And what’s this “peace movement” she started in Northern Ireland? Forgive me if I’ve never heard of it. What I HAVE heard of is my former prime minister’s work over 10 years to bring the centuries old Irish problem to an end. In that he succeeded after all his predecessors had failed by bringing together opposing factions over his period in power, starting a few months after being first elected in 1997. I am VERY proud of Blair for his years of peace-making war here as well as in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. You know, Blair the ‘war criminal’? He had the help of American presidents and others and the backing of many groups, true. Despite many seeing his as equally ‘complicit’ with Bush in responsibilty for the deaths in Iraq, Blair brought peace to Northern Ireland. A ‘man of war’ making peace. Never forget THAT. YOU, Ms Williams, did not make war or peace, but a lot of noise, signifying little.

Groups with their worthy but narrow “peace agendas” do NOT hold the key. Nor do they have the diplomatic skills necessary. Singing “all you need is love” or “give peace a chance” is churlish, simplistic and in the end naive.

Bring us your simple message of peace – unadulterated by reality – if you must. But until YOU are elected, don’t tell us that it’s OK to kill western leaders. There are enough mad and evil anti-democracy groups and individuals in this world with that agenda.

Get behind your president, not with a gun, but to support him. Few of us ‘like’ the present situation in Iraq but we should remember whose side he is on. None of us like to see the increasing numbers of dead, which are being caused by insurgents. That’s exactly WHY they do it. They know we are affected, unlike themselves whose mediaeval extremism and yearning for martyrdom puts them well beyond any standards of human decency.

Those who conflate cause and effect so effortlessly and concude that WE are the bad guys are WRONG, so wrong.