Afghanistan faces ‘vital year’, Cameron warns
By politics.co.uk staff David Cameron has said 2010 is a “vital year” in which success or failure will become much clearer for Afghanistan, on his first visit as prime minister to the country. The Conservative leader flew in on an RAF aircraft before engaging in talks with president Hamid Karzai in Kabul. He announced plans […]
Anger at plans to deport children to Afghanistan
By politics.co.uk staff Migrant groups reacted furiously to plans to deport children back to Afghanistan today. The UK Border Agency wants to set up £4 million ‘reintergration centres’ in Afghanistan, according to the Guardian, to which unaccompanied asylum seeker children can be sent. The centres would help satisfy EU regulations insisting that unaccompanied child asylum […]
Britain wants international Israel inquiry
By Alex Stevenson Britain and France have issued a joint demand for an international presence on a probe into the Israeli military’s raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship. In a joint statement following their meeting in Paris foreign secretary William Hague and French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner called for a “credible and transparent investigation” into […]
No bloodshed, but Israel vows to deport activists
By politics.co.uk staff Israel is preparing to deport the 11 campaigners and eight crew members of the Rachel Corrie aid ship after it unsuccessfully tried to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The arrival of the ship saw activists detained but no repeat of the bloodshed which triggered a wave of international condemnation last […]
Brit activists slowly make their way home from Israel
By Ian Dunt The first trickle of British activists arrested on board the Turkish aid ships at the centre of an international crisis have finally begun returning to the UK. Israeli forces boarded the ships in a bid to prevent them breaking the blockade of Gaza on Monday, killing nine people on board and injuring […]
Ex-minister admits hooding ‘inaccuracy’
By politics.co.uk staff A former armed forces minister has admitted giving inaccurate information to parliament at the Baha Mousa inquiry. Adam Ingram, who was in power in September 2003 when the Iraqi hotel receptionist died in British custody, told the inquiry that he believed it was “correct” that information in a parliamentary answer was not […]
Hague gets tough with Israel
By Ian Dunt William Hague has ratcheted up the criticism of Israel’s strike against an aid ship, saying the episode went beyond “what was warranted and proportionate”. The hardening of the foreign secretary’s rhetoric reflects a growing international outrage at the events on Monday and a resolve in the Foreign Office to clarify the government’s […]
Ministers in ‘intensive’ Afghanistan brainstorm session
By politics.co.uk staff The national security council has discussed the situation in Afghanistan at a meeting at Chequers. Britain’s strategy in the unstable country is unlikely to shift as a result of the conference, which was attended by senior military staff as well as ministers including deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, foreign secretary William Hague […]
Hague: Israel must end the blockade
By Ian Dunt The foreign secretary has joined the growing chorus of criticism of Israel’s strike against an aid shipment with a demand for the blockade of Gaza to end. The foreign secretary has joined the growing chorus of criticism of Israel’s strike against an aid shipment with a demand for the blockade of Gaza […]
MoD Iraq study ‘suppressed’
By Ian Dunt A highly critical study into the circumstances surrounding the invasion of Iraq has been suppressed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), according to media reports. The Guardian alleged today that the study, by Lt Gen Chris Brown, was suppressed by the UK’s top defence officials. It is understood to have been highly […]
