Can parties tango at the talks?

Gareth Gordon BBC Northern Ireland political correspondent

When a former IRA prisoner and member of Gerry Adams' "kitchen cabinet" stands up in a room full of nationalists and confronts the DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson over decommissioning it should be the political event of the week.

But the Sinn Fein president upstaged even that less than 24 hours later.

He told the BBC that republicans needed to be prepared to remove the existence of the IRA, and IRA weapons, as an "excuse" for unionists to block progress - but only "if there is a context where we can make progress."

Gerry Adams talked about removing the IRA as an "excuse"

It was the clearest signal yet that he is preparing his base for the day when the IRA might leave the stage.

However, as Sir Reg Empey noted (and he's a man who knows how difficult republicans are to negotiate with) "they're not going to go away easily or cheaply."

The DUP's Ian Paisley junior immediately dismissed Mr Adams' remarks saying it was "action not words" which counted.

His reaction caused alarm in senior Sinn Fein circles.

They were worried that the party's support base, already nervous about where their leadership may be taking them, would be further concerned that the DUP may be prepared to thrown the whole thing back in their face.

But Mr Paisley junior's remarks also caused concern inside the DUP, where some senior figures were much more receptive to the Sinn Fein leaders' words.

One senior source said it was "an interesting move, albeit only a beginning."

Another said Mr Adams' remarks should not be dismissed.

Could these be the first steps in a dance that might lead the two to tango at the negotiations in September?

Wednesday evening's events in St Louise's College on the Falls Road probably won't change things one way or the other.

However, as we approach the tenth anniversary of the first IRA ceasefire it is another example of how far things have come.

"How are ye Jeffrey?" began Seanna Walsh, a former IRA prisoner, close friend of Bobby Sands, and one of the longest serving IRA prisoners.

He was not really inquiring after the MP for Lagan Valley's health.

Organisers of the West Belfast Festival deny his intervention, on what was already an evening tingling with electricity, was staged.

But as we listened open-mouthed to what he had to say to the DUP MP for the next 90-odd seconds we were in no doubt that this was the decommissioning debate distilled to its rawest form, in a way which no General de Chastelain press conference has so far managed to replicate.

Mr Donaldson did not know at that point who was addressing him.... but he soon would.

Jeffrey Donaldson spoke at an event in west Belfast

"I was arrested in 1988 with hundreds of pounds of homemade explosives," said Mr Walsh.

"I had in my possession a number of home-made mortar bombs and what I'm saying to you is - when you talk about the capacity, removing the IRA's capacity to make war, I can go out of here tonight with a couple of hundred pounds in my pocket.

"I can purchase the equipment to make mortar bombs; to make Baltic Exchange-type bombs; to make Canary Wharf-type bombs."

The compere, the BBC's Noel Thompson, interjected: "The question is would you?

Walsh: "Well the point about it is.."

Thompson: "The question is would you?"

Walsh: "No Noel, the question is - it's the IRA's capacity has to be removed. How're you going to remove that capacity Jeffrey?

"Are you going to kill me? Because that's the only way you can do it. Unless you reach some sort of agreement with me and people like me. That is the only way that people like me can be defused..." (applause)

Thompson: "So that's not very democratic is it? You're saying unless he reaches agreement with you, you're going to buy some explosives and blow up the Baltic Exchange?"

Walsh: "The question is....Jeffrey is over-concerned with my capacity to make war. My capacity does not rely on anything that is under the ground.

"My capacity lies with the where-with-all and the knowledge that people like me have."

Jeffrey Donaldson did not reply to him directly...but rather to another member of the audience who asked him to spell out what exactly the DUP wanted the IRA to do.

'Unexpected question'

"Whether people like it or not, the unionist community does not trust the IRA because of what has been visited upon them by the IRA over 30 years," Mr Donaldson said.

"We need to see the weaponry being dealt with in a credible verifiable way, within a defined timescale.

"I would prefer it to be dealt with as soon as possible, preferably before the end of 2004.

"I believe that if the IRA wanted to decommission all its weapons tomorrow it could do it."

He said later that he had not expected to get a question of that nature.

When asked if he would have answered a question from Gerry Adams he said he did not believe he would have....in case he was accused of "hypocrisy" by his bete noire, the Ulster Unionist Dermot Nesbitt.

Gerry Adams said he was tempted to ask a question, but resisted.

With his remarks the next day about removing the IRA "excuse" he was speaking to his own supporters, but the DUP and both governments were listening very closely too.