Home > Essays > All

Saturday 21 November 2009

My Spectator

 

Jobs at Telegraph

From the Falklands to Iraq

28 March 2007

Twenty-five years ago this weekend British territory was invaded by a foreign power. The Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands followed six months in which the British government, for extraneous reasons, claimed that no such threat existed, corrupting the conduit of intelligence to that end. It blinded itself to the possibility of conflict. In the subsequent war, 255 British troops died and £3 billion was spent recapturing the islands. An inquiry, under Lord Franks, was staged to exonerate ministers of guilt.

Four years ago a British government was in an eerily inverse predicament. It spent six months claiming, again for an extraneous reason, that a foreign power posed an imminent threat to Britain, corrupting the conduit of intelligence to that end. It blinded itself to the possibility of no conflict. In the subsequent war 134 British troops, so far, have died and well over £3 billion has been spent. Two inquiries, under Lord Hutton and Lord Butler, have been staged to exonerate ministers of guilt.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7  Next page 

More articles from: Simon Jenkins | this section

Post this entry to:   del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Comments Post comment

Be the first to comment on this article!

Back to top

sponsored links

Spectator recommends

Spectator classifieds

      GASCONY

GASCONY, SW France, near Condom-en-Armagnac 13th Century stone house, 21st Century luxury for 12 in 5 en-suites. 50 acres +

BIG SAND STEEL BAND

IF YOU ARE PLANNING A CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION and looking for some light entertainment, you can now hire London's busiest steel

BOSC LEBAT, Tarn et Garonne.

BOSC LEBAT, SW France. Only 45 minutes from Toulouse Airport with daily flights from most provincial airports avoiding the horrors