C-flat, there's also the problem of explaining the military inaction that followed the 9/11 attacks - the more extraordinary now we know that this kind of attack had already been seen as a possibility.

I think Bill's approach is the right one. This is a long and detailed article by a man who was until a few weeks ago a minister in Blair's government and who has an informed view of issues around the fowrld's fossil-fuel resources. It needs to be read carefully in the cold light of day. To me, at a first quick reading, it seemed to be well supported by sources and documents, much of them in the public domain. There will be much easier access to such raw material in the US than here in the UK, so I will await with interest any further contributions from Bill and others.

Don, largely thanks to your counselling I've been watching the PNAC angle with interest and alarm. It's the sort of stuff that madcap think-tanks dream up while tripping out on adrenalin - the difference being that this time the people behind it are now running the show.

Thanks for posting the link, Mark. I'd seen plenty references to it, but missed the article itself. To make it easy for anyone who hasn't followed it, here's the link again. Meacher's article in the London Guardian.It should be a must-read piece for anyone interested in where the Bush administration is taking us.