Reid faces tough N. Irish decision

Reid: "Parties -- and the paramilitary groups -- have to play their part"

DUBLIN, Ireland -- The British government is delaying a decision on whether to resume direct control over Northern Ireland.

After plotting strategy with the Irish government in Dublin on Friday, Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid said people were "weary and fed up" with politicians who said they supported the 1998 Good Friday Agreement -- but had not done enough to sustain it.

He spoke as the Ulster Unionists, the main pro-British Protestant party, met to discuss their withdrawal on Thursday from Northern Ireland's unity government.

A harder-line Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists, followed suit, leaving the 12-member assembly with only five ministers left, all Catholics.

AUDIO David Trimble: "This was a last resort" 1.24 MB / 1 min 58 secs WAV sound

The resignations are the latest blow for the peace process since the 1998 accord that set up devolved government in Belfast. One of the terms of the agreement, paramilitaries handing over their weapons, has been the major obstacle.

Reid now has a week to decide whether to suspend the assembly again, impose direct rule from London or call for new elections.

CNN's European political editor Robin Oakley said the move by the Ulster Unionists means Northern Ireland is facing another crisis after a summer of disappointment and an upsurge of cross-community violence.

He said the danger of calling new elections was that there was evidence from June's UK general election of an increase in support for hardline parties opposed to the peace agreement.

While declining to specify blame for the crisis, Reid predicted that the Ulster Unionists would resume their posts if the IRA made what he called a "historic step" by allowing disarmament officials to scrap some of the outlawed group's weapons.

Speculation had mounted this week that the IRA, which has already allowed foreign diplomats to visit a few dumps in secret, was on the brink of such a move.

Trimble only agreed in November 1999 to form a four-party government in Northern Ireland that included Sinn Fein, on condition that IRA disarmament followed.

Since the assembly was formed, London has suspended it three times, first in February 2000 then twice for 24-hour periods this summer, in response to political crises.

Trimble: Ministers will return if disarmament starts within seven days

However, the IRA has yet to carry out a May 2000 pledge to put its hidden weapons stockpiles "beyond use," a euphemism for disarmament.

On Friday, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams spoke disparagingly of Irish media speculation that IRA leaders had met secretly to discuss an imminent disarmament move.

While he said any IRA move would have to be "met with generosity" by the Ulster Unionists, he said IRA leaders had not met and described reports they had as "Alice in Wonderland journalism," The Associated Press reported.

If the IRA did begin to disarm, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said he and his party's three other Cabinet ministers would resume their posts.

However, influential Ulster Unionist Jeffrey Donaldson said his party would not prop up any more coalitions with Sinn Fein unless the IRA made clear it would fully disarm. Donaldson has criticised the Good Friday Agreement, saying its section on proposed disarmament by the IRA and other outlawed groups was too vague.

"If the IRA think they can buy off unionism with one gesture, then they need to think again," Donaldson said.