Belfast
THE IRA could be preparing to start handing over weapons and explosives next month, unionists said last night.
In a separate development yesterday, the widow of a Belfast solicitor who was murdered 10 years ago challenged Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam to hold an independent inquiry after presenting her with a new report alleging that the security forces colluded in the killing.
The report's implications for the Royal Ulster Constabulary, whose future is being reviewed at present by former Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten, could be grave.
Unionists, angered by Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams's prediction that all sides could be moving towards Irish unity within the next 15 years, believe the Provisionals are considering some sort of decommissioning gesture.
Unionist sources said the unification claim could be seen as a deliberate sign to unnerve unionists and calm heightening tensions among dissident republicans opposed to the peace process.
''It's probably one of a series of coded signals Sinn Fein are sending in advance of the transfer of powers,'' said one source.
''I suspect Sinn Fein could be preparing the ground for a start to decommissioning in March.''
Mr Adams said the IRA would not hand over by March 10, the target date for devolution, and he could not predict what would happen by May 2000, the Agreement deadline for the completion of decommissioning.
A spokesman for First Minister David Trimble said republicans could not be allowed to hold the peace process to ransom.
The Ulster Unionists are refusing to form an executive with Sinn Fein unless the IRA decommissions its weapons. However, Sinn Fein insists the disarmament process was not a pre-condition for being allowed into government.
Next week sees a crucial Assembly vote on new government structures, which some see as opening the door to Sinn Fein in government without IRA decommissioning.
''The Agreement has not changed,'' said Mr Trimble's spokesman. ''The IRA must decommission for Sinn Fein to take their seats in the executive. Sinn Fein/IRA cannot be allowed to hold the process to ransom because of their intransigence on this issue.''
Mr Adams said he was prepared to work with the independent decommissioning body to find a solution to the current impasse.
''I've no doubt David Trimble has difficulties. I have no doubt a lot of those difficulties lie within David Trimble's own head,'' he said.
Mr Trimble's spokesman dismissed this ''nonsense'', adding: ''We entered into the Agreement as did Sinn Fein, and it is Sinn Fein which is in default.''
Meanwhile, 10 years to the day after a leading Catholic lawyer was murdered, the RUC was yesterday accused of setting him up.
Mr Pat Finucane was one of the best known criminal lawyers in Northern Ireland. On February 12, 1989, he was shot 14 times by members of the Ulster Freedom Fighters in front of his wife, Geraldine, and his three children.
Dr Mowlam was presented yesterday with new allegations by the Finucane family. The report, compiled by the London-based human rights group British Irish Rights Watch and based upon ''sensitive Government information'', claims that members of the security forces conspired with loyalist terrorists in the killing of Mr Finucane and other nationalists.
Dr Mowlam told Mrs Finucane that she would ''carefully consider'' the report and would reply to the request for a judicial inquiry ''in a matter of weeks''.
The full report is confidential as it names senior RUC officers and British Army intelligence agents who are alleged to have supplied loyalists with the names of prominent nationalists, and later covered up the evidence.
