MR GERRY Adams conceded yesterday that Sinn Fein had to aim at bringing about a resumption of the IRA ceasefire but said it was questionable if it would succeed.
He said the lesson of the past 18 months was that "unless John Major is part of the partnership working for peace, then we're all doomed".
In other peace processes, and in other conflicts, "these breakdowns here an incentive to redouble dialogue, not to walk away from it."
Mr Adams and other Sinn Fein spokesmen were plainly disturbed, in particular, by Mr John Bruton's ruling out of further talks with the Sinn Fe' in president until there was a new and permanent cease fire.
They were no happier with the Commons statement by Mr Major, which was assessed as a direct challenge to the IRA.
Mr Adams warned that the danger of incidents such as the London bombing was always present when politicians and a political process were sidelined and marginalised when there is not an alternative which is seen to be "viable by those who resort to physical force."
The Sinn Fe' in president accused Mr Major of betraying the peace process and of reneging on public and private statements that substantive talks would begin three months after an IRA cessation.
Meanwhile, leaders of the loyalist fringe parties, the UDP and PUP, went to the Maze Prison yesterday for crisis talks with loyalist paramilitary prisoners on how the loyalist ceasefire could be kept in place.
They said afterward the prisoners had insisted they wanted the peace process to continue, but further IRA attacks would make it difficult or even impossible for them to hold the paramilitaries back.
Mr Gary McMichael of the UDP said "The feeling in the Maze at the moment is that the loyalist prisoners are still fully committed .10 the peace process and to avoiding a return to full scale violence." To that end, his party would continue to offer its political analysis to the paramilitary leaders.
The UUP deputy leader, Mr John Taylor, said the IRA bomb had proved that the word of Sinn Fein could not be trusted. The challenge to Mr Adams now was to come clean and tell everyone "whether he supports the IRA terrorism or is committed exclusively to peaceful means.
At a press conference in UUP headquarters in Belfast. Mr Taylor predicted Sinn Fe' in would now begin a "self rescue operation and would seek talks with the London and Dublin governments at official rather than ministerial level.
He said "Regrettably, both governments will oblige rather than take a united stand against terrorism and its spokesmen. Eventually, after such talks, a second ceasefire will emerge and Adams will be heralded as the peacemaker once again."
But the IRA would still retain its illegal arms "so that they can recommence violence if there is no political settlement to their' liking."
Mr Taylor said the way forward was to expedite elections. The elected body was the `window of opportunity' for all party talks "leading to negotiations".
The elected body, he said, would appoint working committees to take evidence, negotiate, and report upon a number of issues 1, the Belfast/London relationship 2, the internal administration of Northern Ireland' 3, cross Border co operation 4, an enhanced relationship between Belfast and Dublin and 5, UK/Republic of Ireland relationships.
Mr Taylor added "Obviously the Dublin political parties would, have an input into the deliberations under points 3, 4 and 5. In a so far as 5 is concerned, it could lead to the Unionists taking their seats in a UK/Irish parliamentary body."
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, speaking before Mr Major's Commons statement, said the British government had a duty to cease forthwith talks "with the IRA and Sinn Fein".
Dr Paisley said "They have put', themselves by this act outside the democratic process. And it is not by talking with them that they will come in to the democratic process. They will have to come in by paying the price that they have to pay.