Some further thoughts.

• What you do do is to support, if possible, any opposition that you can find evidence is representative of the bulk of the people. And you do it in terms of what they ask.

So for instance, there are trades unions in Europe that are providing support, as asked for, by Zimbawean unions. These things make a difference. But they're not 'sexy' and headline-making. And they are based on not just responding to anyone asking for anything, but involve groups with provable mass support, and not, say, providing arms. I mentioned Zimbabwe – where the unions and progressive organisations asked for union movement in the UK, and this has been very active (as asked) in supporting the campaign on sanitary protection for women.

Now that in itself might sound really rather strange, but here is some more information on this quite specific issue. It might not seem obviously linked to the struggle in that country for real democracy and against Mugabe, but it is.

• You also have to try to be consistent – and to have an ethical approach to foreign policy (as we were promised but never given, by New Labour. So for instance, you don't give bleedin' recruitment gifts to the likes of al-Queda and its ilk by attacking the likes of Iraq (which you previously supported) and ignoring the behaviour of the state of Israel. And to say that Israel has behaved appallingly is NOT a sign of support for Islamic fundamentalism and it is NOT anti-semitism.

• You stop thinking in the shortest term possible. So for instance, the 'threat' in Afghanistan (and elsewhere within the Islamic world) might have been reduced at this point in time, but we have NOT eradicated it; it will almost certainly emerge again. And in the process of reaching this stage, we have wasted countless lives on both sides.

Some further thoughts.

• What you do do is to support, if possible, any opposition that you can find evidence is representative of the bulk of the people. And you do it in terms of what they ask.

So for instance, there are trades unions in Europe that are providing support, as asked for, by Zimbawean unions. These things make a difference. But they're not 'sexy' and headline-making. And they are based on not just responding to anyone asking for anything, but involve groups with provable mass support, and not, say, providing arms. I mentioned Zimbabwe – where the unions and progressive organisations asked for union movement in the UK, and this has been very active (as asked) in supporting the campaign on sanitary protection for women.

Now that in itself might sound really rather strange, but here is some more information on this quite specific issue. It might not seem obviously linked to the struggle in that country for real democracy and against Mugabe, but it is.

• You also have to try to be consistent – and to have an ethical approach to foreign policy (as we were promised but never given, by New Labour. So for instance, you don't give bleedin' recruitment gifts to the likes of al-Queda and its ilk by attacking the likes of Iraq (which you previously supported) and ignoring the behaviour of the state of Israel. And to say that Israel has behaved appallingly is NOT a sign of support for Islamic fundamentalism and it is NOT anti-semitism.

• You stop thinking in the shortest term possible. So for instance, the 'threat' in Afghanistan (and elsewhere within the Islamic world) might have been reduced at this point in time, but we have NOT eradicated it; it will almost certainly emerge again. And in the process of reaching this stage, we have wasted countless lives on both sides.