Quote of the day

Simon Hoggart (here) on that Libyan misadventure:

Andy McNab it wasn't. I wondered how the chronicler of the SAS's triumphs would handle the capture of a crack army unit by North African farmers. "The first rays of the sun were rising in the east. Suddenly we saw them. They were advancing towards us.

"'Sarge!' I whispered. 'They're armed! Look, they've got pitchforks, hoes, bags of mulch. This lot mean business!'

"'All, right, leave it to me, lad,' said the Sergeant. 'I've faced a few hairy situations in my time. What we're going to do is put in a call to a British diplomat and get him to make a whingeing request to release us. That'll teach those bastards a lesson they won't forget in a hurry!'

"Moments later, we were seized and forced to eat the nourishing breakfast they had provided. Cereal bungling is what the politicians will call that … "