The Spectator

Friday

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From the archives: journalists under fire

This week brought the sad news of the deaths of two journalists — Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik — in Syria. As a testament to their bravery, here's a first-hand insight into the dangers of war reporting written for The Spectator in 1991 by Con Coughlin, who was covering the Gulf War for the Sunday Telegraph. Trying to sleep in a gas mask, Con Coughlin, The Spectator, 26 January 1991 Con Coughlin in Saudi Arabia explains how journalists survive Saddam's Scuds Thanks to Saddam Hussein and his Scud missile batteries, our lives are dictated by the wail of air raid sirens.

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The week that was | 24 February 2012

Here is a selection of articles and discussions from this week on Spectator.co.uk... Most read: Fraser Nelson saying George Osborne accidentally makes the case for more savings. Most shared: Rod Liddle on the Saudi journalist who could be killed for a tweet. Most discussed: Matt Cavanagh discussing the implications of the border security report. And the best of the rest... Fraser Nelson backs the Liberal Democrats' plans for a £10,000 tax threshold. James Forsyth reveals the 50p tax is raising less than expected and that tensions are rising inside the coalition.  Peter Hoskin says IDS may have to change his work scheme and examines Michael Gove's latest prognosis for education.

Monday

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Just in case you missed them… | 20 February 2012

...here are some posts made on Spectator.co.uk over the weekend: Fraser Nelson reveals the cynicism behind Ed Balls' call for tax cuts. James Forsyth says green energy must be price-competitive before we try to move everyone onto it, and thinks that, if Tory Ministers won’t get behind the NHS reforms, they can’t expect anybody else to. Jonathan Jones reports on William Hague's warning of a new Cold War, and takes a look at the tax debate dominating the run-up to the Budget. On the Book Blog, Sir Peter Bottomley MP reveals a love of Unpopular Opinions. On the Arts Blog, Jerry Hayes reviews A Daughter's Tale, the memoir of Winston Churchill's youngest daughter, Mary Soames.

Saturday

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Letters | 18 February 2012

America the saviourSir: Andrew Alexander’s book America and the Imperialism of Ignorance (Books, 11 February) alleges that since 1945 ‘the world is a much more dangerous place, as a result of America’s determination to save it’. With respect to Mr Alexander, a distinguished journalist who has often been right, this analysis is very wrong. First of all, we would never have achieved victory over fascism in 1945 without the sacrifice of American troops, many thousands of whom lie in cemeteries across the world. Secondly, the idea that the USSR, a brutal occupier of whatever lands it controlled, wished to be a benign postwar force in Europe, or anywhere else, is, to put it mildly, ahistorical.

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Barometer | 18 February 2012

Cradle to graveThe Health Bill is one of numerous attempts to change the administrative make-up of the NHS. What did it look like on its first day, 5 July 1948? — There was a tripartite structure under the Minister of Health, Nye Bevan (who was also responsible for housing policy). — 14 regional hospital boards oversaw 400 hospital management committees. Teaching hospitals, however, remained under direct control of Whitehall. — An executive council oversaw GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians,all of whom were self-employed contractors paid proportionately to the number of patients on their books.

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Portrait of the week | 18 February 2012

HomeBideford town council acted unlawfully by allowing prayers to be said at meetings, the High Court ruled. ‘A local authority has no power under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972,’ Mr Justice Ouseley said, ‘to hold prayers as part of a formal local authority meeting’, but he rejected arguments based on the European Convention on Human Rights. Abu Qatada, the Islamist extremist cleric, was released on bail and confined to his home for 22 hours a day. Lord Carlile, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said: ‘We have to find a way of making him leave. There are legal, rule-of-law ways, of achieving that.

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Get-out clause

In the same week that Sun journalists were subjected to dawn raids at home, the British justice system released one of the leading ideologues of al-Qa’eda to walk the streets. The fact that Abu Qatada should never have been here in the first place, having arrived in 1993 on a forged passport, is not a minor point. He has cost this country much in expense and security. He is said to be connected to terrorist jihadist groups in the UK, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, Iraq, Indonesia, Italy, Belgium, Morocco, Libya, France, Afghanistan and Sweden — in 2007, the Special Immigration and Appeals Commission described his influence as ‘formidable, even incalculable.