The bomb attack in London, believed to be carried out by the Real IRA, has been condemned by Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon, who said there can be no justification for violence deployed for political ends.
He said that those responsible for the attack have no role to play in the creation of a future free from violence and the hatred of the past.
First Minister David Trimble speculated that the actions may be designed to destabilise the peace process, adding the attack may also be connected to efforts to persuade the mainstream IRA to decommission.