THE full trappings of militarisation appeared to be returning to Belfast last night following the IRA's daylight rocket attack on a security post outside the Northern Ireland High Courts.
Already last night, as the IRA followed up with a series of coordinated hoax bomb alerts involving major city hotels, train and bus stations, British army patrols were stepped up and checkpoints mounted on access routes to the city centre.
An RUC constable was being treated in hospital last night for minor injuries after the improvised IRA rocket struck but failed to penetrate his security hut at the entrance to the Law Courts.
The attack was the clearest signal so far that the IRA is determined to scale up its attacks on security forces, regardless of the likelihood of civilian casualties and the inevitability that loyalist paramilitaries will be provoked into retaliation.
The IRA's escalation, which pushes the situation closer to the brink, drew scathing condemnation from political leaders, North and South.
The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, said that "only the unequivocal and irrevocable restoration of the August 1994 ceasefire will convince people at home and abroad that the republican movement is truly committed to rejuvenating the peace process on the basis of democratic and non violent means".
The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, said he was appalled and angered by the attack, which had brought everyone to the "brink of the abyss".
A US State Department spokesman said the United States condemns in the strongest terms the attack on the Belfast courthouse and appealed to Loyalist paramilitaries not to end their ceasefire.
He said it had followed several discoveries in recent days of apparent IRA bombs being prepared for "terrorist attacks".
Adding that these incidents had shaken the fragile peace in Northern Ireland, he said that "The United States shares the hope expressed by the British and Irish governments that these incidents will not provoke Loyalist groups to end their ceasefire."
Congressman Joe Kennedy also appealed to Loyalist paramilitaries not to retaliate. He said he feared that the continued pursuit of the armed campaign by the IRA would make a casually of peace by closing the door even further on Sinn Fein participation in the peace talks.
Last night the leader of the Ulster Democratic Party, Mr Gary McMichael, said he believed the loyalist ceasefire would hold.
"I have been speaking with the UFF and they have assured me that they remain committed to keeping the peace process alive," he said. "However, I think there is a feeling of despondency caused by the lag that the IRA appears to be intent on dragging all of the people of Northern Ireland back into a conflict situation."
There was no immediate comment from the Progressive Unionist Party, the political representatives of the UDA.
Yesterday's IRA attack was launched minutes after midday from a car on busy Oxford Street, at the side of the High Courts, where all courts were in session. The RUC officer in the security but saw a black Ford Mondeo slow down and a rear window open. As the explosive device 5 fired at his guard post he dived to the floor.