Monitor: All the News of the World - Irish and American comment on St Patrick's Day and the peace process

CLINTON AND the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland should try their best to dissuade the pro-British parties from denying Sinn Fein the cabinet posts it won. At the same time, they should seek ways to build confidence, perhaps by negotiating a staged and general disarmament by May 2000 and speedier creation of a police force that better reflects the province's ethnic composition. Clinton may prod, but on this feast of Ireland's patron saint ultimate responsibility for preserving peace belongs with the people of Northern Ireland.

Dallas Morning News

ALTHOUGH TRADITIONAL in recent years, it is still odd that Northern Ireland politicians are transplanted to Washington on St Patrick's Day to engage in domestic political problems. Clinton will do his best to square circles, but the outcome may not be decided until the politicians return and come up against the April deadline. They must keep their options open, with no more painting themselves into corners.

Belfast Telegraph

NORTHERN IRELAND'S political leaders will be in Washington for festivities marking St Patrick's Day. Much has been achieved this past year, but there is serious business still to be done. Monday's horrific murder of Northern Ireland attorney Rosemary Nelson was a bloody and brutal attempt by those who live by the bullet and bomb to destroy the political process and the peace that the people of Northern Ireland have so courageously fought to forge. They will not succeed. In the name of Rosemary Nelson and all the other victims who have died, we must go on.

Boston Globe

(Marjorie Mowlam)

TODAY PROVIDES a glimpse of what could be. All and every shade of opinion is out claiming St Patrick for themselves, though in different ways. It should be possible for all the different flags and emblems to fly together instead of AT each other. It can only happen when no one is trying to control or dominate anyone else. In that case people might find they don't need flags and emblems to defend their identities with.

The Irish News