Northern Ireland normalisation process begins

Monday, 1 August 2005 12:00 AM

There could be just 5,000 British soldiers left in Northern Ireland within two years under a normalisation programme announced today by the secretary of state.

Peter Hain outlined how conventional policing would return to Northern Ireland under plans first agreed in the Joint Declaration between the Irish and British governments in April 2003.

Implemented in three stages over two years, it will see the dismantling of watchtowers and the reduction of British troops in the province from its current level of 10,500 and 3,500 civilians on 40 sites to just 5,000 troops, based on only 14 "core" sites.

Defence secretary John Reid welcomed the time where military support was no longer needed to maintain security in Northern Ireland, and said the government was determined to move quickly on implementing the normalisation process.

"I pay tribute to the dedication and sacrifice of all those service men and women and civilians who have served in Northern Ireland over the past 36 years and I welcome the programme of security normalisation announced today by Peter Hain," he said.

"The armed forces will continue to support the police for as long as the chief constable requires, but we also look forward to the time, now clearly in sight, when such support is no longer needed."

Some of the elements of the first stage, which is due to take eight months, have already begun, such as the dismantling of watchtowers and the vacation of Forkhill Base.

A structured plan for phased reduction in troops to peacetime levels is expected within this period, while work to defortify 24 police stations will also begin.

This defortification will continue into the year-long second phase of normalisation, during which the remaining south Armagh watchtowers will be demolished and the land returned to greenfield status.

In the third and final stage, all military sites bar 14 will be closed and disposed of, while the operation brigade headquarters will be disbanded, leaving only 5,000 soldiers. Counter terrorist legislation particular to Northern Ireland will be repealed.

A joint statement from chief of defence staff General Sir Michael Walker and MoD permanent secretary Sir Kevin Tebbit said the armed forces would continue to support the police service of Northern Ireland "as long as required".

But they insisted a "normal and peaceful society in Northern Ireland will require a fundamentally different type of defence presence".

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