At the time of Wole Soyinka's Reith lectures, Climate of Fear, there were almost daily reports of bombings, including the Madrid attack; a warning from a cell of the Al Qaeda terror network that America and Britain are next on the list to be struck with a 'black wind of death'; news that baggage checks may be instituted at mainline railways stations in Britain; the assassination of the Hamas leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin: thus, the series could hardly have taken place at a more apposite time. David Blunkett played down the terror threat in an interview in the Sunday Telegraph (28th March 2004), but I imagine that many of us felt utter despair at the news that bombarded us, and little confidence that there wouldn't be future attacks. Our worst fears were in fact confirmed just over a year later when London suffered a series of attacks at the hand of terrorists.

Not only are the lectures apposite in view of current global terror, but they also pick up on current (and increasing) questioning of the actions of the West. Numerous examples could be cited of actions and claims that have led to extensive debate and disquiet: the West sold arms to Iraq before the portrayal of the country shifted to turn it into a demon behind global terrorism; weapons of mass destruction have still not been found; Tony Blair has made a contentious visit to Colonel Gadaffy of Libya, a man once described by Ronald Reagan as a "mad dog" and the target of a Western assassination attempt. Of course not all commentators are critical of examples such as these, but enough are for serious questions to be raised about the West collaborating on the basis of political expediency rather than moral judgement. As his Prisonette 'Future Plans' reveals, Soyinka has long believed that collaboration and corruption take place routinely amongst those in power:

'Proven: Arafat
In flagrante cum
Golda Meir. Castro drunk
With Richard Nixon
Contraceptives stacked beneath the papal bunk
…and more to come'

The names may be different, but the point remains pertinent to present concerns.

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