Nothing is as it seems. When democratic governments are elected, do you ever wonder why they don't seem able to change very much? Whoever we vote for, vested interests seem to prevail.
Over time special interest groups, unfettered by legal norms or public opinion, have formed 'states within a state' ...
Situated at the crossroads of three continents, the Middle East has confounded the ambition of conquerors and peacemakers alike. Christianity, Judaism and Islam all had their genesis in the region but with them came not just civilisation and religion but also some of the great struggles of history....