Political solidarity by Muslim countries with Britain and the United States has in recent days become

Political solidarity by Muslim countries with Britain and the United States has, in recent days, become far more difficult; by the same token, solidarity with the monstrous Libyan regime has become much easier.All of which is a reminder of what should have been clear even before the American action last Thursday evening: that the use of due legal process – even if it takes a tortuous 10 years to get to trial – is far more likely to bring genuine, long-lasting results than the apparent American penchant for due illegal process. There appears to be no clear evidence backing up the American assertion that the bombed Sudanese pharmaceuticals factory was producing nerve gas. George Robertson, the Defense Secretary, has talked of “independent evidence”, but has failed to produce any. Even critics of the Sudanese regime have lined up behind the Khartoum government on this occasion.It is not just a matter of ethics.

Simple politics suggest that the law of the bully is ineffective, when applied to international politics An inflexible stance can appear to be morally absolute In reality, it is not just morally flawed It can be counter-productive.. IN RECENT days, the Public Records Office has been offering up some of its more newsworthy secrets. Officially, under the “30-year rule”, all government records older than 30 years should be made public; in practice, records have often been kept far beyond that date. These have included Britain’s Cold War preparations for a Soviet occupation of the Shetlands, the existence of a suspected Japanese spy ring in Britain during the Second World War, and Secret Service plans to kill Hitler. All have now been declassified under accelerated release programmes

But much more is being kept hidden. Why, for example, are we not permitted to read about the accident at Windscale in 1957? Even 80-year-old files, on subjects such as the Irish Troubles, remain secret.
The wide exceptions to the 30-year rule sanctioned by the authorities amount to blanket censorship far beyond national security concerns. Things do not have to be like this; the US Administration, with a 20-year rule, has released papers on to the Internet relating to scandals such as the FBI’s investigation into the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy.Our system is a mess.

The impetus for reform given by the Cabinet Office under William Waldegrave and David Clark is being lost. At a time when the government’s commitment to Freedom of Information hangs in the balance, secrecy about ancient controversies is a worrying sign.Legislating for a 10-year rule is the least the public can expect, since these records really belong to them. At the same time, the Royal Archives at Windsor, a vital historical resource, should be placed under public control. It is ludicrous that papers relating to the illness of George III should remain locked up. Open government is one of Labour’s most important pledges; if they cannot pass this test, future historians may judge them harshly..

WE HAVE a lot to thank Monica Lewinsky for. Zipper Bill likes only two kinds of toys, dear to him since nursery days: girls and guns. Bereft of the former in Martha’s Vineyard, he had no choice but to satisfy himself with the latter. It is clear that if he hadn’t had his walking, talking, dancing blow-up doll to play with for 18 months, a lot more Tomahawk cruise missiles aka flying phalluses would have seared the skyways Toys for the boys: the cliche is too good to be true. But true it is, recasting Monica’s provision of fellatio as sustained ground control. Thanks to her, revisionist historians everywhere will surely be reconsidering recent military history Take the Gulf war, for instance. Governor Bill was being serviced by Dolly Kyle Browning at the time.