First, this story is barely being covered today in the US press, which can't stop themselves from incessant reporting of the minutia of the Iraqi war games.

However, this meeting isn't being portrayed as a trip to help Blair with the Good Friday Agreement. Rather, it is being portrayed as the first "summit" between Blair and Bush on the carving up of post-war Iraq. Of course, the media doesn't refer to it as a meeting for that purpose, because the media is still presenting the American intentions in Iraq with the smiley face liberation slant.

I'm listening to the NPR report now. The top of the report as being for the purpose of presenting the "unified front", but on Blair's turf this time. The report is saying that the summit is about post-war Iraq, and other Middle East problems, and "defining the UN role". Don Gonyea, the NPR correspondent travelling with Bush, didn't even mention the Northern Irish peace process. Not once.

So, the answer from the American side is--the real reason for the so-called summit is the propaganda war. Bush only agreed to go to Northern Ireland because technically, his administration can now claim it is attempting to heal the rift between Washington and Europe. That is why Bush is accompanied by Powell. If I were Torie Blair I'd be feeling very nervous about the lack of British involvement in the post-war plans, much less the UN, NATO and the EU.