The better the information it has, the better democracy works. Silence and secrecy are never good for it.

On the Northern Ireland question, for instance, the British and Irish governments prohibit media contact with members of the IRA, but we have always gone ahead, believing in the right to information.

But in the first Gulf war the United Kingdom was not under any threat from Iraq, and is still less so in the second one. Then there is no justification for obstructing freedom of information, particularly as nations have a right to know what their soldiers are being used for.

No two wars are identical.

I wrote in the book very specifically what I wanted to write about, period, and left it at.

I have nothing to do with the selection of stories. I'm the reporter.

People always seem to assume that we have a full, back-up support team - make-up, costume and a driver - but usually, in a war zone, there's only me and the cameraman.