While spying on one's allies may not be unusual at the UN, new charges against the US and Britain paint a damning picture of the unseemly push for war in Iraq.
With Howard Dean's withdrawal from the presidential race it's time to take stock of the candidate's dramatic reversal of fortune, and to appreciate his contribution to a revived Democratic Party.
The independent investigation into Iraq WMD claims must have power to look beyond technical intelligence-gathering processes and investigate how the White House misused findings in its push for war.
More than just spying on him, the government was actively attempting to sabotage King's work, going so far as trying to persuade the civil rights leader to kill himself.