THE TWO people against whom yesterday's threat by the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) was issued are the Co Armagh loyalist, Billy Wright, and a man who was formerly the Ulster Defence Association's (UDA) south Belfast commander, Alec Kerr.
Kerr was expelled from the organisation in 1994 amid some acrimony. He had alleged that other members of the organisation were involved in drug dealing, and threats were exchanged. The allegations of drug abuse included the painting of graffiti describing the UDA's political wing, the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP), as the "Ulster Drugs Party".
Kerr was confronted by a group of other UDA figures after an incident in a social club in the Taughmonagh area of south Belfast in which a man accused of drug dealing was very badly beaten. Kerr left south Belfast shortly afterwards.
Despite continuing strong support for the ceasefire within the UDA there was an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Kerr early last year.
Earlier this Kerr began to associate openly with the Portadown loyalist, Billy Wright, who became the focus of much media attention during the loyalist disturbances surrounding the Orange Order standoff at Drumcree, on the outskirts of Portadown.
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UF) leadership has been persistently at odds with right and earlier this month issued a statement saying that it had "stood down" one of its units in Portadown.
Then, last Thursday, the RUC interrupted a meeting between two journalists and a group of masked loyalists in, Co Down. Kerr and seven other men were arrested. Wright, who was supposed to have been present with seven of his associates, did not appear and was not arrested.
It emerged that the purpose of the meeting with journalists was to officially announce the alliance of Kerr's and Wright's groups into one new loyalist organisation, presumably in competition with the UDA and UVF in the "mid Ulster" area of north Armagh, east Tyrone, west Down and south Derry.
The UDA, which had previously watched the Billy Wright UVF row with indifference and occasional amusement, decided that it, too, was facing a challenge, and this is the reason for yesterday's joint UVF UDA threat under the umbrella title of the CLMC.
The CLMC statement warned the two men to leave Northern Ireland. Kerr, already in prison, is being refused admittance to any of the UDA or UVF wings.
The statement is also unequivocal about the alternative course facing them if they fail to comply with the deportation order.
It states: "Failure by either man to comply with this directive will result in summary justice for their treasonable and subversive activities. Anybody supporting these persons in their activities will be similarly dealt with."
The loyalist punishment for "treasonable and subversive" activities is assassination.
The recent threatening statements from UVF sources to the effect that it is close to calling off its ceasefire, and the decision by the UDA to join in the threat to Kerr and Wright, are indicative that there is growing militant pressure within both organisations.
It was a similar groundswell of opinion within the IRA that eventually led to the abandonment of its ceasefire regardless of the isolating on its political wing,