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Trimble brings some insight into the struggle between the state and it’s oppositional forces: “If you take a person out, what will result is that a new person will come in to replace him. You’re more successful by leaving people in position, monitoring them and disrupting their activities. It also helps if their activities are centralized. The centralization of the IRA helped us.” Thanks to Emily for the link. Update: Trimble keeps up the pressure on Sinn Fein in the …

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Apparently two soldiers drafted into Belfast to provide support during the Firefighter’s strike, are being held on suspicion of actually setting a fire in an inner city hotel. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

To two blogs, new to us, for including Letter to Slugger O’Toole in their blogrolls – Harry’s Place and Two Tears in a Bucket. Update: make it three, the other is Conservative Commentary, blogging from the right in Britain. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

The Sunday Herald comments on Kevin McNamara’s failed attempt to have a 301 year rule banning Catholics from marrying into the British royal family ended. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

It’s clear that whenever it happens that we will soon be witnessing a NI that will contain few of the political certainties we have come to rely on in the past. The Sunday Life speculates that the four Sinn Fein MPs will take up their seats in Westminster. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

In the subscription only Irish News, Roy Garland welcomes the first offical forays of the DUP south of the border. “The DUP has devoted too much time trying to upstage its UUP rivals. However, the fact that Gregory Campbell has so enthusiastically engaged with people in the Republic is a positive development. Few will expect him to change his spots, but honest dialogue can make people better able to appreciate other views while representing their own positions more effectively.” Slugger …

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Interesting piece in the subscription only Irish Post covering a recent research into being Irish in Britain: “Responses taken by the ESRC-funded Irish 2 Project in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Banbury and Glasgow found that all too frequently the second-generation were under pressure from society to renounce their Irishness.” There’s an on-going discussion of this theme over at Irish in Britain. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Barry White reckons that David Trimble will stay away from inter party talks until Sinn Fein come to the table with effective decommissioning of the IRA. At which point, it would appear, the ball will be back in the Unionist court. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

This is a good a piece as I have seen on the recent set of mixed signals coming out of Northern Ireland: “As ever in Northern Ireland, however, the smoke signals are confused and indistinct. Sceptics will claim that reports of imminent disbandment – although that word is highly unlikely to be ever used by the Republican leadership – is simply London seeking to ratchet up the pressure on Sinn Fein and the IRA. “Even if that were the case, …

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After the debacle on Saturday morning’s failed headline, Jim Dee confirms that all party talks are pretty much irrelevant to further progress. The twin delivery of Police reform and IRA disarmament is the only live game in town. Sinn Fein bitterly denied Saturday’s high level speculation that the IRA were on the verge of full disarmament. It is not yet clear what led to the Guardian’s precipitous claim, but it has probably made the conditions for Sinn Fein’s political re-engagement …

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There have been undercurrents all week about the possibility that a disgruntled government spyhandler with the FRU is about to blow the cover on a high profile mole within the IRA – code named Steak Knife. It is a rumoured that several English Sunday papers have had an injunction slapped on them to keep the name out the news. Paul Dunne has more background on this. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Looks like the Guardian may have jumped the gun. In recent days there has been feverish speculation within certain political inner circles about a possible act of completion by Christmas. But in this case it seems someone has jumped before the IRA. More from UTV and The Examiner. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Blair and Ahern are to set aside current schedules to have an emergency summit. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

It seems like the IRA believe that their day has come. The fact that the Guardian’s chief political correspondent has signed his name to an article on that paper’s front page seems a significant enough omen in itself, (though check the updates for the latest on this story). “…the IRA will announce a comprehensive act of weapons decommissioning – in effect giving up its secret arms dumps.” And the story that might have otherwise have been NI’s only big headline …

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Great story on the once venerable Irish tradition of vote stealing. However, it looks like it’s all over now. Update: from the BBC. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

The subscription only Irish News reports on President Mary McAleese’s emphasis on building cross border trade partnerships: “…synergies between our respective indigent business sectors, to send fleets of consumer goods both ways across the border, to spread the benign embrace of jobs and prosperity widely as never before. The transition from a culture of conflict with all its wastefulness and woundedness to a culture of peace, prosperity and consensus is unfolding little by little. “In this context, the one factor …

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SDLP councillor suggests Sinn Fein’s recent motion was: “…only a matter of putting the boot into the SDLP. I think on the whole that the people of this city will be relieved that a motion aimed at further heightening tension in this city, creating further alienating and marginalisation of the Protestant people, has not gone through.’’ More on the Letter. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Long term anti agreement politician Bob McCartney seems to have conceded that simply bringing down the Assembly will not change the institutions set up under the Belfast Agreement. On the face of it, this is pretty much an acceptance of Brian Feeney’s analysis at the time of the collapse of the Assembly in early October. It’s also possible McCartney is testing the waters for a possible entry to the talks by his long time allies in the DUP. Slugger O'TooleA …

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Brian Walker considers the possibility of break through over the latest crux – policing. He also reckons that St Patrick’s Day is to be the new Good Friday, as a deadline for a fresh agreement. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Reader Ian makes an observation on the Derry name plebiscite issue. He states that he is in favour changing the official name from Londonderry to Derry, but: “The argument in favour [of the plebiscite] is that the people should decide, and not accepting this is ‘anti-democratic’. But do people follow this through? Should 80% of the population of Derry (which notably would also be the proportion in an all-Ireland state) get to make 100% of decisions? Was not the problem …

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