Esprit de Corps

Last week, the British press was abuzz over the fact that the UK government vetoed the public release of Cabinet documents pertaining to the war in Iraq. In support of their decision to withhold this information—for at least the next 30 years—Minister of Justice Jack Straw claimed that such disclosure would "damage democracy."

The fact that these documents were requested under the British Freedom of Information Act, the cornerstone of any healthy democracy, seriously contradicts Mr. Straw's assertion. Opposition members of Parliament challenged the veto and resumed their demands for a full inquiry into the decision process which led Britain to embark wholeheartedly on one of the most costly blunders in modern history.

Last week marked the fifth anniversary of George Bush's invasion of Iraq.

As it stands, the death toll of American service personnel has reached 4,000, with an additional 40,000 suffering serious wounds. Those who track such things are also forecasting an ultimate price tag for this disaster to be as high as $3 trillion.

However, back in 2003 the Pentagon never cautioned Americans about such a possible quagmire. In an effort to drum up support for the war, Bush's advisers warned about the threat of weapons of mass destruction and deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz claimed the intervention would not last more than six months.

Kurdish rebels operate with impunity from bases inside Iraq

I thought it would make a good photo and I quickly snapped a couple of shots. A shout from behind told me that someone took exception to my photography.

A young Turkish jandarma had his rifle pointed at me as others came running out of a nearby building. Keeping my arms outstretched to indicate my complete compliance, I walked slowly towards the jandarma. They quickly took my camera and despite the presentation of my press credentials and passport, I was whisked into the guardhouse.

Last Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice made an unannounced, whirlwind visit to the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk. Ostensibly, the purpose of Rice's visit was to shake hands with some American civilian reconstruction workers, but everyone who understands the importance of Kirkuk in Iraq's future knows that this was not a simple photo op.

Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the western media have covered the violent insurgency relentlessly in hotspots such as Baghdad, Fallujah, Tikrit and Basra. Rarely mentioned is the oil-rich, strategically vital northern city of Kirkuk. Violence has certainly raged in the streets of Kirkuk, but rarely has this involved attacks against U.S. or coalition forces.