Brian Barder's website

Entries in May, 2004

Horrible linguistic solecisms department, Part 4.

Wednesday, May 12th, 2004

More linguistic horrors: peninsula/-ar; media is; data and agenda; singular subjects with plural verbs, and vice versa; a dead clich? and two persistent misconceptions.

The appointment of John Scarlett

Wednesday, May 12th, 2004

Concerns, some legitimate, about the appointment of the new head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6): the failure in the WMD dossier affair to maintain the essential distinction between (a) the collection and analysis of intelligence, and (b) the formulation and public presentation of government policy.

Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners

Wednesday, May 12th, 2004

The abuse of Iraqi prisoners and others by Coalition troops: UK ministers’ failure to recognise that abuses by the Americans are a British concern, too; growing tendency of ministers to excuse their failures by claiming not to have been told about them, not an acceptable let-out. The beheading of an American in Baghdad. Spreading anti-Americanism in Europe: its causes, but a lamentable phenomenon.

An Open Letter From 52 Ex Diplomats

Sunday, May 9th, 2004

Sent to Tony Blair about his Middle East Policy

Burma by Derek Tonkin

Sunday, May 2nd, 2004

Derek Tonkin on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her views on Tourism to Burma