Trying to avoid a diplomatic letdown, the White House is discouraging any talk of a breakthrough during President Clinton's trip to Northern Ireland.

"People are unrealistic in expecting Clinton to pull a rabbit out of that hat," Nancy Soderberg, his chief adviser on Northern Ireland, said in a recent interview.Next week's trip, the first by a U.S. president to Northern Ireland, comes at a sensitive moment. Though an Irish Republican Army cease-fire is nearly 15 months old, Britain is pressing the IRA-allied Sinn Fein party to get the outlawed group to begin disarming.

Sinn Fein argues that disarming is tantamount to surrender.

The Clinton administration is trying to avoid the appearance of taking sides, urging both parties to adopt a "twin track" approach to negotiations: political negotiations paralleled by an international commission that would tackle the weapons issue.

A senior administration official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said the administration was still optimistic that talks would begin, though nobody can predict whether they would take place before or after Clinton's trip.

View Comments

The process will most likely be frozen during the visit, officials predict.

"A lot of the press is expecting us to have a big huge announcement on the peace process when we get there," Soderberg said. "It gives us an oppportunity to press for peace."

Clinton plans to meet with Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders, along with British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Prime Minister John Bruton.

The president leaves Tuesday.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.