US reaction: The statement from the IRA withdrawing its proposals to get rid of weapons is likely to tip the balance in the White House against holding a St Patrick's Day reception to which Sinn Féin leaders would be invited.
"It certainly won't help those seeking to have the usual invitation to the St Patrick's Day reception," an Irish Embassy spokesman said.
There was no reaction from the US State Department to the IRA statement, and it is believed US officials are waiting for the visit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, to Washington next week before reacting to the latest IRA statements.
Mr Ahern, who will have discussions in Derry with Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin before leaving for the US, will meet President Bush's Special Envoy on Northern Ireland, Dr Mitchell Reiss, in Washington, as well as Irish-American members of Congress.
The White House is now said to be leaning towards cutting back on St Patrick's Day celebrations and restricting it to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and leading Irish-Americans, to avoid any meeting between President Bush and Sinn Féin leaders.
For the last 10 years the reception has always included Northern Ireland party leaders, but the scale of the reception has been scaled back since the Clinton era, when it involved lavish dinners and dozens of guests from Ireland, North and South.