At the same moment as Mrs Albright was failing to win support for the US in the Gulf Tariq Aziz the Iraqi

At the same moment as Mrs Albright was failing to win support for the US in the Gulf, Tariq Aziz, the Iraqi deputy prime minister, was having a more successful tour, culminating in a visit to Damascus, the first time an Iraqi leader has visited Syria’s capital in 17 years.Is the American grip on the Middle East faltering? The policy of so-called “dual-containment” of Iraq and Iran is looking very ragged. The Doha economic conference in Qatar, originally billed as an important summit between Israel and its Arab neighbours, was a flop. But when Madeleine Albright, the US Secretary of State, toured the region drumming up support for action against Saddam Hussein this month she encountered an embarrassing silence. But it is the renewed Iraq crisis, the most serious challenge to the US in Middle East since the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, which has convinced Washington in the last few weeks that Israel’s defiance is costing it dearly in the Arab world.The Gulf War left America the predominant power in the region.

“And there is me, the Saddam Hussein of the West.” In a fit of pique he told his office to stop trying to arrange a meeting with the President.Irritation in Washington at Mr Netanyahu’s deep-freezing of agreements with the Palestinians has been mounting for months. Instead of the American President, Mr Netanyahu had to make do with a talk with Arnold Schwarzenegger, for whom he expressed deep admiration.
These snubs, more blatant by the week, do not go unnoticed by Mr Netanyahu. “Don’t you know, there is a Saddam Hussein of the East,” he complained privately, speaking of President Clinton’s attitude towards him. Bill Clinton is putting real effort into not meeting Benjamin Netanyahu in order to underline his displeasure at the actions of the Israeli Prime Minister. At one moment their planes were within 200 yards of each other at Los Angeles airport but they never met. Patrick Cockburn, in Jerusalem, explains why the two allies are at odds and why it matters. The rift between the US and Israel is deepening in the wake of the crisis in Iraq.

President Clinton blames the Israeli Prime Minister for undermining US influence by reneging on the previous Israeli government’s deal with the Palestinians. In previous years some have given instructors presents after the passing-out parade. But it is alleged that some have made gifts before the parade in the hope of having their grades boosted.. “The issue is in connection with the acceptance of gifts in contravention of Queen’s regulations for the Army,” he said.
The men are believed to have been taken temporarily into custody before being allowed to go back to work while the investigation takes place.About 10 per cent of the 600 cadets attending Sandhurst each year are from overseas.

Holland denied ever receiving cannabis and rejects Bowden’s and garda evidence. Patrick “Dutchy” Eugene Holland, 58, also known as “the Wig,” with an address at Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow, was cited by Garda Marion Cusack as the person suspected of shooting the reporter in June 1996 when she arrested him a Dun Laoghaire last April.
The trial was held in the non-jury Special Criminal Court, which hears terrorist and criminal cases where jurors could be at risk. He also confirmed that he prepared and primed the .357 Magnum revolver, imported with a cannabis consignment in early 1996, which was used to kill Ms Guerin, but had not known the intention was to kill her.Mr Justice Johnson said it would be dangerous to convict on the evidence of Bowden alone, an accomplice, but cited corroborating evidence from gardai that Holland had said in custody “Look lads, I have my own customers and I am not going to implicate them”.The court heard Holland’s nickname was on lists found at a Dublin lock- up garage used in preparing cannabis supplies where 47kg of the drug were found. He said he regularly supplied Holland with 20 to 50 kilos of cannabis during 1995 and 1996. A man identified by an arresting garda officer as the killer of crime journalist Veronica Guerin was yesterday jailed for 20 years on drugs trafficking charges. In fact, it had been longer than that.”Sex had been infrequent since early 1991.”Tucker told the court that he had not expected to see Miss Dudukovic again after leaving Bosnia in mid-July.But the court heard that he had contacted her by phone two days after returning to England, on the morning of the day his wife died, and again on the day after his wife died.He had continued to contact her by phone for many months after that, the court had heard.The case continues..