President Clinton made three interventions on the last night of the Hillsborough talks in an attempt to achieve a unanimous declaration on decommissioning and the formation of a Northern Ireland executive.
Despite the pressures of the Kosovo crisis, the President made three telephone calls, the first at 8.45 p.m. and the other two later in the night. He spoke to the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, and he is believed also to have spoken to other key participants.
Mr Clinton supported the broad thrust of the position adopted by Mr Blair and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, sources said. This was aimed at finding a "pathway" between the apparently irreconcilable stances of Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionist Party.
While it was not possible to secure Sinn Fein support for the Hillsborough Declaration released by Mr Blair and Mr Ahern yesterday afternoon - setting out a framework for progress towards establishing the executive - sources said that Mr Clinton's interventions may have helped to ensure that Sinn Fein was comparatively restrained in its public criticisms of the document.
Privately, there is deep anger in Sinn Fein at the perceived support for the unionist position on decommissioning taken by the Taoiseach. In what one source called a "clear-the-air session" with Mr Ahern, Sinn Fein leaders explained their objections in detail, and this may have helped to reduce tensions.
However, while remaining deeply dissatisfied, republicans said last night that they could see "wriggle room" in the document on such issues as decommissioning. "There is no way the IRA is going to buy it if it involves handing over guns", republican sources emphasised.
The four-page text refers to some paramilitary weapons being put "beyond use". This is not defined, beyond stating that it must be done on a voluntary basis and will be subject to verification by the decommissioning body, headed by Gen John de Chastelain.
Republican sources were bemused by the phrase "beyond use", adding that Mr David Trimble had been brought on board on the basis of a handover of weapons but that this was not what the document entailed.
While Ulster Unionists were privately delighted with the document, their public comments were reserved. Referring to the proposed "collective act of reconciliation", which will involve remembrance ceremonies as well as the provisions for putting arms "beyond use", UUP sources expressed concern at the prospect of IRA members being remembered in semi-official ceremonies honouring the victims of the Troubles.
The Irish Times has confirmed that the proposal for the act of reconciliation came from the Dublin negotiating team. There is speculation that it could be one of the biggest organised public events in the modern history of the island, with ceremonies taking place North and South.
According to the declaration, the day set aside for the ceremonies would also see some paramilitary weapons being dealt with in consultation with Gen de Chastelain, and significant moves to reduce the British army and RUC presence, particularly in nationalist areas of the North.
The Hillsborough talks are to resume on April 13th, but although there will be some limited scope for refining of the text, the two governments will not be sympathetic to wholesale redrafting, sources said. The prospect of the two prime ministers returning on April 13th has not been ruled out.
It is considered likely that, following the release of a final text, the Assembly will meet quickly to activate the ministerial nomination procedure.