The United States and Post-Agreement Northern Ireland, 2001-6

Abstract

On his inauguration in 2001, it was widely assumed that George W. Bush's presidency would signal the end of the United States' activist diplomacy in the Northern Ireland peace process. As such, it is unsurprising that the few existing accounts of the Bush administration's role in Northern Ireland have characterised its contribution as being negligible. This article will demonstrate, however, that the Bush administration has had a significant impact upon the politics of post-Agreement Northern Ireland, and that this is due to the autonomy that the White House grants to its special envoys to Northern Ireland. The Bush administration's role in post-Agreement Northern Ireland will also be compared to President Clinton's contribution to the peace process. Having completed the comparison, this article will conclude by arguing that in contrast to its self-described role as an 'honest broker', on balance, the United States has tended to side with the Irish government when disputes have arisen between Dublin and London.