The Minister for Foreign Affairs has hit out at the "cowardly thugs" involved in the intimidation campaign against nationalist members of the policing boards in Northern Ireland.
Mr Cowen was speaking after British army bomb experts carried out two small controlled explosions on a suspect device outside the west Belfast offices of SDLP Assembly member, Mr Alex Attwood. The device was later declared a hoax.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen
It is the second time in 10 days that a package has been left outside Mr Attwood's offices on the Andersonstown Road.
Mr Cowen said: "Over the past number of weeks, we have once again seen members of the SDLP come under attack from cowardly thugs who wish to turn the clock back on policing reform.
"The members of the DPPs and Policing Boards are working tirelessly on behalf of their communities to create the police service which was promised in the Good Friday Agreement.
"Those who attack, intimidate and harass these representatives wish to bring nothing more to their communities than chaos and despair.
Their aims and tactics are discredited and they will not succeed."
SDLP councillor Ms Margaret Walsh said the community was suffering because of the actions of faceless men targeting her party.
She said the SDLP would continue its work despite the discovery of another hoax device outside the West Belfast constituency office.
She said: "Though it is the SDLP that they are targeting, it is the good people of West Belfast who pay the price.
"Today's attack has caused a serious disruption to workers travelling in the rush-hour traffic and to students sitting their exams in local schools. Ten years after the first ceasefires, it is time for these attacks to end," she added.
Sinn Fein Assembly member for West Belfast Mr Michael Ferguson called on those responsible for planting the hoax package to end their campaign immediately.
He said: "This is the second such incident outside this office in recent weeks. It has caused massive traffic disruption and inconvenience for local people. It serves absolutely no purpose, is wrong and must stop.
"Those responsible for this incident and other similar activity need to get of the backs of the people in this area and stop this disruption once and for all," he added.