Irish American politicians are alarmed about MI5 assuming the lead role in intelligence gathering in Northern Ireland next year, it was claimed tonight.
After meeting members of the Friends of Ireland lobby group in the US Congress, nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan said he was impressed by their grasp of the issue.
"At our meeting we were struck by how well informed and concerned leading Irish American Congressmen were about Tony Blair's plans to give the faceless men of MI5 an enlarged role in the north (of Ireland)," the Foyle MP said in Washington.
"They saw clearly through the spin being peddled by Peter Hain that this was compatible with Patten. "They realise, in fact, that it was turning Patten (Report on police reform) on its head and they committed to raise their concerns with the British Government.
"Patten put in place a Police Ombudsman and the Policing Board to keep a close and watchful eye on the police. "Handing intelligence gathering over to MI5 takes this vital work beyond their reach.
It means creating a force outside the police force of faceless men who cannot be held to real account."
The SDLP and Sinn Fein have been highly critical of plans to let MI5 take the lead role in the running of agents and informers in Northern Ireland.
Mr Durkan has argued it waters down police reforms because the intelligence agency, unlike the Police Service of Northern Ireland, is not accountable to Northern Ireland's Policing Board or the Police Ombudsman.
The proposal is contained in a Northern Ireland omnibus Bill currently winding its way through the House of Commons which also promises to transfer policing and justice powers from Westminster to a future administration at Stormont.