Sorry to bring this up again, but there is an interview from today that gives some insight into the Iraq situation imo.
THR: You saw firsthand how terrorism tore apart Ireland. What are your thoughts on the United States' current terrorism crisis?
Bono: These are nervous times -- that's clear. I think people often say that you first have to learn lessons from history, but history is just a bunch of screw-ups. But there are some screw-ups to learn from. I think perhaps the way terrorism in Ireland was encouraged by a very over-the-top British response in the '70s and '80s is a good example. You had 300 active service members of the provisional IRA around that time, and they sent in 30,000 troops and interned everybody who was suspicious without fair access to trial lawyers. Internment was the thing that actually grew the military wing of the IRA movement. It would be wise at this moment in time to think about the mistakes that were made. Irish people have a little bit of experience with terrorism, and America has none.