"SICK, I felt sick. This is truly horrible." In those words reaction in Washington to the IRA bombing was summed up by Ms Nancy Soderberg, special adviser to President Clinton on Northern Ireland.
The President was told the news by National Security Adviser Tony Lake when relaxing in his family quarters in the White House in the early afternoon. The President rang the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, to express his sympathy.
The White House also spoke with Senator George Mitchell, and there were reports that the chairman of the international body on decommissioning might travel to Britain and Ireland to report on the crisis.
Ms Soderberg and Mr Lake themselves first heard of the end of the ceasefire when they were on a conference call to Downing Street discussing the Irish proposals for proximity talks with Mr Major's special adviser, Mr Rod Lynes, and other British officials.
The Tanaiste, Mr Spring had just left Andrews Air Force Base in the Government jet to return to Dublin after talks with Mr Lake and Ms Soderberg.
They were informed on the plane in a telephone call from the Irish Embassy, which had received news of the statement before it was broadcast by RTE.
Shortly after hearing the news, the White House received a telephone call from Mr Adams in Belfast. According to officials, the Sinn Fein leader said that he was trying to establish what was going on and was committed to restoring the peace process.
He called again, just before the London explosion, to say he was hearing very disturbing news and he would call back. He did not mention a bomb but was confirming the IRA statement was genuine, the official said.
The two White House officials spent the afternoon calling all the party leaders in Belfast, the London and Dublin governments, the Washington embassies and their ambassadors in London and Dublin.
Mr Lake spoke with the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, and several more times with Mr Adams.
The senior official said everyone in the White House was "shocked and sad" but they wanted to "underscore the need to ensure that it does not derail the peace process." They were contacting all parties "to express our deep concern and to help to ensure the peace process continues."
While Mr Lake was talking to Mr Adams, Ms Soderberg was speaking to SDLP leader John Hume.
"Just as we do in the Middle East whenever there's a terrorist incident, we view this as an effort by the enemies of peace and we must work to ensure that they do not derail the process," the official said. "Gerry Adams is obviously saddened by this and agreed to the need to move the peace process forward."
The official said Mr Adams had not specifically commented on who was behind it. "This is the very early stages and it's going to be a bit of time before everybody sorts everything out. We are ready to assist the two governments in their search for peace. The two sides are beginning to find common ground. We're determined to engage to do everything we can.
The official said that frankly they did not know what was happening. "This all came as a surprise. There were lots of rumours around that there were pressures within the IRA. We certainly had no indications of this. We did know there were tensions about a move to all party talks, that is part of the reason we were engaged intensively in talks."
Asked if the administration was confident that Mr Adams could assert authority over the IRA, the official replied, "In our dealings with him he has always done exactly what he would say he would do and he was instrumental in delivering the ceasefire."