The pressure on Sinn Féin over the detention of the three Irishmen in Colombia is increasing on both domestic and international fronts.
As the Sinn Fein President Mr Gerry Adams leads a party delegation into talks with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, in Dublin today; the US, Cuba and the Ulster Unionists have all put the spotlight on the relationship between the party and the three men.
The confirmation by the Cuban Minister for Foreign Affairs today that his country regarded one of the detained, Mr Niall Connolly, as a Sinn Féin representative is in direct contradiction of party President Mr Gerry Adams’ statement.
Meanwhile, new US sanctions against paramilitary groups in Colombia announced by Secretary of State Colin Powell today indicate how seriously the Bush administration regard the threat of Central American terrorists.
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Mr Richard Haass
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US President Mr George W. Bush's adviser on Northern Ireland, Mr Richard Haass, comes to Ireland today and has signalled he will be seeking an explanation from Sinn Féin over its alleged connection with the three men accused of assisting the left-wing FARC organisation.
On the eve of a trip to Central America, Mr Powell will announce Washington is putting United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) on a list of "foreign terrorist organisations". The Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is already on the list.
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Allied to these factors, President Bush’s special advisor on Northern Ireland Mr Richard Haass has indicated he will be asking Sinn Fein to explain itself over the Colombian arrests, when he meets Mr Adams this evening.
And Ulster Unionists will be hoping to exploit any political hostility to Sinn Fein in the US when a delegation travelling to the States today meets with politicians.
The delegation consisting of Lagan Valley MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, Lord Maginnis and Belfast councillor Mr Chris McGimpsey claimed as they set off for Washington the arrests of three Irishmen in Colombia had "sent shockwaves through the political process in Northern Ireland".
Mr Donaldson said: "It is very important that the US Congress is aware of the seriousness of the IRA-FARC link - particularly as it is estimated that 80% of cocaine and 70% of heroin entering the United States comes from Colombia.
"It is important that the administration in Washington recognises the IRA is in the same camp as Colombian terrorists dedicated to peddling cocaine and heroin on the streets of the United States. The FARC have carried out numerous attacks on American citizens and companies in Colombia.
"The United States has been the bulwark against the threat of terrorist anarchy in the world. We will be urging politicians to take the appropriate action in terms of their approach to Sinn Fein/IRA."
Today's Ulster Unionist delegation's visit to the US coincides with the arrival in Dublin of US President George W Bush's special envoy to Northern Ireland, Mr Richard Haass.
The State Department diplomat will meet the Government for talks about the Northern Ireland peace process before travelling to Belfast where tonight he will embark on a series of discussions with the province's political leaders behind closed doors.
Sources close to the discussions said he will be meeting the SDLP and Sinn Fein tonight and the Ulster Unionists tomorrow.
The parties have been restricted to two person delegations, with US officials anxious that political leaders maintain a blanket ban on talking to journalists about the meetings.
After talks with Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid in London yesterday, Mr Haass said the Bush administration was concerned about possible links between Irish republicans and Colombian rebels.
"The United States, as you all know, has important national interests in Colombia. We have got hundreds of Americans on the ground there. We have put in hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to help that country battle the insurrection, drug trafficking and so forth.
"So any co-operation with people in Colombia who are challenging the law, promoting the sale of drugs, any co-operation with them is to the US extremely, extremely disturbing. My concerns about those contacts are real."
President Bush's administration and several leading Irish US politicians have been alarmed at the arrests of Mr James Monaghan, Mr Niall Connolly and Mr Martin McAuley last month on suspicion of training members of the left-wing FARC militia, as well as travelling on false passports.
The three men have been detained in a high security prison as the Colombian authorities investigate their activities.
Additional reporting PA