Chaps, can you discuss the IRA somewhere else please? The issues about that are I think detracting from the issue of this thread.

England first invaded Ireland 400 years ago-ish, or even earlier, and the issues about whether there was a conquest legitimating a claim under usual constitutional law principles to rule by right of conquest (which would make the 1920-ish events a rebellion (conceded to by the Government of Ireland Act (that citation is from memory so may be wrong)) , and the IRA unlawful rebels at best) or whether there was never a true conquest in which case the IRA are a legitimate resistance, at least in some of what they do, are rather different from the present occupation (if that is the word) of Iraq.

Nor do I think Iraq's position is illustrated by considering the Bill of Rights 1688 (the aftermath of the last revolution in England) or the Act of Union!