US politicians and Irish Americans are becoming tired with the failure to implement the Good Friday agreement, SDLP leader Mark Durkan said yesterday. Mr Durkan was speaking in Washington following a meeting with US Ambassador Richard Haass, who is President Bush's special adviser on Northern Ireland.
"The message that we are hearing loud and clear from the US administration, US politicians and the Irish Americans is that they are tired with the failure to implement the agreement. They wish us well and support us," he said.
"But they are puzzled. If we are all really up for all of the agreement, they cannot understand why we are not getting on with implementing it."
Mr Durkan said that we in the north of Ireland like to think that the eyes of the world are upon us.
"In reality, the eyes of the world are more likely to be rolling up to heaven when they see us unable to sort out our difficulties for ourselves. The truth is that the US is much more focussed on Iraq than on Ireland," he said.
Mr Durkan yesterday (Monday) briefed Mr Haass on SDLP reservations with the two governments' proposals on sanctions, the progress being made by the Policing Board, and advances made on demilitarisation and police reform.
