Here is John Simpson of the BBC opining on Iran. He used to be a good journalist before he got himself tangled in knots trying not to be judgemental about tyrannies, forgetting his grammar in the excitement: This was not, of course, the result the West was hoping for. But political chaos […]
Here is part of a comment on a previous posting of mine on Western policy in the Balkans: It isn’t the US’s or the UK’s business to "achieve stability or long-term solutions" in the Balkans, the Middle East, or anywhere else. The sooner these two moralising countries (whose own morals […]
Talk about Hopey Change. Things have moved into a dizzying new universe when the EU makes a rather brisker set of noises on Iran than the USA. Here is the worst utterance of a US Presidential spokesperson – ever: Obviously, we continue to have concern about what we’ve seen. Obviously, the […]
Welcome to BBRU 226. First things first Can you bake a good cake? Misssy M is struggling. Does the Objectification of Women via the explosion of pornography really lead to bad outcomes for women? Not at the Himmelgarten Café. Update: And, to get us into the swing of what follows, a magnificent example from Liberal England of European […]
Here is the text of UN Security Council Resolution 1874 condemning North Korea "in the strongest terms" for its nuclear test on 25 May 2009. The UNSC tried to tighten the embargo on material and skills needed for nuclear weapons activity from reaching North Korea: 11. Calls upon all States […]
My successor as HM Ambassador in Warsaw is in the Daily Mail being asked about the FCO’s policy to ‘promote’ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender (LGBT) rights. This question was put: Asked whether he would raise the rainbow flag at the British embassies in Iran or Saudi Arabia, Mr Todd […]
How to explain the frantic efforts of Gordon Brown to stay at No 10? One seriously insane theory I have heard, and NB it is insane, runs as follows. Remember that idea that Tony Blair wants to be the first ‘President of Europe’ once the Lisbon Treaty comes into force? That […]
Alex Massie perceptively wonders whether there is anything to be done with North Korea other than Doing Nothing (Much), as every other option is fraught with problems. He kindly says that he would like to hear from me on the subject. Always pleased to oblige. Here goes. A policy is […]
Here is the full text of President Obama’s Cairo speech. It had many strong points. A friendly, open-hearted yet serious and businesslike tone. Lots of inclusive words such as ‘respect’ and ‘partnership’. Some quite firm lines on Israel and its right to exist, to the point of being seen as surprisingly […]
Last night I was back again at the Frontline Club to hear Allan Little talk to Nick Hawton about the latter’s new book The Quest for Radovan Karadzic: When everybody else seemed to have given the hunt, one journalist doggedly followed his trail, travelling from the snow-capped mountains of Montenegro […]
