Mo Mowlam: "Talks are the only alternative to violence" (3' 27")

Multi-party peace talks are the only way forward and the only way to deal with fear in the streets, the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, has said in the wake of further violence in Ulster.

Negotiation is "the way we are going to deal with extremists, both sides that are trying to destroy the talks," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The people of the province believe the talks are the only alternative to violence and paramilitary groups should listen to the appeals for no more retaliation coming from the families of recent victims, she said.

Appeal by murder victim's sister

Speaking on BBC radio, the sister of Northern Ireland's latest terrorist murder victim pleaded with the killers to stop and said there should be no retaliation for her brother's death.

Eilish O'Reilly appeals for the killings to stop (29")

Eilish O'Reilly said she did not want anyone else to die as a reprisal for the killing of her 52-year-old taxi driver brother Larry Brennan.

"I don't want anybody to take anybody's life in the name of my brother. All this has to stop.

Eilish O'Reilly: "All this has to stop"

"I know sometimes when you say this, people don't listen but nobody is to take any reprisals in the name of my brother."

Mr Brennan last night became the eighth murder victim in the province in six weeks when he was shot dead as he sat in his taxi outside a depot in Belfast's Ormeau Road.

His murder came just 12 hours after that of prominent Belfast loyalist Jim Guiney.

"Give talks a chance"

Reflecting on Monday's Downing street talks, the Northern Ireland Secretary said it was a positive sign that Sinn Fein had decided not to walk away from the talks process despite having reservations about the discussion document.

She said the parties involved in the talks needed to be given a chance to negotiate and she would continue to do her utmost to bring confidence to the process because "when you lose hope and confidence it is very difficult to move forward."

Trimble fears ceasefire collapse

But Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said he feared that the ceasefire would not continue because there was nothing being offered to the republicans in the talks that would satisfy them.

David Trimble: "Talks will not satisy republicans"

He said the recent tit-for-tat murders stemmed from the actions of "extreme republicans" who murdered Billy Wright in the Maze prison.

Mr Trimble said the talks process was based on consent and was going to result in something which was not that different from what exists at present and therefore it would be unacceptable to republicans.

It was against that background that recent violence had to be assessed, he said.

But it was not impossible for the peace talks to succeed. "It will be difficult but it is not impossible. What is probably impossible is to reach a deal that satisfies the IRA.
 

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