In 1981, following Israel s bombing of Iraq s Osirak reactor, IAEA inspector Roger Richter told the US Congress how Saddam had blocked IAEA access to nuclear sites.

After getting its fingers badly burned at the last election in 2004, Russia is clearly tempted to intervene again.

The weak state of the country's air defenses greatly embarrassed the Japanese military leadership, and four fighter groups were transferred from the Pacific to defend the home islands.