US Presidential candidate John Kerry was challenged yesterday by unionists in Northern Ireland to make it clear that the IRA is blocking political progress in the province.
The Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists, which since last November became Northern Ireland's largest party in the Assembly Elections, called on the Democrat to make it clear that the refusal of the Provisionals to disarm was the main problem.
In a letter signed by the party's six MPs and 33 MLAs, the DUP also expressed concern that in a statement to Irish Americans during the Democratic primaries earlier this year, the Massachusetts senator had criticised their refusal to share power.
The DUP wrote: "Senator Kerry, in speech after speech you have made it clear that you will continue to wage war on terrorism. We welcome that.
"But how are you able to reconcile this with your condemnation of our reluctance to join a government with an organisation that has links to a terrorist organisation?"
Senator Kerry has vowed to increase US engagement in Northern Ireland to the level under President Bill Clinton. In March, Senator Kerry met Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness.