At the Chilcot inquiry, Blair claimed the risk of terrorists being supplied WMDs by rogue states justified a policy of invasion rather than containment and deterrence. Alex Holland analyses this argument for regime change
Hizbollah upgrades its military capability as Israel is accused of assassinating a senior Hamas commander. indigenous leaders are attacked in Bangladesh. Obama approves arms sales to Taiwan. The US Senate backs tougher sanctions against Iran. All this and more in today’s security update.
World leaders debate the future of Afghanistan at London summit. Bangladesh executes independence leader’s killers. Honduras’ Zelaya goes into exile. The international community unites to tackle al-Qaeda in Yemen. All this and more in today’s security briefing.
Ahead of Blair's testimony on the Iraq war, it is worth considering a recent exchange in the American blogosphere which illustrates the imperial temptation in the politics of both nations
Anthony Barnett goes back to the openDemocracy archives
The Iraqi Accountability and Justice Commission's decision to ban former Baathist Saleh al-Mutlaq from standing in the forthcoming election threatens to derail the process of reconciliation in the country and provoke a crisis in Iraqi politics.
Houti Shi’ite rebels in Yemen want ceasefire with Saudi Arabia. Student killed in riots over Venezuelan media. ‘Chemical Ali’ hanged in Iraq. Hundreds arrested after violence in Nigeria. All this and much more, in today’s briefing.
Haiti announces that 400,000 people made homeless in last week’s earthquake are to be relocated outside the capital as the situation on the ground begins to slowly improve. The president of Afghanistan unveils a plan aimed to attract Taliban insurgents to the side of the Afghan government. The US
US military presence in Haiti sparks controversy. Religious riots kill 200 in Jos, Nigeria. UN warns Israeli blockade puts Gazans’ health at risk. Yemen strikes house of suspected al-Qaeda militant. FBI 'fabricated terror emergencies' to get access to phone records. Suicide attack on Iraqi army HQ
Afghan forces battle Taliban militants in streets of Kabul. China stonewalls possible sanctions against Iran. Deadly violence erupts in Nigerian sectarian clashes. UN seeks additional troops for Haiti. All this and much more, in today’s security briefing.
The path to a resolution of Iran’s internal political crisis and its international nuclear confrontation is uncertain. Volker Perthes outlines four possible ways forward.
The US needs to alter its security orientated discourse on Iran to nourish the reform movement and democracy
