The Deluge of Disaster in Iraq has begun. There is so much news that there is no point in trying to aggregate it here. I check at least once a day at Paul Woodward's excellent
The War in Context.
Bush faces fiery welcome
Tania Branigan
Monday November 3, 2003
The Guardian
This Wednesday Guy Fawkes will share his perch on bonfires with a man who, his critics say, poses as great a danger as the 17th-century conspirator once did.
Anti-war campaigners will prop grinning effigies of George Bush on to pyres around the country, hoping to stoke up opposition to his state visit to Britain this month.
The gesture is an apt one, for the US president can expect pyrotechnics when he arrives on November 19. Protesters angered by the invitation hope it will backfire on the government; George Galloway MP has described it as "sheer political madness".
Activists say it is galvanising opposition to the occupation of Iraq, and demonstrators will travel from across Europe to join the protests in London.
"Although people were prepared to suspend their disbelief [to support troops], events around the war and immediately afterwards have made them think they should be opposing it again," said Lindsey German of the Stop the War coalition.
"The invitation adds insult to the injury caused by the war. People are saying this is the most antagonised they have felt since February [before the war began]."
Bush's three-day stay is the first official visit by a US president since Ronald Reagan's in 1982. But despite the rarity of the diplomatic honour, Downing Street has refused to comment, beyond describing it as an opportunity "to deepen our close relationship with a close international partner".
Critics argue it provides Mr Bush with an opportunity to portray himself as a well-respected statesman in the run-up to next year's presidential elections. And they are determined to show the world that British opposition to involvement in Iraq has not faded.
"Our main message is to Blair, but undermining Blair undermines Bush," said Simon Hester, an activist at a recent meeting in London to plan the protests.
Tony Blair is in deep trouble. Having Bush show up to do his "statesman" tour is going to cost Blair, and it may cost him his job if Gordon Brown can put together a power center in the Labor Party before the Winter Meetings next month. Blair maybe history by the first of the year.
I wonder what kind of coverage our lapdog press is going to give this. I don't recall seeing film of the heckling Bush received in Australia last month, or of the demonstrations outside Parliament.
