Despite the US-led invasion of Afghanistan starting back in October 2001, around 9,000 British soldiers still remain stationed in the country to this day, with a remit of training up local military forces to take over security by the end of 2014.

There is little evidence to suggest that sending in our bombers or arming the rebels will ratchet down, rather than ratchet up, the violence. Remember: weapons are fungible. We have no way of preventing the al-Qaeda-affiliated members of the opposition from getting hold of bombs and bullets supplied by Britain and France. Nor does anyone have a credible plan of action for the day after Assad falls.

The ten things you need to know on Tuesday 23 April 2013... 1) 'YOU'VE GOT TO SPEND MONEY' Ahead of this Thursday's potentially dire GDP figures...

Are you a Muslim? Are you a member of 'al Qaeda' or a 'jihadist' with AQ 'linkages' ? Were you 'inspired' or 'radicalized' after listening to sermons by some firebrand preacher in Yemen or a holiday in Pakistan? Are you a foreign import or a 'homegrown' terrorist?

The French military intervention in Mali since mid-January and much of the official discussion of Mali in the UN and among Western governments seem to have been driven by a quite narrow and short-term view of the issues the country faces. As in anything, if the problem is mis-diagnosed, the solution will probably mis-fire.

The longer the West remains inactive, the more Islamic extremists will join the war. Inaction by the Obama administration over the last two years had encouraged the regime to kill more than 60,000 Syrians and force the displacement of 2 million Syrians. By turning a blind eye, President Obama has in effect given the green light to Al-Qaeda and other Jihadists to enter Syria.

In August last year, I wrote an op-ed for the International Herald Tribune calling for Western powers to arm the Syrian insurgents. Over six months later, the case is even more compelling than before.

Newsnight presented some deeply questionable narratives of the war and its aftermath as 'fact'; and systematically avoided any serious, factually-grounded criticisms of the war, despite a diverse panel which included people who opposed it.

How do we promote tolerance and protect free speech in a time where organised groups openly, and others clandestinely, exploit our liberal values to oppose our aims, sometimes with the deadliest of means?

Like every anti-establishment movement before it, the al-Qaeda has become cool and recruiters know that and take care to cultivate this image. In our work, we found one terrorist recruiter who urged young male Muslims to join global jihad for "the adventure - it's better than a holiday"

The ten things you need to know on Friday 22 February 2013... 1) DOES THE WORK PROGRAMME, ER, WORK? The Public Accounts Committee strikes again!...

For some, it may seem bizarre that Hezbollah is not already on Europe's terrorist blacklist. Critics in Israel have long complained that Europe is turning a blind eye to Hezbollah, adopting an ostrich policy, and appeasing its Muslim communities.

Britain is to mount an ambitious programme of support for human rights amongst key allies as part of the ongoing war on terrorism, Foreign Secretary W...

The Al Qaeda movement doubtless remains lethal, virulent and wholly requiring of the coordinated international response that just prevented Mali from collapse and subjugation. But it is also being incrementally pushed into an age more like the 1990s...

Journalists love a war and have been quick to travel to cover the conflict, but most seem at best only vaguely informed about its political, geographical and humanitarian context.