**A rise in dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland is “out of step” with the peace process, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said.**Mrs Clinton, speaking in London as part of a tour of Europe, said it was “imperative” the Good Friday Agreement was “seen all the way to conclusion”.
She later flew to Dublin for talks and is due to visit Belfast on Monday.
At a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Mrs Clinton restated her faith in the US-UK “special relationship”.
The situation in Northern Ireland, the Afghan war, concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme and climate change were said to be on the agenda at Chequers.
The two politicians also discussed the current situation in Pakistan and India.
During her visit to the UK, Mrs Clinton also spoke of her admiration for the “incredible courage and commitment” of British troops in Afghanistan.
Personal commitment
Mrs Clinton’s comments on Northern Ireland followed a breakfast meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
Mr Miliband paid tribute to Mrs Clinton’s “personal commitment” to the peace process in Northern Ireland for more than 15 years.
Mrs Clinton said: “Those would would try to disrupt the peace of people going about their daily lives are out of step and out of time.”
Asked about the potential that financial support was being provided by US sympathisers, she added: “There is no support… the best we can tell is that those who try to inflict harm on others and cause damage are funding their evil enterprise from criminal gains and we hope to see an end to all of that.”
Her visit comes as the Irish National Liberation Army, an Irish republican paramilitary group responsible for dozens of murders during Northern Ireland’s Troubles, announced it is renouncing violence.
Police have recently begun an operation aimed at disrupting what is seen as increased dissident republican activity this year.
Mrs Clinton is expected to push for a break in the deadlock over a date for the devolution of policing and justice powers in her talks with officials.
Mr Brown recently held a series of meetings with Sinn Fein and the DUP on the timing of the transfer.