President Bill Clinton's visit to Belfast next month could assume critical importance in efforts to break the impasse in the Northern Ireland political process.
As the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, flew to the US, authoritative sources said the President's visit during the first 10 days of December might be "the catalyst" for a resolution in the standoff over IRA decommissioning and Mr David Trimble's exclusion of Sinn Fein Ministers from North-South Ministerial Council meetings.
After talks with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, at Downing Street yesterday, Mr Adams deferred a decision on a possible legal challenge to Mr Trimble's action under the terms of the Belfast Agreement. He told reporters he was trying to find "another way to resolve this matter short of seeking legal redress".
With talks continuing between the two governments, no clear view has yet emerged of what role, if any, Mr Clinton might play. Sources suggested the visit at least could provide the opportunity for further "choreography", which would obviously embrace the lifting of the Ulster Unionist sanction and a re-engagement by the IRA with the decommissioning body.
Warning that the political process could become untenable soon, Mr Adams accused Mr Trimble of "derogating" his responsibilities as First Minister and said if the impasse was not resolved quickly "we'll be in a serial crisis".
The North-South institutions had been "hollowed out" by Mr Trimble's action and the situation exacerbated by the refusal of the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, to deal in an adequate way with that issue. And he insisted the British government had yet to create the context in which IRA re-engagement with the decommissioning body could take place.
"Now the British government may have a completely different view on that, but that is part of the bind that we're in at this time. Whatever the IRA does and does not do, it's absolutely undemocratic and improper that the people who support the peace process should be punished for that," Mr Adams continued.
He said Mr Trimble was now seeking changes in the role of the decommissioning body and a moratorium on policing and had called for a review of progress in January.
The Sinn Fein president said his meeting with Mr Blair was good, and he was continuing his efforts to persuade London to follow through on its commitments on policing and demilitarisation.
However, Mr Trimble said last night that unionists had no option but to ban Sinn Fein Ministers from North-South meetings or else risk the collapse of the Good Friday accord. He said: "I have not taken this decision lightly and I do not underestimate the problems such a sanction will cause for the republican leadership. But the alternative is the loss of the entire Belfast Agreement.
"If the IRA keep their promise to engage with the international commission on putting their weapons beyond use, I will be happy to return to normal business."
Meanwhile, as the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill enters committee stage in the House of Lords today, the Conservative Party is reportedly planning a manifesto commitment to restore the name of the Royal Ulster Constabulary should they win the next election.
According to yesterday's Daily Telegraph the pledge follows lobbying by Mr Trimble, who said on Monday that he had urged the Tories to "rescue the honour" of the RUC if returned to power.