UUP delegates were divided over the British government's handling of international terrorism. Some claimed there was a stark difference in Mr Tony Blair's reaction to the attacks on the US on September 11th and his attitude to the IRA and Sinn FΘin in Northern Ireland.
One delegate pointed out to applause: "Imagine if George W. Bush did to the United States what Tony Blair has done to Northern Ireland."
Mr Billy Armstrong, Assembly member for Mid Ulster, said there was no difference between the IRA and the dissident republican groups. All needed to be "rooted out".
Another delegate, the Rev Eric Culbertson said only the word terrorism had gone and alleged that the IRA was merely "asleep". He demanded complete decommissioning by next February. UUP ministers should withdraw if this was not done.
Mr Sam Foster, the North's environment minister, defended his party's policy on the Belfast Agreement and decommissioning saying that under any leader other than David Trimble, the situation would have been worse. "David Trimble did not release prisoners or write the Patten report," he said. He asked doubters what they would have done differently to secure decommissioning. He claimed that Sinn FΘin was now operating British rule from buildings flying the Union flag.
Mr Roy Garland criticised the motion on terrorism, saying it concentrated on IRA violence and ignored the campaigns by loyalist paramilitaries. He asked if the motion was serious in demanding the same response in Northern Ireland to the IRA as the international alliance had reacted to Osama bin Laden. "Do you want carpet bombing of parts of west Belfast?" he asked.
He was supported by Lord Maginnis, the former MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone, who said the UUP could not expect to be taken seriously unless loyalist terrorism was mentioned alongside that of republicans. "Our people are frightened more by the thugs that live among them than they are by the IRA."
He said victory had been obtained and claimed that the UUP had "internationalised" IRA violence.
The UUP spokesman on defence at Westminster, Mr David Burnside, called for new British government powers to be directed against what he called domestic terrorism.
"The threat of terrorism in Ulster continues with the existence of the Provisional IRA, whilst having carried out a token decommissioning event, are not adhering to the full Mitchell principles. Their associated terrorist organisations, Real and Continuity, pose a terrorist threat. The Provisional IRA has not stood down its links and associations with international terrorists, whether FARC in Colombia or ETA in Spain. The PIRA is up to its neck in crime and extortion."
He alleged Mr Blair acted hypocritically by rallying to the cause of the international community following September 11th while implementing the Patten report's recommendations on policing in Northern Ireland. "Of all the acts of appeasement that have taken place in Ulster in the last 30 years, (this) is the most disgraceful."
The original motion to conference, which called for the same response to IRA acts of violence and to those by the al-Qaeda network, was amended from the floor. The Mid Ulster constituency motion was altered to read: "Conference calls for the same firm and resolute action against the IRA and so-called loyalist terrorists and their associates as is being applied to Osama bin Laden and his cohorts". It was passed by a large majority.