Sinn Féin must sever its links with the IRA if there is to be progress on reaching a political settlement, the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland said today.
Mitchell Reiss was speaking the week before he meets Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams in Washington, as pressure mounts on the IRA over accusations it robbed a bank and shielded the killers of Robert McCartney who was killed outside a Belfast bar.
"It's hard to understand how a European country in the year 2005 can have a private army associated with a political party," Mr Reiss said. "It's going to be increasingly difficult for them to achieve their political objectives as long as they are perceived to be tied to the IRA, and so from a narrow selfish point of view I think it's in Sinn Féin's interest to make a clear break."
In recent weeks the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has identified senior Sinn Féin figures as members of the IRA Army Council, rejecting the party's denial of any direct link between the two.
The International Monitoring Commission in its most recent report accused leading members of Sinn Féin of approving a 26.5 million pound Northern Bank raid blamed on the IRA
"I have no first hand knowledge about those statements, whether they are true or not, I don't have any reason to disbelieve the truthfulness of them," said Mr Reiss, speaking by telephone from the United States.
"The issue, really, is whether or not Sinn Féin is willing to move forward and support purely democratic means, including the rule of law, and if they are then I think there's an awful lot that we can accomplish."
The IRA and Sinn Fein been faced a crisis following the outcry over the fatal stabbing of father-of-two McCartney by a gang which included at least two members of IRA pub. The organisation has said it has expelled three members over the killing. Sinn Fein has suspended seven party members following its investigation into the killing.
McCartney's family have accused the IRA of intimidating witnesses to his death and destroying evidence. His five sisters and partner have mounted a high profile campaign to bring his killers to justice, and have been invited to meet Bush at the annual St Patrick's Day reception at the White House next Thursday.
In it's most recent statement the IRA claims it offered to the McCartney family "to shoot" those it says were responsible for the fatal stabbing. This was declined by the family which is urging those responsible for the killing to face trial. "Everybody has great admiration for the courage the (McCartney) sisters have shown, " said Mr Reiss.
For the first time in a decade Northern Ireland's political leaders have not been invited to the White House to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
Mr Reiss will meet Mr Adams in Washington next Wednesday.
Additional reporting Reuters