The Guardian meanwhile has a selection of ‘letters’ greeting Bush. Many of the names won’t be familiar to an American readership (and when those names include the likes of Polly Toynbee and Tony Benn, you should count yourself lucky), but they make for an interesting read.

One stand-out, predictably, the effort from poor old Harold Pinter:

“Dear President Bush,

I’m sure you’ll be having a nice little tea party with your fellow war criminal, Tony Blair. Please wash the cucumber sandwiches down with a glass of blood, with my compliments.

Harold Pinter “

Shouldn’t that be bile, Harold?