AS THE strongly worded condemnations of the Manchester bombing by President Clinton and Senator Edward Kennedy show the US administration's anger with the IRA, there are signs that patience with Sinn Fein is also running out.
The administration may now "give up" on the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, following the Manchester bombing, a Newsweek article predicts in today's issue. "If Adams cannot deliver the IRA, he is of little use to anyone," it says.
"True, the Americans were starting to get impatient with Adams who kept telling them that re instituting a ceasefire `takes time', but they had never quite given up on him. They may now have to," the article says.
The strong language in the statements of President Clinton and Senator Kennedy singles out the "men of violence" and the "terrorists" of the IRA for condemnation. Mr Clinton speaks of this "cowardly act of terrorism" and the "viciousness" which deserves universal condemnation.
Last week, during President Robinson's visit here, the emphasis from President Clinton was on hopes for an IRA ceasefire soon which would allow Sinn Fein into the talks. He "congratulated" Mr Adams on the size of the Sinn Fein vote and insisted it was "not a vote for violence".
While Irish American politicians have been blaming Britain for the hold up in the talks, the belated endorsement of Mr George Mitchell as chairman was seen as giving the IRA a positive signal to go ahead with the ceasefire. The timing of the Manchester bomb is now seen as incomprehensible.
Senator Kennedy's statement said pointedly that "the terrorists do not have the support of friends of Ireland in the United States. Whatever the goals of the IRA, they are gravely mistaken to believe they can achieve them by killing police officers and bombing shopping malls."
In an interview in Newsweek just before the bomb exploded in Manchester, Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein refused to speculate on a ceasefire but added: "Senator Mitchell's presence makes a much more conducive atmosphere for republicans to be associated with any process he is chairing".