Sinn Fein sceptical of Clinton diplomacy

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, DEC. 4. Amid the media build-up over the U.S. President, Mr. Bill Clinton's visit to Northern Ireland next week, Sinn Fein sources told The Hindu today that they did not expect any ``major breakthrough'' in the stalled peace process. They said the Sinn Fein would put across its arguments before him ``forcefully'' and leave him to draw his own conclusions.

In fact, the view in Sinn Fein circles was that it was going to be no more than a ``farewell'' visit. A Sinn Fein official said the U.S. President had made ``quite a large contribution'' to the peace process and clearly he was anxious to see it moving before laying down his office next month. He

dismissed reports that Mr. Clinton was likely to pressure the Sinn Fein on the issue of arms decommissioning by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) which the Unionists see as the main roadblock to peace. ``President Clinton has always been even- handed and we don't think that he is going to take sides,''

he said.

According to indications, Mr. Clinton is not carrying any firm proposals and basically he will be ``talking and listening'' to various viewpoints. Though officially the date of his visit has not been announced, he is likely to spend just one day in Belfast - probably December 13. He is also expected to visit Ireland which is becoming increasingly impatient with the situation north of its border. The Irish Prime Minister, Mr. Bertie Ahern has been trying to get both the Ulster Unionists and the Sinn Fein to resolve their differences but in recent weeks things have got even worse, particularly after the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr. David Trimble's decision to bar Sinn Fein Ministers from attending meetings of cross-border bodies unless there is progress on arms decommissioning.

Even as Mr. George Mitchell, the former U.S. Senator who played a key role in facilitating the Good Friday agreement, said on Sunday that Mr. Clinton would try and do his best to break the deadlock, the mood among the ``combatants'' was far from optimistic as both sides tried to blame the other for the slow progress in implementing the agreement. Sinn Fein is expected to make it clear to Mr. Clinton that it is not happy with the British Government's handling of the situation. It accuses Westminster of making promises and than breaking them - the latest being the new policing arrangement for Northern Ireland which, according to the Sinn Fein, falls short of the Patten Commission's recommendations.

``The British Government cannot go on breaking promises and then blame us for the stalemate,'' a Sinn Fein spokesman said. The outcome of Mr. Clinton's visit, he said, would depend on the attitude of the Unionists and the British Government.

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