On the road to perdition

If Iraq is 'the crucible in which the future of global terrorism is decided', that is because the actions of Bush and Blair have made it so. The question is what the Prime Minister plans to do now, beyond praying that elections work. Will he stand by the President if Mr Bush goes for Shock and Awe Mark Two or will he be bold enough to step aside?

For now, it seems probable that more innocents will beg on grainy videos for help from politicians rendered powerless not only by the monstrosity of others, but through their own folly. Onlookers will stare again in sorrow and unease at the pain of strangers. Human impulses prompted good people of all faiths to yearn for Ken Bigley's freedom, but so did the awareness that we are all part of his story.

As international affairs analyst Fred Halliday has said, universalism is dying. The US, post 9/11, has put hardline survivalism first and last. Islamic extremists move further towards medieval savagery. As the world converges on the edge of the abyss, the fate of individuals shows what may lie ahead if politicians cannot heed the warning signs. Kenneth Bigley, never a figure of little consequence, is the unwitting signalman on the road to hell."