deficient brain

Libya - a multibillion dollar pay day for the humanitarians

2011-10-25T22:43:00.003+01:00

(War is a racket)13 Stocks That Will Rebuild Libya Oil fields in the region provide the biggest opportunity Oct 24, 2011, 1:21 pm EDT | By Jonathan Berr, InvestorPlace Writer Libya will be a multibillion-dollar

Sirte Liberated!

2011-10-19T11:54:00.004+01:00

Resolution 1973 didn't apply here. Sirte civilians were unworthy victims.

Tax Payers Say Ceasefire Now In Libya

2011-05-28T14:59:00.003+01:00

Come on, where are you? You think US is giving us those s m a r t weapons for free?For g.o.d's sake stop the bombing. Before it causes us all financial inconvenience.Maybe there are other good reasons for a ceasefire. What would MLK do?

2011-05-13T21:24:00.007+01:00

Alastair Campbell 'misled' Chilcot over dossierWe were explicitly told to make case for war, says top intelligence official"Alastair Campbell said to the inquiry that the purpose of the dossier was not 'to make a case for war'. I had no doubt at that time this was exactly its purpose and these very words were used. I and those involved in its production saw it exactly as that, and that was

Ellsberg: “Every attack now made on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange was made against me and the release of the Pentagon Papers at the time.”

2010-12-08T18:14:00.001Z

DANIEL ELLSBERGA former government analyst, Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, a secret government history of the Vietnam War to the New York Times and other newspapers in 1971. He was an admirer of Sam Adams when they were both working on Vietnam and in March 1968 disclosed to the New York Times some of Adams’ accurate analysis, helping head off reinforcement of 206,000 additional troops

Not a hitlist - a shitlist

2010-11-05T18:19:00.009Z

'Hitlist' of pro-Iraq war MPs removed from website LinkIt may be best to refrain from stabbing, shooting, lynching or otherwise physically harming your local MP. However whilst I wouldn't advocate any of the above I would certainly advocate withdrawal of support at the ballet box maybe even shouting at slapping them. (pdf)

Wikileaks Press Conference, London October 23rd 2010

2010-10-23T21:36:00.002+01:00

The Iraq war informed our understanding of conflict and of power. It continues to do so.This is a link to the press conference from Wikileaks which took place in London today 23rd October 2010.

Gordon Brown: Some mothers!

2010-04-14T16:47:00.006+01:00

"The truth is that globally and nationally we should have been regulating them more. I've learnt from that. So you don't listen to the industry when they say 'This is good for us' ".Financial Times23-May-2005By Gordon BrownToday, Alan Johnson, trade and industry secretary, John Hutton, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and I will announce details of a new, risk-based approach to regulation to

Fear of violence from cops wielding tasers

2009-03-30T18:27:00.002+01:00

When Jackie Smith, the porn-loving milker of 'parliamentary benefits' - aka money for old rope - unveiled plans to purchase 10,000 tasers you didn't think it was to target 'Muslim extremism' did you?There are growing fears that protests at the summit venue, the ExCeL centre in London's Docklands could be marred by violence. Scotland Yard will be deploying specialist officers trained to use

2008-07-08T21:17:00.000+01:00

abcde23

50,000 Hezbollahis in State of High Alert

2008-02-16T14:33:00.003Z

Al-Manor: The Lebanese newspaper Assafir reported Saturday that the Hezbollah has put 50,000 of its resistance fighters in a state of high alertand evacuated all buildings in the area designated for social or political purposes in recent days. Hezbollah vowed to retaliate the assassination of it resistance commander Imad Moghniyeh who was killed in Damascus by Mossad agents. Israel has denied any

Militants bulldoze Gaza wall, thank Caterpillar

2008-01-27T13:08:00.001Z

It's unusual to witness a Cat doing something useful for the Palestinians:

UN slams Israel over Gaza

2008-01-25T13:41:00.000Z

The UN Human Rights Council criticised Israel on Thursday for its blockade of Gaza, in a resolution that EU member states on the council abstained from voting on, citing a lack of balance.By a vote of 30 to one, the council adopted the resolution that had been tabled by Pakistan and Syria on behalf of the Islamic and Arab blocs. Canada cast the lone opposing vote, while a total of 15 other states

Gazans find a brief freedom, and food

2008-01-25T13:22:00.000Z

FANTASTIC:

Starbucks could start making decent coffee

2008-01-08T11:28:00.000Z

Starbucks, Threatened by McDonald's, Brings Back Schultz as CEO Howard Schultz was peddling a unique idea when he turned a Seattle coffee-bean roaster into a chain of U.S. cafes called Starbucks Corp. Now he is returning to lead a company battered by the competitive landscape it created. Linkdb: Can you imagine your favourite European coffee shop coming under competitive threat from McDonalds?

Justice Scalia: Let them die in pain

2008-01-08T11:00:00.000Z

"This is an execution, not surgery," [Justice] Scalia said, adding, "Where does this come from, that ... in the execution of a person who has been convicted of killing people we must choose the least painful method possible? Is that somewhere in our Constitution?" Linkdb: Are the families of the executed as innocent as the families of the victims? Can you not compare the pain inflicted on them,

Jean Charles de Menezes would be 30 today

2008-01-07T20:08:00.000Z

The family of Jean Charles de Menezes today remembered Jean Charles de Menezes on what would have been his 30th birthday and vowed to continue their struggle for justice until those responsible are held accountable for his killing.Alex Perriera, cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes, today said:"If Jean were alive today, I imagine he would have been living back in Brazil and celebrating his 30th

Balance of world power is changing rapidly

2008-01-02T14:14:00.000Z

Many wished and believed a decade after the Cold War ended that the future world would be a multipolar one. But at the same time, they also believed that as the overwhelming superpower, United States hegemony would persist for at least another 50 years or even longer. But recent years have shown that this is not the case.Affected by economic globalization and the pursuit of profit maximization,

Richard Dawkins to lecture US bible belt

2007-12-25T12:02:00.000Z

Richard Dawkins, the scourge of pseudo-science, Christianity and homeopathy, is to step up his campaign for rational thinking with a series of high-profile lectures deep in the heart of the American Bible Belt. The Oxford University professor travels to the US next year as part of his battle to

Quantum xMas: The Two Slit Experiment

2007-12-25T11:12:00.000Z

Greetings from Def Brain. This is a reasonably accessible - we almost understood it - video illustrating the 'reality' bending nature of the Quantum world.

Killing for Peace in Gaza

2007-12-18T16:01:00.000Z

Israel killed 13 Palestinian militants in air strikes in the Gaza Strip that marked its most deadly military response in months to frequent rocket attacks from the Hamas-controlled territory. Islamic Jihad, the group behind many of the rocket launchings that have been disrupting life in southern Israel, said four of its members were killed on Tuesday as they walked out of a mosque in the

Neo-Labour's Britain: Left versus right is the wrong war

2007-12-17T16:02:00.000Z

Henry PorterPropaganda is theft because it attempts to deprive people of the truth. Our sister paper, the Guardian, ran a debate on liberty, rights and privacy and in it we saw two examples of government propaganda. The first came from the Justice Minister Jack Straw, who held that New Labour had 'deepened and extended' civil liberties - yes, and I am Scary Spice. The second was from columnist

2007-12-06T22:20:00.000Z

Time Magazine- Iran's Nukes: Now They Tell Us?The President looked awful. He stood puffy-eyed, stoop-shouldered, in front of the press corps discussing the stunning new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that Iran halted its nuclear-weapons program in 2003. He looked as if he'd spent the night throwing chairs around the Situation Room. A reporter noted that he seemed dispirited, and the

USA Neocon 'Iran Lies' Exposed Before War Shock

2007-12-04T20:49:00.000Z

President George W Bush today insisted that Iran remained a "dangerous" threat as he struggled to justify continued isolation of the country despite the "great discovery" that it had suspended its nuclear weapons programme in 2003. Link

Brown makes the crime a funding issue

2007-12-03T17:31:00.000Z

Gordon Brown has again sought to diffuse the row over hidden donations to the Labour Party by arguing the case for funding reform. Linkdb: The debate is not about party funding. It's about criminal government. Why should we pay out our taxes to propagate British 'ruling class' lies and propaganda? They don't need any more cash than they can LEGALLY raise. Cut back a bit ... like we do in the real

Teddy row teacher freed from jail

2007-12-03T17:09:00.000Z

A UK teacher has been released and handed over to British officials in Sudan after being jailed for letting her class name a teddy bear Muhammad. Linkdb: But what about Him? Won't He be angry? The Teddy totally got off with it ... as did the kids. What kind of religion is this?

Annapolis: A Poor Theatrical Production [video]

2007-12-01T11:36:00.000Z

From: LinkTV

The Teddy must die

2007-11-30T21:57:00.000Z

Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and knives, rallied Friday in a central square and demanded the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Muhammad." The protesters streamed out of mosques after Friday sermons, as pickup trucks with loudspeakers blared messages against Gillian Gibbons, the teacher who was sentenced

Fisk: A different venue, but the pious claims and promises are the same

2007-11-29T12:31:00.000Z

Haven't we been here before? Isn't Annapolis just a repeat of the White House lawn and the Oslo agreement, a series of pious claims and promises in which two weak men, Messrs Abbas and Olmert, even use the same words of Oslo."It is time for the cycle of blood, violence and occupation to end," the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday. But don't I remember Yitzhak Rabin saying on the

Dalai Lama: Reincarnation-u-like

2007-11-27T22:39:00.000Z

Faced with Chinese plans to seize control of his reincarnation, the Dalai Lama has come up with two revolutionary proposals — either to forgo rebirth, or to be reborn while still alive. Link

Teacher on blasphemy charge over 'Muhammad' teddy bear

2007-11-26T22:05:00.000Z

A British primary school teacher has been arrested in Sudan accused of blasphemy for allowing her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad, it emerged today.Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was arrested yesterday at her home inside Unity high school, a British international school, after a number of parents made a complaint to Sudan's education ministry.The school's director, Robert Boulos, said

Bush launches Annapolis 'launch pad'

2007-11-26T13:45:00.000Z

"This conference will signal international support for the Israelis' and Palestinians' intention to commence negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state and the realization of peace between these two peoples," Bush said in welcoming the two Middle East leaders who arrived over the weekend.Having largely shunned personal Middle East diplomacy during his seven years in office, Bush

U.N: Tasers Are A Form Of Torture [seen as safe in UK]

2007-11-25T19:46:00.000Z

A United Nations committee said Friday that use of Taser weapons can be a form of torture, in violation of the U.N. Convention Against Torture.Use of the electronic stun devices by police has been marked with a sudden rise in deaths - including four men in the United States and two in Canada within the last week.Canadian authorities are taking a second look at them, and in the United States,

Officials said: 76 'Taliban' killed

2007-11-25T15:54:00.000Z

Nearly 80 Taliban rebels were killed in a series of air raids by international military forces near eastern Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, a provincial government spokesman said Sunday.About 65 were killed in a single air assault late Saturday in eastern Paktia province on a "large group of Taliban," said Din Mohammad Darvish, a spokesman for the local administration.Four others were killed

'Black Rock' costs tax payers extra billion every week

2007-11-25T12:02:00.000Z

The Northern Rock crisis is costing the taxpayer the equivalent of twice the country's primary school budget, it was claimed yesterday. Acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said the Government's initial £25billion bail-out was growing by £1billion a week. He accused the Treasury of leaving itself open to "blackmail" by hedge fund shareholders who were threatening to block any sale of

Australia: Bush's other poodle defeated

2007-11-24T12:01:00.000Z

Australia's conservative Prime Minister John Howard has conceded defeat in elections, clearing the way for center-left Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd to take power. Link

UK data free-for-all. Have some

2007-11-24T09:43:00.000Z

'Roll-up!' 'Roll-up!'Unencrypted discs with 25 million Child Benefit records on them were handed to an accountancy firm by government auditors, it has emerged.The National Audit Office (NAO) gave the CDs - similar to the ones lost by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials - to accountants KPMG for auditing.It said the discs - with bank account details on them - were delivered "by hand" to KPMG

2007-11-23T19:29:00.000Z

What is the significance of the fact that the two sides seem to be so far apart?The wide rift between the parties, and the apparent refusal of the U.S. to push Israel to engage in substantive negotiations, may lead to the failure of the conference.More FAQ on the Annapolis conference

41% of Iraq's foreign fighters were Saudi

2007-11-22T15:43:00.000Z

Around 60% of all foreign militants who entered Iraq to fight over the past year came from Saudi Arabia and Libya, according to files seized by American forces at a desert camp.The files listed the nationalities and biographical details of more than 700 fighters who crossed into Iraq from August last year, around half of whom came to the country to be suicide bombers, the New York Times reported

Afghanistan 'falling into Taliban hands'

2007-11-21T19:31:00.000Z

The Taliban has a permanent presence in 54% of Afghanistan and the country is in serious danger of falling into the group's hands, according to a report by an independent thinktank with long experience in the area.Despite the presence of tens of thousands of Nato-led troops and billions of dollars in aid, the insurgents, driven out by the US invasion in 2001, now control "vast swaths of

We must not tolerate this putsch against our freedoms

2007-11-20T22:18:00.000Z

A few journalists and MPs are prepared to fight the government's sinister anti-libertarianism. More people should join them Henry PorterSunday November 18, 2007Welcome to Fortress Britain, a fortress that will keep people in as well as out. Welcome to a state that requires you to answer 53 questions before you're allowed to take a day trip to Calais. Welcome to a country where you will be

Chavez in Tehran: "Empire of dollar is crashing"

2007-11-20T13:47:00.000Z

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Monday the "empire of the dollar is crashing," a day after his country and "anti-U.S." ally Iran advocated action over the weakening U.S. currency during an OPEC summit in Riyadh.Chavez, who on Saturday said oil prices could double to $200 per barrel if the United States attacks Iran over its disputed atomic ambitions, spoke to reporters after talks with

Dubious Media City

2007-11-17T17:41:00.000Z

Dubai Media City (DMC) part of Dubai Holding is a tax free zone within Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has been built by the Dubai government to boost UAE's media foothold, and has become a regional hub for media organizations ranging from: news agencies, publishing, online media, advertising, production, and broadcast facilities. The ground work for infrastructure (Such as fiber optic cables)

Playing Hamas against Fatah

2007-11-17T11:07:00.000Z

Excerpt:... intra-Palestinian tensions are being exploited by the US and Israel to try and destroy Hamas, by supporting Abbas and Fatah and pushing a bizarre new peace process that is supposed to kick off with a meeting at Annapolis, Maryland in the coming weeks. This US-driven peace process is unlikely to achieve either credibility or success if one of its main purposes is to exploit and deepen

Annapolis - Dead on Arrival [video]

2007-11-17T10:57:00.000Z

Link TV

US 'Gitmo' captives off limits to Red Cross - document

2007-11-16T22:40:00.000Z

The U.S. military’s operating manual for the Guantanamo prison camp has been posted on the Internet [pdf], providing a glimpse of the broad rules and tiniest minutia for detaining suspected terrorists.The 238-page manual, “Standard Operating Procedures for Camp Delta,” is dated March 27, 2003, and signed by Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who was then the commander of the prison that still holds

Chris Hedges: In the Hands of the Military

2007-11-16T12:56:00.000Z

The last, best hope for averting a war with Iran lies with the United States military. The Democratic Congress, cowed by the Israel lobby and terrified of appearing weak on defense before the presidential elections, will do nothing to halt an attack. The media, especially the electronic press, is working overtime to whip up fear of a nuclear Iran and tar Tehran with

Mrs. Clinton's forgotten fling with the Killer of Karachi

2007-11-15T18:13:00.000Z

Hillary's MusharrafHe was the other man in Hillary's life. But it's over now. Or is it? You've seen all those creepy photos of George Bush rubbing up against Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, the two of them grinning and giggling like they're going to the senior prom. So it's hard to remember that it was Hillary and Bill who brought Pervez to the dance in the first place. How that

Abbas advocates civil war

2007-11-15T17:21:00.000Z

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday the Gaza Strip's Hamas Islamist rulers must be brought down, issuing his strongest call yet for their removal. "We have to bring down this gang that forcibly took over the Gaza Strip," Abbas said in a television address, three days after seven people were killed by gunfire at a Fatah rally surrounded by Hamas security forces in the

Saudi Arabia: More shared values

2007-11-15T16:32:00.000Z

A Saudi Appeals Court has sentenced a woman, who was gang-raped, to six months in jail and 180 lashes, the Saudi daily Al-Watan reported. The woman was sentenced last year to 90 lashes, but the Appeals Court decided to double her punishment because her immoral behavior was the "prime reason" for her rape. The court explained its decision by saying that the woman, who was married, had an

Barclays writes down $2.7 bln

2007-11-15T11:36:00.000Z

"We had a very strong income month in October and that's enabled us to absorb those writedowns," said John Varley, Barclays chief executive, adding that BarCap's income was a record for any month in the fourth quarter. "We have been conservative, but we've also been firing** on a lot of our cylinders in the income line and that enables us to report the results we've reported today," he told

Washington Stirs a Witch's Brew in Pakistan

2007-11-14T21:30:00.000Z

Eric Margolis(excerpt)So, under heavy pressure from Washington, Musharraf agreed to hold elections on 15 January and release some jailed opponents. Washington hailed Musharraf. In reality, however, it was another cynical ploy. Every election Musharraf has held since seizing power in 1999 has been rigged

Iraqi MPs Challenge Coalition Mandate

2007-11-14T19:06:00.000Z

The United Nations Security Council has been warned by Iraqi parliamentarians of a potentially "serious" constitutional and political crisis if it decides to renew the mandate of the U.S.-led multinational force (MNF) beyond December 2007, without approval from lawmakers.A majority of members of the Iraqi parliament -- 144 out of a total of 275 -- is demanding that any future renewals of the

Lord West caves in on detention without charge

2007-11-14T12:53:00.000Z

The government was plunged into disarray today over its proposed terror laws as security minister Lord West retracted his statement that he was not "totally convinced" about the need to extend detention of terror suspects for more than 28 days without charge.The security minister "clarified" his remarks following a pre-planned meeting with Gordon Brown.In a statement released less than two hours

Archbishop: Iraq and Afghanistan not 'just wars'

2007-11-13T20:17:00.000Z

On the eve of Remembrance Sunday, 11 November 2007, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams described the Western-backed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a tragic mess which failed to conform to the principles of 'just war' theory and brought great suffering. The remarks came over the weekend as the head of the Church of England continued his visit to Norfolk. Dr Williams was speaking during a

Iraq war cost put at $1.7 trillion

2007-11-13T17:29:00.000Z

THE cost to the United States of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is about $US1.5 trillion ($A1.69 trillion), according to a study by congressional Democrats. The study estimates the wars' hidden costs such as higher oil prices, the expense of treating the wounded and interest payments on money borrowed to pay for them. This is almost double the $US804 billion the White House has spent or requested

Costs £2,100 to vilify Spanish royals

2007-11-13T17:09:00.000Z

Two Spanish cartoonists have been found guilty of offending the royal family and fined 3,000 euros (£2,100) each.Their cartoon, on the front page of the weekly satirical magazine El Jueves in July, depicted Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia having sex.The edition was pulled from newsstands across the country by police.A judge said that El Jueves' Guillermo Torres and Manel Fontdevila "had

Afghanistan: U.S. kills 'compound' kids and their Mum

2007-11-12T20:37:00.000Z

The US didn't need air power to do the business in this latest case of infanticide:The U.S. military in Afghanistan says 15 militants along with an Afghan woman and two children were killed during a battle with insurgents in the south. In a statement, the U.S.-led coalition said U.S.-led troops were raiding compounds suspected of housing bomb makers in Helmand province on Sunday when militants

Lord 'Snatch' Drayson does the off

2007-11-10T15:35:00.000Z

'Lord' [don't make me laugh] Paul Drayson, the MoD's minister for defence procurement, has announced to Gordon Brown that he intends to have a bit of a break from defending the indefensible to take part in a car race. He won't be driving a 'Snatch' Landrover [which are, however, perfectly adequate].

Axis of Evil Live from Berkeley

2007-11-10T14:57:00.000Z

There is only one rogue state ambassador representing his country's interests in Washington and that's the Syrian Ambassador - Dr. Imad Moustapha. With eloquence and humour Dr Moustapha presents an interesting perspective on the War of Terror, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Syria and what it feels like to be in US crosshairs.U.S., Syria and the New Old Middle East: Confrontation or Cooperation?watch

Historic meeting of Pope and King Abdullah

2007-11-06T15:59:00.000Z

Pope Benedict and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah held a historic meeting on Tuesday and discussed the situation of minority Christians in the Islamic country where the Vatican wants them to have more freedom. Linkdb: Two old frauds. Screw them.

Afghanistan: Child mortality spin

2007-11-04T20:22:00.000Z

Close to 90,000 children who would have died before age 5 in Afghanistan during Taliban rule will stay alive this year because of advances in medical care in the country, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Sunday.The under-5 child mortality rate in Afghanistan has declined from an estimated 257 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2001 to about 191 per 1,000 in 2006, the Ministry of Public Health said

Egypt's, and Pakistan's ‘untouchables’

2007-11-04T15:01:00.000Z

There's little prospect of the U.S. cutting off Pakistan's military aid - worth a lucrative $150 million a month - as punishment for cancelling democratic elections, mass arrests, human rights considerations and so on. Gen Musharraf need only point to the dictator of Egypt - Hosni Mubarak - who has lorded it since 1981 - under emergency law throughout [emergency law was imposed during the

Everybody hates the dollar

2007-11-04T12:12:00.000Z

There is a lot of uncertainty in financial markets, but there is one bet that almost everyone seems to be making: sell the dollar. The U.S. dollar fell again on Friday against a basket of six major currencies (.DXY: Quote, Profile, Research), hitting levels not seen in that index's 30-year plus history. It has fallen more than 7.0 percent since the summer's financial ruckus started.

Pakistan: Elections may take a while

2007-11-04T12:02:00.000Z

``The state of emergency was only declared last night so a lot of things have to be decided,'' Junior Information Minister Tariq Azeem said in a telephone interview today from Islamabad. ``Now that an emergency has been declared, one needs to look at the schedule again, and we will learn in the next day or two what the new schedule is going to be.'' Linkdb: That's not the day's most surprising

Pakistan: Elections to go ahead in January,says Musharraf

2007-11-03T17:11:00.001Z

Owen Bennet-Jones reported just a moment ago on BBC World Service radio that Musharraf has assured both Gordon Brown and the yanks that Pakistani elections will go ahead in January.

Pakistan: Musharraf declares emergency

2007-11-03T14:01:00.000Z

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan on Saturday, state TV said, ahead of a crucial Supreme Court decision on whether to overturn his recent election win.The report gave no reason for the emergency but it follows weeks of speculation that the president — who is also chief of the army — could take the step, amid rising political turmoil and Islamic militant

Ian Blair personally condemned in new IPCC report

2007-11-03T11:48:00.000Z

Sir Ian Blair will be personally condemned by the police watchdog next week in a move that could finally cost him his job as Scotland Yard chief. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is understood to be scathing of his attempts to block its initial investigation into the Jean Charles de Menezes case. Its damning report into the innocent Brazilian's shooting by police at Stockwell Tube

Afghanistan: Children killed in compound, or house

2007-11-02T09:41:00.000Z

A nighttime raid in eastern Afghanistan by U.S. and Afghan troops sparked a gunbattle that killed three people, including two children, and the military said Thursday it was investigating the deaths....The latest civilian casualties came as U.S. and Afghan troops raided a compound suspected of harboring militants belonging to a suicide bombing network. They were fired on as they approached late

Sir Ian Blair gets the finger

2007-11-02T09:20:00.000Z

"The press this morning are almost unanimous in calling for Sir Ian Blair to resign. While we should not forget that the Met was operating under incredible pressure that day in almost panic conditions, the verdict does reveal a devastating set of failures. It is hard to see how Sir Ian Blair can restore the public’s confidence in the police. Yet judging from Ken Livingstone’s combative defence of

How the Met changed its tone on the shooting

2007-11-02T08:39:00.000Z

After the shooting two years ago, the Met commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, was full of apologies and condolences to the De Menezes family. "This is a tragedy," he said at the time. "The Metropolitan police accept full responsibility for this. To the family I can only express my deep regrets." Scotland Yard duly despatched assistant commissioner, John Yates, to Brazil as a further indication of the

Jean Charles de Menezes family Statement

2007-11-01T20:44:00.000Z

Joint statement from Birnberg Peirce & Partners (the family lawyers), Justice4Jean and the family of Jean Charles De Menezes"The family are pleased that these proceedings have come to a conclusion and look forward to being able to effectively participate in the inquest that must now follow. They ask why it was necessary for the police to plead not guilty in the first place when evidence of the

Iran no worry

2007-11-01T20:15:00.000Z

Militants Gaining Ground in PakistanBhutto leaves Pakistan for Dubai; suicide attack kills 8Pakistan in turmoil as 78 die in fresh violenceThe US Navy Center for Contemporary Conflict estimates that Pakistan possesses between a low of 35 and a high of 95 nuclear warheads, with a median of 60 [Wiki].By comparison Iran would be a safe pare of hands for nukes (which nobody can even prove they want}.

CIA chief backs torture

2007-11-01T18:36:00.000Z

The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, General Michael Hayden, has defended the methods it uses to interrogate terror suspects.Gen Hayden said programmes such as extraordinary rendition produced what he said was irreplaceable intelligence.Under the programme, terror suspects are transported to secret prisons in countries with less stringent interrogation rules.Mr Hayden, speaking in

Basra in the grip of militias

2007-11-01T16:03:00.000Z

Amid warnings that southern Iraq could erupt into civil war when British troops withdraw, Basra's chief of police has publicly admitted that his forces have been unable to clamp down on growing militia warfare in the city. In recent months, rival Shia factions have been battling for control of the city which is considered the second largest in the country and home to Iraq's only port. This makes

Met police service guilty over De Menezes shooting

2007-11-01T15:59:00.000Z

The Metropolitan police service was today found guilty of a catastrophic series of errors during the operation that led to firearms officers shooting Jean Charles de Menezes dead on the London underground.The force was fined £175,000 and ordered to pay £385,000 costs after an Old Bailey jury found it had breached health and safety rules and failed in its duty to protect members of the public in

Japan ditches War of Terror

2007-11-01T00:15:00.000Z

Japan will withdraw naval refuelling ships from a mission in the Indian ocean after the government failed to secure opposition support to extend the operation.North Asia correspondent Shane McLeod reports from Tokyo that Japan's Self Defence Force has been supporting multinational forces in Afghanistan by refuelling naval ships in the Indian Ocean.Special legislation to allow the mission to take

Gwynne Dyer: Hezbollah, PKK and American Hypocrisy

2007-10-31T23:05:00.000Z

Fifteen months ago, the armed wing of Lebanon’s Hezbollah party, listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and most other Western countries, attacked Israel’s northern border, capturing two Israeli soldiers and killing eight more. Israel replied with a month of massive air attacks all across Lebanon that destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, leveled a good deal of south

Euro could replace Dollar as a reserve currency

2007-10-31T17:09:00.000Z

In the interview published in Stern magazine, Alan Greenspan (former FED Chief) said it was “absolutely conceivable that the euro will replace the dollar as reserve currency, or will be traded as an equally important reserve currency.”If the former chairman’s words prove true, the dollar’s present downward slide will continue. Greenspan noted that at the end of 2006, two thirds of all currency

Water-boarding Torture

2007-10-31T10:44:00.000Z

IN 1957, the French journalist Henri Alleg was tortured by the French in Algeria. In The Question, the famous book that he wrote about his experiences, he described the following ordeal. He was laid out over a wooden plank, his head wrapped in a rag and positioned beneath a tap, which was then turned on."The rag was soaked rapidly. Water flowed everywhere: in my mouth, in my nose, all over my

Immunity offer to Blackwater security guards causes outrage

2007-10-31T10:03:00.000Z

The Bush administration faced intense criticism yesterday after it emerged that the state department had offered immunity to Blackwater security guards allegedly involved in a shooting spree in Baghdad that left 17 dead.The immunity offer was made by state department investigators in return for information about the September 16 killings. The offer does not mean a trial cannot be mounted but it

London Mayor: Saudi Royals source of terrorism

2007-10-30T21:42:00.000Z

London Mayor Ken Livingstone -- who has previously said he would like to see Saudi royals "swinging from the lampposts" -- criticised government ministers for "bending over backwards" to keep the Saudis happy in order to secure further lucrative defence deals.The notion that the Saudi royals had tackled terrorism was "a bit rich -- they have been one of its principal sources through the funding

Mubarak gets US support for nuclear plans

2007-10-30T20:22:00.000Z

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States would not object to Egypt's program as long as Cairo adhered to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and International Atomic Energy Agency guidelines. Linkdb: How are 'we' to prevent them from acquiring the knowledge to build a nuclear weapon, which is Bush's [newest] stated aim regarding Iran? Oh, but Egypt is on

No Evidence Iran Building Nuclear Weapons:Mohamed ElBaradei

2007-10-30T11:41:00.000Z

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Sunday he had no evidence Iran was working actively to build nuclear weapons and expressed concern that escalating rhetoric from the U.S. could bring disaster. "We have information that there has been maybe some studies about possible weaponization," said Mohamed ElBaradei, who leads the International Atomic Energy Agency. "

Fisk: King Abdullah flies in to lecture us on terrorism

2007-10-30T09:33:00.000Z

Afghanistan: US kills 'about eighty'

2007-10-28T23:00:00.000Z

U.S.-led coalition and Afghan troops killed about 80 Taliban fighters in a six-hour battle following an ambush in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Sunday. Taliban fighters opened fire on Saturday with machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades on the joint coalition and Afghan army patrol from a trench system near Musa Qala in Helmand province, the most important town held by

2007-10-24T22:11:00.001+01:00

Who is the cult?

2007-10-24T20:39:00.000+01:00

The leader of the church-of-the-syphilitic-king calls atheism a cult. Dawkins gets mauled by dead sheep:The Archbishop of Canterbury launched a fierce attack yesterday on the modern cult of atheism and singled out the eminent scientist Richard Dawkins. Link

2007-10-22T12:17:00.001+01:00

Afghanistan: Killing human shields

2007-10-22T11:34:00.000+01:00

... Afghan and Western officials accused the Taliban of using Afghan civilians as human shields during a battle with U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan that left 20 Taliban and three civilians dead. Linkdb: Do your wife and kids count as human shields if you live with them? Bet they do.

2007-10-22T10:43:00.000+01:00

War of Terror: U.S. strikes Sadr City, kills kids

2007-10-22T10:10:00.000+01:00

U.S. air strikes in a Shi'ite stronghold of Baghdad on Sunday killed at least two toddlers, Reuters television footage showed. Police said a total of 13 people were killed in the strikes and more than 50 were wounded. In the morgue of Imam Ali hospital in the district of Sadr city the bodies of two toddlers, one wearing a nappy, lay on blankets while doctors tended to wounded men and

2007-10-20T11:00:00.000+01:00

We can attack Iran, says US commander

2007-10-20T10:25:00.000+01:00

America's top military officer said the country does have the resources to attack Iran, despite the strain of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Adm Michael Mullen, who took over as chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff three weeks ago, said diplomacy remained the priority in dealing with Iran's suspected plans to develop a nuclear weapon and its support for anti-US insurgents in Iraq.But at a press

Clinton rakes in cash from the US weapons industry

2007-10-20T10:17:00.000+01:00

The US arms industry is backing Hillary Clinton for President and has all but abandoned its traditional allies in the Republican party. Mrs Clinton has also emerged as Wall Street's favourite. Investment bankers have opened their wallets in unprecedented numbers for the New York senator over the past three months and, in the process, dumped their earlier favourite, Barack Obama.

2007-10-19T22:15:00.001+01:00

Blair War Pimp

2007-10-19T21:24:00.000+01:00

Cowardly and ambitious British MP's failed to tame the dangerous Blair, right up to the end. When Labour MP's finally decided to ease him out of office due only to their desire for re-election he received a standing ovation in the House. Thanks to these British MP's he is still on the loose, ready for war and utterly convinced of his righteousness. Excerpt below of latest Blair revelations. Hot

No evidence Iran arming Taliban: Afghan foreign minister

2007-10-19T19:23:00.000+01:00

Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta said Friday there was no evidence that Iran was supplying weapons to Taliban militants waging a violent insurgency.Spanta's comments came after the top US commander in Afghanistan, General Dan McNeill, said Thursday a convoy of explosives intercepted last month had arrived from Iran and probably with the knowledge of the Iranian military."Our

Hain: Nail the hoodwinkers

2007-10-19T00:12:00.000+01:00

Peter Hain was on the radio tonight expressing his hope that those at ITV/BBC responsible for hoodwinking the public with scam phone-ins and the like be called to account and "nailed". I couldn't help thinking the obvious; let's nail those responsible for the Iraq invasion Peter, then let's look at collusion in the north of Ireland and nail a few there [and here], and after that we could nail a

2007-10-18T23:16:00.001+01:00