Taking part in a democracy is "completely incompatible" with any involvement in terrorist activity, the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, said in response to the PSNI raid on Sinn Féin's offices at the Northern Assembly.
Dr Reid admitted he had been "aware for a considerable time" of the investigation which sparked yesterday's raid.
"I was aware of it prior to July 24th. The knowledge of that investigation was part of the reason why I made the statement on July 24th, warning people - as I did again yesterday - that democracy and any involvement in terrorist activity were completely incompatible.
"You can't ride two horses, particularly when those horses are so far apart as terrorism and democracy."
Dr Reid said: "There is a judicial process going on and if charges are brought, then I certainly will not pre-empt that decision, which has to be taken after investigation and after charging.
"On the basis of the evidence, decisions will be reached and then we will consider that, but it would be quite wrong to pre-empt any judicial process."
Dr Reid insisted that he had played no part in instigating the investigation or yesterday's raids.
He said: "I have not intervened, I am not interfering and I will not intervene in the investigative process or the judicial process.
"The police will go wherever the evidence leads. Anyone who breaks the law will be subject to the law, irrespective of which part of the community they come from or which political viewpoint they represent.
"Over the next few weeks, there will be some hard talking to do in Downing Street and elsewhere and in the meantime we will let the police carry on the investigation."
Responding to Sinn Féin allegations that the investigation was politically-motivated, Dr Reid said: "I am constantly accused by unionists of discouraging the police from taking action. I am constantly accused by republicans of encouraging the police in taking action.
"It has always been thus in Northern Ireland. Whether I am accused by the unionists of overlooking law-breaking or accused by the republicans of pursuing lawbreakers for political purposes, neither of these is true.
"I have not intervened to encourage or discourage this investigation."
Dr Reid said that he would be holding talks with the chief constable of Northern Ireland, Mr Hugh Orde, tonight.
Speaking at Stormont, the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, said:
"The challenge today to John Reid is: fulfil your words. Do what you said in July that you would do to take appropriate responses."
The Ulster Unionist leader said he would be meeting the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, early next week and he expected decisions to be taken by then.
Mr Trimble said he regarded yesterday's events as a vindication of his decision to pull out of the power-sharing executive by January 18th if the IRA failed to disband.
"I am not in the habit of evading responsibilities but I do insist that we go first to the person who has the responsibility in the matter." The Ulster Unionist leader added he believed that today's operation was as serious as the break-in at a Special Branch office at Castlereagh station in east Belfast.
A Sinn Féin minister, Ms Bairbre de Brún, said the search was a political attack on a political party.
"One of the things we are very anxious to learn at this point is whether John Reid had a part in this and if he signed this warrant or authorised it. It is something he needs to explain."
Anti-agreement MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson welcomed the police raid on the Sinn Féin office.
Mr Donaldson said after meeting Chief Constable Hugh Orde that he welcomed the fact that the police were now going after those involved in orchestrating violence.
"Life is going to become very very difficult for these people and I hope there will be no hiding place for them," Mr Donaldson said. He did not believe that Stormont should be out of bounds to the police.
Democratic Unionist Party MP Mr Peter Robinson said he believed that the raid at Stormont was another tangible indication of the links between Sinn Féin and the IRA.
The Deputy First Minister and leader of the SDLP Mr Mark Durkan said yesterday that the Northern Ireland political process was facing a deep crisis following yesterday's police raids on a Sinn Féin office in the Stormont Assembly building. He also appealed to people not to jump to premature conclusions until more information about the PSNI operation was put into the public domain. "I think a lot of us would be well advised not to say too much too soon. A lot of people have been jumping to emphatic conclusions and in different directions before we have any reliable material to assess," he said.