Robert Fisk: Al-Qa’ida cashes in as the scorpion gets in among the good guys. The good part with that part of the world is that damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Whatever we may be doing or not doing, we will find a great big fat scorpion after us. With a bit of luck, if and when we will manage to be less dependent on the region for our energy supply, perhaps, one day, we will manage to have a more balanced relationship, with no need to interfere in the lives of the local people. Besides anything else, it’s one of the most interesting regions in the world, containing cultural and natural treasures.