Greens in Northern Ireland decline White House Invitation.

The Green Party has declined an invitation to join President Bush's Whitehouse celebrations on St Patrick's Day.
The Party is citing its opposition to the war in Iraq and the need for political leadership in the battle to protect the climate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as their reason for the decision.
In a brief statement on behalf of the Party Executive, Dr John Barry & Dr Peter Doran said: "Green Partiy colleagues in the US and across the world have been consistent in their opposition to President Bush's illegal war in Iraq. Moreover, if the Green Party is to be true to its commitment to combat climate change, we must walk the talk. The Party has decided that a two-way trip across the Atlantic to celebrate St Patrick's Day in the Whitehouse is not a compelling reason, morally or practically, for emitting half a tonne of CO2
."Citing the lack of leadership shown by the Bush Adminstration on climate change Dr. Barry explained: "Our decision to decline this invitation should not be read as a criticism of the American people, but of the Bush Adminstration. Despite the Bush adminstration's lack of commitment to tackling climate change, there are many positive signs of grassroots leadership on the issue in the United States - in California, for example. Dozens of Mayors representing some 25 million Americans have signed up to an initiative to get American cities to meet the US's Kyoto environmental target which George Bush repudiated: cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 7% by 2010."The Green Party Executive thanked the American administration for the invitation but declined the invitation".