David Blair's Blog, page 112

Afghanistan commentary: six deaths of British troops a bruising reminder of continuing dangers

Last week, Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, was on a tour of Central Asia to pave the way for the impending departure of British combat troops from Afghanistan.

John McCain 'to say US should bomb Syria'

The US should bomb the Syrian army to stop attacks on cities and carve out "safe havens" for rebel fighters, Senator John McCain is expected to say on Monday.

'Al-Qaeda' gunmen kill 27 police officers in coordinated Iraq attack

Gunmen believed to be linked to al-Qaeda attacked police targets across the Iraqi town of Haditha on Monday, killing at least 27 officers.

The choice: should the US and Israel bomb Iran?

Today, President Obama and Israel's prime minister are to discuss the most momentous decision they will ever make – what to do about Iran's nuclear threat. David Blair reports.

Vladimir Putin is a survivor. But Russians are increasingly fed up with his shady methods

If a tearful Vladimir Putin feels emotionally overwhelmed by his election victory in Russia, he might care to recall that two of the Arab dictators who were toppled last year – Mubarak of Egypt and Ben Ali of Tunisia – had previously been re-elected with thumping majorities.

Iran reinforces nuclear facility against attack

Iran is reinforcing its most sensitive nuclear facility against a possible attack, presenting Israel with a closing window of opportunity for a successful air strike, the Daily Telegraph has learned.

David Cameron accuses Syrian regime of 'medieval barbarity'

David Cameron said the Syrian regime was guilty of "medieval barbarity" as President Bashar al-Assad's forces were accused of mass killings in the city of Homs.

William Hague orders evacuation of all British diplomats from Syria

William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, has ordered the evacuation of all British diplomats from Syria and closed the UK embassy in Damascus because of mounting security threats.

North Korea's nuclear pledge: will Kim Jong-un keep his word?

Robert Gates, the former US defence secretary, had a salty phrase for summing up the problem of negotiating with North Korea. "I'm tired of buying the same horse twice," he said while attending a security conference in Singapore in 2009.

Syria: second bid to evacuate journalists fails

A second bid to evacuate two wounded journalists from a besieged area of the city of Homs failed on Monday night when ambulances from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent left without them.