"The DUP may now consider they concluded a good piece of business, considering the subsequent course of events.". There's no question that yesterday's news justifies the DUP tactics. Those who lectured the DUP about not talking to SF/IRA now look even more follish than before.

"The DUP may now consider they concluded a good piece of business, considering the subsequent course of events.". There's no question that yesterday's news justifies the DUP tactics. Those who lectured the DUP about not talking to SF/IRA now look even more follish than before.

The DUP certainly do look foolish, they were about to sign up to a deal that did not force the IRA to abandon criminality. They cared more about photos than bank robberies, extortion or punishment attacks.

Roger W. Christ XVII make a valid point, only now are the DUPes making a point about criminality, when the deal fell through it was for a lack of photographs, furthermore the DUPes were promising stability, no more Trimble style suspensions , what if the DUPes had got their photos this Christmas and a robbery next?

Roger/Alex; this has already been covered on another thread. As part of the agreement the IRA were to issue a statement that it was to end criminality. The DUP (and the governments) thought that they had at least got that concession from SF/IRA. After SF/IRA refused to sign up on the verifications required on decommissioning, they then backtracked on the contents of the statement. At that stage it was all but academic (although the Irish government got very concerned) as the governments had handed a veto to SF/IRA on progressing the new agreement.

Events are beyond the control of the DUP despite their mandate.

The shape of the deal said too much about the DUP's scale of priorities. Street disorder has boosted their vote in the past, and their condemnation of intimidation was predictably selective.