Robinson claims PM 'deceit' over decommissioning

DUP deputy leader, Peter Robinson has claimed Prime Minister, Tony Blair is deceiving the people of Northern Ireland over decommissioning.

Following his party's meeting with the International Independent Commission on Decommissioning (IICD), Mr Robinson said Commission chief, Gen John de Chastelain had said he had given no more information to Mr Blair than was already out in the public domain, despite remarks to the contrary by the Prime Minister.

However, referring to a meeting with Gen de Chastelain during a House of Commons debate on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said: "He [Gen de Chastelain] gives certain information - not the full information, but certain information - to us, as the two Governments. Although we are not at liberty to disclose that information without his permission, we are working hard to try to find a way in which we can do so, because I believe, on the basis of what we know, that people would be satisfied if they knew the full details.

"If people knew the information we know, they would be satisfied.”

Responding at party headquarters, Mr Robinson said: "The Prime Minister’s deceit has been exposed. General de Chastelain gave him no information beyond that which was given in his report, at the IICD’s Tuesday press conference and that which was given to us today.

"The Prime Minister stands accused of deceiving the people in relation to weapons of mass destruction and now he seeks to mislead over IRA weapons. It is time for the Prime Minister to come clean and admitt his embelishment over the extent of IRA decommissioning," the East Belfast MP concluded.

(MB)