Syria

The admission by the Syrian Government that a suicide bomber has killed both the Defence Minister and his deputy, who is Assad's brother-in-law, gives pause for thought.

One's first thought is to wonder if this conflict, for so long kept out of Damascus, may now be reaching its endgame. For myself, I don't think so - it may serve to make Assad's regime, now desperate, more dangerous.

The second thought is to wonder how it happened. They have plenty of people to choose from to guard top level meetings, and it must have been difficult for this one to have got through the security checks, equally difficult for him to be turned.

The next ting is to wonder, as I have before in these pages, what sort of people the 'Free Syrian Army' (who have claimed responsibility) are. We know what type of organisation usually uses suicide bombers.

Lastly there are the statements from passers-by, who say they heard no explosion and saw no broken windows. Has Assad had a disagreement with the Defence Staff, executed them (as Saddam Hussein used to do) and tried to persuade the world that it is insane terrorists from extremist Islamic groups who are trying to overthrow the regime?

Maybe we shall never know, but it is further evidence that, unless we do, we should not involve ourselves in this conflict.