Le Chaim, John

Sunday Jul 29 2007

John Simpson on his return from Afghanistan and the miracle of Rafe

I hope I never did think that attacks on civilians - any civilians - were justified but now I know for certain they are not.

Having been through the first and second Gulf Wars, and watched the wars in the former Yugoslavia and the Nato bombing of Belgrade in 1999, I do not really care any longer what the cause is. It is the civilians on the receiving-end who matter.

I am sorry if this sounds pious or sentimental. I do not mean it to be.

But I have finally understood something, through the blessing of having another child late on.

It is that life itself is immensely valuable. Not just the lives of people who think and look and maybe worship like you and me, people who are attractive or well-educated or rich, people who are the right type of Christian or the right type of Muslim. All lives.

Le Chaim, John and Mazeltov.

Perhaps, until he’s had a child ‘late on’, no man should be allowed to be a war correspondent.