Gareth is confusing the actions of the executive with advice from the civil service. For instance, Saddam was widely seen, in the UK and US, as a threat to the stability of the region. Placing this as a lower priority than concerns about Iran, the arms trade etc, was a political decision.

Or take Gareth's assertion about the Falklands: Who said there was no risk of invasion in the Falklands ? I would be surprised if he can cite any reference for this being mandarin advice rather than a political decision. The proof of this is that the policy changed with a change of government in the UK. While Labour was in power, they would send a battle cruiser convoy into Falklands waters whenever the advice they were hearing (more from intelligence than mandarin sources) indicated that Arrgentina was contemplating a landing. Read for instance, Dennis Healey. (On p125 of "The Time of My Life" he compared the Thatcher government's inaction with the !green light" that Truman's administration sent to Noth Korea when it advertised its lack of strategic interest in the region.) Moreover Britain had just sold (but not delivered) HMS Incincible to Australia and there was a widespread assumption that Gualtieri would have had the sense to hold off an invasion until delivery was completed (in which case, of course, he might have won).

Gareth certainly has not read the Franks Committee report, which is rich in criticisms of the government rather than the mandarins in respect of the Falklands. I marvel at how abusive he is prepared to be on the strength of so little knowledge.