Mitchell the peacemaker will need a miracle to do a Belfast in Jerusalem

IF NICENESS had anything to do with it, George Mitchell will pull off Middle Eastern peace by Easter.

With a mixture of charm, skill, seemingly inexhaustible patience, determined neutrality and immense capacity for hard work, he won round almost all the participants in the Northern talks.

Only the DUP could not be persuaded that this part Maronite Christian — and, therefore, Papist, Dr Paisley assured everyone — approached the ancient conflict with an open mind.