monday reads

Dahr Jamail: Iraqis on "Success" and "Progress" in Their Country


Patrick Cockburn: Return to Falluja


John Pilger: The death of Suharto is a reminder of the west's ignoble role in propping up a murderous regime


The ominous lesson of Tet


In the aftermath of President George W Bush's recent tour of the Persian Gulf, coinciding with a similar trip by France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, culminating in a deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a small French base, Iran's security calculus has changed. It has almost reached the point of Tehran considering the option of reciprocating the perceived excess Western intrusion into its vicinity by allowing a military base for China at one of Iran's Persian Gulf ports or on one of its islands.