BOTH unionist and nationalist politicians have urged loyalist paramilitaries to maintain their ceasefire after the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) warned of a "blow by blow" response to further IRA violence.
Last night's statement warned that the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando were "poised and ready" to resume conflict. The loyalist threat was issued as the IRA admitted it planted last week's litter bin bomb in London, raising further fears that the fragile peace process was in danger of disintegration.
A Government spokesman declined to comment last night on the CLMC statement. The Progressive Democrats leader, Ms Mary Harney, said: "The failure of the IRA to restore their ceasefire has brought us to this situation." In a statement last night, she urged the leadership of the loyalist parties to use their influence to ensure the loyalist paramilitary ceasefire continued.
Mr John Taylor of the Ulster Unionist Party said the loyalist statement was "ominous". Mr Seamus Mallon of the SDLP said that political groups with links to loyalist and republican paramilitaries could not be "half in and half out" of the political peace process.
They appealed to the CLMC which issued the threat to hold back from violence despite the collapse of the IRA ceasefire. The Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, has also appealed for "calm from everyone".
There was no doubting, however, the firm statement of intent from the loyalist command that it will embark on a new round of bloodshed if the IRA carries out further bombings, whether in Britain or Northern Ireland.
"These atrocities cannot be permitted to continue without a felling response," the statement added. "We are poised and ready to strike to effect. We will give blow for blow. As in the past whatever the cost, we will gladly pay it."
It urged the IRA to "draw back from the brink" and engage fully in democratic politics. "The IRA and Sinn Fein must now choose and choose well," the CLMC emphasised.
The CLMC yesterday urged the republican movement to "draw back from the brink" of continuing violence and engage in democratic politics.
The group, which represents the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando, also insisted that it would be solely responsible for any future loyalist paramilitary actions - an implicit warning that it would not tolerate the emergence of any splinter loyalist grouping.
The IRA issued a terse statement yesterday evening admitting it planted the bin bomb on the Old Brompton Road at the weekend. No one was injured in the attack. "The device which exploded in London at the weekend was one of ours," the IRA statement read in full.
This was the first statement from the CLMC since the breakdown of the IRA ceasefire last month. It was prompted by recent reports that the IRA was prepared, if necessary, for another 25 years of conflict.
Mr Gary McMichael, leader of the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP), which has an insight into the thinking of the UDA, said the loyalist statement was saying that the road the IRA was taking "was a very dangerous road" which would inevitably lead to confrontation "between the two communities".
"The CLMC is saying, if we get to a conflict situation loyalists are not going to lie down.
"They are going to give as good as they are going to get," he told reporters. "But the IRA really have the ball at their feet. And the desire within loyalist paramilitarism is not to reach at point."
However, it was also notable, that the CLMC was saying that democratic politics was the only way forward. That was a positive, message, Mr McMichael said.
Mr Seamus Mallon, the SDLP's security spokesman, said it was very depressing that while the IRA was involved in violence now the loyalist paramilitaries were threatening violence.
He "noted" that Sinn Fein, the UDP and the Progressive Unionist Party "were half in and half out" of the political process. They must all realise that the use of violence or the threat of violence can't cohabit with the political process which everyone wants to see developing."
Mr John Taylor, deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, said it was very unfortunate that loyalists should make such threats when the IRA was losing the propaganda battle and was being isolated worldwide.
Mr Gerry Adams, the Sinn Fein president, speaking in the US, said that now was "a very defining moment in our history". It was important that everyone should keep calm.
