…And speaking of Nuzhound, today’s postings include a piece by Conor
Cruise O’Brien in the Irish Independent arguing that Tony Blair’s long
campaign of appeasing the IRA may be meeting obstruction from George W.
Bush. Quote: “I can see only one factor at work that has the capacity to
bring about the end of the appeasement of the IRA. That factor is the power
of the United States, exercised through the President. The State Department
is disposed to appease Sinn Fein-IRA, through its malleable representative
Richard Haas. But I don’t think President Bush is at all disposed to appease
terrorists of any kind anywhere. I believe that if the Colombian Court were
to convict the Colombia Three [i.e. the three IRA men accused of helping
train and equip FARC narco-terrorists in Colombia] of terrorism and sentence
them, President Bush will then tell the British and Irish Governments that
unless they break off relations with Sinn Fein-IRA, their relationship with
the United States will be at risk. When that day comes the British and
Irish Governments will have no alternative but to comply with the wish of
the United States. But that day is still some distance off and in the
meantime the ball is in the court of Sinn Fein-IRA.”