Sir, - In his column of February 24th, "North talks will advance when British face facts on their role", John Waters rejects the notion that the British government is a "non-combatant participant in the talks" and instead says it is a "cruel stepmother".
I would like to ask how much further can a government which recognises that its authority over part of its sovereign territory lacks historical and legal legitimacy, which admits to having no selfish strategic or economic interest in this region, which is prepared to negotiate with armed terrorist organisations over its status and as a result, which is prepared to alienate the majority of its population which does recognise it as a legitimate political entity, further distance itself to become a neutral non-combatant participant in the talks or go further to "face the fact" that it is a "wrongdoer"?
Until these concessions have been "faced up to" by the nationalist community, surely "there will be no impetus for real change"? - Yours, etc., Miss A. Carver,
Raglan Road, Dublin 4.