I've decided that the political context is such that the only way reform will finally come about in the Russian military is that the deterioration goes beyond the point to which these old generals can stand up there and resist it.

The whole notion of land property rights in the Arab world is different from that in Europe.

To say that you now trust the Russian military command and control system because some Russian general told you from the bottom of his heart that's the case, strikes me as most unrealistic.

While people out there on the spot certainly have to be held accountable for what they've done personally, the chain of command responsibility for this strikes me as just as important and should be dealt with.

Acts of terror have never brought down liberal democracies. Acts of parliament have closed a few.

Second, recent polls over there show that the majority of Iraqis want us to leave precipitously.

I have never belonged to a party. I don't have party affiliation.