President Bush's special envoy on Northern Ireland, Mr Richard Haass, believes the IRA can complete the transition from paramilitarism to democracy. He said he was also hopeful that Sinn Féin would join the Policing Board.
Mr Haass, speaking in Belfast yesterday ahead of tomorrow's multi-party talks at Stormont, said he wanted to see an end to IRA and other paramilitary actions and capabilities.
He indicated that as long as these conditions were met, the US administration would have little difficulty tolerating the continuation of the IRA in some form of political or social guise.
"What I am most interested in is that we see the end to paramilitaries maintaining any military capabilities. I am interested in seeing an end to any paramilitary behaviour, for example targeting or punishment beatings," he said.
"But if organisations continue in a fundamentally different form for political purposes, social purposes, that to me is secondary."
Mr Haass, who met the PSNI Chief Constable, Mr Hugh Orde, and Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, in Belfast yesterday, and who is holding meetings with the main political parties today, said the IRA should complete the journey away from paramilitarism.
"As the President of the United States has said, as the Prime Minister of this country has said, as the prime minister of Ireland has said, we have got to take paramilitaries out of politics."
On allegations of IRA involvement in Colombia and with other international paramilitary groupings, Mr Haass said he could not exaggerate how strongly the United States opposed any organisation interacting with global terrorism. He said he wanted to see progress on issues such as policing, human rights and investment. He could also envisage Sinn Féin joining the Policing Board. "The best way to influence any institution is from the inside," he said.
Mr Haass said while he was not expecting a major breakthrough from tomorrow's multi-party talks at Stormont, they were an important step to show that the political process was continuing. He also denied rumours that he is step down from his special ambassadorial role on Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, the Sinn Féin president, Mr Gerry Adams, setting out his opening talks position yesterday, said that despite Mr David Trimble's claims to the contrary, the talks would not follow a "single-item agenda of the IRA".
"The British government and the unionists know that there is no possibility of the IRA disbanding in response to ultimatums or demands," Mr Adams insisted.
He said Mr Trimble, despite his protestations, realised full well that the talks, chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, and the Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, would address a multi-issue agenda. Rather than focusing on what the IRA might do to help push politics forward, as Mr Tony Blair is urging, Mr Adams indicated that the Sinn Fein concentration would be on a demand that the British government implement all remaining aspects of the Belfast Agreement.
"This includes the demilitarising of society, as well as the creation of a police service that respects all citizens, is representative of the community is serves, is democratically accountable and is free from partisan political control," said Mr Adams.
He said the commitments on policing given to the SDLP during last year's negotiations at Weston Park in England would not satisfy Sinn Féin.
Mr Adams said that tomorrow's negotiations, aimed at resolving the current political crisis, "will be the most important since the agreement".
Mr Murphy said he intends to press ahead at Westminster with the legislative programme agreed by the Northern Executive that would have proceeded through the Assembly had the institutions not been suspended.
The legislation in the form of 22 Bills covers issues such as the budget, housing, investment, divorce, planning, energy, public accountability and creating a commissioner for children.
Mr Murphy also indicated that he may introduce water charges for Northern Ireland.
