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Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
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11:51 am - Iraq Inquiry
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Following Sir David Manning's evidence at the Iraq Inquiry yesterday (and I watched most of it), it beggars belief how they come up with a headline like, "Tony Blair wanted attack plan nine months before war began". Whilst it was really quite innocuous in context, it makes Blair sound like a raving war-monger (which I'm sure it was designed to). "They managed to find something to hit Blair with," G laughed.
In actual fact, and far from "dishing the dirt on Tony Blair", Sir David Manning emphasised many many times yesterday that Blair's preference was always, and foremost, disarmament of Saddam Hussein, and if "regime change" followed from that, "so be it". Britain (through Blair) also made it very clear that we would not participate in any military action (should diplomacy fail) unless it went down the UN route. Bush in fact heeded Blair's advice in this respect (so much for the Blair being Bush's "poodle" theory).
So far no one giving evidence has mentioned the "we-went-into-Iraq-for-oil" fiction, but it's early days yet - and some loons might still get to be witnesses at this inquiry! In fact the word "oil" has never been mentioned (as far as we know, so far). Sir Christopher Meyer reminded us all that "regime change" was very much a state-sanctioned foreign policy, passed by Congress, and signed by none other than Bill "IDNHSWTW*" Clinton. Sir Jeremy Greenstock considered the Iraq war legal (if not entirely "legitimate" in that there wasn't widespread enough support for it), and furthermore, he believes that WMDs could yet be found in Iraq.
* "I did not have sex with that woman"
I can well understand (and laugh at) this headline: "Blair may have ‘signed in blood’ to topple Saddam a year before war". What else do you expect from The Tehran times?
current mood:  calm
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| Monday, November 30th, 2009
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7:54 am - Scots
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The SNP wish Scotland to break free from the UK, but one of the options is to keep the Queen as monarch. A bit presumptious isn't it? Why would, why should, the Queen want to be their monarch? Personally, I'd like to see the Scots break free, find that they can't survive (even by banding with Scandinavian countries to form an economic bloc), and then grovel back to UK - and then, we say - get lost! Anyway, I doubt if the Scots are really that stupid to vote like turkeys for Christmas. Oh yeah, Happy St Andrews Day.
current mood:  bored
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| Sunday, November 29th, 2009
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8:36 pm - Tora Bora
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"US forces had Osama Bin Laden "within their grasp" in Afghanistan in late 2001, a US Senate report ("TORA BORA REVISITED: HOW WE FAILED TO GET BIN LADEN AND WHY IT MATTERS TODAY") says."
A big SO WHAT?
Firstly, that Senate Report comes from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by a certain John F Kerry, one who is hardly going to miss an opportunity to blame Bush. It's a tired old broken record, going back to the time he was defeated by Bush. As reported way back in 2004, "John Kerry has consistently made the message since - late August to early September (2004) - that George Bush effectively took his eye off the ball by concentrating on Iraq instead, and allowed Osama bin Laden to escape when he was surrounded at Tora Bora in Afghanistan while the war in Afghanistan is still underway."
Secondly, look no further than good old Bill. One of the ex-president's own top aides, Mansoor Ijaz, charged (in 2001) "Bill Clinton ignored repeated opportunities to capture Osama bin Laden and his terrorist allies and is responsible for the spread of terrorism." Had Bill kept his eye off Monica, he might have got Osama, and saved the world from 9/11.
Thirdly, Bin Laden the man has, since long ago, really become insignificant, in comparison to bin laden the "ideology".
Even the report, for what it's worth, acknowledges: "Removing the Al Qaeda leader from the battlefield eight years ago would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat. But the decisions that opened the door for his escape to Pakistan allowed bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure who continues to attract a steady flow of money and inspire fanatics worldwide."
( Read more... )
current mood:  cynical
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7:19 pm - WA - 4 police killed
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Breaking News: 4 police officers have been killed in a targeted attack at a Forza coffee shop in Lakewood, Pierce county in Washington State in the US. Lakewood is about 40 miles south of Seattle. Sheriffs describe attack as an ambush. "The suspect is described as a black male between 5' 7 and 5' 8 .. It is very worrying to hear that uniformed police officers who were just about to begin their day were shot in what is being described as a flat-out ambush, a very brazen attack," reported BBC News. The shootings come about a month after the killing of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton, who was gunned down while sitting his patrol car Oct. 31.
Officers were wearing bullet-proof vests. The Sheriff said "this was more of an execution".
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12:51 pm - Going Rogue (II)
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Watching a reality documentary on C-Span Book TV at one of Sarah Palin's book signings, at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati. It's so interesting, and refreshing to see all those people (majority women) giving their views (all positive so far) about Sarah Palin. They all think she's wonderful. "She's got the conviction, she's got the charisma, and most importantly, she's got the courage," said one male admirer. "She really follows what middle-class, middle America is about," said one lady. "2012 baby!" she added. (I couldn't help chuckling when one of the ladies also praised Fox News.)
 Newsnight review: Friday 27 November Kirsty Wark and the Newsnight Review panel
discuss Sarah Palin's memoir
"She is the change that we need," said another. Their heroine invited the packed crowd inside the store to "go rogue" with her. They chanted, "Sa-rah, Sa-rah, Sa-rah!"
Going Rogue: An American Life will be published in the UK on 10 December 2009 by HarperCollins.
(That would be on my Christmas wish list!)
current mood: excited
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| Friday, November 27th, 2009
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8:11 pm - Tiger Woods
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Breaking News: Highway patrol: World No. 1 golfer, Tiger Woods seriously injured in car accident outside his home. Wood's car struck a fire hydrant and a tree in Isleworth, Florida. The crash is not alcohol-related. He has been taken to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee.
20:22 BBC News: Tiger Woods has been released from hospital, with facial lacerations.
current mood:  shocked
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1:04 pm - Iraq Inquiry - Day 4
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On Question Time last night, they asked: "Iraq war inquiry: Does the recent evidence to the Iraq war inquiry support allegations that Tony Blair misled the House of Commons?"
Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister of Scotland, chose to ram home the idea of "the manufacture of justification" of going into "an illegal Iraq war" (which seems to be the populist narrative preferred by the baying mob). Lord Faulkner reiterated that the Butler Inquiry had concluded that Tony Blair had given a "fair reflection" of the facts (intelligence) available at the time. The Joint Intelligence Committee advised that Saddam did have WMDs, which we now know was wrong. He said, "Don’t say that the country was misled, because he [Tony Blair] laid before Parliament all of the evidence, and he laid it accurately. The House of Commons by a massive majority decided the right thing to do was to enforce the arms control regime. You can disagree with the principle of going to war in Iraq, but the House of Commons knew perfectly well what the arguments were on both sides, and they decided to go for armed intervention. .. Please do not accept the myth that Tony misled the country, because he didn‘t."
Those against the war, and the media in general, appear to focus on the idea of Bush and Blair “scrabbling for a smoking gun” - as their preferred take on what Sir Christopher Meyer gave in evidence yesterday. Everyone ignored the fact that Sir Christopher Meyer took great care in explaining the context of “regime change” being a foreign policy sanctioned by Congress and signed off by Bill Clinton.
Everyone except for Melanie Phillips, who explained it so well. "The desire to get rid of Saddam - regime change - was adopted as a policy for the American administration in 1998 by Bill Clinton.That was because Saddam was understood to be an unconscionable threat to the free world. That threat was dealt with in a muted fashion, until 9/11 - when the calibration of the risk he posed changed, not because people thought he was behind 9/11, but because it was suddenly realised that there were people who were prepared to destroy America - and Saddam was probably one of those people, because of the combination of his regional ambitions, he was the godfather of terror, and his development of his WMD programme. This idea that there were no evidence of WMD is one of those irrationalities. .... I don't support the re-writing of history. The interim report* by the Iraq Survey Group headed by David Kay reported in 2003 that he had found - quote - 'dozens of WMD related programme concealed from UN Inspectors - clandestine networks of laboratories - with equipment suitable for chemical and biological research - research on biological weapons agents brucella and Congo Crimean hemorrhagic fever', and that these programmes existed until shortly before the war started in 2003. He was amazed that the press had not reported this. He said that Saddam was trying to produce ricin right up to the war. And if hadn't been for the war, regardless of whether he had drums of chemicals, which we now can see was a mistaken aspect, he was in breach of the UN Resolution, which was a condition of the ceasefire of the 1991 war - that he proved to the world he had got rid of it. He refused to do so.” (So eloquent!)
* NB it was interesting that she used info from the interim report by the Iraq Survey Group as opposed to the final report
Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former UK ambassador to the UN (1998-2003), giving evidence today at the Iraq Inquiry, said, "I regard the invasion of Iraq was legal, but of questionable legitimacy" (words to that effect i.e. he draws the distinction between "legal" and "legitimate" - which sounds quite helpful. Many seem confused between the two.) We were reminded that Saddam had contravened UN resolutions in the 12 years preceding 2003. Interestingly, Sir Greenstock believed that there were WMDs and, even more interestingly, he believes that the WMDs are still there. He revealed that he had threatened to quit over Iraq war.
Melanie Phillips has also explained again so well, also on Question Time in Mar 2004, the legality aspects):
"The Attorney's summary does set out very clearly the legal case for war - which I find completely persuasive... without wishing to go into too much detail, what it basically says is that the three resolutions have to be seen in combination. The first one - was the resolution that allowed the world to go to war on Iraq to liberate Kuwait. The second resolution said that if Saddam didn't comply with the ceasefire condition that he disarm all his WMD programme, then the first resolution could be reactivated - we could go to war again - because he hadn't complied with UN instruction to show that stopped his WMD program. And the final resolution the famous 1441 said - yup - He was in breach of that second resolution - that he had not complied with the instruction to show he disarmed all his WMD programme - and therefore - therefore - the first resolution, which gave us the power to go to war was reactivated - now that's what the attorney said." [Melanie Phillips, Question Time, March 2004]
[Sorry folks - the Iraq war WAS LEGAL. Get it? Got it? Good. (Or they STILL deliberately don't get it, I suspect.)]
current mood:  contemplative
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| Thursday, November 26th, 2009
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9:52 pm - Hacker Extradition (II)
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Breaking News: Home Secretary will NOT block Gary McKinnon's extradition.
[Excellent news, as far as I'm concerned. If you're going to hack into Pentagon computers, then you must either not be caught or, be prepared to face American justice. His much-publicised medical condition didn't stop him from all that illegal activity did it? His mother pointed out that Gordon Brown apologised for the suicide of Alan Turing. Would he apologise to Gary McKinnon if he committed sucide? (she asked). I think Alan Turing helped save Britain from the nazis. Need I say more? The legal process needs to proceed, as simple as that. No doubt the McKinnon team will try more delaying tactics. ]
current mood: calm
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7:27 pm - Mumbai attacks - "26/11" Anniversary
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Mumbai attacks: One year on
To be frank, I'd totally forgotten about this particular anniversary, until they brought it up on the news (though not in a big way).
"Almost 180 people were killed – among them 28 foreigners from 10 countries – as 10 Pakistani militants launched a string of attacks across the city. For more than 60 hours, the gunmen roamed freely, killing at random – much of it broadcast on live television – while Indian security forces seemed powerless to stop them. The terrorists sprayed the platforms of the main railway terminus with bullets, attacked bars frequented by foreign backpackers and killed hostages in five-star hotels and a Jewish centre. One year on, the main train station is a blur of human motion. Touts offer tourists day-long tours along the "terror trail" for 1,800 rupees (£23). Starting from the fisherman's colony where the 10 militants landed, the tour takes in the Jewish Centre, the main train station where gunmen killed the most number of victims, the Trident and Taj Mahal hotels, Cama Hospital and Leopold Cafe, where the bullet holes and grenade blast marks have been preserved as a badge of honour." [Guardian - A year on from Mumbai terror attack, city is fearful but defiant; Reuters]
Looking back, I am reminded that it was around Thanksgiving when it happened, and gory photos - including the blood soaked floors at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai’s main railway station - had been served up on the news. In June, Channel 4's Dispatches told "the untold story of 2008's terrorist attack, in the words of its victims and the gunmen" in their documentary "Terror in Mumbai". The sole surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, is on trial for murder and waging war on India. One issue that has emerged - as exemplified by the case of Will Pyke, who appeared on TV this morning - is that Britons targeted by terrorism do not get compensation from the UK government if they fall victim overseas. (It sure is a cruel world. Can we compensate every single tragic victim, and to a satifactory degree? The answer has to be "No".)
current mood: contemplative
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5:14 pm - Ireland Church Abuse
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10:51 am - Iraq Inquiry - Iraq Liberation Act, 1998
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Iraq Inquiry: Iraq regime change was an official US policy, started in 1998, inherited by Bush from Bill Clinton. (Evidence from Christopher Meyer, former US Ambassador)
"The Iraq Liberation Act of 1998 is a United States Congressional statement of policy calling for regime change in Iraq. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The act declares that it should be the policy of the United States to seek to remove the Saddam Hussein regime from power in Iraq and to replace it with a democratic government. "
"Once 9/11 had sunk in, once the anthrax scare had gone...[the Bush administration got really worked up] .. [because] .. the last person who'd used anthrax was Saddam Hussein on his own people in his own country.. this really spooked people," said Sir Christopher Meyer.
[Well, well, well. What an inconvenient truth the Iraq Liberation Act must be for Ob-illary! I must admit, this is a surprise to me! They seem to have kept all this history well out of the debate during the prediential election campaigning. I wonder why McCain didn't bring it up more?]
( Iraq Liberation Act )
current mood: surprised
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6:21 am - Peckham fire
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Breaking News: More than 80 150 firefighters attending blaze at block of flats in Sumner Road Colegrove Road, Peckham, S. London. More than 900 people have been evacuated from their homes. The fire, believed to have started, around 04:30 at a building site, is spreading. Eyewitness Lucy Pope who lives locally, said, "I'm seeing - gosh - around 8 to 900 people being evacuated - young children, old people .. around 25 fire brigades I can see from this side, paramedics, helicopters - it's a very stark reminder of what we had a few months ago. The blaze was at one stage was 20 foot high at least. It's very scary. You don't even know which person to help first. People are scared, they are standing round bus shelters. They've got coats [?] round them, they've got babies who've been woken up from their beds. There are people looking very scared. This is a very serious fire, very very serious." Another resident Beatrice Ghartey, told Sky News, "Basically, it was like raining fire."
06:25 Police say that officially, 150-200 people are being evacuated and door to door checks are being carried out.
current mood:  anxious
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| Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
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9:30 pm - Climategate (II) 17 = 4
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| Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
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2:06 pm - (Latest) Iraq Inquiry
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An inquiry into the causes and implementation of the Iraq war invasion, covering the period 2001-2009, has opened today at the QE2 centre. Hyped as "the mother of all Iraq inquiries", The Iraq Inquiry, chaired by Sir John Chilcot (formerly a member of the Butler review), promises to be "thorough" and "won't be a white wash". The hearing will not, as planned originally, be held entirely in private. The public hearings start today and runs until February next year, then a period for analysis and private hearings, followed by another round of public hearings in the middle of next year. Other Iraq inquiries in the past have had a much more narrow focus e.g. Hutton on the death of David Kelly and Butler on the use of intelligence by the Blair government. It will report end 2010, or possibly early 2011. "We want to establish a clear understanding of the various core elements of the UK's involvement in Iraq and how these evolved over time," said Sir John Chilcot. He claimed the committee members are "independent" and "apolitical".
The Iraq Inquiry was officially launched on 30 July 2009.
( Read more... )
current mood: cynical
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| Monday, November 23rd, 2009
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11:36 pm - Climategate
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11:22 am - Female to Male transition (II) - "Chaz"
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"So far, his breasts have been removed and he has received hormone treatments to deepen his voice. And to his delight, he now has to shave his face. 'This was a very difficult decision to make, but it was the best decision I've ever made,' he explained. But he added: 'To me, gender is between your ears, not between your legs.'" [Daily Mail - Cher's 'son' Chaz speaks out about sex change and reveals: 'I always felt like one of the boys' ]
As this commenter wrote (and I mostly wholeheartedly agree!) , "Well, it's quite sad that those who express their opinion are red arrowed, she will always be a woman no matter what she cuts of or adds on, she has a spirit of confusion within her and needs prayer and deliverence, and I don't understand why her 'girlfriend' would want to date a woman that looks like a man, just date a man girlfriend. If im red arrowed i don't mind, im just glad I got that off my chest!" -- Roxanne, Tooting UK, 20/11/2009 13:14
At least Roxanne was merely red-arrowed, and not actually censored! Luckily we still have free speech in the UK. Here's my honest opinion: Chastity (in the photo in the Daily Mail article) sure looked so much better and even happier than "Chaz". And if "gender" really is "between your ears" (which sounds like bullshit to me), is there then any need to self-mutilate? IMO, chopping off or adding on bits simply adds to the self-delusion. But hey, so be it. It's "his" life, but please get off the telly, and the media circus, and stop trying to convince us all your'e so happy. There's no need. (I'm really NOT interested!) I don't think "she" looks that happy, but maybe she really is. (I'm not convinced). Some people think she's a freak. Maybe she is. (Either way I don't care, except don't expect everyone to agree that it's all good!)
current mood:  apathetic
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9:00 am - From Holloway to Fray Bentos
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(Overheard) "On the tube, the Piccadilly line is not stopping at Holloway due to flooding."
I'm trying to remember Holloway. It doesn't strike me as being on low ground, nor is it anywhere near the river. Meanwhile some "good" news in Cockermouth where "the flood waters have receded" and people will be allowed back into their homes for the first time.
In other news, Katie Price (aka Jordan) has left "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here" show after she refused to do the "Bush Tucker Trial" for the 7th time in a row. And those terrible twins, "Jedward" have been booted out of ITV's X-factor following their dreadful performance of Boyzone's "No Matter What" in the sing-off with Olie Murs. X-factor judge Dannii Minogue used her vote to seal their fate after declaring "this is a singing competition". Jedward have long outlived their usefulness. Mind you they are said to be very "ad friendly", but would any company wish to capitalise on their being a byword for "uselessness"? Someone (on Sky nEws) suggested they might be good for Brylcreem. Subo, who sang "Wild horses" on last night’s show, will be doing thanksgiving shows in the USA.
An increasing number of families are joining Christmas savings scheme - again, in spite of the collapse of Farepak three years ago, which went into administration and left over 100,000 savers out of pocket. I'm afraid there are loads of dumb people about. I wouldn't be surprised if they borrowed from a door step lender to pay into a Christmas hamper scheme! On BBC Breakfast, they showed a Christmas hamper being packed for one of those saving schemes. I shuddered when I spotted a tin of Fray Bentos being packed in. Wow, what a teat eh? Tinned Fray Bentos pie ("classic Steak and Kidney pie") for Christmas! I think I spotted some Quality Street too. *excitement* Research found that a fresh fruit and veg hamper costing £38.25 could be had for £13.16. "It may not be sensible to just think - 'we'll get involved in any sort of hamper scheme or Christmas club', without thinking about value-for-money. People do need to think carefully about which scheme they want to join," advised Christopher Tapp from Credit Action (as seen in this video, advising on the "wagruptcy" i.e. women in their 20s going bankrupt).
Now isn't this weird? My own comparative study showed that Fray Bentos was a highlight of Farepak hampers. (I don't get it.)
I might start a hamper scheme. Seriously, we did think about it. We'd put a few scraps of smoked salmon in it. How about that?
The collapse of Farepak was the 4th most searched-for story of 2006 (according to MSN).
Fray Bentos is a town in the middle of cattle country in Uruguay. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, "Founded in 1859, Fray Bentos became important when the first large-scale meat-packing plant in Uruguay was established there in 1861."
current mood:  weird
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| Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
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6:23 pm - Which? 50 best buys of 2009
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None of the items really appeal on first reading. Which joker wrote the "for" and "against"? Some of these are absurd, for example some of the these "value for money" buys are "expensive" or "pricey". (So are they really value for money? If your criterion is VFM, then price is irrelevant, doh!) Or the DVD player that has against it, "many buttons". A fruit juicer has against it "only holds 750 mls". That sounds like a hell of a lot of juice to me.
But yes, I agree with this: "Rangemaster Toledo 110 Dual Fuel (cooker) £1,659 For: lots of options. Against: ignition needs two hands"
If I'm paying £1,659 for a dual fuel cooker, I'd expect no-hands (voice activated) ignition! I'd use it to boil the author of those silly "for" and "against" remarks.
Here's the list:
1. Gillette Fusion Power £10 For: close shave. Against: replacement blades dear.
2. Philips Micro+ (electric razor) £12 For: comfortable. Against: no beard trimmer.
3. iTunes Gift Card £15 For: easy to use. Against: only works with iPods.
4. Mac Pro Longwear Lipcolour £16 For: streak-free finish. Against: hard to remove.
5. Felco 600 Folding Saw £17 For: good in tight spaces. Against: hard to unfold.
6. The Good Food Guide 2010 £17 For: all kinds of food. Against: too long.
7. Russell Hobbs Ceylon 13355 (kettle) £24 For: energy efficient. Against: no water gauge.
8. Kenwood HB615 (hand blender) £25 For: easy-to-clean. Against: no whisk attachment.
9. Sennheiser PX100 (headphones) £35 For: excellent sound. Against: not great for blocking out noise.
10. Russell Hobbs 13635 (smoothie maker) £39 For: quick and easy. Against: hard to clean.
( Read more... )
current mood: irritated
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| Friday, November 20th, 2009
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6:52 pm - Cumbria floods (II)
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(As seen on Sky News) "We look after the community people, the ordinary folk who are looking after their friends and neighbours," said Deb Muscat, Acting Director/Grants Development Officer, Cumbria Community Foundation. Nuclear Management Partners have started off an emergency fund at the Cumbria Community Foundation with £50,000.
www.cumbriafoundation.org We have set up a fund for individuals and families and for voluntary groups who suffered in the flooding on the 19th of November.
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12:53 pm - Waters of Mars (III)
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"Water always wins" --- Doctor Who
(Pah!)
(Maybe so on Mars!)
current mood: apathetic
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keith_london's journal
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