Mr David Trimble last night met the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, to demand Sinn Fein's expulsion from the Stormont talks following the Markethill bomb. The Ulster Unionist leader said he did not believe the IRA's statement that it was not involved in the attack. The UUP had recently predicted that there would be a resumption of republican violence with no claims of responsibility made, he said. The absence of a recognised code-word in the warning given about the bomb yesterday and its geographical location were prima-facie evidence of the IRA's involvement, he added.
The Ulster Unionists and the fringe loyalist parties were due to attend the talks in some form yesterday afternoon, but cancelled their plans after the attack. Although negotiations did continue, the bomb dominated proceedings at Stormont.
Expressing her outrage, Dr Mowlam said that it could well have been a deliberate attempt to sabotage the talks. "At a time when almost everyone is working hard to try and get talks under way which could ensure a peaceful future, we still have sinister people who are prepared to engage in this type of pointless terrorism," she said.
"It is now time for all those who wish to see a peaceful future to redouble their efforts to get the talks going. I have said before that we will not drop our guard and security will be carried out at an appropriate level."
It was too early to establish who had carried out the attack, she said, but those responsible would be brought to justice. The three independent talks chairmen condemned the bombing and said it was aimed at destroying the process. Political differences must be settled by peaceful means, they added. The Sinn Fein negotiator, Mr Gerry Kelly, described the bombing as "regrettable and disappointing" but added that it should be an extra incentive for all parties to take part in talks. Mr Gerry Adams said unionists should not use the attack as an excuse to boycott negotiations. The SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, said the bombing was an attack on the talks, and he urged all parties to take part in negotiations to show those responsible that violence would never succeed.
The DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said the attack showed the pointlessness of Mr Trimble attending negotiations in the future. However, Alliance's chief whip, Mr Sean Neeson, urged the UUP to "stop play-acting" and enter the talks. "This outrageous attack should strengthen the resolve of talks participants to move the process forward," he said.
The Women's Coalition described the bombing as "an appalling act" but expressed concern that it would be used as an opportunity for "those unwilling to engage in talks to continue to hold up progress". Ms Monica McWilliams said: "Rather than focusing on who did it and for what reason, we must remind ourselves that the potential to create permanent peace in Northern Ireland is more important than debating the politics of the last atrocity."