U2 singer Bono has warned against an excessive military response to Iraq, and suggested the White House could learn from the Irish experience of terrorism.
In an interview with Ireland on Sunday, he said that history was "just a bunch of screw-ups" but that "there are some screw-ups to learn from".
He added: "I think the way terrorism in Ireland was encouraged by a very over the top British response is a good example. You had 300 active service members of the Provisional IRA in the '70s and '80s and they sent in 30,000 troops.
"They also interned everybody who was suspicious without fair access to trial lawyers. Internment was the thing that actually grew the IRA."
He urged President Bush to take advice from those with more experience.
"It would be wise at this moment in time to think about the mistakes that have been made. Irish people have a little bit of experience with terrorism, and America has none."
Earlier, at the US National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences MusiCares benefit on Friday, where Bono was honoured for his humanitarian work, he said: "The war against terrorism is bound up with the war against poverty."
Former president Bill Clinton, introduced by Bono as "more of a rock star than any in this room", warned: "If you immediately think it's us versus them, then this will not be a world for your children to grow up in."
Bono was praised by a series of celebrities, including Salman Rushdie, Robert De Niro, Carly Simon, Patti Labelle, Sheryl Crow and B.B. King
Meanwhile, despite apparent misgivings initially, the US television station CBS decided not to silence anti-war statements at last night's annual Grammy awards for the music industry, broadcast live from Madison Square Garden in New York.
"While this is first and foremost entertainment, we're also in a country built on free speech. Sometimes it can make for some unpredictable moments," CBS said.
Several prominent individuals in the US entertainment business, including many of the singers, songwriters and musicians at last night's event, have expressed opposition to the Bush administration's plans for war against Iraq.