The protestation by loyalist public figures yesterday that there would be no decommissioning on their part does not reflect the position of their lesser-known military commanders, who concede that they may have to follow suit and begin a decommissioning process.
Senior loyalist figures have indicated to The Irish Times that they are under pressure to make some form of reciprocal gesture now that the IRA has been finally forced to move on decommissioning.
The loyalists know that if they do not move, they will become the focus of intense security and political pressure and will face marginalisation and, possibly, imprisonment.
Two loyalist groups, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), are already under pressure since the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, declared their ceasefires over last Friday week.
Any member of these groups found using or in possession of weapons will no longer benefit from any early-release scheme. UDA and LVF sources indicate they won't decommission.
The other loyalist organisation, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is unhappy about the notion of decommissioning. The UVF is not opposed to decommissioning per se.
It has been engaged in an on-off feud with both the UDA and LVF since the start of last year.
UVF leaders are concerned that surrender of weapons will leave it vulnerable to attack by the UDA and LVF.
There is little likelihood of any quick move on loyalist decommissioning, but security sources say this does not mean that it will not come. The loyalists are not as well armed as the IRA but have modern weapons, many of them imported into Northern Ireland after the declaration of their ceasefires in October 1994.
At the time the loyalist ceasefires were declared, the two main groups, the UDA and UVF, were able to work in unison.
They declared their ceasefires simultaneously and agreeing that their political wings become involved in the politics of the peace process.
The loyalist terrorists worked together under the umbrella of the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC) but this fell into disuse after a number of disputes.
The main dispute arose after the UDA disintegrated and began an internal feud.
A number of UDA figures heavily involved in the drugs trade emerged in key positions in the organisation.
These then developed links with the LVF from whom they had broken away in 1997.
This led eventually to last year's feud, which left 14 loyalists dead and which, according to sources, is not yet resolved.
The exact extent of the loyalist arsenals can only be guessed at. The largest arms shipment known to have reached loyalist paramilitary hands - the loyalist equivalent of the IRA's Libyan arms shipments - arrived in Northern Ireland on New Year's Eve, 1988.
This included 200 AK47s, 90 Browning 9-mm pistols, 10 RPG7 rockets and 150 warheads, 450 fragmentation grenades and ammunition.
This shipment did not include any explosives or detonators.
The shipment was brought into Northern Ireland through the combined action of the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Ulster Defence Association and another loyalist group known as Ulster Resistance, which is now defunct.
Within days, the UDA lost its third of the weapons when its north Belfast commander was arrested with two other men while transporting the guns from north Armagh to Belfast.
The UDA was later equipped from the Ulster Resistance's portion of the weapons.
In the summer of 1989, three members of Ulster Resistance, a group originally set up with the assistance of the DUP leadership, were arrested in Paris while attempting to trade secret plans and parts from Shorts missiles with South African government agents working for the state-owned arms manufacturer, Armscor.
A South African agent was released after claiming diplomatic status.
The loyalists were also able to manufacture their own guns. In 1988, the RUC discovered a gun factory in a farm at Ballynahinch, Co Down, where a group of loyalists were engaged in mass-producing sub-machineguns, based on the design of the Israeli Uzi.
Prior to these operations the loyalists acquired arms from sympathisers in England, Scotland and Canada.
It is believed that in recent years Uzi sub-machineguns, AK47 assault rifles, handguns and grenades reached the loyalists, possibly from arms dealers connected to the drugs trade in northern Europe.