They cannot be allowed to succeed. Paisley's DUP and McCartney's DUP have walked out and declared the talks process dead. But the door remains open for these unionists to return. David Trimble's UUP remains in but seems determined to keep in place the decommissioning block to real and substantive negotiations. These knee-jerk unionist reactions must be put in context.
Unionists clearly fear real negotiations.
Republicans understand those fears. But unionists leaders are out of step with the mass of tbeir own people if they continue to refuse to sit down with the elected representatives of their nationalist neighbours. For their part nationalists and republicans are going to these talks demanding their rights and determined to see equality enshrined in a new Ireland. Their vision is one of unity and peace. We must not lower our expectations or be conditioned into accepting anything less than full freedom, equality and democracy.