The fallout from Najaf (again)

Brendan: To continue from my previous post. 'Spin' in the Western media, on the whole, has painted Najaf as some kind of triumph. In fact, what it has done is shown that you can foment an armed revolt against the Iraqi state and essentially get away with it. Others will be watching this closely, and will doubtless make the correct inference,...  Full post

Najaf Tales

Brendan: As more than a few people have pointed out, the Najaf situation may well be a turning point in the war. So: now that it seems to be 'over' (at least temporarily), who are the winners and losers? The BIG winner is Sistani. He has demonstrated that 'only he ha(d) the political clout to force an accord between the coalition-backed...  Full post

Blair Impeached

Brendan: This is unfortunately unlikely to go anywhere. But it does indicate the depths of concern in Parliament and the country at large as to where Blair is taking us. 'MPs are planning to impeach Tony Blair for "high crimes and misdemeanours" in taking Britain to war against Iraq, reviving an ancient practice last used against Lord Palmerston more than 150...  Full post