Newsnight 24 March

Presented by Jeremy Paxman.

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Libya

While the Prince of Wales, the Prime Minister and other world leaders were attending a memorial service for those killed in the Madrid bombings, Downing Street confirmed that Tony Blair is off to Libya to meet Colonel Gaddafi.

In a tent on the outskirts of Tripoli, the PM intends to offer the Colonel military training and assistance as a reward for his announcement that he's giving up his WMD habit.

Is it reasonable for Downing Street to spin this as evidence of a success in the 'war on terror', and, anyway, is this the appropriate moment for Libya to be graced by a visit from Tony Blair?

Why is the Prime Minister going out of his way to visit the man once described by Ronald Reagan as the 'Mad Dog of the Middle East'? Could the visit have anything to do with a deal the oil company, Shell, is hoping to secure with the Libyans later this week? What are the political risks involved?

The contribtors to our discussion were:
Baroness Symons, Foreign Office Minister
Michael Ancram MP, Deputy Leader, Conservative Party
Oliver Miles, Former Ambassador to Libya

Microsoft

Microsoft is going to be fined half a billion euros for being anti-competitive. The fine is the biggest imposed by the European Union, but the fine represents only a few days' income for Microsoft. Anyway, Microsoft will appeal the ruling.

The result of this titanic clash is unclear, but this most powerful company has plans for your television, games, and schools. Has the EU really got the capacity to limit its ambitions?

9/11 hearings

We'll have the latest on the 9/11 hearings in Washington; it was the turn of Richard Clarke, who on Monday told us that George Bush had wilfully disregarded intelligence because he was obsessed with finishing his father's business in Iraq. Sandy Berger, former National Security Affairs advisor, and George Tenet, Director of the CIA also gave evidence.

Baghdad Blogger

And the Baghdad Blogger, Salam Pax, looked back on his time at the Shia Ashura festival in Kerbala - the city which will be remembered for the devastating bombs which killed at least 170 people.

But behind the attacks, the festival, only possible now that Saddam is gone, is extraordinary. Our blogger reported on the thousands of Iranians who flocked there to take part in the ritual chest beating and chain whipping banned in their home country on safety grounds, on the Iranian money pouring into the city and upon the arrival of the speculators keen to exploit the shrine's money making potential.

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