"Obviously this is the world descending into worse and worse standards of targeting civilians both in state violence in Iraq, Gaza and so on and the terrorist retaliation"

In this quote, Clare Short is revealing her concern about the present state of the world, particularly in concerns to the treatment of civilians. She thinks that there has been a decrease in ethical requirements, as evidenced by the increasing violence towards innocent individuals in places like Iraq and Gaza. Short also mentions the concept of "terrorist retaliation," suggesting that these violent acts are not one-sided which there is a cycle of violence occurring. Overall, Short is highlighting the troubling trend of targeting civilians in both state violence and terrorist acts, and the unfavorable impact it is having on society.