A senior adviser to President Clinton on Northern Ireland will travel to Belfast tomorrow to meet leaders of the political parties, The Irish Times has learned. The visit has not been announced.
Mr Jim Steinberg, deputy National Security Adviser at the White House, yesterday met the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, in London to discuss the critical stage reached in the negotiations. He had planned to visit Dublin as well but has had to cancel that to return to Washington on Monday for other business. He is also advising Mr Clinton on the Iraqi situation.
Diplomats here say Mr Stein berg is visiting London to prepare for the G7 economic summit in Birmingham in May which will be attended by Mr Clinton. He is taking advantage of this to go to the North to meet leading political figures. Administration sources here doubt the talks can be completed in time to have referendums held on May 7th as planned.
Mr Steinberg is expected to meet the Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, who had planned to be in Washington this week, but cancelled when Sinn Fein was expelled from the peace talks. Administration sources told The Irish Times that a US visa was available for Mr Adams but he would not have been allowed to visit the White House as long as Sinn Fein was not in the talks.
If Sinn Fein re-enters the peace talks on March 9th, Mr Adams and his wife will be invited to the White House with other Northern political leaders for the St Patrick's Day reception.