"The war is over" - 'Mad Dog' Adair

I see the North's most infamous loyalist terrorist, Johnny 'Mad Dog' Adair, has had his first interview since leaving Belfast with the Observer's Henry McDonald.

In the piece, Adair discusses the political situation in Ireland's north and he tells McDonald that he is no longer a threat to the Irish peace process:

"The Johnny Adairs of this world don't need to be playing the role they used to before the peace process. Because the war in Ulster is over."

Adair added that he believed the IRA were sincere with their statement last July:

"I believe the IRA and their statement last July. Their armed struggle is over. I hate them, but I believe them when they say they are sincere. I believe them when they said they decommissioned their arms... well, obviously not all the guns, this is the IRA we are talking about and they will need some weapons to defend themselves. But they are sincere about the war being over."

Asked if that meant unionists should share power with Sinn Fein again at Stormont, Adair replied:

"Absolutely. Why not? It's time for politics, although our politicians have let the people down. I believe the war is over and the loyalist people should take what the IRA did very seriously. I fought the war against them, there's nobody like myself and C company that had them on the run. But the IRA decommissioned, something they said they would never do. So the Protestant people should accept that."

Despite his personal loathing for UDA commanders such as Jackie McDonald, Adair said he backed their recent overtures to the Irish Republic:

"If I was in charge of the UDA, we would still be talking to the Irish President and others if it advanced peace. In fact, there is no need for a UDA any more, the days of organisations taking the war to republican enemies is over."

Interesting comments from Adair, though I'm not sure if either community in the North really cares about what he has to say.

What are your thoughts?