A SENIOR White House aide has warned that "every time a bomb goes off it makes the negotiating position tougher" for Sinn Fein on the issue of decommissioning of weapons.
"There's no justification for any violence in this process", Ms Nancy Soderberg said. Ms Soderberg, who is special adviser to President Clinton on Northern Ireland, said Sinn Fein "has a clear path to direct talks on June 10th. They ought to reinstate the ceasefire and get into those talks.
"We do believe the June 10th talks will be real, substantive negotiations which is what the IRA said it wanted all along."
Ms Soderberg, in an interview with The Irish Times in the White House yesterday, said US contacts with Sinn Fein were continuing to try to get another ceasefire. The urgency of her calls for a ceasefire was matched by a tough line against the IRA from senators on Capitol Hill who have campaigned for decisions favouring Sinn Fein in the past.
Senator Chris Dodd said. "Until this ceasefire is resumed I would strongly urge the President not to be extending visas to Gerry Adams." The senator, who is chairman of the Democratic Party, played a key role in getting US visas and a lifting of the ban on fund raising for Sinn Fein leader Mr Adams.
"It is very important that members of the IRA understand that no president in future will want to pick up this issue again if we don't take this opportunity we have been presented with and make it work", he said in remarks to the BBC recorded last week.
Senator Edward Kennedy, who led the campaign to allow Mr Adams into the US in 1994, made clear he had little sympathy for a new visa before the ceasefire is reinstated. Asked if he agreed with Mr Dodd, a senior aide for Mr Kennedy said yesterday. "It is my understanding that Gerry Adams has no plans to seek a visa to visit the United States any time in the near future. Senator Kennedy hopes that by the time Mr Adams next applies for a visa, the IRA ceasefire will have been restored and this will not be an issue."
Asked if Mr Adams would get another US visa if he applied for one before the ceasefire was restored, Ms Soderberg said. "We take it on a case by case basis."
She emphasised that any more IRA violence would be counter productive for Sinn Fein. "The IRA is not like Hamas which is trying to kill the negotiations" in the Middle East, she said. "These here guys are setting off bombs trying to get negotiations and it has the complete opposite effect. There is no logic to it or justification." There was "no excuse whatsoever, for further violence and "our view is, and the President has said this many times, that the ceasefire should be restored immediately.
Ms Soderberg said she and National Security Adviser Mr Tony Lake were still in touch with Mr Adams. "Our approach right now, as reflected when Adams came here the last time, is that we think it's useful to keep engaging with Sinn Fein. We've kept in contact with Adams in the hopes that it would produce a ceasefire." She said it had not been decided how the issue of decommissioning would be resolved in parallel with political talks.
Ms Soderberg said the name of Senator George Mitchell and others were being considered for chairman of Strand Two of the talks. "There's been a lot of discussion among the parties and the two governments about who should chair Strand Two. Mitchell's name has come up. Others have also. Our view is that Mitchell is one of the most distinguished individuals in America.
Asked if the White House envisaged Mr Mitchell chairing the whole talks rather than just Strand Two, which deals with North South relations, Ms Soderberg said. "I don't think it's set up that way. It's just Strand Two. We'd be delighted to see him in any role. I think his role in the international body was a brilliant contribution to the process."
The White House could play "a helpful, supportive role on the edges" during the talks, she said. It could not negotiate for anyone but would follow the talks closely and talk to the various parties at various times if it was helpful.