The prospects of a return to devolution in Northern Ireland have been damaged "very considerably" by the actions of the British government, the Democratic Unionist Party said today.
Speaking after a meeting with Northern Secretary Peter Hain in London, the DUP's deputy leader Peter Robinson said: "The community in Northern Ireland is outraged at what Government has done."
The party is furious over the pace of British demilitarisation in the North following the IRA's statement on Thursday that it had ended its armed campaign.
British troops yesterday began dismantling the infamous army observation post on Divis Tower which overlooks Gerry Adams's west Belfast constituency. The demilitarisation plan also includes the disbanding of the three home-based battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment.
Mr Robinson told reporters after today's London meeting: "The prospects of a return to devolution have been damaged very considerably by the actions of this government.
He said it had "pandered to every demand" the IRA had made. Party leader, the Rev Ian Paisley said the British government had "violated" its obligations so far and called for a "firm declaration" over future moves.
He said there was now a "great bitterness" among people in Northern Ireland and described normalisation as "absolute nonsense".
"To suggest to us that on the Border we should now have what they're calling normalisation is absolute nonsense because I have been round the border and talked to the police and the police tell me that except they have the support of the army they cannot police," he said.
"They have calculated that because they are accustomed to dealing with Unionists who are prepared to take it on the chin, who are prepared to accept whatever the government doles out, they will huff and puff and then they will simply and meekly toe the line.
"They will know today that the Democratic Unionist Party does not fit into that," he said.
Mr Hain insisted that the British government would not take any risks with security in the North saying there would be "no precipitous drawdown" of British troops.
Mr Hain acknowledged that the DUP leader had expressed himself "extremely strongly and critically". However, he insisted that his government would not compromise on security.
"Nobody will take any risk with the security and safety of any individual citizen in Northern Ireland," he told reporters. "There will be no precipitous drawdown of the Royal Irish Regiment." Mr Hain said that there would still be 5,000 British troops in the North in order to provide support for the police if it was needed.