[Daniel Wroe]

Indeed. I'd like to hope this has some influence on the British government's attitude towards IRA/Sinn Fein, but with Peter 'Britain's presence in the north continues to be the main obstacle to the solution to the problem' Hain in office, even hope is too optimistic.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Blair successive NIO appointments have been one big disaster over another - his strategy is to appease the IRA inorder to keep the bombs out of Britain, with little regard of the consequences for Ireland, both north and south.