from Belfast; Martin Lynch, an Adams loyalist from Belfast; Brian “Ginger” Gillen, from Belfast and a Dublin man who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Government officials are stressing that the IRA statement needs to be definitive and to be matched by a total and verifiable act of decommissioning. “In short order they are going to have to do enough to satisfy everybody both in words and in deeds,” said a source, stressing that it would be better for the IRA to delay the statement rather than to fall short of what is required.

The IRA statement and possible move on decommissioning is in response to a call from Adams on April 6. Adams said: “The way forward is by building political support for republican and democratic objectives across Ireland and by winning support for these goals internationally. I want to use this occasion therefore to appeal to the leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann (the IRA) to fully embrace and accept this alternative. Can you take courageous initiatives which will achieve your aims by purely political and democratic activity?” The statement, when it comes, will be closely scrutinised to see whether it moves things on from what has been said previously. The quality of decommissioning will also be scrutinised. In the past the IRA has refused to give General de Chastelain permission to say what weapons were decommissioned, or to take photographs. But if decommissioning is completed, an exhaustive inventory will be given by de Chastelain to the two governments who will be free to publish it.

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