With escalating sectarian tensions testing the resolveof the revamped Police Service of Northern Ireland, pressure is mounting for effective measures to counter the increased loyalist paramilitary threat in the North.
Politicians on both sides have criticised police tactics and a series of meetings on the crisis is planned between nationalist parties and ministers.
The Secretary of State, Dr John Reid, has called for united public support for the new Police Service in its fight against what he called the "cowardly minority" waging a war against the "weakest, most vulnerable and exposed people" in society.
The funeral of the postal worker murdered by the UDA will take place in Belfast this morning. Mr Daniel McColgan will be buried at Carnmoney Cemetery in north Belfast after Requiem Mass in Whitehouse.
For the third day running, there will be no postal collections, and deliveries have again been suspended as a mark of respect. There will be a two-minute silence in workplaces today to coincide with the funeral. Trade union leaders have called a half-day work stoppage on Friday in protest at the killing of Mr McColgan and the threats to other workers.
The Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, is due to meet Mr Tony Blair next week after what he described as an "unsatisfactory" meeting last night with the Secretary of State at Hillsborough Castle. Mr Adams said that there had been a "frank exchange of views" between himself and Dr Reid.
Mr Adams said that he intended to raise with the prime minister what he termed the "British government's failure to deal adequately with the loyalist killing campaign against Catholics".
The North's Economy Minister said yesterday that he could not understand police tactics in north Belfast. In an interview with The Irish Times, Sir Reg Empey said he believed the unrest was being stirred by "a relatively small number of hoods", many of whom were involved in drugs.
He commented: "I cannot understand the attitude of the police in a number of cases. People have assets for which they have no possible explanation."
Sir Reg claimed that residents of north Belfast knew who these people were and how they acquired their assests. Some had gone so far as to leave scribbled messages on walls for the police.
SDLP representatives are due to have a meeting today with Ms Jane Kennedy, the North's security minister. The party said that it wanted to express "exasperation" at the inability to charge those who were directing sectarian attacks.
The North's political establishment yesterday moved to counter a growing mood of despair at the worsening situation in north Belfast. The First and Deputy First Ministers and the Education Minister held talks at Stormont with union leaders and representatives from the education sector. They also met Dr Reid at Hillsborough Castle.
The Assembly, which met in plenary session for the first time this year, held a minute's silence in memory of Mr McColgan.
Some 750 police officers and troops mounted a high-profile security operation yesterday to protect workers and children in north Belfast. In the early hours of yesterday morning there were incendiary attacks against two schools, St Bride's in south Belfast and St Patrick's in Lisburn, Co Antrim.
A new £1.5 million sterling investment package aimed at creating badly-needed jobs in north Belfast is in doubt. Following months of negotiation and investor visits to the potential site, it is feared that the company in question may decide against the project as a result of the escalating violence.