A Tangled Web

Clinton Woos the Irish



Bubba Bill's back in Ireland. In fact he has spent so much time in Ireland over the past decade, one wonders why he ever wanted to become President of the United States. He was greeted in Dublin by a cheering crowd, doubtless imbibed with over- exuberance, calling out to Bubba with traditionally meaningless - and highly insincere - Irish blarney. The streets of Dublin must have been echoing with the familiar Hibernia-speak cobblers of 'Top of the mornin' to ya', 'What's the craic with you then, Bill?', and 'God bless ya and the 'divil' miss ya', etc, etc.



To me, Clinton returning to Ireland is akin to the Yorkshire Ripper returning to Alma Road in Leeds - the road where he murdered his last victim. Having just read Dean Godson's book about Trimble and his numerous political foibles over the last seven years, one of the most striking features of the 'peace process' was the degree of harmful partisanship practiced by the Clinton administration. For example, when Mandelson suspended the devolved institutions for the first time in February 2000, Blair telephone Clinton to elicit support for the move. Clinton declined to support the measure!! This is in spite of the fact that suspension was precipitated by the refusal of terrorists to decommission their arsenals, and the reassurances given to the Ulster Unionists by Clinton in the event of IRA intransigence.



I don't heartily dislike Clinton simply for his stance on Northern Ireland and the perfidious role he played in legitimising terrorist scum, I also dislike the man for his lack of morals and fidelity. It's a good thing Bubba Bill never ventured in to the field of herpetological incarceration, as the man is hopeless when it comes to keeping his own snake in its cage. The fools of Dublin might be keen to shake Clinton warmly by the hand, but there are thousands of others on the same island who would prefer to shake him warmly by the throat.