Sir, - Nobody should be surprised by the current crisis in the peace process. The Provisional movement finds itself in the schizophrenic position of having half its organisation in a state of suspended armed revolt against a government in which some of its own members are serving Ministers; the Provos are, in effect, in revolt against themselves.
Nothing but confusion can possibly arise from such a state of affairs. Should the Ulster Unionists withdraw from the Executive and Direct Rule be re-introduced, nobody can be held responsible but the Provisionals, who still cannot decide between the ballot paper and the Armalite. Talk of avoiding a split is nonsense. The split already exists for all the world to see. The real question is whether or not Adams will allow the Executive to collapse in a vain attempt to paper over the yawning chasm in his organisation. Is the collapse of the Good Friday Agreement an acceptable price to pay for the illusion of unity? - Yours, etc.,
Sean Swan, Goteborg, Sweden.