BELFAST -- IRA guerrillas Friday dismissed as ludicrous British demands they hand over their weapons, blighting the chances that last week's Anglo-Irish peace plan will cement permanent peace in Northern Ireland.


The IRA's midnight announcement provoked an angry reaction from British Prime Minister John Major who said the banned group's intransigence was "a slap in the face" for thousands of peace-loving Irish people.


The row dispelled optimism that a visit to Northern Ireland last week by U.S. President Bill Clinton had provided a new momentum to the peace process in the violence-ridden British-ruled province.


It demonstrated the issue of "decommissioning" arms caches held by the IRA remains a huge stumbling block to peace, more than a year after rival guerrilla groups declared cease-fires.


London demands the IRA should start to scrap the arsenals that fuelled a bloody 25-year war against British rule before its political wing Sinn Fein is admitted to all-party talks on the province's future.


But the IRA in a statement issued to Dublin media ruled out any "surrender" and said bad faith by the British government "has raised a huge question mark over the potential of the twin-track approach."


Hours before Clinton arrived, Britain and Ireland announced preliminary all-party talks would begin by the end of February and the issue of arms held by both Republican and Protestant guerrillas would be dealt with by a disarmament panel.


Clinton said these so-called "twin-track" proposals represented an honorable way out of deadlock for all. But Britain still insists that the IRA must show goodwill by "decommissioning" some of its arms before talks can begin.


"There is no question of [the IRA] meeting the ludicrous demand for a surrender of IRA weapons either through the front or the back door," the IRA said.


Major said such sentiments would severely disappoint crowds which greeted Clinton in both Belfast and Dublin last week.


"The IRA's intransigence is a slap in the face to the hundreds of thousands of people in Northern Ireland and the Republic who last week demonstrated their massive desire for peace," Major said.


"The message of all those people to the paramilitaries was that their day was over, and that now was the time to put away guns, give up violence for ever, and make peace."


Major said it was now up to Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams "to make this message penetrate all corners of their movement."


Adams earlier told BBC radio that it was both necessary and possible to take the guns out of Irish politics, but added: "As a pre-condition [to full talks], I'm sure that none of the armed groups [Catholic and Protestant militias] are going to surrender their weapons."


Adams said Clinton's visit, while helpful, had clouded reality.


"And the reality is that the British government are still putting roadblocks on the pathway to peace," he added.