PRESIDENT Clinton's call for a genuine and unequivocal IRA ceasefire and for Sinn Fein to be involved in inclusive talks sometime thereafter was generally welcomed in Northern Ireland.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, found his comments "balanced" while the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader, Mr David Trimble, felt the President was trying to be helpful.
Mr Adams welcomed Mr Clinton's "continued and balanced support in the search for peace in Ireland.
"I agree with him that the search for peace should be done on a basis of inclusiveness. Sinn Fein is committed to rebuilding the peace process. That can only be done through a meaningful and inclusive process of negotiations," he added.
"There is an urgent responsibility on the British government to accord equality of treatment to all parties and to join with the Irish Government in setting out the next step in resolving the core issues which have obstructed the desire for peace," said Mr Adams.
Mr Trimble said Mr Clinton's comments reinforced his conviction that the White House was trying to be helpful without interfering in the North's constitutional affairs.
The important remark was that violence must be over for good, said Mr Trimble. His comments were generally in line with those of the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, that if there wasn't a genuine ceasefire, the political peace process would proceed without Sinn Fein.
Mr Trimble said his view was that Sinn Fein and the IRA were not capable of "weaning themselves away from violence". He was, however, comfortable with Mr Clinton's view that there must be compromise on all sides to allow the process to make progress.
What was important was that the principle of consent was the foundation stone for movement, which meant that Northern Ireland would remain part of the United Kingdom.
"But then, having accepted that, we have to see how we can go on and construct arrangements that as many people as possible feel comfortable with," he told BBC Radio Ulster.
Mr Eddie McGrady, the SDLP MP for South Down, said he welcomed Mr Clinton's restated support for the first principle that an unequivocal IRA ceasefire was necessary to allow Sinn Fein into the talks process.
It was also to be greatly welcomed that Mr Clinton was reapplying his support and his prestige to the peace process.
Mr Nigel Dodds, the DUP secretary, said that while many unionists were suspicious about the role that Mr Clinton was playing in Northern Ireland affairs, he nonetheless welcomed any pressure on the IRA to call a genuine end to violence.
