The leader of the loyalist Progressive Unionists Party has said Sinn Féin is on the verge of securing a huge IRA commitment that will transform the troubled Northern Ireland peace process.
David Ervine predictedthat the Provisionals will agree to end their arms struggle for good.
As efforts to restore evolution in Belfast intensified, Mr Ervine said a dealbetween republicans and David Trimble's Ulster unionists may already have beenagreed.
He declared: "Gerry Adams is going to be responsible for something thatchanges this process forever.
"He is going to take the IRA where they have never been before.
"The question is will David Trimble respond as never before."
Mr Ervine made the claim as his party gathered in east Belfast for theirannual conference.
With only days left to reach agreement in time to call elections to thesuspended Northern Ireland Assembly in November, London and Dublin have beenpressing all sides to sort out their differences.
Unionists are demanding a firm pledge that the IRA will call a halt to itsmilitary campaign and declare the war is over before they will agree to returnto a power sharing administration with Sinn Fein.
But republicans want assurances that the Stormont regime will not be pulleddown again by unionists at the first sign of difficulty.
Even though the IRA has already carried out two secret acts of disarmamenthardliners within Mr Trimble's party have demanded a much more open andsignificant decommissioning gesture.
As he addressed PUP delegates Mr Ervine accepted that a similar move onweapons by loyalists was probably a long way off.
But he urged the British government to help make politics in the North moreinclusive in order to give encouragement to the Protestant terrorist organisations.
He added: "Stop vilifying all loyalists simply as criminals. They don't existas a figure of fun for society."
PA