With this week witnessing the publication of the Chilcot Report, CommonSpace looks at the main points of discussion for the inquiry

THE long-awaited Chilcot Report into the Iraq war will finally be released tomorrow, and you can probably expect a mini media meltdown over the mammoth findings.

It could be a bit difficult to follow it all, so we’ll be doing our best to try and break it all down into the main points.

To kick us off ahead of publication, we’ve put together a quick explainer to jog your memory on some of they key issues likely to arise.

Irish President celebrates shared Celtic history as Scotland visit begins 

PRESIDENT Michael D. Higgins of Ireland today [Monday 27 June] began a four day visit to Scotland with a speech in the Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre, Glasgow. 

His tour will include receiving an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh, and taking part in various cultural exhibits with connections between the two nations.

Scottish Greens and Liberal Democrats raise Snowden leaks in parliament 

SCOTLAND’S JUSTICE SECRETARY has said he is confident Police Scotland follow legal surveillance rules – but any questions on secret service mass surveillance should be directed towards the UK home secretary Theresa May.

Government minister Michael Matheson MSP faced questions from John Finnie (Scottish Greens) and Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrats) over the legality of the secret Scottish surveillance system revealed in recent Edward Snowden leaks.

Issue of spying will be raised with the Scottish cabinet secretary for justice

PRO-CIVIL LIBERTIES politicians have raised concerns over the revelations that policing body the Scottish Recording Centre (SRC) had access to mass surveillance from UK secret services. 

CommonSpace and The National newspaper team up to reveal what we know about Scotland’s place in the UK spy network

SECRET REPORTS leaked by U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden have revealed how UK mass surveillance of phone and internet activity was accessed by Scottish police forces.

The documents confirm that a little-known policing body called the Scottish Recording Centre (SRC) was given access to information logs that includes millions of communications data including phone activity, internet histories, and social media behaviour on Facebook. 

Ongoing investigation upturns investments in world’s leading arms manufacturers

COMMON WEAL SOUTH LANARKSHIRE has released information from a series of wide-ranging Freedom of Information (FoI) requests which unveil the extent of investment in arms companies by Scottish council authorities.

Nine Scottish councils, including Glasgow City Council (GCC), Edinburgh City Council (ECC) and Highland Council are directly invested in some of the world’s leading arms manufacturers.

On 26 October, the Radical Independence Campaign held a conference in Glasgow – a Failed State in a Failed System – CommonSpace went along to speak to attendees about what role an independent Scotland could play in future foreign affairs

Christina McKelvie (SNP) speaks to CommonSpace about how Scotland is setting human rights standards and what more could be done 

CHRISTINA MCKELVIE, SNP MSP and convener of the Equalities and Human Rights Committee in the Scottish Parliament, has said that Scotland has long pushed the boundaries to play a positive role in human rights, and that with all powers over international affairs, Scotland could lead the way in adopting a diplomatic, humanitarian approach.

War, terrorism and the far right to feature as topics at conference

SCOTLAND’S expanding foreign policy scene is set to benefit from the launch of a new think tank in Glasgow this weekend.

The New Foreign Policy group will launch at the CCA on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall street tomorrow (Saturday 5 August), and feature a range of expert speakers speaking on international issues such as war, terrorism and security, the growth of far right movements and the UK’s global position from a Scottish perspective.

CommonSpace columnist Jonathon Shafi says the establishment fears a Jeremy Corbyn who isn't frightened to turn the tables on foreign policy

THIS COLUMN has dedicated a number of articles charting the relationship between terrorism and the far-right. Ive argued that there is a relationship between the two, in that they feed directly from each other and accelerate one another's objectives.