THE White House has given a less than enthusiastic reaction to the statement by the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, on the conditions for the admission of Sinn Fein to the multi party talks.
A White House spokesman said simply that "the British government statement speaks for itself" but would not comment on the substance of the statement or the absence of a date for the entry of Sinn Fein into the talks following an IRA ceasefire.
In what is now a standard wording, the spokesman added: "We hope that all parties will redouble their efforts in the search for peace. We continue to urge the immediate restoration of the ceasefire.
"We continue to believe that a way forward can and must be found to achieve inclusive and substantive talks on the future of Northern Ireland. We remind, everyone that our role is to encourage all sides to redouble their efforts in the search for a just and lasting peace.
While he would not comment, on the content of the British position, there is probably disappointment on the US side that British conditions have been laid down for testing the credibility of a future ceasefire.
As White House officials are constantly in touch with Sinn Fein, as well as both governments, they would be well aware that such conditions remain a major obstacle to Sinn Fein and IRA acceptance.
At the same time, the calling of an Anglo Irish Summit and the suspension of the present talks for the Christmas and New Year period would be seen as leaving the door open for some further manoeuvring by both sides.
The following is the text of the Government statement issued last night.
The Irish Government remains fully committed to an inclusive negotiating process, on exclusively democratic terms and in conditions of peace, so as to reach an honourable and generally acceptable accommodation of the Northern Ireland conflict.
In pursuit of that objective we are continuing to work for the earliest possible restoration of the IRA ceasefire, and for the establishment of a truly inclusive process of negotiations. In this regard we have repeatedly made clear our view that the conditions so carefully set out by both governments in the February Communique and the Ground Rules paper for Sinn Fein's admission to talks should be maintained.
The Irish Government will not accept any exclusion of Sinn Fein once these conditions are fulfilled, and hopes that, when the talks resume in January, Sinn Fein will be in a position to participate in the talks, as a result, in the meantime, of an IRA ceasefire and of Sinn Fein having complied fully with the ground rules and the Mitchell principles. There is an onus on the republican movement to allow this to happen.