US Special Adviser to Northern Ireland, Richard Haass, has expressed his gratitude for the sympathy shown by people throughout Northern Ireland in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

Originally scheduled to have arrived in the province to meet with various political parties about the future of the peace process, Mr Haass spoke out about what he described as a “truly horrible” turn of events.

“I appreciate the many calls that have come into the consulate,” he said. “People from across the political spectrum from all communities have weighed in and that's appreciated."

Mr Haass is set to meet with Acting First and Deputy First Ministers, Sir Reg Empey and Seamus Mallon, to discuss how to deal with the current difficulties affecting the peace process, having already held talks with the Irish Government.

Meanwhile, security measures have been stepped up at airports throughout the North and the Republic of Ireland following the terrorist attacks in America. Disruption to flight timetables is set to continue throughout the day as emergency air traffic control restrictions are expected to only be partially relaxed. Any flights from the province to the US will not resume until Thursday, and flights from Dublin are said to be delayed ‘indefinitely’.

Following Tuesday’s attack, Ireland has declared an official day of mourning on Friday for the American people, and it has emerged that an Irish mother and daughter were aboard one of the planes which crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. (CL)