Stop the War. Whitehall. Saturday 15th March 2008

Is that half a bottle of gin in his pocket ?

Good Flickr gallery of 62 pics of the event here

See Report here with lots of comments. Also the "Indefatigable" gobshite Galloway the Dundee Dodger and Respect Rapscallion on You Tube here

Super cop and super stud Hot Toddy, Asian Babe, Met maids ....

The Manchester Evening News had a fascinating story about a bent copperess on 2nd September 2005.


This was an everyday story of a glamorous, attractive Asian, super fit, lissome, ex model, airline hostess, mother of a nine year old, who had committed a minor fraud of claiming on an insurance policy claiming she was outof work when she wasn't and had embezzled £1,327.21 by making false statements .... (BBC)

"She was trumpeted in a highly-publicised recruitment campaign by Greater Manchester Police and photographed with Chief Constable Michael Todd."

Curiously the picture of the presentation at the force's training school at Sedgeley Park, Prestwich, Manchester on 27/ 2/2004 has re-appeared ... in the Mail's story tomorrow morning."How many MORE lovers did 'suicide' police chief have? "

There are some contemporary remarks on Police Specials which are (with hindsight) of interest. Fit young lady too, came 19th in RIBBLE VALLEY 10K ROAD RACE 30th December 2001. The daughter of a UN diplomat, it was claimed she was depressed and had undergone unsuccesful fertility treatment with a partner who had left..although she had a daughter already. The fraud she undertook pre-dated her time on the Police and she resigned on June 30th, the day after her arrest and four months after the happy photo-op.

The Sun also covered the event, but with a different picture.

However top cop Todd was not only shagging her , he had left the Met behind and also Julia Wortley, 43 a detective chief inspector, who was based at Colindale police station in North-West London. Mr Todd's office was on the same floor. The two were often spotted together in the gym situated along the same corridor.

Their relationship is understood to have continued until she joined Hertfordshire police as a superintendent in 2003.

Although the uniform obviously attracted him he was also shagging journalist Andrea Perry a crime reporter on a Sunday newspaper who is said to met SuperToddy when she interviewed Mr Todd shortly before he left the Met six years ago.

So if "Hot Toddy" was so evident a philanderer, he would, on the same principle of choosing Stalker be open to manipulation and coercion ...unless of course it was impossible amnogst all the ACPO members to find a non -bent copper. The Vice President of ACPO's West Midlands force is going to "investigate" Mr Todd - several lorry loads of white paint have been seen being delivered at their HQ.

Miss Nagulapalli, has moved to Australia, she still rents out her home in Chorley which the Mail says she shared with a married Chief Insopector called Ross (who he ? ED.) . Now living in Brisbane, she insisted this week: "The suggestion there was an affair between us [her and Mike Todd] is absolute rubbish."

Funny thing is that MI5 /6/7/8 have a habit of recruiting glamourous, attractive Asian, super fit, lissome, bright, intelligent people in their late 20's and early thirties. Sounds as though it might fit the highly mobile , but evidently UK based Miss Nagulapalli. Perhaps she should pop an application form in the post ... unless of course she doesn't need to.

It is of interest that Miss Nagulapalli was represented by expensive lawyer Emma Edhem of the South Eastern Circuit and a Tenant of Richard Ferguson's Chambers, 9 Carmelite Street London EC4Y 0DR whose list of clients defending some pretty nasty charges leads like the who's who of people traffickers, fraudsters, rapists, and death merchants in old people's homes.

To trouble this highly effective barrister to come to Preston in a case involving fraud of £1,372.71 to which she pleaded guilty - she was after all bang to rights - she was of course living with a Police Inspector at the time called Ross - would cost a lot of money.

The Asian Babe got 200 hours community service and had to pay Crown costs of £2,084.71, so all in all a pretty expensive day in court. Bit expensive extravagant for a probationary Plod don't you think ?

Unless someone else was paying the bills ? or someone who had good contacts in London to pick one of the top criminal defence briefs in London ? ...

All this of course is total bollocks.

Alastair Darling and his Amazing Bank of England / Northern Rock / Newcastle United Sinking Fund - Amazing Pictures

Here at Patel Towers as we have been emptying the Piggy Bank's to send off to the Bear Stearns Survival Fund ,we have been trying to evaluate 2 seperate bits of econ omic information ...

1 .Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge. Con. ) asked Chancellor of the Exchequer in Parliament this week.

"what estimate he has made of the annual value of new mortgages that Northern Rock will need to originate in order to prevent a non-asset covenant breach occurring of the Granite securitisation vehicles."

To which Angela Eagle (Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury) gave the very , very carefuly worded reply, "The sale of mortgages from Northern Rock into Granite is a commercial decision for Northern Rock. The estimated value of mortgages that Northern Rock would need to sell into Granite in order to avoid a non-asset trigger is a commercially sensitive matter."

2. Financial Times Headline 12/3/08 Treasury looks to reduce N Rock debt to £14bn

"Northern Rock’s management, led by Ron Sandler, is expected to shrink the lender’s balance sheet, allowing it to repay the government debt within two to three years. The Treasury stressed that the £14bn figure was a forecast and could change in the future."

This suggests that the mortgage book will be rduced by about £10-11 Bn. This will be done by telling mortgage holders when their term expires that rates will rise - effectively they don't want their business - a polite financial Fuck Off - take your business somewhere else.

Now some 80% (ish) of mortgagees are responsible people, they have a very sizeable chunk of their earnings tied up in the house they live in or rent out. They willsimply move an and their solid credit history of unbroken payments will move onto the books of another bank - B & B, A & L, HBOS etc., who will not charge usorious rates.

BOE / NR will then be left with those mortgage holders with a rotten payments history , strewn with "payments holidays" bounced cheques, failed Direct debits - at the bottom end of what we bankers like to call "credit quality".

Unsurprisingly these will include many , many of those "lie to buy" mortgages where people self declared ... they will include the funny money 125% mortgages ... many if not most will have no equity and by walking away will look on their mortgage payments as an alternative way of having paid rent.

Of course it will affect their credit status...but that was bogus anyway so what have they to lose?

This will have several effects.

1. Family problems , splits, divorces, broken homes.
2. Boost to rental property.
3. Intense pressure on public housing and social servcies.
4. Huge increase in foreclosures (especially in Labour held NE seats) which will help drive market prices down.
5. Which Lowers the asset value of the mortage held by the Bank of England / Northern Wreck / Newcastle United.
6. Mr Branson was right, NR is a broken Brand and with unrealistic mortgage rates cannot generate enough new business to "in order to prevent a non-asset covenant breach occurring of the Granite securitisation vehicles"
7. Which will lead to a " a non-asset covenant breach occurring of the Granite securitisation vehicles"
8. Which will cause what Angela Eagle and the authors of the Granite prospectus ***calls a "non-asset trigger " - about which she is coy as it is "a commercially sensitive matter".

Too fucking right it is, because if that happens, Granite want to return the Assets (?) and say, "Please may we have our money back" ... and there is £40 Bn. of Granite Bonds that can be "triggered".

Or in more technical terms this would (what we bankers call) breach "triggers" ,the trust will be wound down and go into early amortisation. (We want our money back) Many of the triggers are related to the credit quality of the mortgage book – if mortgage arrears were to increase dramatically, for example, this would trigger a wind down.... .oooooh ...er.

*** The prospectus is 344 pages long and requires a 43 page Glossary of defined terms - Pages 297 - 340 ..... for example an "insolvency event" takes 3 pages (297-281) to explain. (read all 344 page pdf here) ..

Looks like Gordon "Prudence " Brown and Alistair "Stability" Darling are on to a winner there then.

We'll pass that one by for you again ...

"Northern Rock’s management, led by Ron Sandler, is expected to shrink the lender’s balance sheet, allowing it to repay the government debt within two to three years. The Treasury stressed that the £14bn figure was a forecast and could change in the future."

Could change in the future! You can put your fucking mortgage on it.

NEXT WEEK - Star attraction Montigue Tigg is joined by Alastair Darling to launch the Anglo-Bengalee Disinterested Loan and Life Assurance Company along with Jonas Chuzzlewit and Mr Pecksniff.

Roll Up! Roll Up! Bring me yer widders n'orphans!

Bear Stearns shares crash 42% - Joe Lewis has lost US$600 Mn.

Joe Lewis bought a total of 8.1 Mn. shares in Bear Stearns (closed Sept 8th NYSE US$107.50) which makes him the biggest shareholder after founder James Cayne (5.8%) and Putnam Investment Management . Joe, 70 next birthday, who seems to have missed out on a knighthood, or even a baronetcy is a native Londoner but spends most of his time running his 140 company plus empire from the poolside . He had been building up a share stake in Bear Stearns from since early August .Aug. 6 to Sept. 4 spending US$860 Mn. (ish)

As we speak they trade at US$32 down 42% .... which means he has lost about US$600 Mn. (ish)

UPDATE at Market Close NYSE - share price has halved in a week.



Previous Posts on this basket case Bank, Fraudsters home and Black Hole - Court cases, fraudsters, crooks and con-men.

UPDATE Saturday 15th March Financial market traders across London have been told by their firms to stop dealing with Bear Stearns, while dealers in New York scaled back their transactions with the ailing investment bank, sources in several dealing rooms said on Friday. At least six major institutions in London -- including Commerzbank , Royal Bank of Scotland and JPMorgan -- had stopped giving prices to the U.S. bank.

Just another bloody silly conspiracy theory No. III

Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime
How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers

By Eliot (Can't keep his Dick in his Trousers) Spitzer
Thursday, February 14, 2008; Washington Post

(Remember that Spitzer must have been ruminating / discussing this piece for some time .....)

Several years ago, state attorneys general and others involved in consumer protection began to notice a marked increase in a range of predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders. Some were misrepresenting the terms of loans, making loans without regard to consumers' ability to repay, making loans with deceptive "teaser" rates that later ballooned astronomically, packing loans with undisclosed charges and fees, or even paying illegal kickbacks. These and other practices, we noticed, were having a devastating effect on home buyers. In addition, the widespread nature of these practices, if left unchecked, threatened our financial markets.

Even though predatory lending was becoming a national problem, the Bush administration looked the other way and did nothing to protect American homeowners. In fact, the government chose instead to align itself with the banks that were victimizing consumers.

Predatory lending was widely understood to present a looming national crisis. This threat was so clear that as New York attorney general, I joined with colleagues in the other 49 states in attempting to fill the void left by the federal government. Individually, and together, state attorneys general of both parties brought litigation or entered into settlements with many subprime lenders that were engaged in predatory lending practices. Several state legislatures, including New York's, enacted laws aimed at curbing such practices.

What did the Bush administration do in response? Did it reverse course and decide to take action to halt this burgeoning scourge? As Americans are now painfully aware, with hundreds of thousands of homeowners facing foreclosure and our markets reeling, the answer is a resounding no.

Not only did the Bush administration do nothing to protect consumers, it embarked on an aggressive and unprecedented campaign to prevent states from protecting their residents from the very problems to which the federal government was turning a blind eye.

Let me explain: The administration accomplished this feat through an obscure federal agency called the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The OCC has been in existence since the Civil War. Its mission is to ensure the fiscal soundness of national banks. For 140 years, the OCC examined the books of national banks to make sure they were balanced, an important but uncontroversial function. But a few years ago, for the first time in its history, the OCC was used as a tool against consumers.

In 2003, during the height of the predatory lending crisis, the OCC invoked a clause from the 1863 National Bank Act to issue formal opinions preempting all state predatory lending laws, thereby rendering them inoperative. The OCC also promulgated new rules that prevented states from enforcing any of their own consumer protection laws against national banks. The federal government's actions were so egregious and so unprecedented that all 50 state attorneys general, and all 50 state banking superintendents, actively fought the new rules.

But the unanimous opposition of the 50 states did not deter, or even slow, the Bush administration in its goal of protecting the banks. In fact, when my office opened an investigation of possible discrimination in mortgage lending by a number of banks, the OCC filed a federal lawsuit to stop the investigation.

Throughout our battles with the OCC and the banks, the mantra of the banks and their defenders was that efforts to curb predatory lending would deny access to credit to the very consumers the states were trying to protect. But the curbs we sought on predatory and unfair lending would have in no way jeopardized access to the legitimate credit market for appropriately priced loans. Instead, they would have stopped the scourge of predatory lending practices that have resulted in countless thousands of consumers losing their homes and put our economy in a precarious position.

When history tells the story of the subprime lending crisis and recounts its devastating effects on the lives of so many innocent homeowners, the Bush administration will not be judged favorably. The tale is still unfolding, but when the dust settles, it will be judged as a willing accomplice to the lenders who went to any lengths in their quest for profits. So willing, in fact, that it used the power of the federal government in an unprecedented assault on state legislatures, as well as on state attorneys general and anyone else on the side of consumers.
-------------

The OCC is the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Chartered in 1863, its purpose is to organize and to administer a system of national banks and a uniform currency....

In his 2003 annual report, J. D. Hawke, Jr., then Comptroller of the
Currency, said:
"In response to an appeal by two national banks and after reviewing public comment, the OCC concluded that a Georgia law that imposed severe restrictions on all lenders operating within the state, did not apply to national banks and their subsidiaries. In issuing this preemption determination, the OCC ruled that the Georgia law interfered with national banks’ ability to exercise permissible federal powers and was thus in conflict with Federal law."

A storm was brewing. Many state examiners were concerned that predatory lending practices were on the rise. In 2003, the seeds of the now subprime disaster had been planted....

For example see the Press Release from the CCC NR 20004-3January 7, 2004

"OCC Issues Final Rules on National Bank Preemption and Visitorial Powers;Includes Strong Standard to Keep Predatory Lending out of National Banks

WASHINGTON – The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued two final rules today that reflect the federal character of the national banking system. The regulations enhance the ability of national banks to plan their activities with predictability and to operate efficiently, subject to effective and efficient supervision.

The first rule codifies a series of court decisions and OCC interpretations, and establishes symmetry with federal thrifts regarding the types of state laws that apply to national banks, and includes a strong anti-predatory lending standard. The second rule clarifies the scope of the OCC’s visitorial authority under federal law.

The new rules respond to numerous questions the OCC has received in recent years about the extent to which state laws apply to national banks and the authority of state or other agencies to examine or take actions against national banks...“Federal preemption is not a new idea,” Mr. Hawke said. “Its roots lie in the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, and the courts have repeatedly held that the states cannot restrict the federally-authorized activities of national banks.” . More

Nouriel Roubini of New York University's Stern School of Business quoted by By Martin Wolf ( A Bilderberger) February 20 2008 in the Financial Times ...He first predicted a US recession in July 2006*. At that time, his view was extremely controversial. It is so no longer. Now he states that there is "a rising probability of a 'catastrophic' financial and economic outcome"**. The characteristics of this scenario are, he argues: "A vicious circle where a deep recession makes the financial losses more severe and where, in turn, large and growing financial losses and a financial meltdown make the recession even more severe."

Prof Roubini is even fonder of lists than I am. Here are his 12 - yes, 12 - steps to financial disaster.

1. Worst housing recession in US history.
2. More losses, beyond the $250bn-$300bn now estimated, for subprime mortgages.
3. Big losses on unsecured consumer debt: credit cards, auto loans, student loans and so forth.
4. Downgrading of the monoline insurers, which do not deserve the AAA rating on which their business depends.
5. Meltdown of the commercial property market
6. Bankruptcy of a large regional or national bank
7. Big losses on reckless leveraged buy-outs.
8. Wave of corporate defaults.
9. Meltdown in the "shadow financial system".
10. Further collapse in stock prices.
11. Drying-up of liquidity in a range of financial markets, including interbank and money markets.
12."a vicious circle of losses, capital reduction, credit contraction, forced liquidation and fire sales of assets at below fundamental prices". (Which has really got under way with the Carylale capital Corporation yesterday)

All in all, argues Prof Roubini: "Total losses in the financial system will add up to more than $1,000bn (one Trillion) and the economic recession will become deeper more protracted and severe."...

Is this kind of scenario at least plausible? It is....

Can the Fed head this danger off?

More important - how do you shut Spitzer up ?

Spitzer is deeply disliked for example ...Spitzer's Sins in the Spotlight - His career has always been marked by self-serving hubris.By Jim Copland March 11th National review...

"As New York attorney general, Elliot Spitzer charted a course unprecedented in American history — stretching the bounds of ancient laws and the state-federal prosecutorial divide in his crusade against Wall Street. Spitzer flaunted the federal regulatory scheme ..."

GSK's claim cervarix HPV vaccine affords long-term protection against fourmain HPV types

Cervical cancer affects the 2nd most common cancer in women aged 15-45, affects over over 1.4 million women, is the third leading cause of death by cancer in women , after breast and lung cancer.

Most of the deaths occur in the developing world. Cervical cancer is an invasive and patient slow growing problem often diagnosed too late for effective action unless regular screening is provided.

The cause is a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV) transmitted by sexual activity both between men and women and between men and men and women and women. Cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted disease. Condom use fails to provide adequate protection as transmission does not require intercours but may occur simply through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area.

As HPV is almost symptomless people can be infected and transmit the without even knowing it.

Of the known 100 known types of HPV only about 15 can cause cervical cancer. Only 4 of these are the most commmon (16, 18, 45 and 31) and appear to devliver some 80% of observed cases.

HPV 16, 18 and 45 are are associated with nearly 90% of cases of adenocarcinoma, a very aggressive form of cervical cancer.

On Monday (International Women's day) at the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists' Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, Glaxo Smith Kline presented new clinical data for what they call their "cervical cancer vaccine", Cervarix - competitor to Merck's Gardasil.

They show that it provided significant protection against four types of human papillomavirus (types 16 and 18) for almost six and a half years.

These follow-up analyses, involving women aged 15 to 25 years, demonstrated ;

1 . Cervarix was 100 % effective at preventing precancerous lesions caused by virus types 16 and 18 over six and a half years.

2. Cervarix was 78 % and 60 %t effective at preventing incident infection caused by virus types 45 and 31, respectively.

GSK say this shows the "longest duration of consistently high antibody levels demonstrated by a cervical cancer vaccine."

GSK literature promotes the claim of Anna-Barbara Moscicki, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Universityof California, San Francisco who runs a Teen Colcoscopy Clinic. "Vaccination of pre-teen/adolescent girls against cancer-causing HPV before onset of sexual activity will be an important part of the overall strategy for cervical cancer prevention."

See Wikipedia on Gardasil and HPVresource.org

The Anschluß - 70 years ago - little to celebrate

A historian once remarked to Lord Patel that the Austrians were the cleverest people in Europe. They have convinced everyone that Adolf Hitler was German and Wolfang Amadeus Mozart was Austrian.

The Nazis marched into Austria on March 12, 1938, there was no resistance. Many thousands turned out to welcome them.

For decades , Austrians denied their role in the Holocaust. Oliver Rathkolb in his book “Die paradoxe Republik” (The Paradoxical Republic) made the case that Austrians adhered collectively to a belief that having lost their autonomy in 1938, they stuck to a policy of “comprehensive victim’s doctrine,”

The Holocaust and all that went with it was dumped on the defeated German Reich . The 600,000 Austrians who had joined the Nazi Party simply evaporated in the post war confusion.

This biased view was augmented by the 1943 Moscow Declaration signed at the 4 Nation Moscow Conference on October 30, 1943 named Austria as the first victim of Hitler’s aggression and called for the establishment of a free Austria after the victory over Nazi Germany.On March 28, 1945, Russian soldiers, coming from Hungary, entered and "liberated" Austrian territory. On April 10, the tower of St. Stephen’s was in flames. Terrible horrors followed: Theft, rape, kidnapping and murder it is not a period in which there is much documented history.

The Austrian Independence Treaty of 1955 which was signed when the occupying powers departed also included this victim thesis -- and still does.The state of victim hood only began to change as historians started to question and examine the the way the Ausirtain state responded to the Anschluss .It was the revelation that Austrian President Kurt Waldheim had concealed his past as a member of the SA -- and the scandal that followed -- opened up public discourse and made a post war generation aware of their history.

10 minutes to eight in the evening, March 11, 1938, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg took to the radio to address his people. He bade them farewell with portentous words: “God protect Austria.”The Nazis marched into Austria on March 12, 1938.

On March 12th, early in the morning , at 5:00 a.m., SS leader Heinrich Himmler landed with his staff at the Aspern Airport in Vienna. Shortly thereafter “Operation Otto,” swung into action and the “reunification of Austria with the German Reich,” as Hitler formulated it for a law decreed earlier that same day, was in full swing. Schuschnigg's planned referendum on the topic of independence on March 13, sparked off Hitler 's resolve to solve his “Austrian question.”

The Austrian dream of independence was shattered ..."Für ein freies und deutsches, unabhängiges und soziales, für ein christliches und einiges Österreich!"

It also meant that around 2.7 billion shillings in gold and foreign currency would fall into the lap of the badly stretched German Reichsbank. Austria would be a brudghead for Eastward expansion and conquest.

Hitler headed first for his childhood home, Linz. he moved on Vienna as an Emperor would and excited crowds cheered him on saluting all the way. On March 15, he declared the “entry of my homeland into the German Reich” from the balcony of the Hofburg Imperial Palace. On Heldenplatz, 250,000 people gathered to celebrate the occasion. (see pic)

He said "Als Führer und Kanzler der Deutschen Nation und des Reiches melde ich vor der Geschichte nunmehr den Eintritt meiner Heimat in das Deutsche Reich!"

On the Ringstrasse, which circles central Vienna the German Eighth Army paraded with SA and SS units. Tanks and fighter planes rolled past as well -- a precisely staged performance for the cheering masses. One year later in Czechoslovakia Germans marched into Prague’s Wenceslas Square. The streets were empty and desolate.

On March 18, Austrian bishops spoke out decidedly in favor of unification. They calculated that, by supporting the new regime, they would be able to preserve their far-reaching privileges... "by working with the National Socialist movement the danger of the all destructive Godless bolshevism were repelled"."dass durch das Wirken der nationalsozialistischen Bewegung die Gefahr des alles zerstörenden gottlosen Bolschewismus abgewehrt wurde" Cardinal Innitzer signed the message of support. Leading politicians accepted the “Anschluss” (Annexation) without hesitation Chancellor Karl Renner welcomed it.

In London they asked later whether the Austrians raped or was enticed ("rape or seduction"). In London fragte man sich später, ob die Österreicher vergewaltigt oder verführt worden seien ( "rape or seduction" ).

Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer

The Nazis moved ahead quickly with their decisive grab for power. An emphasis was placed on propaganda, with banners hung everywhere. Stage managed to the finest degree , 200,000 pictures of Hitler arose , in the subsequent referendum, 99.73 % of the population voted for “reunification” with the German Reich. "Bist Du mit der am 13. März 1938 vollzogenen Wiedervereinigung Österreichs mit dem Deutschen Reich einverstanden und stimmst Du für die Liste unseres Führers Adolf Hitler?" (11,929 negative votes and 5,776 invalid voting cards votes for = 4.453.772 (= 99.73%) .

The collapse in 1918 of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was traumatic. The new state of German Austria, determined by the victors was settled at Versailles on November 12, 1918. many wanted annexation with Germany. The collapse of the Weimar republic, the consequent economic crisis, large-scale unemployment meant that by February 1933, 600,000 Austrians were unemployed.

In the 1932 state elections, the Nazis (DNSAP)(Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (SDAPÖ))were able to substantially increase their share of the vote in Vienna, Salzburg and Lower Austria. Many hoped that the “party of the small people” would finally bring them a better life. “Austria,” says Brigitte Bailer, scientific director of the Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance (DÖW), “fell into Nazi Germany’s lap like a ripe fruit.”

Engelbert Dollfuß became Chancellor on May 20, 1932 as head of a coalition government. This diminutive (4'11") Jesuit educated bastard with only a one-vote majority and at his side the brilliant economic advisor, Ludwig von Mises, he was highly unpopular inside and outside of Parliament, especially among the (deeply hostile to Dollfuß) (Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (SDAPÖ).

March 1933, was a time of poitical turmoil the president of the National Council (the lower house) resigned, and the two vice presidents resigned as well. Dollfuß declared that Parliament was unworkable, and advised President Wilhelm Miklas to issue a decree adjourning it indefinitely. Thereafter, he governed as a dictator without parliament by emergency decree.

This was the end of democracy of any sort in Austria until 1955 . Dollfuss seized power - he was concerned that the Austrian National Socialists (DNSAP) would gain a majority or a significant minority in future elections, to threaten Austria's existence as a completely independent He banned the DNSAP in June 1933 as well the communists.

As a counterweight to Hitler and the fascist threat Dollfuß allied himself with Mussonlini - a man drawn to secret alliances - Dollfuß exchanged 'Secret Letters' with Mussolini about ways to guarantee Austrian independence.

In September 1933 Dollfuß merged his Christian Social Party, the Nationalist paramilitary Heimwehr (Home Guard) and other conservative groups to form the Vaterländische Front, an militarised umbrella group to support both him and his government / dictatorship.

In February 1934 there was a brief internal civil war which was crushed and Dollfuss promulgated on May 1st a new Constitution.

Dollfuß was assassinated in July 25, 1934 by eight Austrian Nazis who entered the Chancellery building and shot him in an attempted coup d'état, the July Putsch, as a prelude to the Anschluss

Dollfuß’ successor, Kurt Schuschnigg, also proved unsuccessful in his attempts to prevent a Nazi dictatorship. The treaty Schuschnigg signed with Germany in July 1936 defined Austria as a “second German state.” Intended as a maneuver to reduce pressure from Hitler’s Germany, it instead led to a de facto erosion of Austrian sovereignty. This, in turn, led to the agreement signed at Berchtesgaden on Feb. 12, 1938. There, in the mountainous and isolated heights of the Obersalzberg mountainside, Schuschnigg met Hitler and, under massive pressure, sealed his country’s fate: Austria became completely annexed to Nazi Germany. The graphic illustration of Austria's new status came a month later with the invasion of German troops.

After Annexation came the terror, systematic intimidation, persecution, expulsion. The victims were Jews, Socialists, and also the representatives of the state. “By 1936, the judicial system and police had been infiltrated by Nazis,” says historian Bailer. “Thus, the Gestapo had immediate access to complete lists naming so-called ‘enemies of the people.'” Throughout the country, thousands joined the Nazis in their campaign of terror. Many stood to profit from the new regime: apartments stood empty and jobs were not available - many fled westwards.

Numerous Viennese train stations provided the starting point for transports heading to concentration camps. In total, 65,000 Jews were killed during the Nazi terror, with thousands more political opponents landing in prison. Around 2,700 resistance fighters -- there are no exact figures -- were sentenced to death.

Today, Austria still has a hard time with its own Nazi legacy. The debate surrounding Nazi perpetrators like Heinrich Gross -- who led a child ersatz eugenics and euthanasia program in Vienna, in which more than 800 girls and boys were killed, and enjoyed a career in justice after the war -- still touches open wounds. It was only on April 28th 2002 that the preserved remains of these murdered children were finally buried. Attempts to bring Gross to justice continued well into the earlier part of this decade. Still, says historian Bailer, “there is no legitimate research on the perpetrators.”

There appears to be little desire to go after the perpetrators -- there are too many family skeletons. so - the victims are necessarily neglected.

The planned Simon Wiesenthal Center in Vienna, fights for funding. So far, the Republic of Austria and the City of Vienna have been unable to reach a compromise.

A new book by Hans Petschar, called "Anschluss: Eine Bildchronologie" (Annexation: A Photo- Chronology), has just been published containing dozens of photos and movie stills that for years were lost in attics and cellars across Austria.

Hans Petschar: Der Anschluss – »Ich hole euch heim«
Eine Bildchronologie; Brandstätter Verlag, Wien; 208 Seiten, 250 Abbildungen, 29,90 € Erscheinungstermin: 1. März

"he would ask you to do things that, like, you might not think were safe - you know - I mean that . . . very basic things." Spitzer's Nemesis

..if she is 5'1" and 105 lbs Lord Patel is a banana ...more disgusting pictures and links to her My Face page here.

Policeman Overboard ! Ex Policeman Undercover

Inspector Neil Munro, 43, of Dorset Police bought a ticket and boarded the Brittany Ferries ship alone late last night in Poole, Dorset which set sail at 11.45 pm.

His body was found just down the coast on a beach bordering Poole harbour at 8.30am.

The last time he hit the headlines was a few days earlier on March 5th when he broke up a student party in Winton, Bournemouth of a feckless student who advertised their party on Bebo - and 200 turned up. Drunk. " It is never a good idea to encourage or allow strangers into your home" said Inspector Munro.

Peter Power , a Superintendant in Dorset Police, was once the subject of a file passed to the Director of Public Prosecution as a result of an investigation by Dorset Police.

Peter Power retired from Dorset Police, which had suspended him on full pay, on the grounds of ill health before any decision was taken by the DPP on whether to act upon the file.

Peter Power was running a terror exercise on July 7th 2005 which, in his own words that evening, was “based on simultaneous bombs going off precisely at the railway stations where it happened this morning, so I still have the hairs on the back of my neck standing upright!“.

Peter Power has never provided a sliver of evidence to support his claim made on radio that day. Neither has anyone else.

Peter Power has never provided a sliver of evidence to support his claim made on radio that day. Neither has anyone else.

Peter Power has never explained what caused his suspension and reitrement from Dorset Police.

Peter Power and the Dorset Police have some explaining to do.

Another bloody silly conspiracy theory - Dead Men tell no tales Part II

"We all make assumptions "

"We assume if it's planned it works."

" Out there there are a lot of people who got in the way - that damned guy in Tashkent, trawling the bars looking for whiskey and whisky a go-go"

The speaker paused.

"Of all the bars in all the world he has to walk into one where Chuck is en route UTTT to Dushanbe and then on to UATB"

His audience knew UATT was Tashkent and UATB was Kabul Airport.They had been there often enough.

"All hell broke loose then. he starts playing the bleeding heart and worrying about Karimov doing a boil in the bag with the awkward squad" . The speaker paused and took a sip of water.The audience waited. Patiently.

" Anyway, first we had him quietened 1. visas for girlfriends 2. arriving at the office drunk 3. Takes a girl up country unaccompanied ....drove car down staircases... dolly birds ... keeping driver on tap whilst he visits strip joints..."

There were weak smiles around the table.

"Then the Brits, as per, they fucked up ... Christ they accuse him of driving the Embassy car down steps ... the guy can't even fucking drive."

The smiles broke into chuckles, and snorts of derision.

"So we had to move in ." There was a lengthy and silent pause as he strode up and down .... He swung around to face his audience. " You know whatthey did ? They fucking medivacced him outta there , way out of our reach, put him in a private hospital and kept him on fucking suicide watch"

"24 fucking 7"

"And some cunt told the Press"

Again a silence.

"You know what gentlemen, from mid 2003 we had to close down UTTT." He banged the table violently. "Tashkent was shut down ... those fucking limey fucking public school bastards."

"So"

"This time, no fuck ups."

"Straw has done a good job. Played what those goddam limeys calll a straight bat. No evidence of rendition ...if you have any let us know... Don't know what Condi did to square him , but it worked"

His audience smirked. "Some hot bitch" someone muttered. A snigger echoed in the bare room. He sat down. Purposefully and leant forward.

"Now" he said , his voice lowered," it's the time for the fucking Euro fucking crats". Again he banged the table. Everyone listening waited.

"This Marty guy has been put on the job" Silence. "We can't stop him, it's too late."

"So Jack has agreed we organise a Brit report...finds nothing." Silence."Plausible denialability" as Dubya tells us all"

"This gents is the way it works"

Attention could not have been better.

Jack says they have a an ex Home Office person in Liberty ...makes a fuss .. demands a report... well they get one." Silence as he gets up and walks to the window.

"Remember Stalker ? Northern Ireland ? Shoot to Kill ? .. well they have to investigate that Hermon fellow - honour amongst thieves so a Chief Constable has to be examined by a Chief Constable ...They are all in the same Lodge or went to the same fucking school.. no-one wants to know."

He walks back and sits down.

"Now for once the limeys are smart. They pick a guy..Stalker, blotted his copybook, mixed with some dodgy men who like to sail over to Miami, they pay his bills, dah di dah ...."

"Keen as mustard.. starts turning up stuff no-one wants , turning over stones no-one wants turned over . BANG" He banged the table again.He had the listeners full attention.

"They get rid of him. Pension him off. Someone in the Lodge or whatever finishes off the job and everyone forgets everything."

"So this time, more of the same. We - by that I mean Jack's pals, have picked this keen, ambitious, guy in the Met, anxious to get on in the world." He paused and sipped the water again. " This guy has a weakness .. it's a weakness we all have, one we keep in our trousers"

" So gentlemen our man has, with some persuading done the business... here we have a report, not authorised by their lawmakers, not by the Ministers , not by anybody but the Top cops Trade Union. ACPO they call themselves." he smiled appreciatively.

"And it's for some holier than thou libertarians."

"Signed , sealed and fucking delivered - end of cucking story and whingeing bloody limey tree huggers."

"Examined the evidence , nothing there, everything fine and if anybody has any evidence drop it in the post". Silence."That was 7th June 2005 - 8th June - by extraordinary coincidence (He smiles) the day that Senator Dick Marty issued the Council of Europe’s official report. When he ..and I quote ...found European collusion with extraordinary rendition and blanket “overflight clearances” for US military flights... that took him 19 fucking months.

"So everything is ficking hunky fucking dory as that chap in Vauxhall says".

"But, No. Our Policeman Pat who had left a trail of brokenhearts at London's Finest, has proceeded on his merry way and broken a few more fucking hearts up in the godforaken North, one a fucking cadet - some sort of Limey trainee, and fucking Asian beauty to boot."

"His wife is on the case, another of his sweethearts, brainy one with lots of clout has given up and the heavy mob say he has to go."

"Medical, go quietly, early retirement at the Sunset Home for Convalescent Plods .. nice Pension..."

"Does he take it ? Does he fuck"

" No, he wants to clean the City's streets, he wants to marry this happily married woman ,he wants to fuck beautiful young recruits.... and gentlemen he wants to spill the fucking beans"

"Our man has a little file. An insurance policy."

There was a rustle round the table. Chairs shifted and squeaked, backs straightened.

"It's time for a walk in the countryside"

"Alone"

"It won't be him collecting on the insurance policy"

----------------------

From the bivouac just below the summit they could see through the slit the ATV with the stretcher carefully skirt the railway and break off 200 feet below. They stripped the site. Their dull grey anoraks were wet with snow as they packed up. Minutes later they met and silently took the body and the ATV disappeared down the track.

Carefully, as planned, the props were set out, the bottle ( a heavy glass breakable bottle), the clothing - discarded some distance away - a sure sign of hypothermia. The Blackberry with it's fragile tiny keyboard (would anybody wonder how he texted in an an 80 mile an hour blizzard with bare hands ?) . A few bruises - the medical guy fiddled with the syringe making sure the puncture marks were in the scalp and unseen - just enough alcohol some more in the catheter.

Then they broke off. Their crampons clinking as they struggled on the ice rink of the path to get to the summit , they sat down and had a chocolate bar, some Kendal Mint cake and left the wrapper stuffed in the cracks of stone windbreak.

They set off down the hill,there were some patches of sun briefly flashing , it was about 3.00 clock when they called. 999 ask for Llanberis mountain rescue. They gave their location. Yes they would wait, they didn't want to be long as the light was going and they wanted to be off the hill.

The called ahead and as they reached the road the black scruffy people carrier slid up to the gate. Then they were in and off to Lakenheath where Gulfstream N829MG was waiting for them. It was a long journey as they took carefully prepared route to miss the number plate recognition cameras until they changed vehicles at .....

In Manchester his flat was entered and some papers discovered and taken away , a computer for safe keeping ... later it was announced he had left letters.

Mountain rescue didn't have the time to get any details from the walkers who wanted sensibly to be off the hill, searches for the mobile identity showed a German pay as you go which had been bought for with cash in Hanover.

Confusion over relationships, his mental history, a detox course, his wife, his marriage, his married lover, his job , his affairs, kept the press busy and the public happy. The Bishop of Manchester obligingly made the Cathedral available.

Nobody seemed to want to know about the people who found him. The Good Samaritans.... and he couldn't tell them.

Dead men tell no tales.

Keep watching this space.

Friday, July 15, 2005
Another bloody silly conspiracy theory

David Davies at Football Association reveals new plans for Premiership Football for next season - Amazing pictures

Angie, angie, when will those clouds all disappear?

Angie, angie, when will those clouds all disappear?
Angie, angie, where will it lead us from here?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You cant say were satisfied
But angie, angie, you cant say we never tried
Angie, youre beautiful, but aint it time we said good-bye?
Angie, I still love you, remember all those nights we cried?
All the dreams we held so close seemed to all go up in smoke
Let me whisper in your ear:
Angie, angie, where will it lead us from here?
Oh, angie, dont you weep, all your kisses still taste sweet
I hate that sadness in your eyes
But angie, angie, aint it time we said good-bye?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You cant say were satisfied
But angie, I still love you, baby
Evrywhere I look I see your eyes
There aint a woman that comes close to you
Come on baby, dry your eyes
But angie, angie, aint it good to be alive?
Angie, angie, they cant say we never tried

Jagger / Richards

Carlyle Capital Corporation go bust - US$16.6 BN ++++ down the tubes...more to follow

We posted about the woes of Carlyle Capital Corporation last Friday, March 07, 2008 - Carlyle leads the way with Triple A mortage Fire Sales as margin calls cannot be met.

Now today they have issued notice that effectively they have gone bust - Carlyle Capital Corporation (CCC) Unable To Reach Agreement With Lenders; Lenders Likely to Take Possession of Remaining Assets Carlyle Capital Corporation Limited listed on Euronext Amsterdam ticker symbol: CCC; ISIN: GG00B1VYV826 it is a Guernsey investment company that was formed on August 29, 2006 and completed its initial offering in July 2007. Carlyle Investment Management L.L.C. (“CIM”) manages the Company pursuant to a management agreement. - CCC has not been able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement to stabilize its financing.

Which means they have run out of money.

The only assets held in the Company’s portfolio as of today are U.S. government agency AAA-rated residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). (There are of course avariety of views as to whether these actually represent assets - ie they have actually no tradeable value - like Lord Patel's 600 Vinyl LP's)

In the last week Company received margin (and could not meet margin calls of more than US$400 million.

Unable to meet them the lenders proceeded to foreclose on the RMBS collateral.

Beware - adjust your clothing before reading the next sentence.

In total, by last night, the Company has defaulted on approximately $16.6 billion of its indebtedness. The remaining indebtedness (?) is expected soon to go into default.

Today we expect margin calls tomorrow of approximately US$97.5 million.

CCC IPO'd last July at US$ 20 a share , today they are worthless. Carlyle Gropup are said to own 15% of CC .Says something about the management skills of Carlyle Investment Management L.L.C.





According to CCC's annual report, counterparties for its repurchasing agreements as of the end of 2007 (ie the folks who are left holding those wonderful AAA-rated residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS)) were Bank of America, Bear Stearns, BNP Paribas, Calyon, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, ING, JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and UBS.

Simpletons in charge at the Treasury

The (Scottish - by the sound of his accent - Morningside ) Chancellor (AKA The Smuggler's Friend) hit the law of Diminishing Returns with a bang yesterday.

14 p on a bottle of jolly old Vin/Vino will raise £300 Mn in extra Tax Revenues

4 p on pint of beer and 3p on cider will raise £100Mn.

55p on a bottle of Scots falling down juice (now nearly 75% of label price) - tax revenues remain unchanged at £2.3 Bn.

£400 million gain , that will be pissed away on carousel fraud in a month (see previous posts ad fucking nauseam). Or put another way will buy you 0.01% of Northern Rock costs to the taxpayer todate (see previous posts ad fucking nauseam).

Out of Interest Hansard 18th May 1999 Col 366

Ms Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the revenue lost to the Exchequer through smuggling of tobacco. [76050]

Dawn Primarolo: In his Budget speech of 9 March, the Chancellor explained that in terms of the turnover of criminals' tobacco smuggling is now a £1½ billion business. That was an assessment by HM Customs and Excise based on their work in progress to monitor the scale of such smuggling (chiefly of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco). The provisional results of this work indicate that the total amount of revenue (excise duty and VAT) evaded in 1998 was perhaps around £1.7 billion.

Forms of tobacco duty evasion covered by this assessment include cross-Channel smuggling of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, smuggling by air passengers, diversion frauds and smuggling over very large consignments in freight.

HM Customs and Excise will continue to examine ways of measuring such smuggling, and are discussing with representatives of the tobacco industry ways of improving the methodologies used.

" Customs lost about £2.9bn in excise duty in 2003-2004 and the figure is expected to increase in 2004-2005." BBC

"The government is losing £3.75bn a year in excise duty because of tobacco and alcohol smuggling, an all-party committee of MPs reports today.

Despite a government campaign to crack down on fraud, the Treasury select committee said 10% of excise duty receipts were going unpaid, equivalent to the revenue from 1p in income tax." Guradian March 2005

"Commenting on the Chancellor's decision to increase tobacco taxes in today's Budget, (11p on a pack of 20) Christopher Ogden, Chief Executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association (TMA), said: "The increase in tobacco tax announced today will do little to reduce the level of tobacco smuggling and crossborder shopping which lost the Treasury GBP4.5 billion in revenue last year. The decision helps to maintain the UK's position as one of the world's most profitable destinations for tobacco smugglers and this is of great concern to the TMA and its member companies."

"The TMA estimates that in 2007 around GBP4.5 billion in revenue was lost through smuggling and crossborder shopping in tobacco products and over the last ten years these losses exceed GBP40 billion. "PR Newswire yesterday

Geraldine Ferraro - Fall guy ?

Women's International Day / Year gets off to an even better start.

Geraldine Ferraro ran as Veep with loser Walter Mondale in 1984. Dubya's dad ran as Veep as well.

Feisty and very, very attractive, a 1st generation Italian immigrant, she was an advocate for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, sponsoring the Women's Economic Equity Act ending pension discrimination against women, and seeking greater job training and opportunities for displaced homemakers.

Now the smart money is that Bill Clinton devised a strategy that she, representing one minority ,calls Obama's success down just to his blackness ... and resigns. Shit sticks and Shrillary walks clear.

Paradoxically it was her husband's contacts with slum landlordism that damaged her in 1984 ... like Obama's with Rezko. Things were slightly more polite in those days and it came down to revealing tax returns which the candidate's husband Zaccaro wouldn't. Mrs Kerry - Heinz did the same and much it helped John Kerry.

When asked if she had any regrets about what she said, Ferraro replied, "absolutely not."

Dirty business politics .

The Iraqi Post War shambles - Tim Cross the crux that cracked under the strain.

Tonight BBC 2 Newsnight had one of their 10 minute fillums about the illegal Iraqi invasion. Star was General Tim Cross ...this is what we posted last year 2nd September ... we wouldn't change a word.
Major General Tim Cross - crucified .. or he fucking well ought to be

Major General Tim Cross,CBE, the most senior British officer involved with Jay Garner and one of his three deputies within the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance is mentioned once in Paul "Call me Jerry" Bremer's " My Year in IRAQ". He appears once in it's pages, on Page 17 his presence is noted at the first meeting of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad. He apparently had an impressive history in logistics and He became the first Commander Logistic Support of 3 (UK) Division in preparation for the formation of the Royal Logistic Corps in April 1993.

It was at this meeting (described on Page 19) that "Jerry" told them that he was going to introduce an order on De-Baatification - anathematised by General Janus Jackson - "Jerry" doesn't record that there was a single peep of resistance to the idea.

On Page 20 he records at the end of the meeting..."Some .. at the table looked inspired some faces showed no emotion and a few seemed dubious" Who knows , Tim maybe looked dubious.

In today's Sunday Mirror, sandwiched between a Brazilian call girl's steamy encounter "Our Orgy with Man United Aces" and "Big brother faces Axe" , now retired, Major General Tim Cross follows (and endorses his every word) his retired ex - boss General Janus Jackson in an arse covering article attempting to absolve the blame for the post invasion fiasco on the shoulders of anyone and everyone but him.

" I had lunch with Rumsfeld in Washington before the invasion in 2003 and raised concerns about the need to internationalise the reconstruction of Iraq and work closely with the United Nations."

"I also raised concerns over the numbers of troops available to maintain security and aid reconstruction. He didn't want to hear that message. The US had already convinced themselves that Iraq would emerge reasonably quickly as a stable democracy"

"Anybody who tried to tell them anything that challenged that idea - they simply shut it out. Myself and others were suggesting things simply would not be as easy as that."

"But he ignored my comment. He dismissed it. There is no doubt with hindsight the US post-war plan was fatally flawed - and many of us sensed that at the time."

Ex Major General Tim Cross, General Janus Jackson , Major General Patrick Cordingley, ( who led the Desert Rats in the 1991 Gulf War the Mirror reminds us) , Malcolm Rifkind, Menzies Campbell, William Hague, foreign affairs spokesman for the Conservatives .... it is not sufficient to make the argument - it is necessary to win it.

The British politcial and military leadership signed off, indeed Parliament approved the illegal invasion which millions marched against. They signed up willingly, as brothers in arms with Dubya's gang, they accepted and often promulgated lies. They deceived the public with dossiers - they cannot cast off their responsibilities, conceal their cowardice by now calling the US policies , "intellectually bankrupt" or looking for a handy scapegoat.

This Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy will not wash. The whole illegal military endeavour, the invasion , designed to outflank diplomacy - merely a continuation of a rape that started with sanctions and no-fly zones was a conspiracy.

It was a conspiracy that the military leaders (however unwilling) failed to modify, it was a compact with a flawed and dishonest leadership - across all parties. Mealy mouthed apologies and casuistic explanations re-directing the blame cannot and must not be allowed.

Major General Tim Cross had a choice, he could have resigned his commission - he would of course not be enjoying quite the serene and safe financial benefits he might now enjoy (Pension £36,000 p.a plus a nice little earner from Nottingham University) - but at least he could relax, satisfied that he had stood up against the folly of the invasion and all that ensued. That Major General Tim Cross , a specialist in logistics failed to make an impression on Donald Rumsfeld is hardly news - that he was party to the UK Government machine being bullied is a memory of his disservice to it's citizens - he could have stood up to be counted.

He didn't. Now his squalid apology fights for attention with the sordid capers of drink fuelled whores in a 4 hour hour footballers sex orgy - hardly the public arena for a resolute Christian, (like anothor gobby General, - Dannatt, his old boss) who spoke at the Association of Military Christian Fellowships' (AMCF) European conference in 2002.

It makes one wonder how his fee from the Mirror compares with that of 24 year old Brazilian Blonde Bombshell , Juliana Baltrusch.

PS Let's not forget that the desert booted and suited, clean cut, Mr Bremer (call me "Jerry") who of course so carefully laid the plans for the current disaster, destruction of the Army, de-Baatification, looting, incredible Allied corruption etc etc., was of course ex Managing Director of Kissinger Associates

Iraq & Afghanistan - Winning Hearts and Minds by Aerial bombing / strafing / rockets - more boring statistics

At least 44 people were killed in violence across Iraq today, including 16 in a bomb attack on a bus. 13 US soldiers have been killed in Iraq so far this month.

1. Monday - A roadside bomb killed three U.S. soldiers and an interpreter in Diyala province.(CNN)

2. Monday - 4 U.S. soldiers died in a suicide bomb balst and one more died later of wounds. An Iraqi interpreter also was wounded in the explosion.(CNN)

3. Wednesday - A U.S. military spokesman said 3 American soldiers were killed in a rocket attack on their Combat Outpost Adder near Nasiriyah, about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad. 2 other American soldiers were injured .(MSNBC)

The Hidden Air War

Norman Solomon searched the LexisNexis media database, for the phrase “air war” with reference to the current U.S. military effort in Iraq?

The New York Times - Zero
Washington Post - Zero
The the nation’s largest-circulation news magazine, Time - Zero

US - CENTAF - Airpower Summary for March 10

In total, 51 close air support missions were flown as part of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

e.g : Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs fired cannon rounds onto enemy locations in the vicinity of Kabul. French Air Force Mirage-2000s conducted shows of force in the vicinity of Gereshk. In Bagram, an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle dropped Guided Bomb Unit-12s onto enemy combatant positions. A Royal Air Force GR.7 Harrier dropped an enhanced paveway II munition onto enemy combatants in the vicinity of Garmser. Shows of force were performed by RAF GR.7s in the areas of Kajaki Dam and Musa Qala.

In total, Coalition aircraft flew 52 close air support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

e.g : In Iraq, an Air Force B-1B Lancer dropped GBU-38s onto an enemy building and conducted a show of force in the vicinity of Baghdad. Furthermore, an Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon performed a show of force in the same area.

U.S. Air Force, French, and Royal Air Force aerial refueling crews flew 42 sorties and off-loaded approximately 2.8 million pounds of fuel to 248 receiving aircraft March 9.

..and Finally before we go over to the weather ...

4 Afghan civilians have been killed ( 2 women and 2 children) and one injured in an air strike called in by British forces in Helmand , the Ministry of Defence said today.

An MoD spokeswoman said British troops called in air support after being caught in a Taliban ambush at an undisclosed location in the south of the province.(Guradian)

Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb CMG, DSO, OBE Stockholm Security Conference Monday

"There will of course be circumstances where we can earn the trust of local people, where we can prevail amongst the national leadership, establish a constructive dialogue with religious authorities, but I doubt we will (be) or maybe ever have been in a position to win their hearts and minds,"

"To suggest that good intentions will cross fundamental cultural, social and religious differences and win over a damaged population is at best dangerous and wishful thinking. The image of winning a heart or a mind is almost ridiculous,"

Michael Todd - A death has been reported - Curiouser and curiouser - Woolmer heart Attack ? Send for Jamaican pathologist, quickly.

The Press Association report approx 1300 hrs GMT

That Michael Todd was found dead next to a half-empty bottle of gin. His coat had also come off and some of his clothes were discovered nearby.

An unknown source is quoted ..... "The body was found next to a half-full bottle of gin, slumped face down on a gentle slope some 20 minutes from the summit of Snowdon. There was no evidence of any pills or tablets but that is something the coroner will have to look at. Members of the team covered his face as a mark of respect.

He added that it was possible Mr Todd was suffering from hypothermia, saying: "He would have had mobile reception up there, probably. There were no signs of slit wrists, I believe." The Mail report a source saying, ""There are no obvious injuries compatible with a fall from height."

"I have seen suicide cases on the mountain before where people have taken alcohol and pills before taking their life. It is conceivable he drank too much and that hastened the onset of hypothermia.

"No-one would have survived conditions on Snowdon on Monday night - it was horrendous."

Mr Todd's suspected suicide is being linked to his alleged extra-marital affairs, it has been suggested.

His car (Range Rover) was found in Church Road, Llanberis, 5 miles from weher he was found. He was 20 minutes from the summit when he died

The Times report the same circumstances but say that mountain rescuers were searching for over 12 hours in completely the wrong area for the officer.

The Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team received a call from North Wales police at 1am on Tuesday to say that they were concerned about Mr Todd’s well being.

A cell site analysis was carried out on his mobile telephone and the full rescue service was directed to the Menai Straights and Port Dinorwic - 10 miles from where he was eventually found.

The coast guard, search and rescue dogs and the North Wales police helicopter fruitlessly searched for Mr Todd until about 1.30pm on Tuesday when walkers found “personal items” that were identified as belonging to Mr Todd. His coat was missing which is still being searched for.

He had a backpack with a change of clothing and a mobile phone which was working and which should have received a signal.

Similiar reports in the Mail who also say he had returned from a "make or break" holiday with his wife and repeat suggestiions that he had had at least one affair with a senior female police officer. Apparently The chief constable had recently been on a month-long detox and fitness regime and had told friends he was looking forward to spending another two years in his job.

Report in the Guradian which apart from a wonderful type where they refer to David Davis as the "shadowy Home Secretary" adds that ..."Dewi Pritchard-Jones, the coroner for North Wales, said tomorrow's inquest would last longer than the usual opening and adjournment so as to deal with all the rumours surrounding the case, some of which were "absolutely incorrect", he said." Which is an odd thing to say. get the Press attention on him though.


Of course you realise this is all bollocks.

The BBC News BBC 4 "PM" at 5.00 pm GMT made the odd announcement that Michael Todd sent texts to freinds on Monday afternoon which gave rise to concern that suggested danger to his life and that of the recipients . (This wording was slightly revised on the 6 o clock news)

Sounds as though those texts will make very interesting reading.

VAT Carousel Fraud - HMRC still don't know how much is going on... That's OFFICIAL

Thursday, March 06, 2008 UK Trade for 2007 - Exports down 10% - Imports up , Carousel VAT fraud stopped rising as well

When writing the piece about the Trade Statistics published that day , we took, as usual , the precaution to check any data we use. So on 6th March we e-mailed Jan Marszewski /Press Officer, Business Desk /HM Revenue & Customs jan.marszewski@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

Could you please advise me as to the reasonableness / unreasonablness of the statement :

"However if adjustments are being made of £8Bn of trade transactions in 1 Quarter are being made then at a generous 10% = $800 Mn. of VAT per Qtr = £3.2 Bn. a year is still going missing in VAT payments. "

We received a reply from Jan just minutes ago ...

I have been asked to reply to you on behalf of my colleagues in the Trade Statistics team.

In answer to your questions:
A comparison of of 2007 data with 2006 data totals at this stage could lead to miscalculations, as the 2007 data is provisional until August 2008.

The 2006 figures quoted have been revised and the missing declarations were not the same for each subsequent quarter. You cannot extrapolate in this way, the figures for all of 2006 have been published (not now provisional). Does this refer to 2006 or 2007?

The estimates of missing trade declarations associated with MTIC fraud have since been revised. The figures are available on our Web site http://www.uktradeinfo.com/ or from the ONS site http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/trd0208.pdf .
This will also include figures for 2007, but they are provisional ,

As stated in the article quoted, you cannot estimate VAT loss from these figures, as there is not a direct relationship.

No mention if it reasonable, but we stick to a VERY conservative estimate of 10% of the gross MITC declarations. ...to be fair they DIDN't say it WAS unreasonable.

Taking up the link offered below (HOUSE OF LORDS OPINIONS OF THE LORDS OF APPEAL FOR JUDGMENT IN THE CAUSE ---- Total Network SL (a company incorporated in Spain) (Original Respondents and Cross-appellants) v Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (suing as Commissioners of Customs and Excise) (Original Appellants and Cross-respondents)
[2008] UKHL 19) will take some reading however this became apparent


"As the Court of Appeal observed in para 3 of its judgment, this type of fraud is not confined to the United Kingdom. It is common in other countries within the EU. It has been described as a sophisticated attack on the VAT system. It was estimated to have cost in excess of £1bn in the year 2004/2005 to the United Kingdom by way of lost revenue. The Commissioners refer in their written case to estimates that show that this figure was exceeded substantially in the succeeding financial years. There is no doubt that this is a pernicious stratagem, and that member states are justified in making use of every means at their disposal within the scope of the Sixth Directive to eradicate it."

To those unfailiar with how this fraud is perpetrated ..


"7. It is sufficient for the purposes of this case to summarise the details of the first of the thirteen conspiracies alleged in the Statement of Claim. It has been treated as representative of all of them. On or about 15 October 2002 Total sold 3,780 Nokia mobile phones to Redlaw Ltd, a company incorporated in England and Wales, for £1,672,224.75. On the same day Redlaw sold the mobile phones to Lockparts Ltd for £1,423,170 plus £249,054.75 as VAT, amounting in total to £1,672,224.75. On the same day Lockparts sold them to GAK Ltd, for £1,428,840 plus £250,047 as VAT, amounting in total to £1,678,887.

Both Redlaw and Lockparts thereafter ceased to trade and did not pay the VAT due on these transactions. On the same day GAK sold the mobile telephones to The Accessory People plc, for £1,436,400 plus £251,370 as VAT, amounting in total to £1,687,770. On the same day The Accessory People sold them to Alldech Ltd, the broker, for £1,447,740 plus £253,345.50 as VAT, amounting in total to £1,701,094.50. In due course GAK and The Accessory People paid
VAT on the transactions which they had entered into. Finally, on the same day Alldech sold the mobile telephones to Total for £1,508,220.

That sale, being a sale out of the United Kingdom, was zero-rated.Alldech claimed and was paid a refund of input tax from the Commissioners which included the sum of £253,345.50 of VAT which it had paid to The Accessory People."

Which is not bad pay for day's work shuffling Invoices about....or as one of the learned Judges remarked..

"
…”The telephones, if they existed, did not physically move from the place or custody in which they were in the morning of 15 October 2002, when the carousel began, to anywhere else or anyone else’s custody by midnight."

One of our policemen was missing - now we know he is dead. Did he fall ? ..... Or was he pushed ?

Chief Constable Michael Todd took the responsibility to investigate the possibility that planes rented by the CIA which had transited the UK and stopped at airports nationwide on over 300 instances were carrying people for rendition elsewhere - he wrote to Ex - Home Office lawyer Ms Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty on the 5th June 2007 which was received on 8th June - by extraordinary coincidence the day that Senator Dick Marty issued the Council of Europe’s official report finding European collusion with extraordinary rendition and blanket “overflight clearances” for US military flights after 19 months of investigations.

This was not, we must remind ourselves, in any way an official enquiry, he was not empowered to seek out evidence or witnesses, no crimes had been reported or recorded, no Minister had officially sanctioned such an enquiry, it had not been approved by anybody. ACPO has no legal authority to sanction any such enquiry. Indeed the letter he wrote to doe eyed media star Sami, was on Greater Manchester Police notepaper.

"On behalf of ACPO, " Mr Todd wrote, " I agreed to look at the issues. None of the airports involved are located within my own police area and, consequently, I was able to look at the issues with a degree of independence." Ho.Ho.Ho.

"UKIS and HMRC’s respective interests in General Aviation Reports relate to identifying risk in relation to passengers declared on the form and on movement of prohibited and restricted smuggled goods. Passengers who remain on board an aircraft that lands on UK soil, for example to refuel, are regarded as airside transit passengers and not normally subject to immigration or customs control unless they seek to enter the UK. Both Services firmly point out that if their staff suspected that passengers were being transported illegally or in breach of their human rights, this would be passed to the relevant authority – most likely the Police in the first instance."

"I am encouraged by the reassurances from my colleagues in HMRC and UKIS about the action their staff would take if they thought that these offences were being committed at a UK airport. I can add that police officers would take such allegations made to them, whether from UKIS, HMRC or any other source seriously and take appropriate action including boarding aircraft, if necessary, to investigate."

It appears that no aircraft were boarded, or if they were Chief Constable Todd had not discovered any evidence that they had.

Mind you, he didn't spend a lot of time or effort in looking. Or did he ?

Perhaps Mr Todd had a very troubled mind when set out alone on his walk on Snowdon in some of the worst weather for many years - it is unclear whether he set out on the Saturday / Sunday or the Monday . (It now appears(WEd aftrenoon) it was Monday but this is not certain) Perhaps Mr Todd had a very troubled mind when we are told he leapt off that cliff on Snowdon, scattering letters to be carried away on the 100 mph winds. Then because of the impossibility of using a helicopter being carried on a bruising and lengthy stretcher journey down the mountain which must make any examination of his wounds a difficult problem.

His colleagues at GMP only became aware he was missing on Monday afternoon (Daily Telegraph today)- he was due with others at the Home Office on Tuesday morning - and raised the alarm, it was not until Tuesday afternoon his body was discovered by the Mountain Rescue Team. (watch Sky News Video link at Update at bottom of story - officers at Home Office meeting were not told why Todd was not present nor aboutthe search and learnt from Sky News of his death)

By The Way

Newsniffer has 12 versions of the BBC Online story this appeared in Version 9 at 19.20
The Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team began the task of taking his body off the mountain on foot at about 1800 GMT

Mr Henderson confirmed that the alarm was raised by walkers who found "personal effects" belonging to Mr Todd while out on the mountain.

Spokesman Ian Henderson said teams had been hampered by "appalling" weather conditions, including heavy rain and high winds, which meant rescuers could not use a helicopter

His body was spotted later about 200 yards away from the spot where the items were found, he added.

Sources at Greater Manchester Police said that among the items found with him were personal letters written to his loved ones, the BBC's Nick Ravenscroft said.

No news yet of the heroic walkers, or their pictures, or their names, or why they were out there in that dreadful weather, or why the personal items were 200yds away, or why they hadn't blown away, or why they looked.

Rgeular readers may remember Saturday, August 06, 2005 Scotsman who embarassed Tony Blair dies on a country walk. about Robin Cook who died on a highlands walk ... and those who take an interest in these matters remember ......

"Who were the so-far unidentified group of walkers (or hunters(?)) who, we were told, came to Gaynor Cook's aid? If it's not an obvious question, what were they doing on Ben Stack? For, according to the landlady of Scourie Lodge, where the Cooks had spent their last night,

"She was lucky another walker was in the area to be with her at such a time.
"You could be on Ben Stack ninety times and not see a soul, so for someone
to be within shouting distance and with a mobile phone was very fortunate."

and ...

" Although most reports spoke of a 'group of walkers', in this Times article there was only one.
Neither of the Cooks was carrying a mobile phone but Mrs Cook's cries for help were answered by a walker, who called the emergency services at about 2.23pm.

Between them, Mrs Cook, 48, and the man, who has not been named, gave Mr Cook mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions under the telephone guidance of Inverness ambulance staff, until rescuers arrived by Coastguard helicopter at 3.01pm.

How come that heroic walker kept his anonymity? Did he, at least, give a statement to police? What about the party he belonged to, mentioned by the Sunday Times, the Herald and many others? I find it odd that no one in that group of walkers spoke to, or was spoken to by, anyone in the media or, as far as we know, the police. Was even their nationality ever revealed?"

... more fascinating details, conjecture and thought provocations at Shapan and of course nobody will forget what happened when Dr Kelly went for a walk...er..... on his own.

UPDATE : 3.00 pm GMT Curiouser and Curiouser watch this SKY video news item from yesterday announcing the news of his death we have a recording so it won't go away.


Here is the Snowdonia weather forecast issued Tuesday .. we have not yet found the one issued on Sunday ... seems just the right weather for a solitary walker on the hills. Click to enlarge.

Read what Llanberis Moutain rescue give as advice to walkers in the winter

1. Keep an eye on the Met office weather for Snowdonia for a few days before your planned a trip, as it has information of the freezing level as well as weather outlook. If the freezing level has stayed below 900 metre for a day or more you can expect some icy condition high up on the mountains.

2. If it has been below freezing we recommend that you take with you both an ice axe and crampons, as even the PYG track becomes a inclined ice rink after even a short peiod of frost due to the amount of running water on it. ....

UPDATE Michael Todd - A death has been reported - Curiouser and curiouser

Incest - Germany considers a mediaeval law that punishes sibling sex

Incest is probably a universal taboo. "Coitus between relatives" is illegal in German law and punishable with a fine or a jail sentence, as it is in most countries.. it also has overtones of the Nazi german racial purity laws.

There is currently a case before Germany's Federal Constitutional Court which it is currently mulling over, that is causing a great deal of re-appraisal and fevered public discussion of the current state of the law for over 12 months in Germany.

Must consensual sex between close relatives be punished? Germany's highest court is about to rule whether incest will continue to result in a jail term. The case involves siblings who have had 4 children together.

Patrick S. was born in Leipzig (then in E Germany) in 1976, the second of five children. His sister Susan K. was born eight years later, and he didn't meet her until he was 23.

Father was a violent alcoholic. When Patrick was 3 his father grabbed him and held a knife to his throat. Neighbors called the police and Patrick was taken into care before being handed to foster parents near Potsdam.

When he was 23 he went to the youth welfare office to find his real mother. A few days later she contacted him.

On May 20, 2000 he travelled to Leipzig to see his mother again for the first time in 20 years. His parents had separated long before and the mother had a new partner. The three other siblings have since died, and the 16-year-old girl staring at him wide-eyed across the living room table was his sister, Susan.

Unexpectedly and suddenly , on December 12, 2000, the mother died.

Susan became pregnant with Patrick's child and their relationship became known to the authorities. They have been prosecuted repeatedly as other children have arrived although Patrick had a vasectomy in 2004. Currently their first son E,is in the care of a foster family was born 2 months premature and has epilepsy, and two other children were also placed in care. One of them S, has "special needs".

Patrick S. has served a jail sentence of more than 2 years because he fathered his sister's child, and he may have to go back to jail for at least another year.

The key issue is whether the protection of a powerful moral taboo is sufficient justification for punishment. And whether there are reasons beyond that taboo for locking someone up, for depriving children of their father, a woman of her partner.

Some 2-4 % of the population have "incestuous experiences", according to an estimate by the Freiburg-based Max Planck Institute. There are fewer than 10 convictions for incestuous sex in Germany per year.

Incest trials usually involve a father's abuse of an under-age daughter, which is punishable under a separate law on abusing minors. Even cases of incest between siblings that come to trial are usually based on sexual abuse charges.

But social research shows that incest is more likely to be the result of family problems than the cause. Eugenic aspects, which the German statue book cites regarding sibling incest, are a poor justification for punishment. The risk of hereditary disease for offspring also exists with other people with genetic defects. Yet the German constitution, or any other, would scarcely forbid such people from having children.

Some legal systems no longer criminalize adult incest. The French Criminal Code removed its incest prohibition in 1810, and other countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Japan, Argentina, Brazil as well as a few other Latin American countries and several U.S. states have followed suit.

In the UK the Sexual Offences Act of 2004 in a little noticed change amongst the wholesale review instigated by David Blunkett, in fact went the other way and updated incest offences to cover not just blood relatives but also foster and adoptive parents and live-in partners. ...which brought it into line with Incest and Related Offences (Scotland) Act 1986 (c. 36). The UK marriage laws of course prevent marriage between blood relatives and also between adoptive parents.

We need this law against incest in Germany and in the whole of Europe," said Professor Juergen Kunze, a geneticist at Berlin's Charite Hospital.

"It is based on long traditions in Western societies, and the law is here for a good reason," said Prof Kunze.

"Medical research has shown that there is a higher risk of genetic abnormalities when close relatives have a child together. When siblings have children, there is a 50% chance that the child will be disabled," he said.

So far there has been no decision but the vice-president of the Constitutional Court said that there will be a 'fundamental discussion' about this issue in Germany.

Newspapers covered this story in the UK - Guradian The Independent Daily Mail their comment columns provide an interesting insight into what is/is not considered socially acceptable.

...and yes ... book deals , TV /Film rights are being negotiated..

UPDATE Thursday March 13th 2008

Germany's Constitutional Court, the country's highest judicial body, ruled today that incest in Germany violates the country's Basic Law. The judges rejected a petition by Patrick K. to overturn previous incest convictions.

US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Fallon hands in his lunch pail - EX - UK 2 IC in Iraq Gen. Lamb "winning Iraqi & Afghan "Hearts and Minds" is ridiculous

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has announced that Admiral William Fallon, head of U.S. Central Command,(CENTCOM) is stepping down effective March 31, because of well known differences on policy with the Bush administration.

Fallon assumed the post a year ago as the commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East, with responsibility for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is said to have informed Gates of his decision today.

``Admiral Fallon reached this difficult decision entirely on his own,'' Gates told a news conference at the Pentagon. Gates said it was a ``misperception'' that Fallon differed from the administration.Absolute bollocks.

We did post about Adm. William Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), when he was dashing about the Central European Republics of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and also Pakistan in January. US launches 2 pronged diplomatic assault on Central Asian republics - Afghanistan poppies and pipelines

We did say then ,"Evidently the EU and the US are responding to the real politik that Karimov - unless he magically disappears - is there for another 7 years, sedulously playing Russia, China, Japan against the US and EU energy interests."

Anyway it's Fallon who has magically disappeared. (Fox news says it's over an Esquire article last week that sys Fallon opposes plans for a war in Iran)

US launches 2 pronged diplomatic assault on Central Asian republics - Afghanistan poppies and pipelines

Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command (CENTCOM), described Petraeus as a sycophant when they first met Baghdad last March.

Fallon apparently told Petraeus that he considered him to be "an ass-kissing little chickenshit" and added, "I hate people like that" .. remarks that followed Petraues trying to ingratiate himself to a superior.

What Petraeus did do was serve as front man for the George W. Bush administration's effort to sell its policy of increasing U.S. troop strength in Iraq to Congress.

Petraeus was the front man for the Administrations "surge" . He was installed in the office of Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in early February just before the Senate debated Bush's troop increase.Senators were then approached on the floor and invited to go McConnell's office to hear Petraeus make the case for the surge policy.Which he did. They made him C in C as a result. - then they asked him if he had done a good job.

Evidently Fallon didn't think he had.

British General says "Hearts & Minds policy" is an impossible goal.

Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb CMG, DSO, OBE 54, was until last October the top British commander in Iraq, speaking today to international security conference in Stockholm he said,"Winning hearts and minds" in Western-occupied nations like Iraq and Afghanistan is ridiculous. Reuters report his speech...

"There will of course be circumstances where we can earn the trust of local people, where we can prevail amongst the national leadership, establish a constructive dialogue with religious authorities, but I doubt we will (be) or maybe ever have been in a position to win their hearts and minds,"

"To suggest that good intentions will cross fundamental cultural, social and religious differences and win over a damaged population is at best dangerous and wishful thinking. The image of winning a heart or a mind is almost ridiculous,"

Lamb, who holds the post of Commander, Field Army Headquarters Land Command said "They are simply the architects of chaos. You have to expel them, incarcerate them or kill them."

He also expressed views on Iraq which will not be heard with any sense of welcome by the US allies ..."I would contend that the (U.S.-led) coalition just being in Iraq presents to a proud and ancient civilisation abject humiliation, visible shame," he said.

"Every day and in every way we outsiders are seen to be interfering in their affairs -- albeit with the best possible interests, and making a difference -- but nevertheless foreigners to their culture, their faith, their way of life."

The Daily Telegraph in May 2007 said, "Gen Lamb, regarded as one of Britain's most charismatic commanders, is understood to have been hand-picked for the task by Gen David Petraeus, the American in overall charge of military operations in Iraq. Gen Petraeus is said to have been encouraged by his deputy's progress and has requested that Gen Lamb's tenure be extended beyond his scheduled tour of duty." It was - the Times also reported that Petraeus and Lamb were good friends and had worked together in Bosnia and Iraq previously.

Not a good day for the world's Policema(e) n.... guided by the Statment of Principles from the Project for the New American Century

"If we shirk our responsibilities, we invite challenges to our fundamental interests. The history of the 20th century should have taught us that it is important to shape circumstances before crises emerge, and to meet threats before they become dire. The history of the past century should have taught us to embrace the cause of American leadership.”


This is what the brave Lamb said to a Pentagon Press Conference on January 19th 2007..." Who am I? Graeme Lamb. I'm a Scotsman. I spend my entire adult life doing this stuff, 25 -- no, 35 years now; know nothing else, really. I have a youthful spirit, a sense of humor. I still believe in duty, service and sacrifice. May be a bit old-fashioned. "Go as a pilgrim and seek out danger, far from the comforts and the well-lit avenues of life" type stuff. I still believe in heroes."

Must have gone down a treat.

" ...This is really difficult. This is three-dimensional chess in a dark room.

But hard pounding is what Wellington said at Waterloo before he went on to win as part of a coalition. "

Ideal reading ... sounds as though he is straight out of Boys Own Paper - probably the thought of thing they hand out with the cornflakes at Sandhurst.

EX Met , GMP Police Chief Michael Todd found dead near beauty spot after long solitary countryside walk

Michael Todd had been leading a probe into claims that CIA 'extraordinary rendition' flights had been landing in the UK, on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

"On 19 December Liberty held a meeting with Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Michael Todd. Chief Constable Todd has confirmed that he will look into “extraordinary rendition” flights on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). According to Chief Constable Todd, the police have begun initial inquiries and will follow Liberty’s recommendations for further questioning." UN Convention in Torture UNCAT Vol 2 160/6 Page 166. House of Lords report 26thMay 2006

UPDATE Wednesday 12th March 8.00 am GMTBBC4 Radio "Today" program report rumours that a "Sunday newspaper" was preparing a story about him. Stories curculate of family problems and much mention of written notes / letters to family members where he was found dead.

Hutton and his New Labour "Lack of Energy Policy" Policy is FCUKED

There were wild scenes yesterday at the HQ of The Forth Coming UK Energy Deficit (FCUKED) when the the Labour Party train currently driven by John Hutton "Total lack of an Energy Policy" finally hit the buffers.

New Labour now have to face , after 12 years that ;

1. UK oil production is in rapid decline and the UK are now nett importers. (click graph to enlarge)
2. UK Natural gas production is in very rapid decline and we are now nett importers.
3. UK Coal fired Power stations (none of which have been built for 25 years) need either to be closed to meet EU imposed pollution limits - or simply become uneconomic.
4. UK Nuclear power outputs are falling faster than planned due to age / breakdowns

The brute fact is that the UK has been dancing on the edge because ;

1. Power producers have been running coal plants at the limit to sweat the assets whilst they can before forced closure.
2. We have had mild winters when the mothballed gas fired plants have just managed when required to pull us through.

Now we are faced with a total reliance of imported oil, gas and coal and that global forces have driven costs sky high -jhe expressed a comical belief that coal suppies were from friendly suppliers.

1. The Australians simply cannot keep up with Chinese demand for coal and we can easily be priced out of the market as shippers are happier to turn round quicker with the shorter China run. Austrilai has also suyffered catastophic floods in their Queensland coal fields which have hit their exporting capacity.

2. The South African state power company ESKOL has demanded that they stop shipping the best quality coal and let them use it instead of the waterlogged poor quality coal.

Of course the Government have not been idle in the Locust Years, plans have been put in place ;

1. A scatter of small low output, intermittent wind farms have been built (at a fabulous cost and a cost burden on the rest of the generating industry)- Total output on even the most generous assessment is not 2% of demand which rises at almost that level every year. Any further expmansion on a large scale - offshore, Lewis etc., have major technical / safety implications in running the National Grid and / or spending huge sums on expanding it.

For example there also similiar implications for gas supplies the very latest fields in production include several High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT) reservoirs which typically are at 15-20,000 feet depth. Working at these depths is clearly testing current technology to its limits. Examples of such fields are Elgin/Franklin (Total) and Shearwater (Shell-Esso).

2. Foreign owned LNG terminals have been built but again the UK will compete (especially with the US) for supplies - there are also massive security / safety problems with gas. The Bacton gas terminal explosion 2 weeks ago requires explanation. The Newcastle terminal is reliant on a foreign owned and largely unproven re-gasification technology.

3. Storage of gas is hugely inadequate and the offshore North Sea Rough storage has had major problems. Until the mid-1990s, UKContinental Shelf (UKCS) gas was mostly produced from ‘dry’ gas reservoirs and, as a result of summer/winter swing in demand, producers could make use of lower gas demand in the summer to allow their gas reservoirs to recover. Many of these
earlier dry gas fields are now largely depleted and have neither the volume of gas left nor the resilience they once had. Most gas reservoirs developed since 1990 are ‘wet’ (i.e. the gas is associated with liquids, which could be crude oil, condensate or natural gas liquids). These reservoirs are much more complicated to operate and manage and the economics is often dictated by the liquids (eg Rough) . Liquids reservoirs do not cope well with swing and are typically operated in constant flow conditions. Also, the plant required to produce and process such mixed flows of fluids is more complex than that needed for dry gas alone.

4. Nuclear power plants (first discussed publicly by Tony Blair in January 2005) are still a sparkle in anyone's eye - production cannot be expected within 10 years.

5. When God distributed natural gas he did it not only in remote areas but often those with horrid political problems - Nigeria / Middle East or technical - Norwegian Arctic with attendant costs implications.

So now John Hutton faces the decision about the E.ON Kingsnorth power station in Kent and realises he has 2 choices;

1. Approval of this plant (which will be rapidly followed by several more)
2. Qualified approval with the demand that any plant must have integrated (as yet unknown and obviously unproven) carbon - capture technology which will probably double costs and load the project with high and unknown costs down the line.

What will he decide ? Well of course , faced with the fact that Planning Consent has gone through, there is no (or little) local opposition, he will fudge it, allow it to go thorugh with promises that E.ON "look at", "consider", "review the position" at some time between now and the end of life as we know it.

... and the possibility that if they cannot build a plant without those restrictions the German based E.ON, major partners in the North Stream Baltic Russian / EU pipeline will simply walk away.

He said according to the Times yesterday : “Our leadership role is best promoted by the actions we take on capping emissions, carbon pricing and supporting the development of new carbon capture and storage technology. Not by gesture politics.”

So Phase one of capping resulted in zero reduction in emissions ( and a massive windfall for the power companies). Carbon pricing is a fantasy world and a market dreamed up by the money jugglers in the City.... and new carbon capture and storage technology is like Nuclear Fission technology ... over the hill and away with the faeries as far as power production is concerned

Paradoxically the Party that talks sense on a future energy policy is UKIP - you are advised to you are advised to read their analysis and prognosis.

Here is a rough graph of how they see things until 2025 - they say 2020 but there isn't a cat in hell's chance of having the Nuclear power in place by then. Sensibly they see that the core production has to be by juggling gas / coal/ nuclear power - wind , solar, district heating, methane wastes, hydro will in the foreseeable future - say 25 years ,will always be a minority source.




For an always intelligent and thoughtful analysis of UK Energy Policy go to The Oil Drum (Europe) and information on FCUKED here

Israeli Mugs

Click to enlarge More Zionist shit

The women in Eliot Spitzer's life and how to transport a whore across State lines - Catch a train - Amazing Pictures !!!

If you just want to look at the really mucky pictures go here

One of these women has been Mrs Silda Wall Spitzer since 1987, one entertained at the Superbowl and Mr Spitzer said of the performance , "This is the kind of tawdry smut you'd expect to see in some cheap porn magazine like National Geographic, not on national television," and the other is waiting for Client # 9 to clear his tab (plus State Taxes and "extras for unsafe sex" that'll be US$ $2,721.41)

Now we understand what Spitzer was referring to in his music industry payola scam inquiry of " pay and play".

Put the names to the pictures and you could win a prize.

Court papers in the case here ... " (47 pages to wade through that reads like a novel / fillum plot)
Through the investigation, the
FBI and IRS have determined that MARK BRENER, a/k/a 'Michael," CECIL SUWAL, a/k/a "Katie," a/k/a "Kate," TEMEKA RACHELI+E LEWIS, a/k/a "Rachelle," and TANYA HOLLANDER, a/k/a "Tania Hollander," the defendants, organized, managed, and operated the Emperors Club VIP ("Emperors Club"), an international criminal organization engaged in illegal prostitution and money-laundering activities. BRENER, SUWAL, LEWIS, and HOLLANDER used the Emperors Club to arrange for prostitution activity between wealthy male clients and more than 50 prostitutes in, among other
places, New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, California; Miami, F10rida;~ London, England; and Paris, France. The defendants charged the Emperors Club's clients fees ranging from $1,000 to more than $5,500 per hour for prostitution
services " U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael H. Dolinger ordered that Brener be held without bail after prosecutors said $600,000 in cash and an Israeli passport were found in his apartment.

They operated at www.emperorsclubvip.com. but that is no longer available - however the Wayback Machine has plenty to look at.

" ...
For example, according to the Website, the Emperors Club charged $1,000 per hour for a three-diamond prostitute, and $3,100 per hour for a seven-diamond prostitute. The Website offered the Emperors Club's most valued clients 'membership" in the 'Icon Club," a status which allowed the clients to access restricted areas of the Website and permitted them to schedule appointments for illegal prostitution services with the most highly-ranked prostitutes whose fees started at $5,500 per hour."

THis is the interesting bit where "Kristen" gets the train from NY to Washington, Books into the Mayflower Hotel (Where J Edgar Hoover RIP used to dine every day) Room of Client # 9 ( Spitzer (AKA Lewis) Page 29 ..."82. At approximately 8:47 p.m., TEMEKA RACHELLE LEWIS,a/k/a "Rachelle," the defendant, using the 6587 Number, received a call from Client-9. During the call, Client-9 told LEWIS to tell "Kristen" to go to the hotel and go to room 871. (Spitzer had booked the room under the name of George Fox, one of his donors) Client-9 told LEWIS that the door would be open. Client-9 told LEWIS that there would be a key in the room, but the door would be ajar.
LEWIS asked if the hotel staff might pass by the door and close it, and Client-9 said no it was okay. Client-9 explained that the door would not be visibly open, but if someone pushed it, the 4 door would open. LEWIS told Client-9 that his balance was
$2,721.41, and that if he wanted to do an additional "150OU or even "2000" it would be better. Client-9 said that he did not know if he could get to a machine to do that, but he would see. LEWIS said that 'Kristen" would go directly to room ,871."

The Client 9 was on the job from 9.36 to 12.02...Page 30

"LEWIS asked "Kristen" how much she collected, and 'Kristen" said $4,300. "Kristen" said that she liked him, and that she did not think he was difficult. "Kristen" stated: 'I don't think he's difficult. I mean it's just kind of like . . . whatever. . . I'm here for a purpose. I know what my purpose is. I am not a . . . moron, you know what I mean. So maybe that's why girls maybe think they're difficult . . . . " "Kristen" continued: "That's what it is, because you're here for a [purpose]. Let's not get it twisted - I know what I do, you know." LEWIS responded: "You look at it very uniquely, because . . . no one .ever says it that way." LEWIS continued that from what she had been told "he" (believed to be a reference to Client-9) "would ask you to do things that, like, you might not think were safe - you know - I mean that . . . very basic things."

Read on

There is more at the Smoking Gun with some pictures you might not show the family or the servants.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Shrillary asks - Superdelegate or Superstud ?

Just how wrong could you be Mrs Spitzer ?

Sept 24th 2007 New York Magazine

"Is there anything we don't know about him ?" ... Quite a lot it appears.

Torture - What President Bush voted for and why Jeffrey Kaye opted out of the American Psychological Association

Jeffrey Kaye is a psychologist active in the anti-torture movement. He works clinically with torture victims at Survivors International in San Francisco, CA. As "Valtin," he regularly blogs at Daily Kos, Docudharma, American Torture, Progressive Historians, and elsewhere.

Jeffrey Kaye resigned in January from the American Psychological Association, and his letter is available here - it is necessary to read it in full but some excerpts give sufficient support to his belief that :

The sordid history of American psychology when it comes to collaboration with governmental agencies in the research and implementation of techniques of psychological torture is one that our field will have to confront sooner or later. In a larger sense, the problems presented here are inherent in a larger societal dilemma regarding the uses of knowledge.

Briefly his objections to the objections to APA policy and practices were:

1. APA's position on non-involvement in torture allows psychologists to work in settings that do not allow the basic right of habeas corpus.

In addition to practices of humane confinement as delineated in the Conventions of the Geneva Protocols and various international documents and treaties.

2. " ......relegating various modes of psychological torture (sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, isolation) and the use of drugs in interrogations to something less than outright prohibition in recent APA position papers"

He points out that recent APA clarifications of its position are treated as something requiring less than direct organizational expression.

3. APA continues to propagate a position that it knows is false: that psychologists operate in interrogation settings to prevent abusive interrogations.

He points out that the work of Zimbardo, and his famous Prisoner Experiment, is often cited and twists the representation of this research by making psychologists a quasi-police force monitoring abusive interrogations. He maintains (quite rightly) his research shows human beings are readily susceptible to abusive behavior based upon contextual factors.


4. APA has shown little interest in the many revelations regarding psychologist participation in torture, or in psychologist research into abusive or coercive interrogations. Excepting only a brief period in the late 1970s, when widespread and public exposure of CIA mind-control programs raised considerable scandal, APA has shown little inclination to confront the history of psychologist participation in such research, nor of its own institutional role in this research.

5." ......recent APA activities, such as the joint CIA/Rand Corporation/APA July 2003 workshop in the "Science of Deception," point to questionable current participation in unethical practices and illegal governmental activities. I queried relevant actors and APA leaders as to what actually occurred at this workshop, which the APA Science Directorate described as discussing how to use "pharmacological agents to effect apparent truth-telling behavior." Also considered was the study of "sensory overloads on the maintenance of deceptive behaviors." Workshop participants were asked, "How might we overload the system or overwhelm the senses and see how it affects deceptive behaviors?" I never received any answer from relevant APA personnel, including the current director of ethics, about what went on at this workshop."

Read this and the links to fully understand what President Bush was allowing when he vetoed the Bill enforcing the standards of the US Field manual for interrogation.

...and Goya's Sleep of Reason is out of focus on purpose ...

Jersey - what a States it's in - dressing downs and cover ups

300 people gathered outside the States of Jersey building in the capital St Helier on Saturday.
Many of the crowd were wearing daffodils in their lapels as a sign of hope, while being angry and shocked at alleged abuse at Haut de la Garenne.

Stuart Syvret the sacked senator who has finally brought the sad catalogue of crimes against children in Jersey into the open has a blog. Read it.

Today he reviews the Time 4 Change public rally (in which he wasn't involved as an organiser) the activities of Jersey’s loathsome Chief Minister, Senator Frank Walker and the press - especially BBC Jersey.

"I don’t describe the power-apparatus of Jersey as an oligarchy for nothing. It’s the perfect word to describe the rotten confluence and collaboration of vested interests, social-climbing, ignorance and complacency which sees every arm of the state here walking in lock-step – with the enthusiastic and supine support of Jersey’s media."

"Senator Frank Walker has disgraced himself yet further.He has issued a statement to the media in which he rubbishes the rally, accuses it of being political, claims the attendance was very low - and actually insults and denigrates all the good Jersey people who turned out by accusing them of using a tragedy just to promote change.Yes.He really is that stupid."

Also have a look at " " ..all he seems to have done is spanked a few bare bottoms" David Steel on Cyril Smith 1979

Get ready for an invasion of Lebanon Mk II and Syria Mk I

If you believe (as many do) that a 2nd Lebanese invasion is building up (with a swipe at Syria this time round ?) with the dual goals of settling Hizbollah and boosting domestic morale, poll numbers and to quieten criticism of the government on the failure of the first invasion ... and the Jerusalem slaughter then the signs are building up. (Pic Mrs Bashir Assad)

The IDF don't give a fuck about UN Resolution 1701 and Israeli warplanes frequently fly over South Lebanon , and have drawn ground fire from Lebanese troops on at least two occasions .

On Friday 2 Israeli warplanes again broke UN Resolution 1701 and flew over the Lebanese capital Beirut on Friday, the day after the attack in Jerusalem . AP report a senior Lebanese security official said the planes flew at a "medium altitude." The official did not elaborate and the Israeli military said it knew of no activity in Beirut.

The Lebanese Army also reported on Friday that 3 Israeli reconnaissance planes also violated Lebanese airspace in South Lebanon .

A UN spokeswoman on Friday denied reports that the Israeli military had crossed the Blue Line into South Lebanon this week.

The Lebanese daily An-Nahar on Friday quoted UN spokesman Farhan Haq saying that the peacekeeping force was not aware of the US decision to send warships to the region. "These ships' locations do not fall under the UNIFIL mandate," he added. (See comment below about evacuating US citizens)

Israel has also deployed three “Saar” naval corvettes, three Patriot batteries and eight military battalions on the southern Lebanon and on the Golan, some 20 bulldozer armoured bulldozers have been stationed. This was reported by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Al-watan Voice.

Lebanese newspaper Sada Al-Balad, reported today that employers of Syrian workers in Lebanon that their Syrian employees must leave Lebanon and go back home before 10th March to join the army because the Syria authority has called up reserve soldiers.

Janes Military reports that the USS Cole has transited the Suez canal for the Persian Gulf and Tarawa class amphibious landing ships USS Nassau and the USS Nashville, (To evacuate US citizens ?) have arrived of the Lebanese coast, as well as USS Ashland a dock landing vessel which saw action of Somalia in January last year and would be ideal for picking up civilians as it can carry Landing Craft Air Cushion vehicles (LCAC)and Three Landing Craft Utilities (LCU). The group which left the US on 19/20th Feb ruary also included Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Bulkeley and USS Ross.

It is as well to remember that the signatories to the PNAC included Elliott Abrams whose great desire is to smash Hamas, and Zalmay Khalilzad the US Ambasador to the UN .

Also remember "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" First neocon report calling for Iraq invasion by Richard Perle, Dougla sFeith, and David Wurmser, Middle East Adviser to Cheney.1996 and which preceded the PNAC - had plans for invading Syria and the Lebanon.

These guys don't never give up.

LATE NEWS Daily Star Beirut - US official calls posting of warships 'measure of peace'- interview with a senior US State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Q: Was the deployment coordinated with the government of Premier Fouad Siniora?
A: Prime Minister Siniora has spoken of this issue himself ... We do not surprise people or surprise friendly governments in the region.

LATE NEWS BUT OLD NEWS )WELL 3 DAYS OLD)

In other moves last week ,AFP report that State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Syria was placed on a so-called "Port Security Advisory List" because of "concerns about the connections between Syria and international terrorist organizations."

The move allows the US Coast Guard "to impose some additional port security measures to ships traveling to or arriving in US ports that have previously been either departing from Syria or have called on Syrian ports," he said.

Last month the US Treasury Department said that it had blacklisted four men accused of funneling militants, weapons and money through Syria to support Al-Qaeda operations in Iraq.
Also last month the Treasury announced it was freezing the assets of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's cousin as part of widening sanctions against Damascus targeting officials engaged in "public corruption."

Mr Philip Hammond asks Alastair Darling some very tricky Questions ...

Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge. Con. ) asks today PQ (193472) : To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what training courses were attended by HM Revenue and Customs staff in the last 12 months.

This will of course have nothing whatsoever to do with Common Purpose.

He will also ask 3 interlinked questions of the Chancellor :

1 -pursuant to his Answer of 22nd February 2008, Official Report, column 1117W, on fraud in HM Revenue and Customs, how many of the investigations into suspected fraudulent activity which have been conducted since 1st April 2007 led to a prosecution.

2. -what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the 35 investigations into suspected fraudulent activity by staff which have taken place since 1st April 2007.

3- if he will list the divisions of HM Revenue and Customs in which staff who were investigated for fraudulent activity in the last 12 months were employed.

The answers will be fascinating. Almost as fascinating as the Question (and answer) he obtained about Northern Rock on 25th February

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual value of new mortgages that Northern Rock will need to originate in order to prevent a non-asset covenant breach occurring of the Granite securitisation vehicles.

To which Angela Eagle gave the very careful reply (Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury)

"The sale of mortgages from Northern Rock into Granite is a commercial decision for Northern Rock. The estimated value of mortgages that Northern Rock would need to sell into Granite in order to avoid a non-asset trigger is a commercially sensitive matter."

... and of course Northern Rock is free from prying eyes under the Freedom of Information Act.

German heparin supplies recalled

Janet Woodcock, the deputy commissioner of The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has announced that 5 - 20 % of samples of the blood thinning agent , essential for people having dialysis, sold in the US by Baxter's was contaminated. (see previous posts)

There is , as yet, no direct causal link" between the drug and the 785 adverse reactions which have been reported so far. The number of recorded deaths has increased from 4 to 19. Nor can they say this was an "error , by some biological process, or if this occurred deliberately."

The FDA says the contaminant is present in the active pharmaceutical ingredient originating from Baxter's US supplier, Scientific Protein Laboratories of Waunakee, Wis. plant in China - who extract the basic product from pig intestines. However, the FDA said that it is also possible that the "heparin-like" substance could have been introduced at Scientific Protein's facility in Wisconsin. Baxter indicated that its New Jersey plant, which produces heparin in its final form, is not the cause of the problem.

The New York Times reports that the FDA have asked all U.S. companies that produce heparin to test it with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and capillary electrophoresis, the only tests that can uncover a possibly counterfeit ingredient.

German heparin product recalled.

Now Rotexmedica GmbH Arzneimittelwerk (owned since 1999 by Groupe Panpharma of Fougeres, France) has announced a product recall of its heparin product in Germany after receiving an increase in reports of adverse events (less than 100) in patients similiar to those recorded in the US but no deaths have been reported.

Axel Thiele, a spokesman for the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, (BfArM) said the drug, was pulled from the market after 80 patients suffered shortness of breath, low blood pressure and episodes of rapid heartbeat. Press Release

Rotexmedica's heparin is made using an active ingredient from China, similar to Baxter's recalled product.

The company has written to doctors and pharmacists notifying them of the problem and claim "it can't be ruled out that the quality of the batches has been compromised."

The FDA state that heparin active ingredient used by Rotexmedica in their product was not obtained from" Scientific Protein Laboratories.

Scientific Protein may have obtained raw ingredients from the same source as the supplier for the German heparin, said Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group

In Switzerland the national medical authority Swissmedic is investigating heparin medication , but there have been no reports of complications.

How Heparin Maker in China Tackles Risks

This is the title of an article in the Wall Street Journal today about Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical Co.'s high-tech factory in the southern China boomtown of Shenzen who supply APP the competitors of Baxter in the US.

The Shenzhen Hepalink plant has been inspected and approved 9 times in recent years by government health authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, China's drug watchdog and German regulators. Buyers have done their own audits 25 times.

Changzhou SPL the suppliers to SPL and thus to Baxters registered itself in China as a chemical manufacturer rather than a drug company. As such, it doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of China's State Food and Drug Agency. The U.S. FDA, in an oversight, also failed to inspect the facility when it began making the active ingredient for the U.S. market.

When FDA officials last month toured the Changzhou SPL factory at the center of Baxter's heparin recall, they described findings that indicated flaws in record-keeping and a lack of evidence that appropriate steps were being taken to effectively rid crude heparin of possible contaminants.

Baxter audited Changzhou SPL in September, Baxter spokeswoman Deborah Spak says. Baxter officials made "several observations," including "a few touching on the same areas" as those identified by the FDA.

Ms. Spak says Baxter approved the Changzhou SPL factory for heparin production "pending satisfactory responses" to the concerns its officials raised. Changzhou SPL provided those responses in January, she says, and Baxter continued to buy its heparin.

China's SFDA approved the two Chinese companies that made the active ingredient for the heparin now recalled in Germany: Changzhou Qianhong Bio-Pharma Co. and Yantai Dongcheng Biochemicals Co.

The U.S. and Europe stopped using heparin extracted from sheep and cow organs more than a decade ago after scientists became concerned about bovine spongiform encephalitis, or mad-cow disease, and the associated sheep disorder called scrapie.

This is a good article at the medical site Seeking Alpha Baxter's Recalled Heparin: The FDA Can't Keep Up - that details the problems the FDA have had in following up the production processes at Changzhou SPL suppliers to SPL > Baxters.

UPDATE 11th March 2008 10.00 pm GMT
Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma Co., Ltd. in Jiangsu province with total investment of RMB 120,000,000, covers an area of over 90,000 square meters with construction area of about 31000 square meters including comprehensive production building, office building, R&D center, and analysis and test center. The whole factory was designed and built according to national GMP standard. The company mainly produces lyophilized powder, injections, tablets, capsules and API etc. The annual production of preparations amounts to 1.2 billion pieces and that of API is 150tons. Typical products are Kallidinogenase, Elastase, L-Asparaginase, Urokinase, Heparin and LMM heparin and so on.

In business for 2 decades preparing Kallidinogenase, Elastase, L-Asparaginase, Multi-enzyme capsule etc. Especially we primarily use Kallidinogenase to cure chronic complications in diabetes.

North Sea - HSE report serious safety breaches on North Sea rigs

REVEALED: NORTH SEA SAFETY FLAWS runs todays headline in the Herald

Remember Piper Alpha? Twenty years on, major oil companies are still committing serious safety breaches on North Sea rigs - By Environment Editor Rob Edwards

THE OIL companies guilty of a series of safety breaches on North Sea rigs have been named and shamed by the government's health and safety watchdog - but only after a freedom of information request by the Sunday Herald.

In the past three years, Shell, Total, BP, Chevron, Maersk and other companies have all faced legal action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), forcing them to fix flaws in their crucial safety and maintenance systems.

Known as the KP3 report, it uncovered safety problems on nearly one-third of the rigs inspected. But the HSE refused to name any of the companies or installations at fault, provoking furious criticism from trade unionists.

The Sunday Herald submitted a request under freedom of information legislation, asking the HSE to lift the veil on the companies. At first it refused, but after an internal review, officials agreed to identify the installations served with improvement or prohibition notices as a result of the inspections.

Late on Friday, the HSE released a list of 18 instances between March 2005 and October 2007 when legal notices had been served. The most frequent offender was the biggest and richest oil company in the North Sea, Shell, which received six notices covering five installations.

More

Now go to RoyalDutchShell.com - this is not a company site !

Former Shell Group Auditor Bill Campbell throws down gauntlet to Shell Chairman, Jorma Ollila

Republished today from 02 July 2007

Printed below is an extraordinary email sent today by former Shell International Group Auditor, Bill Campbell (above) to Royal Dutch Shell Plc Chairman, Jorma Ollila and the Company Secretary, Michiel Brandjes.

It was also copied to: -

*Shell executives including Jeroen van der Veer and Malcolm Brinded
*Senior officials of The Health & Safety Executive
*Relevant trade unions
*The news media .............

This is a lengthy and detailed document which you have to read in full - it is evident that there are knowledgeable people with serious concerns about the state of some North Sea oil installations.

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles equally at home lying like fuck in Saudi, Israel, Afghanistan or London

Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles 53,(pronounced 'Cooper-Coles') arrived in Kabul to start work as Ambassador to Afghanistan on 15th May 2007. He is one of those fiercely intelligent FCO polymaths , the first Arab speaker to become Ambassador to Israel ( where he travelled round to local consternation in a black London taxi) and has been inserted everywhere to sort out various trouble spots on the British post colonial agenda.

The former Viceroy of India Lord Curzon founded the embassy in Kabul in the 1920s declaring its ambassador should be the best housed man in Asia. The original embassy building was burnt down by a mob after it was handed over to Pakistan in 1994.The current Embassy is in smaller, newer and better protected premises today, built in the grounds of the hospital adjacent to the old embassy which were re-opened at the end of November 2001.

The FCO have encouraged the idea of staff publishing blogs, which are variously entertaining and instructive and Sherard (Abu Henry to his many Arab friends) took to it, he tells us, with gusto. (Flickr photostream here) His posting dated 25 October 2007 when he accompanied President Karzai to the UK provides one of those incidental insights that (in this case) confirm vague reports of Karzai being the President of Kabulistan ;

Thanks to the generosity and imagination of The Prince of Wales, we were able to make it a visit of two halves. A first part spent with Prince Charles near Balmoral, with just Mr Karzai's Private Secretary in attendance. The Prince of Wales took Mr Karzai on a wonderful walk - his favourite recreation, but one which he can't indulge too much these days, except for his daily walk round the presidential palace grounds in Kabul.

Paradoxically on November 2nd he posted his "The End of the Blog" which ended "This is the best job I have ever had. But it is also the most difficult. The blog has helped me, and I hope you, put it in a bit of perspective. Over now to the next Ambassador...."

Which is odd because the Kabul Embassy website shows he is still the Ambassador and he was interviewed as such on the BBC4 "Today" programme by Edward Stourton in January .

Of course , a difficult man to pin down is old Arab hand Abu Henry. For it was he who took the time to have 3 lengthy chats in London with Robert Wardle, director of the Serious Fraud Office, about the BAE fraud enquiry. Wardle told the Financial Times (FT) that "the matter was difficult and really I found it very helpful to have, as it were, the ambassador flesh out the position. It helped my understanding of the risks and very much helped me to make my decision to discontinue the investigation".

Wardle was told by the urbane, courteous Ambassador that "the probe might cause Riyadh to cancel security and intelligence co-operation, potentially depriving London of access to vital surveillance of terror suspects during the haj pilgrimage to Mecca... The ambassador had even suggested (that) persisting with the SFO probe could endanger lives in Britain". According to a person "closely involved in the events", said the FT "didn't overelaborate, but he spelt out in very clear terms, in specifics, what he believed the consequences would be ... including that people could die". Two days later, the bribery investigation was scrapped.

You can read more of the sordid details of the pressures on Wardle which , "ended with a long letter - marked "secret and personal" - from Tony Blair to Wardle which finally forced the SFO to cave in, coupled with a series of threats relayed by the then British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sherard Cowper-Coles " Guradian .A cover-up laid bare: court hears how SFO inquiry was halted - David Leigh and Rob Evans Feb 15th 2008

Stewart however is probably a spook.

On February 10, 2008 Kristin Melsom a Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman announced that Norway had closed its embassy in Kabul because of ``terror threats,'' a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said. The nature of the threats were not explained or how long the Emassy would remain closed.

This came one week after a four-man suicide squad breached security at Kabul's luxury Serena Hotel, killing eight people, including a Norwegian journalist working for the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet , the Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere was also there. Norway have some 500 troops deployed as part of the NATO/International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces in Northern Afghanistan.

Norway recently confirmed it would send more troops to the NATO force in Afghanistan starting next month.

Iraqi Kurd Mullah Krekar, who founded the al-Qaida-linked extremist group Ansar al-Islam, is a refugee in Norway, despite being declared a threat to national security in 2005 and ordered deported, he has not yet been expelled.

LUKoil / Russia gain more control over Uzbekistan's gas fields

The post on Monday, December 24, 2007 Gazprom pays more for gas from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstani - Uzbekistan to follow ? Putin agrees to foil US /EU plans for Trans Caspian pipeline detailed the growth of Russian interests in Uzbekistan.

At the time Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov was in Uzbekistan along with , Lukoil OAO President Vagit Alekperov, at the inauguration of gas production from the four gas fields run as a joint venture controlled 90 % by LUKoil and 10 % by the Uzbek government.

Speaking at the ceremony at the inuguration of the vast Khauzak gas field, Ivanov said: 'Russian companies such as Lukoil respect the environmental criteria, unlike foreign companies operating in Russia. Why give companies from outside Russia the opportunity to make money?'

OAO LUKoil take over 8 Uzbek gas wells

It was announced on Friday that LUKoil will buy a group of companies including SoyuzNefteGaz Vostok Ltd., a signatory to the Production Sharing Agreement for the South-Western Guissar and Ustyurtsk Region fields in Uzbekistan.

The 36 year deal deal gives Lukoil access an estimated 100 billion cubic meters of C1category gas reserves and expects to be producing 3 Bn cm by 2012 according to Uzbekistan's State Committee for Reserves.

LUKoil, which will in invest some US$700 Mn, expects to reach yearly production of about 3 billion cubic meters of gas by 2012. Uzbekistan is becoming an increasingly important gas exporter. Exports of natural gas from the country increased 9 times in the period of 2002-2006 from 1.4 bcm to 12.65 bcm annually. The volumes are expected to grow further and reach 18 bcm by 2010.

"Uzbekistan is one of Lukoil's most important regions outside Russia and widening our business here fully meets our long-term strategic goals," said Vagit Alekperov of LUKoil which is of course, part-owned (16%) by U.S. giant ConocoPhillips (COP).

In the former Soviet territories Uzbekistan takes respectively the fourth and third places by proven reserves of oil (599 million barrels) and gas (1.85 trillion cm). (The EU consumes the o.5 trillion cm per annum).

Since 2004 Uzbekistan has successfully distributed 18 oil and gas investment blocks, mostly to Russian (OAO Gazprom , OAO LUKoil , Soyuzneftegaz UzPEK , Stroytransgaz Oil, Rosneft) and Chinese (CNPC , Sinopec, TUHA . CPDTD) companies. Chinese CNPC is currently conducting geologic exploration at 4 investment blocks with scheduled annual production of up to 6 bcm of natural gas by 2012.

LUKOIL Overseas, Uzbekneftegaz, Petronas Carigali Overseas (Malaysia), CNPC International (China) and KNOC Aral (Republic of Korea) have established a consortium to explore and develop hydrocarbon resources of the Aral Sea with approximate expected investments in geologic exploration alone of up to US$100 million.

A major problem for Uzbekistan is that they don't have gas hungry neighbours and are reliant in shipping gas and oil on exporting its natural gas via existing Soviet-era infrastructure to Russia through Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan). Approximately half of the natural gas Uzbekistan currently produces is exported, mainly to Russia.

This of course means that LUKoil are in the hands of Gazprom over pricing and therefore are anxious to develop markets outside Russia.

LUKoil with the Uzbek government is anxious to pursue exports through the proposed pipeline to China through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. They also want to share in joining the lines flowing through Turkmenistan to Iran and onward to Turkey. Its infrastructure is hardwired into those of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, so if either country gets another export option, Uzbekistan gains access as well, meaning it could shift away from Russia overnight.

European "Jules Verne " Space Freighter successfully launched

The Jules Verne, the European unmanned space freighter lifted off successfully with 5 tons of freight on top of an Ariane V rocket from the jungle near Kourou, French Guiana, at 5:03 p.m. MEZ.6 minutes from the lift off the main engine was blown away and the Bremen built ATV (Automated transport Vehicle) went into an orbit between 140 and 260 kilometers high.

This is scheduled to dock with the Russian Space station element on April 3rd after testing guidance and navigation systems en route.

On Tuesday the shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a 16 day mission to the space station with seven astronauts trained to deliver the first piece of a Japanese science module and a Canadian robotic device.

During the Endeavour mission, the Jules Verne will maintain a separation of about 1,200 miles behind the station. When Endeavour returns to earth , European ground controls teams will conduct a series of rendezvous tests before authorizing a linkup with the Jules Verne.

The European Space Agency has plans for the launch of 5 space freighters, each as big as a London double-decker bus, by 2015. The new freighter carries less cargo than a shuttle but more than three times as much payload as a Russian Progress supply ship.

Its cargo-carrying capacity will help fill the supply gap resulting from the Bush administration decision to cease space shuttle missions in 2010.


The ATV will dock with the Station's Zvezda Service Module. It carries a 7.4 tonne payload that includes water, oxygen and propellant. Four tonnes of the propellant will be used to reboost the Station at regular intervals; another 860 kg will be transferred to the Station for attitude and orbit control. ATV will be a separate transfer vehicle with avionics and propulsion capability. Controlled from the ATV Control Centre in Europe, its docking manoeuvres will be coordinated with the Space Station Control Center at Houston and with the Russian control centre near Moscow.

More information and pics at German Aerospace Centre

"The best source of information on terrorist attacks is the terrorists themselves " - Bush justifies torture

President Bush gives a weekly radio broadcast. This week he took the opportunity to explain why he was vetoing the Intelligence Funding Bill (HR 2082) which has written into it restrictions on CIA interrogators to use only methods and techniques auhtorized in the 2006 US Army Field Manual. Senate approved the Bill on February 13th but not witha 2/3 rds majority which could prevent a Presidential veto. The 2006 manual specifies that the Geneva Conventions apply to all detainees and eliminates separate standards for the questioning of prisoners of war and enemy combatants.

The President gave as evidence the success of interrogation the plot by Al Quaeda to bomb the Library Tower in Los Angeles...and thereby hangs a flimsy tale.

The first the world knew about this alleged and dastardly plot, and the way it was foiled was when The President was in Los Angeles on February 9th 2006 talking to the National Guard Association of the United States.

Under pressure and facing down Congressional attacks on domestic wiretapping and the detention of terrorist suspects, he needed to demonstrate how effective its methods of battling threats from jihadists had been.

He didn't start well ,as he explained how 4 Al Quaeda suspects would set off shoe bombs, blowing off a cockpit door of a hi-jacked plane and fly it into the Liberty Tower in Los Angeles...well he meant the Library Tower and had everyone puzzled for a bit even though it is tallest building on the West Coast. ...but not the schedulers at Fox who were showing shots from the Independence Day ( A 20th C Fox Film) movie of aliens taking over the tower minutes later.

In a sense this wasn't even news as in October Bush had revealed that the US and it's allies had thwarted 10 serious al-Qaida attacks since Sept. 11. A White House list released at the time referred to a plot to fly a hijacked plane into an unspecified West Coast city in 2002. Citing unidentified sources, news organizations reported that the target was the Library Tower and that the plot's author was Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the architect of the Sept. 11 attacks who was captured in 2003.

Anyway in this later manifestation of the alleged plot Mohammed deputized Hambali, head of the affiliated Southeast Asian group, Jemaah Islamiya, to set up a West Coast attack, and they put together a four-man cell. Asians were chosen, Bush said, on the theory that they would draw less suspicion. (Also perhaps on the basis that having blown their feet off, and possibly the front of the plane they would then guide it precisely into the tower)

If this was news to the US nation it was also news to Los Angeles Mayor , Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa who said he knew nothing about the plot ... nobody had told him and he learnt about it , "like everyone else" by watching the TV News.

At the White House a sceptical Press pack hounded fragrant, lissome and beautiful Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend.

Who were the 4 cell members the President mentioned ? Fran Townsend revealed that 2 were South Asian, 2 were Southeast Asian, no she wouldn't give names or say where they were .

The slim nubile young lady did tell the eager press that four plotters met with Bin Laden in Afghanistan where they pledged an oath of allegiance to the Sheikh before returning to Southeast Asia. She was further pressed - when did this meeting take place ?. Ms. Townsend said it was in October 2001 - a good time to meet Bin Laden one imagines, just after the US invasion.

So far there is no public evidence that the plot was operational at any time and there is no public evidence that the plot was thwarted because of NSA wiretaps that the administration seeks to justify.

It's highly likely if any of the alleged plotters were in fact detained and interrogated ... that they were given a hard time. As we don't know who they are, or where they are, we will never know ... but then they may never have existed... like the plot. (Speech Mp3 here)

Anyway if the CIA are torturing people, they can carry on doing it...with the President's blessing.