Special Branch officers in Northern Ireland are to be taken off all counter-terrorist operations as part of a deal to appease republicans, a hardline Ulster Unionist MP claimed tonight.
Mr David Burnside claimed: "Special Branch will be restricted from anti-terrorist activity to just criminal investigations.
"The threat to the state from terrorist organisations' intelligence gathering will be transferred to MI5.
"Adams and McGuinness believe under a weak British Government they will have an easier ride with MI5 than the independent minded and experienced Special Branch."
British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern are due in Belfast around April 10th to reveal their take-it-or-leave-it blueprint for rescuing the peace process.
Despite the IRA coming under intense pressure to fully decommission in a bid to restore unionist confidence in sharing power with republicans, Mr Burnside claimed the two premiers were set to capitulate to Sinn Féin demands.
Plans by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens to publish his report into alleged collusion between the security forces and loyalist paramilitary killers around the same time were also being used to destroy Special Branch's reputation, he added.
The South Antrim MP said: "The choreography for this deal needs to be made public in the next week before it's spun in Northern Ireland by Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern.
"No self-respecting unionist should consider taking part in the deal being proposed."
Earlier Sinn Féin chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin claimed months of negotiations had left his party closer than ever to endorsing the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
He said: "We are bringing the British Government ever closer to the minimum threshold laid down in the Patten reforms.
"We hope by April 10th when the Taoiseach and Prime Minister return we will be in a position to announce our concerns have been addressed."
Sinn Féin has boycotted the Northern Ireland Policing Board, claiming Chief Constable Hugh Orde and Secretary of State Paul Murphy retain to much power to veto its decisions.
But Mr McLaughlin rejected suggestions that party chiefs have briefed their rank and file that any decision to join the policing arrangements would be an infiltration.
"If we can do this it will be with full participation," the Foyle MLA insisted.
"It's the Full Monty as far as we are concerned; you can't be almost pregnant."
PA