Sinn Fein is gaining support in both the north and south of Ireland, a fact registered in electoral advances by the Irish republican organization. "There can be no moving back for the British to the bad old days," McGuinness said, adding that Sinn Fein's growth is "sending a destabilizing message to Unionists."

The recent "disgraceful" statements by David Trimble, leader of the pro-British Ulster Unionist Party, "referring to the Irish republic as a 'pathetic, sectarian, mono-ethnic and mono-cultural state'" shows that "Unionism is in crisis," he said. "Trimble is not ready to support the peace process. There is a direct link between the bitter words spoken by Unionist politicians and acts of violence by loyalist paramilitaries." Loyalists support the division of the country, union with Britain, and a continuation of the second-class status of the Catholic population.

Over the past year loyalist paramilitary forces have used bombs and guns in their widespread attacks on Catholics. In 2001 there was a 200 percent increase in such attacks over the previous year. A recent murder of a 20-year-old Catholic postal worker as he arrived at work was met with strikes by postal and other unions and large marches in several cities.

McGuinness blasted attacks by rightist loyalists against Catholic children attending Holy Cross school in North Belfast. "There should be no attacks on the Catholic community whatsoever," he stated.

"The British, in collaboration with the death squads, are responsible for hundreds of killings," the Sinn Fein leader said. "The British military has been in it up to their necks and it makes our case more eloquently than we could ever do.

"There is a ground swell for the peace process and a united Ireland," McGuinness concluded. "We have the people, we have the project. What is needed is the determination. If we get that right, many of us will see a united Ireland in our lifetime."

During the discussion that followed, McGuinness acknowledged the prospects for solidarity from British workers, citing the response to the killing of the Catholic postal worker. Some 300,000 postal workers in Britain held a two-minute period of silence at the time of the funeral. "The solidarity from English workers was significant, and I think the prospects are good for winning both loyalists and English people to the cause of a united Ireland."

"Ten years ago no one would've believed you if you said Northern Ireland would make the progress it had," he said. "The same held true in the years leading up to the end of apartheid in South Africa."  
 
 
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