President Clinton was either unable or unwilling to offer any new proposals to solve the problems of decommissioning and cross-Border bodies when he met Northern Ireland political leaders here, but he assured them of his continued involvement.
Ministers from the Irish and British governments, who are also visiting Washington, yesterday praised Mr Clinton's speech at the awards ceremony for the leaders as a very well balanced message for the unionists and Sinn Fein.
In his speech on Tuesday night at the Harriman Democracy awards, the President said bringing the new Northern Ireland institutions to life was essential to maintaining the momentum for peace.
He also applauded Gen John de Chastelain for his work towards achieving "the vital goal of disposing of weapons now that the war is over." He said: "Somehow or other, sooner or later we all have to decide we can't shoot our way out of our differences and difficulties."
Mr Clinton urged the leaders to "obey not only the letter of the Good Friday agreement but its spirit as well."
Ms Liz O'Donnell, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, said after a meeting with White House national security advisers yesterday that the President's message was fairly well targeted.
The reference to the letter and spirit of the agreement could be seen as meant for the unionists while the need for progress on disarmament was directed at the republicans.
Mr Paul Murphy, Minister of State in Northern Ireland, who is also visiting Washington, told a media briefing that the significance of the President's speech could not be overestimated. What he had said in his speech was very helpful both on decommissioning and on the more urgent task of establishing cross-Border bodies and government departments.
Mr Murphy seemed to see the President's reference to the spirit and letter of the agreement as applying to the need for decommissioning. While nothing in the agreement said the IRA had to decommission before Sinn Fein could become members of the Northern Ireland executive, "the spirit of it undoubtedly is that decommissioning should occur in this period", Mr Murphy said.
The Sinn Fein leader, Mr Gerry Adams, emerged late on Tuesday night from a 50-minute meeting with President and Mrs Clinton expressing satisfaction at what had been said about decommissioning in Mr Clinton's speech. Mr Adams said that in his private meeting with the Clintons he had raised the decommissioning issue himself and pointed out that there was a mechanism within the agreement to resolve the problem.
Sinn Fein was involved and Gen de Chastelain was doing his best, but all the parties were not involved. When he had met the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, last week, he never mentioned decommissioning, Mr Adams said.
Asked about the future US role, Mr Adams said he would be glad to see President Clinton "playing an encouraging role".