The World Today

For half a century the Kurds of Iraq have struggled for their national rights, but failed to secure them. Ironically, since 1991 the international pariah status of the present Baghdad regime has brought them remarkable independence and prosperity. But change in Iraq could challenge this. The danger is that Kurdish nationalism may also draw neighbouring states into a wider conflagration.

President Saddam Hussein of Iraq may have another weapon of mass destruction in his armoury – the economic effects of war. Changes in oil prices and the cost of conflict might just produce regime change in Saudi Arabia and recession for us all.

America’s North Korea policy has been a resounding failure. It has lost friends and alienated allies. The people of North Korea continue to go hungry. It’s time to talk, but this requires clear goals and a proper strategy – regime change should be off the agenda for now.

America and Britain were on heightened alert against terror attacks for most of last year.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is to be his party’s candidate in the April election. It will be the first time in twenty years that a civilian government has held polls. But the president is accused of failing to deal with corruption or manage the economy. Increased ethnic polarisation will also play a key part in voting.

Maoist insurgency might sound like a historical note from a world that knew nothing of the ‘war’ against terror or the ‘axis of evil’, but in Nepal it is all too real.