Loyalists dismiss arms hope

Loyalists: Two ceasefires declared over

Northern Ireland's loyalist paramilitary organisations have given no indication that they are prepared to follow the IRA's step in beginning a process of disposing of arms.

Politicians close to the main groups said that loyalists would be asking what the IRA and Sinn Fein had won in concessions from the government.

John White: Loyalists want concessions

People across Northern Ireland are waiting for a response from the two main groups, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) to see if they are prepared to go down the same route.

But with the UDA and a third group, the Loyalist Volunteer Force, no longer observing ceasefires, there are few hopes of an immediate breakthrough.

Loyalist paramilitaries have been involved in escalating violence and are suspected to have carried out six killings this year.

Hours after the IRA's move to dispose of some arms loyalists were blamed for a pipe bomb attack on a Catholic home in Belfast.

But John White, chairman of the Ulster Democratic Party which is linked to the UDA said he did not know what decision the paramilitary group would take.

David Ervine: Hailed IRA move

"I believe it will take some time before they make that decision," said Mr White.

"The IRA has taken almost eight years to come to this point. Before it came to this point it has wrung concession after concession from the process.

"People are saying this was a move on decommissioning in order to sustain the Assembly here in Northern Ireland and to keep the two Sinn Fein ministers in power."

"It would be appropriate for other paramilitaries to reciprocate.

However the paramilitaries will be looking at the concessions that the IRA has achieved out of the process, and I'm sure that before they make that decision, they will be looking for concessions also."

Mr White said that the UDA wanted the release of prominent Shankill loyalists Johnny Adair and Gary Smith, both of whom were returned to prison after being linked to a rise in sectarian violence.

Their supporters claim the government has turned a blind eye to republican violence.

Move welcomed

David Ervine assemblyman for the Progressive Unionist Party, linked to the UVF, said that he believed the IRA's disposal of arms had been "seriously significant" - but could not say whether the UVF would make a similar arms move.

"Having demanded that we see the bone fides of the republican movement, it's incumbent upon us all to get on with the job of moving the process forward," said Mr Ervine.

"I have no evidence at all that the UVF are ready to reciprocate in any way ... because they are not ready."

Party colleague Billy Hutchinson said that the government was expecting too much too quickly.

"I warned them two years ago not to come at 11th hour and ask me to pull a rabbit out of hat," said the Belfast MLA.

"You are asking loyalists to decommission weapons to keep two republicans in government. The IRA have no hold on loyalists."