CIVIL servants are often called the permanent government. They are the faceless men and women who implement policy and frequently formulate it, but political decorum requires that they keep a low profile rather than outshine their nominal masters.

THE majority of Americans now have reservations about their country’s involvement in Iraq, with a resulting plummet in the popularity of George W Bush.

THE situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate, while the international community stands idly by, seemingly believing that little can be done.