WEB OF DECEIT: BRITAIN'S REAL FOREIGN POLICY: BRITAIN'S REAL ROLE IN THE WORLD

Inhisexplosiveandrevealingnewbook,MarkCurtisreasonsthatBritainisa'roguestate',oftenaviolatorofinternationallawandasystematiccondonerofhumanrightsabuses,aswellasakeyallyofmanyrepressiveregimes.CurtisarguesthatundertheBlairgovernment,Britainhasbecomeachampionofaformofglobalisationthatisincreasingthetakeoveroftheglobaleconomybybigbusiness,andfarfromchangingcoursepost-September11th,Britishpoliciesarepartlyresponsibleforthecontinuation-andoftendeepening-ofglobalpovertyandinequality,whileitsarmsexportsandnuclearpoliciesaremakingtheworldamoredangerousplace.TheWebofDeceitdescribesthestaggeringgulfthathasarisenbetweenNewLabour'sprofessedcommitmenttoupholdingethicalvaluesandtherealityofcurrentpolicies,includingBritishparticipationinthe'waronterrorism'asanewpretextforglobalintervention;theimmoralityofBritishpolicyinAfghanistan,Kosovo,IraqandIndonesia;effectivesupportforrepressivestatepoliciesofIsrael,Russia,TurkeyandtheGulfstates;acquiescenceintheRwandagenocide;andthedeepeningofpoverty-increasingeconomicpoliciesthroughtheWorldTradeOrganisation.Drawingonthedeclassifiedgovernmentfiles,thebookalsorevealsBritishcomplicityintheslaughterofamillionpeopleinIndonesia;thedepopulationoftheislandofDiegoGarcia;theoverthrowofgovernmentsinIranandBritishGuiana;repressivecolonialpoliciesinKenyaandMalaya;andmuchmore.TheWebofDeceitrevealsanewpictureoftherealityofBritain'sroleintheworld.ItisbothacomprehensivecritiqueoftheforeignpoliciesoftheBlairgovernmentaswellasananalysisofBritishforeignpolicysince1945.(20021018)