Somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 demonstrators attended Dublin’s “Stop Bush” rally on Friday night, whereas an estimated 100,000 people had taken part in last year’s anti-war rally in the capital.
Ensconced in County Clare’s Dromoland Castle, the president could call on 4,000 gardai and 2,000 armed soldiers to maintain a safe distance between him and the 1,000 protestors who gathered near the castle and at nearby Shannon airport.
The president used the occasion to declare that the U.S. and the EU now had a shared approach to Iraq and said that the U.S. would remain in the country only so long as it was necessary.
“As Iraq moves toward the transfer of sovereignty next week, the EU and the United States are united in our determination to help the people of Iraq,” he said.
Bush’s visit had been dogged by controversy, with senior Irish lawyers, members of the clergy and trade unionists registering their opposition to his presence in Clare. Senior government politicians, including Justice Minister Michael McDowell, also voiced concerns about certain aspects of U.S. foreign policy and, in particular, the treatment of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and of Iraqi prisoners of war.
In a private meeting with the president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, Bush was told of the “disquiet” of many Irish people at U.S. policy in Iraq. President McAleese is also believed to have warned Bush of the serious “disconnect” between world leaders and their people on the issue.
Bush also held a separate bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The taoiseach is thought to have urged the president’s continued support of the peace process in the North.
The White House had planned to use the summit as a valuable opportunity to rebuild bridges between Europe and the U.S. following the acrimony surrounding the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
The meeting produced several joint declarations, including ones on economics, HIV-AIDS, terrorism, the Sudan crisis and a new European satellite navigation system.
Meanwhile, it was revealed over the weekend that the Irish state broadcaster RTE was refused an interview with First Lady Laura Bush after the White House objected to its reporter’s handling of an interview with the president on Thursday night.
Washington correspondent Carole Coleman was granted a 10-minute interview that garnered headlines throughout the world after President Bush became visibly uncomfortable with her line of questioning.
Bush accused Coleman of continually interrupting him. The RTE correspondent raised questions about the U.S. handling of the Iraq situation and suggested that the world was now a more dangerous place than it had been prior to the Iraqi invasion.
Coleman’s interviewing technique is regarded as common practice in Europe, where journalists routinely give politicians a hard time. The White House complained to the Irish embassy on Thursday night, saying it felt Coleman had been disrespectful towards the president.
Reports in the Irish press have since suggested that the Irish government has accepted the U.S. complaints. However, RTE has stood by Coleman and has said it is happy that her conduct was thoroughly professional.