sombrefan

Bush and Powell are coming to Northern Ireland next Monday or Tuesday to talk with Tony Blair about the war. F**king hell.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2918733.stm

They're coming to kickstart the Northern Ireland peace process (which has died more times than my jokes have on the boards). And obviously discuss the Iraq situation.

Now Bush has no interest in Northern Ireland, we all know that living here. Which is fair enough, why should the leader of the only hyper power in the world concern himself with a small country on the edge of Western Europe. Clinton pursued the Irish vote, Bush never really seemed to make the effort.

The real reason he is coming to Northern Ireland is because we have the best security in the United Kingdom. Obviously after 30 odd years of terrorist attacks, the army and police here are pretty shit hot. Interestingly it is the experiences and mistakes the British army made in Northern Ireland which have helped them do far better in the 'hearts and minds' campaign in Iraq than the American army.

What all this means is that Belfast will be locked down, and I'll see loads of army helicopters and river patrols whenever Bush arrives. Tis weird being in the same place where history will happen.

I'll leave you with a infamous quote by Tony Blair from a earlier attempt to kickstart the peace process here.

"This is no time for soundbites, but I feel the hand of history on my shoulder."