The head of Northern Ireland's decommissioning body warned the British Government tonight he would resign if he was forced to reveal the extent of IRA disarmament.
A spokesman for the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning confirmed that General John de Chastelain and his fellow commissioners would resist any pressure from Downing Street to end their confidential agreement with the IRA.
The spokesman said: "With regards to confidentiality, if the commissioners were forced to disclose the inventory without the IRA agreeing to it, they would judge their position to be untenable."
Pressure has been mounting on General de Chastelain and his colleagues to reveal more information about the third IRA disarmament act than he gave on Tuesday when moves designed to bolster the peace process backfired spectacularly.
Ulster Unionist Party leader Mr David Trimble put on hold a series of choreographed moves involving Sinn Fein, the IRA, the British and Irish Governments because he was unhappy with the lack of clarity around the decommissioning act by the IRA.
In the House of Commons yesterday the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair said that the decommissioning legislation had enabled the IRA to exercise a confidentiality clause which prevented General de Chastelain from revealing what exactly happened with the IRA's weapons.
He also implied that he was party to more information about the IRA's arms move which, if it was in the public domain, would have helped the peace process.
Hard line Unionists claimed after a series of meetings with the General that the Prime Minister had not been straight with Parliament.
However, this was denied by a Downing Street spokesman.
Democratic Unionist leader the Reverend Ian Paisley revealed after his meeting that his first question to the General was: "Are you resigning?" The North Antrim MP said he had also asked: "Have you been asked to resign?
"Are there pressures on you to resign?
"Do you ever think that you might be the second Dr (David) Kelly?
"He was taken aback but he said that no, he hasn't been asked to resign.
"But if he was asked to go back upon his stand on confidentiality, he would resign right away."
UK Unionist leader Robert McCartney said after his meeting with the General that if the Prime Minister had additional information it was clear it had not come from the commission.
The former North Down Assembly member challenged the Prime Minister to disclose it.
Northern Ireland Unionist Part leader Cedric Wilson claimed the General was resisting being used as a "political pawn".
Sinn Fein today also expressed concern that General de Chastelain was being "hung out to dry" following the controversy over decommissioning.