Articles and analysis

Contrasting the defence policies of candidates Obama and McCain

by Andrea Shalal-Esa and Patricia Zengerle of Reuters

U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain differ on the size of the U.S. military, the Iraq war and how to deal with Iran, but they have similar views on the need to reform Pentagon procurement.

Both Obama, a Democratic senator from Illinois, and Republican rival McCain, an Arizona senator, have emphasized the need to rein in chronic cost overruns in Pentagon weapons programs, and curb funding for unneeded, outdated weapons systems, but their views diverge on specific programs.

No Alan Brooke?

By City Visitor

General Sir Mike Jackson was a distinguished fighting General who rose to become the "No. 1 Soldier". Now he has a book to sell, and is out in the defence network. As a critic, he suffers from the strong support he gave to the Government he served – and the journalists' noses he put out of joint in the going.

A recent outing was long on analysis, but short on prescriptions – with some of them written on the one hand and then on the other. He did however make two sound points which bear reflection.

Not about the Grandees

Elayne Jude, Great North News Services, reports on the return of 4 Mechanised Brigade from service in Iraq

December 1648: The English Civil War. The New Model Army marches at dawn on Parliament. Her usual guard companies find Whitehall blocked by a thousand soldiers, and are persuaded by their own commander to retire.

Colonel Pride's men station themselves in Palace Yard, Westminster Hall and the stairs leading to the old Commons chamber. Two more regiments patrol the neighbouring streets. Their aim is to purge those Members of Parliament in conflict with the Grandees, senior officers of the New Model.

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Articles and analysis

Contrasting the defence policies of candidates Obama and McCain

No Alan Brooke?

Not about the Grandees

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