The former United States ambassador to London, Raymond Seitz, has accused the White House of being soft on Sinn Fein and even having leaked British intelligence to the IRA. His angry criticism of Mr Clinton's approach to the peace process comes in an extract from his memoirs published in the Sunday Telegraph. Mr Seitz was ambassador between 1991 and 1994 and still lives in London. This report from our Washington correspondent, Philippa Thomas:

Raymond Seitz was a popular choice as United States ambassador to London. Appointed by the Republican George Bush, he was confirmed in his post by Bill Clinton's Democratic Administration.

But in his memoirs, his description of Mr Clinton's approach to Northern Ireland is scathing. He dissects in detail the crisis in Anglo-American relations when, in 1994, President Clinton decided to grant a visa to the Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams, despite Mr Adams's refusal to renounce IRA violence.

At the time, John Major's government made its anger at the initiative very clear. In private, Mr Seitz says he became increasingly alarmed at what he calls the immaturity of decision-making in Washington.

He says the Administration made one concession after another to Sinn Fein; and he adds that London even stopped passing sensitive intelligence to the White House because it often seemed to find its way back to the IRA. Since then, of course, the peace process has moved on.