Portside

'It is disturbing - to say the least - how [Prime

Minister David] Cameron has led Britain into Mali's

conflict without even a pretence at consultation.

Troops will not be sent, we are told; but the term

"mission creep" exists for a reason, and an

escalation could surely trigger deeper British

involvement. The West has a terrible record of

aligning itself with the most dubious of allies: the

side we have picked are far from human-rights-

loving democrats... It is the responsibility of all of us

to scrutinise what our governments do in our name;

if we cannot learn that from Iraq, Afghanistan and

Libya, then it is hopeless.'