Loyalist leaders have complained to the White House that damage was done to the Northern Ireland peace process by the suspension of deportation proceedings against six former IRA members.
The issue was raised during the meeting here between the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Mr David Ervine, the leader of the Ulster Democratic Party, Mr Gary McMichael, and President Clinton's national security adviser, Mr Sandy Berger.
Mr McMichael said later they insisted there must be "absolute even-handedness by the US administration towards Northern Ireland. It must not be seen as supporting one element of the peace process but the process as a whole".
The loyalist leaders had conveyed this message "forcibly" and hoped that it got across. They told Mr Berger that while the action in favour of the deportees was meant to enhance the peace process, according to the Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, "we made it very clear it did not enhance the peace process but favoured one element which actually deteriorated the peace process in Northern Ireland where it is important."
Mr McMichael said later: "We have enough banana skins waiting for us at home in the negotiating process without other people throwing more on the floor."
Mr Ervine said that in their meeting with the Irish Ambassador, Mr Sean O hUiginn, they had raised the question of the leaks of confidential documents to Irish newspapers about Northern Ireland matters.
"I think he was very open with us. Certainly we sensed the degree of embarrassment that this leaking process has inflicted upon the Irish administration. . . But I think we were comfortable enough with his openness and frankness. We are somewhat heartened by his comments," Mr Ervine told The Irish Times later.
The leaking had "opened a whole vista of difficulties" for the loyalists. But it now appeared that the material leaked may not be that sensitive, he said.
The loyalist leaders will attend a lunch in New York today, organised by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, before returning to Northern Ireland.