Suggestions that the IRA decommissioned weapons in response to unionist pressure are "laughable", a prominent critic of the Belfast Agreement has said.
Speaking after an hour-long meeting with Gen John de Chastelain in Belfast yesterday, Mr Robert McCartney of the United Kingdom Unionist Party said he did not believe Mr David Trimble's position had been strengthened by decommissioning.
"I think Mr Trimble's suggestion that this act was brought about by unionist pressure is considered by most people as laughable. It was brought about by the Colombian affair and the terrible atrocities in New York and Washington," he said.
Mr McCartney said he did not think Mr Trimble would get enough votes to be re-elected First Minister on Friday.
He said Gen de Chastelain confirmed he had not released any details on last week's act of decommissioning and press reports that arms had been disposed of at sea were false. "I am satisfied that all of that speculation is totally unfounded. The commission has given no one, neither governments, parties or press agencies such information."
Mr McCartney said he got the impression the amount of arms put beyond use was relatively modest.
"That is speculation on my part based on the fact that the general placed tremendous weight on the significance of any amount, regardless of the size.
"He did say in view of the repeated assertions of the IRA that they would never decommission a single bullet he would have considered it a significant event if even five rounds of ammunition had been handed over."
"There is clearly no suggestion from the commission that this one-off is part of any continuum or programme or schedule for decommissioning over any time space," he said.