It has been confirmed today that Tony Blair's aide Ruth Turner has been arrested by police investigating the cash for honours corruption scandal. Blair himself became the first UK Prime Minister to be interviewed by police in the same investigation. The police visited Downing Street on the same day the outcomes of the investigation into the death of Diana Princess of Wales were dominating the news.  

HiObviously you are free to post comments to this blog, but I also would like to invite you to write a main post, which I would publish for you. It can be on whatever political topic you want and argued from any perspective.Mail me at mailto:info@failedstate.co.uk

Hi,I suppose I should say something about myself, so people know who they are listening to.I live in the South West of England and work primarily as a teacher, although I have a few irons in various fires.I have a BSc in Geography and an MA in Creative Writing (which doesn't mean that my posts will always be eloquent and grammatically correct).

Hi, welcome to the Failed State blog which I started at the beginning of 2007. The aim of this blog is for me to give my opinions on the current political and socio-economic issues affecting the world today. I am likely to focus in on the Middle-East, Europe vs the USA, Americanization, and China. With particular consideration given to the ongoing Iraq war and the schism between Islam and the West.

Whether you believe that the number killed in Iraq since the invasion of 2003  is 6000 or 600,000 you will, unless you are deranged, agree that there is a problem of the highest magnitude. Even some republicans now call it a Civil War. Whatever it is, the current situation is untenable and the latest coalition casualty figures are not encouraging. If anything, things seem to be getting worse. Here is what we should do if we want to leave Iraq any time soon:   Speak to Iran and Syria

Channel four documentary Undercover Mosque gave a frightening insight into the extremist form of Islam called Wahhabism.

The programme showed preachers encouraging violence against non-Muslims, girls who won't wear the hijab and homosexuals.

Preachers from Saudi Arabia (where Wahhabism is prevalent) deliver speeches over the Internet and take part in question and answer sessions where Fatwas are issued on various issues. DVD recordings of these preachers are sold throughout the community.

General Tommy Franks famously said "We don't do body counts". Deputies quickly tried to put out a statement that was more palatable to the international media. "It just is not worth trying to characterise by numbers...And, frankly, if we are going to be honourable about our warfare, we are not out there trying to count up bodies. This is not the appropriate way for us to go." - Vince Brooks deputy director of operations US central command 2004

The US has warned Iran on 'meddling' in Iraq days after Coalition forces seized several Iranians from diplomatic premises in the northern City of Irbil. Of course in this war of claim and counter claim it is impossible for us to know who is telling the truth: Bush or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.Whether Iran is funding and fuelling the insurgency to any great extent or not, it has certainly taken the number one spot in the USA's blame list. Since the start of the war trouble in Iraq has been blamed on:Ba'athists - Loyal to Saddam and hoping to re-instate him.

Tony Blair's speech today regarding his "controversial" foreign policy was little more than further, and wholly unnecessary, proof that he is the most arrogant prime minister this country has ever had bar none.Taking a leaf out of George W Bush's book, he addressed the world in front of a safe audience aboard a warship. The main content was the same as it has been since September the 12th 2001: the world faces a new threat and if we don't act we will regret it.

It's the same every year, more or less.

Politicians, the corporate elite, and billionaire rock stars meet in the Swiss sky resort for a jolly good knees-up. The meeting is not over yet, but from my living room several thousand miles away I can comfortably predict the outcomes.

 

• There will be no trade breakthrough which will allow the developing world to compete on a level playing field. That would be too dangerous for the arch-protectionists in the west.