The supporting cast in the Global War on Terror

While Dubya surveys the pleasing vista of his allies Tony Blair and John Howard secure in their PM jobs despite their electorate's unhappiness with the Iraq invasion, there'll have to be some adjustments regarding the Irish branch of the GWoT. Because David Trimble, who had maintained the closest links with the Vast Rightwing Conspiracy, is going to lose his seat in the House of Commons today and will apparently soon resign as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

But step forward Ian Paisley as eager interlocuter for the GWoT on the island, with the only real awkwardness being that Paisley likes to emphasize the bible-thumping fundamentalism all the time, whereas Dubya's spinners like to keep that as a card that's only played before selected audiences.

For what it's worth, the moderate nationalist SDLP, which has avoided synergies with the GWoT, is holding up a lot better against Sinn Fein than Trimble's party against Paisley's. Trimble will doubtless do well on the VRC tour circuit, which has provided a nice sinecure for Jose Maria Aznar, for instance. But maybe a little less time on that circuit while he still had a political career, and a little more looking after local business in Northern Ireland, might have saved his current job.