De Chastelain threatens to resign in weapons dispute

The head of Northern Ireland's decommissioning body publicly warned the Government last night that he would resign if forced to reveal the extent of IRA disarmament.

The unusually explicit declaration from the Canadian former General John de Chastelain indicates that his relations with Tony Blair are in difficulties because of this week's fiasco over IRA arms decommissioning.

A spokesman for the independent commission said: "With regards to confidentiality, if the commissioners were forced to disclose the inventory without the IRA agreeing to it, they [the commissioners] would judge their position to be untenable."

Tony Blair told the Commons on Wednesday that people would be satisfied if they knew the full details of what the general had witnessed, but that the general felt bound "for perfectly obvious and honourable reasons" not to give more information.

Mr Blair added: "Although we are not at liberty to disclose that information without his permission, we are working hard to try to find a way in which we can do so."

After the general said that "light, medium and heavy ordnance" was put beyond use, he was pressurised by David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, and by Mr Blair and Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach, to give a more detailed description.

But he is bound by legislation and regulations that confer confidentiality on those involved in such acts. The governments are therefore pressing the IRA to release the general from his undertakings.

The IRA has not yet responded to requests from the two governments for the disclosure of more information.

The immediate fate of the Irish peace process may depend on the IRA response, since it will help shape Mr Trimble's approach to next month's Northern Ireland Assembly elections.

The IRA and Sinn Fein may not readily agree to reveal any more information, since republicans are disgruntled with Mr Trimble, whom they blame for failing to applaud the latest decommissioning and to recognise the historically pacific words used by Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein president.

Mr Trimble is to face his party's ruling council for another knife-edge vote on Wednesday. The governments and other peace process participants hope that a helpful IRA response will be given before then.

If there is no such response Mr Trimble's position will be precarious, both at the council meeting and at the election. Most observers feel he has been damaged by the events of this week, and the governments fear he may feel forced to take a more hardline position for the campaign.

An indication of how bitter the campaign will be came yesterday when Mr Trimble's chief Unionist rival, the Reverend Ian Paisley of the DUP, accused Tony Blair of "lying through his teeth" by indicating that he knew what General de Chastelain had witnessed. After meeting the general, Mr Paisley declared: "It came out in the conversation that Mr Blair today knows nothing more than we know and the general public knows.

"The Prime Minister is lying through his teeth when he is pretending that he knows something that the general public doesn't know and he knows more, so much more that if he could only get it out then everybody would be converted to be a Trimble-ite in the next election."

Sinn Fein confirmed Mr Adams had been involved in talks with Mr Blair, Mr Ahern, Mr Trimble and the American envoy Richard Haass.