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George Bush gaffe sees him condemn the 'wholly unjustified and brutal war in Iraq'

“I mean Ukraine.”

euronews / YouTube

FORMER US PRESIDENT George W. Bush made an embarrassing slip of the tongue when he accidentally condemned the “wholly unjustified and brutal war in Iraq”.

Bush quickly corrected himself to say “Ukraine”, before joking “Iraq too” and reminding the crowd that he was 75-years-old. 

The two-term US president was making a speech in Dallas about Russia’s war on Ukraine and was speaking about Russia’s persecution of political opponents he made the gaffe. 

The result is an absence of checks and balances and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq, I mean Ukraine.

Bush was president when the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq toppled dictator Saddam Hussein and ushered in one of the bloodiest periods in the country’s modern history, marked by sectarian warfare and the rise of jihadists.

Between 2003 and 2011, when the US withdrew its troops, more than 100,000 civilians were killed, according to the Iraq Body Count tracker. The invasion cost the lives of nearly 4,500 Americans.

Video footage of the gaffe has since gone viral online, with one post on Twitter having been viewed more than 14 million times in less than half a day.

It was also picked widely up by Arab media, stoking anger among Iraqis.

“The spectre of Iraq’s invasion and destruction haunts Bush Jr. His subconscious exposed it when it took over his tongue,” Iraqi journalist Omar al-Janabi tweeted.

“Yes it is a brutal and unjustified invasion which will remain your worst nightmare”, he added.

The US-led invasion of Iraq was launched on 20 March, 2003 after accusations that the Saddam regime had weapons of mass destruction. None were ever found.

With reporting by © – AFP 2022

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    Mute Trevor Singleton
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    Jan 13th 2013, 7:50 AM

    It’s gas they’ll go nuts over a flag up there, down here we just role our eyes and take what ever tripe the government dish out. Makes me wonder who is right?

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    Mute O'Reilly
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:42 AM

    If you really have to wonder, it suggests a lot about you. Ditch the suit and join them. Why on earth you’d even hint we should be wreacking havoc in our own capital… Bored much?

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    Mute Dodge Challenger
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:48 AM

    Goes to show that many of the people in the free state couldn’t be bothered, sadly. As long as they aren’t subject to foreign rule, everything is just fine. Forget about our brothers in the north. I think yous need to take the finger out, and wake up. Your comment sounds like the typical Irish government stance during the past half century or so.

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    Mute Trevor Singleton
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    Jan 13th 2013, 1:06 PM

    I was posing the question should we protest more …. Not should we wreck the place every time we don’t like a decision the govt make… Are u FG much?

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    Mute little red thumb boy
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    Jan 13th 2013, 1:30 PM

    @Dodge

    Short memories are handy things.

    How many Gardai and members of the REAL Oglaigh na hEireann did PIRA kill over the years, and how many people and businesses in the Republic of Ireland did they terrorise in those years ?
    Please don’t lecture about ‘Northern brothers’
    Volunteer Adams needs to stop lecturing others.

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    Mute Eddie O'Mahony
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:47 AM

    Well said Gerry, shame it won’t be broadcast to the masses via the media in the UK to help people understand what this is all about. They way people outside the island of Ireland see this is “stupid Irish fighting each other again”.

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    Mute Richie_Dolan
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:32 AM

    4 people blocked a road in Carrick during the week as the PSNI looked on. If they had tri colours on their flag poles 400 wouldn’t have been allowed block it for an evening. There is always a mix of tolerating Unionism/Loyalist violence by the police and a fear of taking them on.

    We all know that pretty much every senior Loyalist paramilitary is also a tied to the Security forces in some way. Time for the orders to go out to stop this.

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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Jan 13th 2013, 6:55 PM

    If only our Politicians were like that in Europe, we may get somewhere like the Greeks! We can pick a fight or bully each other, but when it comes too a German woman! We’re pure Chicken!

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    Mute Olibhéar Ó Góillin
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:07 AM

    Gerry Adams talking about illegality now you have to sit back and have a good laugh, 90% of the stuff this man done was illegal!!!

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    Mute Chris Kelly
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    Jan 13th 2013, 9:36 AM

    You are also one of the minority of idiots living in the past, move on SF are

    88
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    Mute Richie_Dolan
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:15 AM

    Your a member of FF ffs. A party whose leaders criminality and treason is very much part of our lives every day as we deal with the fallout from their crime spree during the Celtic Tiger.

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    Mute Martin
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    Jan 13th 2013, 11:48 AM

    Didn’t Fine Gael act illegally when the evaded tax for 9 years !

    43
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    Mute T W I T T E R L A D
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:29 AM

    Gerry Adams and illegality… Pot and Kettle…

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    Mute Chris Kelly
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    Jan 13th 2013, 9:37 AM

    Another one of the minority of idiots living in the past move on

    60
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    Mute Justin Gillespie
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:17 AM

    Does not harping on about the pat mean that we can now stop talking about Bertie, Cowen, Harney etc etc.
    Just wondering

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    Mute Nun on Yokes
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:27 AM

    I’ve got a guaranteed solution to eliminating the majority of these terrorist groups and bigoted political parties in the north: Ban the alphabet.

    59
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    Mute Rob Zombie
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    Jan 13th 2013, 9:33 AM

    You know what stop with Sinn Fein and the past.

    You may as well say the same about our German paymasters that not so long ago they were gassing millions of people.

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    Mute Eddie O'Mahony
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    Jan 13th 2013, 9:43 AM

    Agreed

    31
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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:31 AM

    Rob, you know what, don’t tar all Germans with the Nazi brush. No one tars all the Irish with the Sinn Fein/IRA brush.

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    Mute John Dobermann
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:35 AM

    Lets release all our murderers and rapists too! Sure that happened in the past.
    People want to get past the troubles but when people who were heavily involved in it are in the dail rather than prison its hard to swallow.

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    Mute Tom Keating
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:27 AM

    Agree or disagree with him, but he is correct.

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    Mute Lucille Ball
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:13 AM

    Typical of the paddy to be living in the past.. reason why the country is in the shit it’s in….

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    Mute Lucille Ball
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:15 AM

    That comment was for Olibhear…

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    Mute Lord Loverocket
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:50 AM

    News flash: the Provisional IRA have decommissioned and disbanded. According to some comments here, you wouldn’t think so. Sinn Féin have moved on. Why can’t you?

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    Mute Darren Ó hUiginn
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    Jan 13th 2013, 12:10 PM

    Some people like to pick and choose certain aspects of history to suit their agenda as they are not capable of having a discussion about the important issues like where Ireland is today and how we move forward.

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    Mute little red thumb boy
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    Jan 13th 2013, 1:37 PM

    @Lord Loverocket
    You can’t decommission mindsets.

    Just read some of the comments from the Sinn Fein-IRA supporters above

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    Mute Lord Loverocket
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    Jan 13th 2013, 2:36 PM

    @ Little Red Thumb Boy

    I read all comments. Some are looking to the future but some others are stuck in the past.

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    Mute O'Reilly
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:46 AM

    This is why SF needs to loose Gerry and the like. Any protestations about illegality seems trite coming from them. Ditch them now and SF might have some chance…

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    Mute Frank2521
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:01 AM

    Gerry — drug dealing and all illegal practices like protection rackets are still the stock and trade of the IRA. Stop inciting violence in the south of Ireland like you did in the north. You are one of the very few who benefitted. Go back up there to live and stop lecturing on proper behaviour by others.

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    Mute Chris Kelly
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:11 AM

    Highly intelligent comment well done, me arse

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    Mute Richie_Dolan
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:20 AM

    God but your one bitter auld sod.

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    Mute Lord Loverocket
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:37 AM

    @Frank: you talk some cr@p man

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    Mute Stephen Maher
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    Jan 13th 2013, 11:03 AM

    @frank
    can you point to an instance in which a member of sinn fein or the (now-defunct) provisional ira have been convicted of dealing drugs??
    just one, and that’ll shut me up.

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    Mute Robin Pickering
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:26 AM

    Wondered why Gerry was being so quiet over this until I discovered that he was in a private hospital in the US getting treatment for prostate cancer. Socialist my arse. The HSE and NHS might be good enough for the rest of us, but not for Gerry Adams. Hypocrite.

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:33 AM

    Now Robin, that remark is below the belt.

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    Mute David Barrett
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    Jan 13th 2013, 11:09 AM

    Can’t blame a man for wanting the best possible treatment to save his life.

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    Mute Cal1 Mooney
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    Jan 13th 2013, 2:18 PM

    Robin, if he was to go on a waiting list here, the chances of his survival would be diminished. If a man wants to spend royalties from selling books to get the best medical attention he can get, would you use that against him?
    It says a lot about our health service, that people would rather spend their own money and get private treatment. That is the real shame.

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    Mute Robin Pickering
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    Jan 13th 2013, 6:29 PM

    For once Cal1 I agree with you. It is a shame, I don’t blame him for wanting the best treatment and I’d do the same.

    But then again, I’m not spouting on about solidarity with the working classes. Maybe he could’ve gone on the waiting list and paid for a child on the list to go to America?

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:58 AM

    The sittishuation is just as bod as erea it was

    29
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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jan 13th 2013, 9:11 AM

    Another heavy duty Saturday night, Flipflop?

    24
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    Mute Julie
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    Jan 13th 2013, 2:43 PM

    Right enough , peace process, troubles over, truth and reconciliation process being called by Sinn Fein but falling on deaf ears , why because we would have answers we would know exactly what happened , why do the British and Irish government not want this that’s what I want to know, the people up the north who were directly affected by the troubles have made peace and SF are representing the people up there. We in republic have no right to use this horrible time for our own political means. SF are a great party with 3/4 people who had any connection to the ira. The republic government sat back and did nothing at the time and feel they have the right to use the troubles to try ruin the reputation of a party/ and avoid answering very important questions put to then by Sinn Féin !

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    Mute Lord Loverocket
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    Jan 13th 2013, 11:43 PM

    As Ali G would say, me Julie…you is fit!

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    Mute Damocles
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    Jan 13th 2013, 7:48 AM
    12
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    Mute Damocles
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:07 AM

    [[System error]]
    [[System error - Irony Overload]]
    [[System error]]
    [[System error - Emergency Shut Down Initiated]]
    [[System error]]
    [[System error - Manual Restart Required]]
    [[System error]]

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    Mute Lucille Ball
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:14 AM

    @ Damolles… 90% of comments yesterday agreed BNP were behind alot of it…

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    Mute Chris Kelly
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    Jan 13th 2013, 9:35 AM

    You are one of the minority of idiots living in the past Damocles

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    Mute Eoj McGovern
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:18 AM

    Comment of the week Damocles

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    Mute Justin Gillespie
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:19 AM

    Class Damocles pure class

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    Mute Lord Loverocket
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:31 AM

    Crass Damocles, pure crass

    41
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    Mute Eoj McGovern
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:34 AM

    Are we so stuck up that we can’t laugh at this comment?

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    Mute Vincent Dolan
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    Jan 13th 2013, 1:21 PM

    Why is the “TD for Louth” so interested in Belfast? You’d nearly think he was a carpetbagger who is really from West Belfast. But that can’t be the case. Sinn Fein have our best interests at hear and are paragons of virtue.

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    Mute Cathal Ó Néill
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    Jan 13th 2013, 2:10 PM

    Maybe because that Belfast is his home city plus he is the leader of one of the major parties in the north.

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    Mute Lord Loverocket
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    Jan 13th 2013, 2:52 PM

    @Vincent

    Aren’t all politicians parons of virtue? Fianna Fáil….Fine Gael….Labour? All paragons of virtue in my honest, sarcastic opinion.

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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Jan 13th 2013, 7:03 PM

    Vincent- You’d know about CarpetBaggers, FG have a party of them! Extorting money out of families on the breadline, impoverished even more to pay the private debts of Bankers and Cronyism/Nepotism rampant in the party!

    5
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    Mute Vincent Dolan
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    Jan 13th 2013, 7:44 PM

    @Cathail- he should stay up there so. That was my point.

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    Mute Cathal Ó Néill
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:10 PM

    Why’s that? He is an elected representative for the people of Louth, it would be very impractical if he only lived in the six counties.

    5
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    Mute Michael Kelleher
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    Jan 13th 2013, 8:20 PM

    Just watched this man on Sky, he will go anywhere for a vote, what a man! I also bet all the thumbs down are his shadey supporters.

    5
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    Mute Rory Mahony
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    Jan 13th 2013, 10:37 AM

    Is there anything to be said for arranging some tug boats to ship this war torn shot hole off to the Faroe Islands or something?

    11
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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jan 13th 2013, 11:16 AM

    What have the Faroe Islands ever done to you?

    16
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    Mute John Collins
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    Jan 19th 2013, 2:40 PM

    The 10% of polls sponsored by Sinn Fein were absolutely fine. Hilarious guy. Here all week!…..Yeah, yeah, Chris Kelly, I’m an idiot, I need to move on, yada, yada…Yer not as funny as Gerry, but yer not far aff!

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