Sir, - While the blame game goes on, all sides including the two governments appear to be so devastated by the twin losses of the Assembly and the IRA interlocutor, that an air of real gloom pervades the political atmosphere. Neither the IRA nor the UUP will dance to the other's tune. What can be done in the political vacuum period before the parties get back, inevitably, to negotiating with each other?
The IRA January statement said that disarmament would be considered only "in the context of the removal of the causes of conflict". Very many causes have already been removed. The IRA only flourished in the past when there was an obvious focus for anger i.e. "Bombay Street", internment and increased militarisation.
As a border county person, whose political views owe nothing to latter day republicanism, I find myself strongly affronted by the extent of the military presence in South Armagh, in the form of the lookout towers and overflying helicopters. If this is the case for ordinary non-violent citizens how much more a focus for anger must it be for republicans and the IRA whose war has been over for a number of years. This presence has made the task of Adams and McGuinness so much more difficult in recent months.
I believe the British government should, over the next few months, begin to dismantle these installations and reduce the troop levels in South Armagh in a tacit acceptance that the war is over. If this is done and seen to be continuing, when the negotiations begin again, the resistance to "putting the arms beyond use" will be less than it is now.
Of course there will always remain a hard core but the job of the doves is to reduce that core to the lowest possible level before disowning them. - Yours, etc.,
John Woods, Francis Street, Dundalk.