Martes, 5 de diciembre de 2006 (Continuación)

Having looked on helplessly, or unhelpfully, during Israel's destabilising summer bombardment of Lebanon, Britain and other European countries are now scrabbling to shore up Fouad Siniora's shaky pro-western government. The foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, and her German counterpart were in Beirut at the weekend. Messages of solidarity have come from France and Italy. Even Israel is warning of dire consequences should Mr Siniora fall.All agree that this week's Hizbullah-organised, largely Shia Muslim demonstrations, although broadly peaceful and "democratic" so far, must not be allowed to topple the government. Their attitude contrasts awkwardly with the approving western view of last year's anti-Syrian street protests by Sunni Muslims, Christians and Druze, whimsically dubbed the "cedar revolution", which ousted Lebanon's then prime minister, Omar Karami.…  Seguir leyendo »

Nuclear weapons are terrifyingly dangerous. The very thought of them sends tremors through the upper ranks of Labour. The fallout caused by nuclear warfare in the party's bad old days has left them radiation-scarred. The sight of CND delivering its alternative white paper to Downing Street yesterday only hardens their resolve to do the wrong thing.Let's get one thing straight. The question of whether to spend £25bn on a new Trident system has nothing to do with defence - and they know it. When I ring round a few cabinet ministers, it is mildly amusing to hear them rolling out the reason why we need a replacement with as sincere a voice as they can manage.…  Seguir leyendo »