but i also recognise that we were trying to get their goal. i used to see people from other parties, talking to people, and saying to them afterwards, do you not know who they are? these are some of the most wanted people in europe, and you don't even know you're talking to. the ulster unionist party, led by david trimble, was the largest unionist group, and took the risk of remaining. if you had come to the conclusion that the only way you could defend your interests was to physically be at the table and negotiate them, that meant swallowing a lot of very difficult things, including the fact that we had people in that building whom we knew had significant terrorist involvement, but they would not have been in that building had they been winning the fight on the ground.