When the UK and other countries decided to protect the Libyan rebels and assist their revolution a year ago, the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other leaders promised that the lessons of Iraq would be learned; and that plans would be in place to deal with the aftermath.
Those promises are ringing hollow in Mali and Niger today.
It was shocking to learn that the President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, had been ousted in a military coup.
