Liam Fox tried to break the UK pattern a new defense secretary every year by establishing his own independent intelligence arm to support strategic policy-making and boosting the British arms industries' exports. He was forced to resign by a smear campaign in the media conducted by his rivals.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe persuaded the Cameron government climb down from its high Libyan horse and accept that diplomacy is the only sensible option for ending the war. The UK is in no position to dictate terms to Muammar Qaddafi. NATO objects to being left holding the baby.

debkafile offers exclusive details on the British Foreign Secretary William Hague's allegation Wednesday, June 29, that Iran has carried out secret tests of missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload in breach of UN resolution 1929: Three of those tests, four in all, were carried out between October 2010 and February 2011and the fourth on Tuesday, June 28, in the course of the Prophet Mohammed war games currently in progress. Three tests by Sejjil and Shahab-3 Kadar were successful.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague stated Wednesday, June 29:  "Iran has been carrying out covert ballistic missile tests and rocket launches, including testing missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload in contravention of UN resolution 1929." Hague was the first Western leader to confirm debkafile's disclosures in the past year. He spoke as American naval, air and marine forces built up in the Mediterranean, the Aden and Oman straits, the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.  

The sharp differences between Israel and Britain came to the fore Wednesday, Nov. 3, during William Hague's first visit to Israel as Foreign Secretary. He was informed that Israel had halted the strategic dialogue with the UK in protest against the failure of successive British governments to repeal a law allowing its leaders to be arrested for war crimes on arrival in Britain. The visitor struck back by meeting and praising three groups leading the Palestinian anti-Israel protest movement.