US President George W Bush has arrived in Britain for his first official visit. Before leaving the United States, Mr Bush told journalists that he would not back down on his plans for a missile defence system. He also stood by his controversial opposition to the Kyoto agreement on global warming. Nearly 20 protestors, who oppose Mr Bush's missile defence system, held a demonstration as the presidential cavalcade left an RAF base in Oxfordshire.
Earlier President Bush, in his first significant intervention in the Northern Ireland peace process, called on the IRA to disarm. The President said in an interview with the London Times that the United States strongly supported the British and Irish governments in their attempts to implement the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Bush, who begins his first presidential visit to Britain later today, said that the peace process was entering a critical stage and he was ready to help.
President Bush has said little on Northern Ireland since coming into office six months ago except that he supports the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Now as he leaves for London to meet with British Prime Minster, Tony Blair, he has added to this by calling for decommissioning. "There should be no mistake", he said, "the US believes the decommissioning part of the Good Friday Agreement must be upheld."
He added that the US government stands side by side with the British and Irish governments in urging all sides to disarm. The situation, he said, was coming to a critical stage. He also repeated his offer to help; saying that he stands ready if needed. He indicated that he would be discussing the Northern Ireland situation with Tony Blair when the two meet at Chequers.
He is also due to have lunch with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, before moving onto Genoa for the G8 economic summit. As he prepares to meet the G8 leaders, he has again said that he does not intend to back down on missile defence or his opposition to the Kyoto agreement on global warming.
