The loyalist paramilitary organisation, the Ulster Freedom Fighters, has threatened to "withdraw their support" for the Belfast Agreement if any of their members are arrested by the new inquiry into the killing of Belfast solicitor Mr Pat Finucane.
According to Mr John White of the Ulster Democratic Party, which is linked to the UDA/UFF, the loyalist group is angered by the reopening of the investigation into the 1989 killing, which was attributed to the organisation.
"There is real anger that because of the Stevens inquiry and because it is taking place to placate republicans, if UFF personnel are going to be arrested it will have a serious effect on whether the UFF would continue to support the peace process," said Mr White. "If that happened they would more than likely withdraw their support for the Good Friday agreement," he added.
Mr Gary McMichael, leader of the UDP, said the re-interviewing of members of the organisation was viewed as "harassment". A man interviewed in 1991 about the murder was re-interviewed recently and according to Mr McMichael, he was upset that officers were going over "old ground" as he was in prison at the time of the killing.
The Finucane case was reopened last month under Mr John Stevens, the Deputy Commissioner of the London Metropolitan police, after the family and friends of the dead solicitor launched an intensive campaign for a new inquiry.
It also emerged yesterday that the UFF is suspected of being responsible for an attempted gun attack on a Catholic man in the loyalist Shankill area of Belfast on Friday. The youth worker's vehicle was shot at seven times after he had dropped home a 14-year-old girl from a cross-community horse-riding event. No one was injured in the attack.
The man, Mr Frank Petticrew, had previously claimed the RUC attempted to recruit him as an informer six months ago. He said officers told him if he did not give details about IRA men living in the Cliftonville area of Belfast he would be shot by dissident loyalist grouping the Red Hand Defenders. The RUC has denied allegations that officers threatened Mr Petticrew.
Mr McMichael yesterday described the recent acts of sectarian violence as "deplorable" and to be condemned. The attacks were against the wishes of the community on whose behalf they were allegedly being carried out, he said.
"The UDP is totally and absolutely opposed to the perpetration of their wanton violence and I call for it to end immediately. Those dissident elements that engage in this activity will not be allowed to destroy the peace process," added Mr McMichael.
Meanwhile, an SDLP Assembly member for West Belfast, Mr Alex Attwood, has asked for a security assessment of the individuals involved in recent sectarian attacks.
"I think the community in general has a sense that individuals or elements within some of the loyalist mainstream paramilitary organisations are involved in attacks. We need to know if that is or is not the case and what is the political and government response to that situation."