Secretary John Reid announced today that Northern Ireland's devolved government would be suspended, effective midnight tonight, to allow more time to resolve disputes, most centrally over the decommissioning of the IRA. The suspension comes in the wake of John Trimble's July 1 resignation as first minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly because the IRA had not yet disarmed. Reid said he hoped the suspension would be brief, and indeed, the announcement comes after Thursday's declaration by the IRA that they would place their weapons "completely and verifiably beyond use."