The DUP has expressed concern about the growing threat posed by the "Real IRA", claiming recent attacks showed the increasing sophistication of republican dissidents.
The party's Assembly member for Derry, Mr Gregory Campbell, was speaking after the British army defused a "sophisticated" 60 lb device in a car in the Waterside area of the city on Tuesday night.
The "Real IRA" is understood to have been responsible. The organisation has been active in Derry and the surrounding area in recent months. The attacks were growing proof of the capabilities of republican dissidents, he said.
Meanwhile, the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, has said the negative perception of Northern Ireland must be reversed. "For too long the images that have gone round the world associated with Northern Ireland have been those of conflict.
"There are still those like the bombers who placed the device outside the BBC in London, or the sectarian thugs attacking women and children on our streets, who are determined to condemn Northern Ireland in the eyes of the world."