No one in the Northern peace process could "rest on their laurels" and last week's visit to Cuba by the Sinn FΘin President, Mr Gerry Adams, was "unfortunate", the US President's special adviser on Northern Ireland has said.
In an interview with RT╔, Mr Richard Haas said there was "tremendous reason for satisfaction" with progress in the North. "The flip-side of that, though, is that no one can rest on their laurels."
He said he wanted to see "continuing functioning of the institutions" as well as further decommissioning by the IRA and other paramilitaries. He would also like to see Sinn FΘin nominating members to the board of the Policing Service of Northern Ireland.
He said he was not happy with the explanations given for the presence of three Irishmen in Columbia.
"Like everyone else we are waiting to see the judicial process work its way . . . We've made it clear that the US government has concerns about the IRA relationship with the FARC. We've emphasised our strong hope and expectation that . . . any relationship of the sort with the FARC or any other terrorist group will simply not happen again."
Asked about the welcome given to Mr Adams by Cuban President Mr Fidel Castro in Havana last week, Ms Haas said Mr Adams had been told by the US administration that it would prefer if he didn't visit Cuba.
"I think Fidel Castro and Cuba clearly represent the past . . . So I think it's unfortunate that Sinn FΘin continues to associate itself with governments like Cuba and political movements that are essentially represented in the past".
He said the American government had had "tremendously good co-operation from the Irish Government "in the war against terrorism".
"I think the association of the word 'Ireland' with terrorism is somewhat fading . . . As things in the North improve I'm hoping that association gets weaker".
He said there were two challenges. "One is that the United States and Ireland continue to expand this partnership and this global effort against terrorism.
"And secondly, in the North, to deal successfully with home-grown terrorism."
