Leading Sunni politicians families killed as Iraq implodes

Whilst Contileezza was beeing shown the sights of Bagdhad by Rummy and meeting the new President (pic) ,the killing was non-stop .Altogether, least 35 persons were killed or found dead on Sunday. Guerrillas killed 4 US troops in Anbar Province. 3 people were assassinated in Basra. Associated Press on Tuesday / Wednesday reported major car bombings in Baghdad, and 15 bodies showed up dead there and in Karbala. There were also deaths near Baqubah and in Kirkuk. AP counted 31 dead altogether. There was also a bomb in Fallujah.

The Oil Ministry's inspector general Ali al-Alaak said graft and smuggling are the main threat to Iraq's economy. He estimates US$4.2bn (£2.3bn; 3.4bn euros) worth of oil-related products were smuggled from Iraq last year, and crude was stolen directly from the country's leaking pipelines.

A US Government Accountability Office report says 8 of Iraq's 18 provinces are dangerously unstable and violent, not just the 4 usually cited.(Allawi BS from when he was President).

A U.S. military assessments in Iraq, suggests the country is on a downward slope. Insurgent attacks increased 23 percent between 2004 and 2005, and oil, electricity and water services are all below pre-invasion levels

Tariq-al Hashimi, the new Iraqi Vice President (objected to as President by the United Iraq Alliance and secure in the Green zone), who's brother Mahmoud was killed on April 13th is today to bury his sister Meysoun al-Hashemi who was killed (with her bodyguard) in a drive-by shooting in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Ms Hashemi head of the women's affairs department in the Iraqi Islamic Party headed by her brother , had just left her house in a southern suburb of the capital and was being driven to work when the attack occurred.

On April 15th the brother of another top Sunni politician, Saleh al-Mutlak, was abducted and killed.

Gunmen in another car fired a hail of bullets at her car, killing both her and her bodyguard Saad Ali, then sped off, police say.

Newly-appointed Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is visiting Najaf to meet Iraq's senior Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani... whose letter from george Bush received a month ago still lies unopened on his desk.

Larry Hagman boosts LUKoil in the old Soviet States

'Dallas' was one of the few American Television series broadcast during the communist regime of Nicolai Ceausecu. The dictator was a fan of the program, but broadcast it only to show the evils of capitalism. During the mid-1990s the corrupt Romanian billionaire Ilie Alexandru the "Cheese King" (now in prison on a 12 year sentence) created a Balkan version of the Southfork Ranch in Slobozia, on the main road between Bucharest and the Black Sea.

'Southfork Dallas in Hermes Land' is a cross between an amusement park and a resort based on the Southfork ranch including a 132-foot-tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, vernacular gypsy pagodas and castles.


In 1999 Larry Hagman and his wife Maj visited the copy of the Southfork Ranch in Slobozia with Ilie Alexandru, Prince Paul, pretender to the Romanian throne. Larry Hagman remarked that the Ranch looked just like the 'original' but was even larger.

Larry Hagman recently appeared in a series of advertisements for Lukoill, a Russian petroleum company, telling consumers that they will be "well ahead" if they use the product. The success of the campaign by the international advertising conglomerate Ogilvy & Mather was featured in a front page story in the Wall Street Journal.

In an interview in the Romanian newspaper Cotidianul with the businessman and founder of 'Dallas Southfork in Hermes Land', Ilie Alexandru, he confirms the story that George W. Bush attended his wedding in Slobozia while on a business trip. Alexandru was subsequently jailed for bankruptcy and taking illegal loans. Richard Nixon had a state visit in 1969, the U.S. gave Romania most-favored nation trading status in 1975, and even the Queen Elizabeth II (on the advice of the twats in the Foreign Office) named the murderous bastard an honorary knight in 1980. This week we have had Contileezza sucking up to the crypto communist, neo liberal successors to be allowed to use their rent free bases to enable the uS to extend it's evil empire even further. She then went on to Iraq toi meet Donald Rumsfeld who knows all about chummying up to murderous dictators.

``You know, it's on cable TV three times a day,'' said Hagman. ``We've got whole new generations of people watching it for the first time. I get a lot of mail from Bulgaria, Romania, Nigeria.''

In 1991 Vienna at the same time that an OPEC meeting was underway Hagman was was asked to say a few words. With Arab and Nigerian oil ministers present he was asked: 'What do you think the price of oil should be at, Mr. Hagman?'

"I said, 'Well, I think it should be $36 a barrel, that sounds good to me.' Well, the place fell apart. They yelled and hollered and screamed and said, 'Wonderful! That guy knows what he's talking about!' Well, I'd had a scene in 'Dallas' the week before where $36 was established and everybody seemed happy with it. So I just drew it from a script by somebody who didn't know anything about the oil business anyhow!" After Hagman's comments made the news, he got hate mail from fellow Americans fearful his comments might prompt higher gas prices

Don't knock Hagman, when he was in Germany peddling his autobiography in early 2003 he said to the Tagesspiegel newspaper"If George Bush attacks Iraq, tens of thousands of people will die without reason."

He said Bush was a "sad figure: not too well educated, who doesn't get out of America much. He's leading the country towards fascism."

When asked whether Bush would appreciate his accusation, Hagman replied: "It's all the same to me, he wouldn't understand the word fascism anyway."

"Events Dear Boy! ....."

Tessa caused ripples. Kelly has upset everyone. Lord Levy and his pals in the City loom large. Non-Lord Patel won't go away. Iraq is still a headache. Reid hasn't a clue what is going on in Afghanistan. Hewitt gets heckled (on live TV for God's sake) by nurses and Health Staff 2 days running. Charles Clarkes has displayed to everyone what a shambles the Home Office is. he gets Ke-babbed by Paxman on Newnight live!. Tessa and that bloody husband. Beckett hasn't paid the bloody farmers. Nuclear power protesters! Sir John Gieve who so helpfully helped Blunkett sort out his mistress obviously took his eye off the ball. Sir Ian Blair and the de Menezes enquiry by IPCC doesn't look good. My best friend Dubya is in deep, deep do-do.

And now John " one-two Shags" Prescott has been having office rumpy pumpy on the back seat of the Minsiterial gas guzzler, in between handing out dodgy planning decisions and the desire to knock down the bits of Liverpool that Heseltine left standing.

He calls me on the secure phone and says, "Lord Patel why didn't I take your advice about an easter shuffle!!!!" (See here)

"Events dear Boy ......."

Emerald and Gulfsands drilling in Syria - Iraq on hold

Syrian and Iraqi oil exploration is slowly getting underway... but progress is slow.

Oil explorer Emerald Energy announced the start of drilling of the Souedieh North No.1 exploration well in Syria which should be completed in 30 days.The work is adjacent to the Souedieh and Karachok oil fields.

Emerald holds a 50% working interest in the contract for exploration and production for Block 26, Syria, through SNG Overseas Ltd, a 100% owned subsidiary. The operator and holder of the remaining 50% is Gulfsands Petroleum.

Emerald's chairman Alastair Beardsall said, “Souedieh North No.1 is the first of several exploration wells planned to be drilled before August 2007 and marks the start of an exciting Block 26 exploration drilling campaign.”
cBlock 26 covers 11,000 square kilometres and surrounds areas which currently produce over 100,000 barrels of oil per day from existing fields. In January 2006 the Group completed the acquisition of 1,155 kilometers of 2D seismic and anticipates drilling two wells during 2006. The first well, known as Souedieh North, has started which has the potential to contain in excess of 100 MMBO. The second well known as Tigris is scheduled to be drilled in August of 2006 and has the potential to contain in excess of 500 MMBOE.

An independent reserves report (Scott Rider) was issued in January 2006 on the Tigris structure which concluded that there are 442 BCFG of probable recoverable reserves in the Tigris structure. Additionally, the report classified the possible reserves as either natural gas or oil.

Further details of the drilling reports , maps and surveys can be found here

Partner Gulfsands Resources Gulfsands signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2005 with the Ministry of Oil in Iraq for the Misan Gas Project in Southern Iraq and is currently negotiating a definitive contract for the project. The project will gather, process and transmit natural gas that is currently a waste by-product of oil production in the Misan region and will end the environmentally damaging practice of gas flaring. Feasibility studies have been undertaken and it is expected to conduct further technical work and commercial discussions with the Iraq Oil Ministry.

Major oilcos reveal massive profits - the dividends of war

ConocoPhillips' net income jumped to US$3.29 billion, or US$2.34 per share (17%) for 1Q 2006 from US$2.91 billion, or US$2.05 per share last year.

Revenue at ConocoPhillips in Q1 2006 grew 23% US$47.9 billion in the first quarter from US$38.9 billion last year. The company said higher oil prices were partially tempered by lower natural gas prices compared with the fourth quarter.

Their investment in LUKoil will of course be generating healthy income. (read here about LUKoil and Conoco in Iraq) LUKoil announced yesterday it is looking to raise current crude production levels in Kazakhstan by 40% by 2010. Vagit Alekperov said the company's investments in Kazakhstan by 2010 would stand at $300 million per year, or $1.5 billion over the next five years.

LUKoil President Vagit Alekperov told me from Astana yesterday ... "The total volume of crude oil production [in Kazakhstan] is expected to reach six million tons [120,493 bbl/d] in 2006, and the company plans to reach 10 million tons [200,821 bbl/d] by 2010," LUKoil President Vagit Alekperov said.

LUKoil and Kazakhstan's state oil company KazMunaiGaz are also jointly developing Khvalynsk and Tsentralnoye oil deposits on the Caspian Sea shelf on a parity basis.

Tomorrow Exxon/Mobil is projected to announce more than US$9 billion in profits for 1Q 2006— and Chevron is expected to announce profits close to US$4 Bn.

Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said big oil companies are the culprits behind runaway gas prices which he says go "way beyond what supply and demand would merit."

He said Mr. Bush refuses to "get tough on big oil."

Crude oil and gasoline futures fell a little after Mr. Bush gave the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to relax regional clean-fuel standards to attract more imports of gasoline to the United States and to make it easier for supplies to be moved from one state to another.

Clean Air ? Who gives a shit says the Texan facing mid term elections , let those oil guys who pay the election expenses sell even more gas.

Pic (US$2.53) You wish, UK prices nudging £1 a gallon (UK gall =4.6 litres US gallon =3.74 litres.

Major oilcos reveal massive profits - the dividends of war

ConocoPhillips' net income jumped to US$3.29 billion, or US$2.34 per share (17%) for 1Q 2006 from US$2.91 billion, or US$2.05 per share last year.

Revenue at ConocoPhillips in Q1 2006 grew 23% US$47.9 billion in the first quarter from US$38.9 billion last year. The company said higher oil prices were partially tempered by lower natural gas prices compared with the fourth quarter.

Their investment in LUKoil will of course be generating healthy income. LUKoil announced yesterday it is looking to raise current crude production levels in Kazakhstan by 40% by 2010. Vagit Alekperov said the company's investments in Kazakhstan by 2010 would stand at $300 million per year, or $1.5 billion over the next five years.

LUKoil President Vagit Alekperov told me from Astana yesterday ... "The total volume of crude oil production [in Kazakhstan] is expected to reach six million tons [120,493 bbl/d] in 2006, and the company plans to reach 10 million tons [200,821 bbl/d] by 2010," LUKoil President Vagit Alekperov said.

LUKoil and Kazakhstan's state oil company KazMunaiGaz are also jointly developing Khvalynsk and Tsentralnoye oil deposits on the Caspian Sea shelf on a parity basis.

Tomorrow Exxon/Mobil is projected to announce more than US$9 billion in profits for 1Q 2006— and Chevron is expected to announce profits close to US$4 Bn.

Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said big oil companies are the culprits behind runaway gas prices which he says go "way beyond what supply and demand would merit."

He said Mr. Bush refuses to "get tough on big oil."

Crude oil and gasoline futures fell a little after Mr. Bush gave the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to relax regional clean-fuel standards to attract more imports of gasoline to the United States and to make it easier for supplies to be moved from one state to another.

Clean Air ? Who gives a shit says the Texan facing mid term elections , let those oil guys who pay the election expenses sell even more gas.

Pic (US$2.53) You wish, UK prices nudging £1 a gallon (UK gall =4.6 litres US gallon =3.74 litres.

KBR / Parsons / Willbro steal US$220 Mn. from Iraq Reconstruction Project

The New York Times on Monday this week (24/4/06) had a revealing story about the colossal waste of money in Iraq."Rebuilding of Iraqi Pipeline as Disaster Waiting to Happen" by James Glanz.This is based on the official report which is detailed in the footnotes dated 27/1//06.

When the US forces encircled Bagdhad On April 3, 2003, invading American troops had reached the outskirts of Baghdad and were eyeing its smoking skyline. A naval aircraft dropped a single bomb on the Al Fatah crossing across the River Tigris and smashed one of the bridge spans. This was no ordinary bridge. It carried pipelines that had carried crude oil from the fields around Kirkuk, 60 miles to the the port of Ceyhan. That one free fall bomb probably cost US$ 250, 500 Max. Costs to date and no pipeline repair over US$220 Mn. over 3 years.

The Al Fatah bridge was one of 3 damaged bridges chosen as high priorities in an initial $680 million rebuilding program mandated by Congress. Army Corps engineers estimated that it would cost some $5 million and take less than five months to string the pipelines across the bridge once it was repaired.

Douglas Lee Cox, the northern Iraq project manager for the Army Corps, wrote in a memo on June 9, 2003."There is an urgent and compelling need to accomplish this feat as soon as possible." Then in the fog of war priorities changed and the fforts went elsewhere , and older buried pipelines were able to carry limited amounts of oil, American officials said, but breakdowns were a constant source of concern and loss of oil and therefore revenue - which was (a la Rumsfeld's plan) to pay for the reconstruction. (Ho. Ho.)

To cut a very long, and very complicated story regarding technical problems, ignored engineers reports,evasion, deceit, lies, stupidity, dishonesty, greed short. By April 2004 Ms. Norcross of Kellogg Brown Root (KBR) (part of Halliburton whose Ex Chaiman is of course Veep Cheney) notified a contracting officer in Baghdad that 75 percent of the $220 million allocated for the job order had been exhausted.

Inspectoirs were sent in, engineers,surveyors, pipeline experts, drilling experts, but But it was already too late. One morning American officials in the Oil Ministry in Baghdad finally obtained a status report from KBR.

All the money had been spent.

Not only that but jobs in the US$220 Mn. contract like putting emergency power generators at oil installations, simply hadn't been done.... and what was important, no pipelines were in place.So no oil could move. So no revenue was arriving.The Daily payment charged was US$130,000 per rig and US$99,000 on standby (there were 2 rigs at this rate).report deatils as fotnote - fascinating reading.

But the kicker as in all the best stories is in the tail. The new Al Fatah project is being carried out by a joint venture involving Parsons Corporation and the Australian company Willbros, as sub contractors to KBR.Willbros Group, Inc. is headquartered in Panama City, Panama and has its Administrative offices in Houston, Texas, United States of America.(Co. website)

Parsons Corporation .... regular readers here will remember on the 17th of this Month "Democracy comes at a price ..."

Parsons the company who received roughly $200 million to build 142 health clinics and ran out of money after building 20 in 9 months.

Parsons the company who told their shareholders and the Pasadena Press that ;

In January (2006), Parsons was awarded a $28 million contract to reconstruct and renovate the Tadji military base and Iraqi Armed Forces recruiting stations.

Earlier in January (2006) Parsons Corp. was part of a team (which included - you guessed it KBR) awarded a contract for future work in restoring the oil infrastructure in northern Iraq to pre-war production levels.

The contract, valued at $500,000 to as much as $800 million, covers a variety of services including the cleanup and restoration of oil fields, pipelines and refineries.A 2 year contract with a further 3 one year options.

You couldn't fucking make it up.

Last week Parsons announced a merger / take over ..3D/International (Houston based privately held company)is a program management, condition assessment, design, construction and information technology company. Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Houston, 3D/I has 485 employees in fourteen U.S. offices. They specialize in education public building and defense facilities; providing services on significant projects like the Pentagon, the Los Angeles Unified School District construction program, multiple federal courthouses and state capitols and more than 160 community college campuses throughout the U.S.The deal will be finalised on May 12th.

Interestingly 3D/I we have served as program manager for the Pentagon renovation since 1992 including the re-construction effort after the 9/11 attack.

They also say on their website ...

We understand the unique needs and requirements of the Department of Defense, and we know what it takes to deliver a quality product on schedule and within budget.

Report on the Special Assessment of the Pipeline Crossing, Al Fatah Iraq (Rpt No SIGIR-SA-05-001) January 27th 2006.Timothy P Baum

A Dummy's guide to ripping off the Iraqi reconstruction Project.

Boeing - Stunning Q1 2006 results. EPS grows 33%

Boeing's CEO Jim McNerney told me today," that Boeings backlog was a record US$213 up 42% from a year ago., 1022 aircraft orders won in 2005 and 176 in Q1."

The results published later today are impressive ...First-quarter EPS increased by a sizzling 33 % to US$0.88 as net income grew 29 percent to US$692 million.Revenue grew a whopping 12% to US$14.3 Bn. while operating cash flow increased 46 percent to US$2.1 Bn.Earnings from operations rose 40 percent to $959 million .

Jim also confirmed its 2006 outlook for revenue of $60 billion and earnings of $3.25 to $3.45 a share; it also backed a 2007 revenue estimate of $63.5 billion to $64.5 billion and an earnings estimate of $4.10 to $4.30 a share.

The next big hurdle Jim says is an important U.S. Air Force air-to-air tanker refueling contract, a deal Boeing once had in hand until an untidy ethics blow-up cost them the work, against a team from Airbus and Northrop Grumman.

See more here

Davy / Hoogstraten / Zimbabwean funny forex deals

Charles Davy is a charming and personable African buisness tycoon with huge interests in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. he is also Prince Harry's girlfriends father.(pic Chelsy Davy)

He is also reported to be under investigation for allegedly dealing in large amounts of foreign currency illegally. Davy is one of the few white businessmen that had been spared by Mugabe as the government seized white-owned businesses. HHK Safaris,(website here) his game hunting and safari business in Zimbabwe, has made him a fortune and is considered one of the largest ventures in Southern Africa. Paul Mangwana, the country’s anti-corruption minister announced he was placing the South African-born entrepreneur under investigation for the illegal export of large sums of foreign currency, racism and bribery. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and the police are all involved in the investigation that can bring financial ruin to Davy.

It's continued prosperity is said to be due to his well-known contacts to officials in the ruling party. He seems to have fallen out of favour with the Mugabe regime. The allegations are believed to have been triggered by a disgruntled black employee who alleged that Davy was channelling much of the company’s forex earnings outside Zimbabwe.

Caroline Graham from the UK’s Mail on Sunday, who went as an undercover investigator on HHK safaris (charging mostly American clients £17,000 for a 24-day shooting expedition in the Zimbabwean savannah) revealed how lots of money was made through the cruel and barbaric treatment of endangered species in the country. She witnessed animals being shot with bows and arrows - a cruel hunting form that has been discarded by many countries and despicable treatment of native staff.


The Davy family homestead is found in Lemco Safari Area, about 150 miles south-east of Bulawayo. This privately-owned slice of Africa covers 1,300 square miles - twice the size of Surrey and 0.9 per cent of Zimbabwe's surface area. This huge ranch, one of the largest in the world, was carved out of the bush by the family of Baron Justus von Liebig, the inventor of the Oxo cube.In 1981 Davy married a 22-year-old model, Beverley, who had achieved local fame as Miss Rhodesia, her face adorning countless Coca-Cola advertisements.

There is said to be a network of corrupt ZANU PF officials who benefit from their ties to some of the remaining white businessmen and farmers. Davy’s links to cabinet minister Webster Shamu are no secret, he is a 50% shareholder in Famba Safarais which runs parallel to HHK Safaris - he is also banned from the EU. Davy may have fallen from favour but is believed to be out of the country at the moment.

Legislation pushed through parliament by ZANU-PF allows a suspect to be held for up to 21 days without bail former finance minister Christopher Kuruneri was held illegally for more than a year. Davy are shrewd, prudent and expedient businessmen, absence may be a suitable cautionary move.

Mugabe has over the past few years jailed colleagues from the government that include former deputy Finance Minister, Chris Kuruneri, businessman and former Zanu PF MP, James Makamba for allegedly dealing in foreign currency. Webster Shamu was supposed to be a shareholder in HHK Safaris but owned 50% of Famba Safaris which shared premises, staff etc.,

Nicholas Van Hoogstraten as another example who has a large diverse business empire in Zimbabwe and has publicly acknowledged his support of Mugabe and the ruling party. Apparently Davy no longer has any connection financially with him.

Hoogstraten is the biggest individual investor in HWANGE Colliery Company (HCC) which is experiencing major export problems and cash flow due to late payments by the company's major customers, notably the Zimbabwe Power Company and Ziscosteel who owe US$500 between them. The mine has also hit amajor aquifer which requires US$160 mn sepnding. A rights issue was pulled after Hoogstraten refused to subscribe.

As a result the mine has lost out on a has lost out on a multi-billion-dollar coke and coal export deal with Satnel Engineering of Kenya.

Zimbabwe Minister htreatens to shoot opposition

Zimbabwe Security Minister Didymus Mutasa said the government would instruct organs of security such as the army to use all resources at their disposal "including guns" to stop opposition protests.

He boasted that Mugabe and his ruling Zanu (PF) party had "shed blood before" to free Zimbabwe from colonialism.

"Anyone, particularly Tsvangirai, who threatens peace and stability in this country will get capital punishment … and we mean it. We maintain organs of national security such as the army to protect the stability and integrity of our country. They will be instructed to use all resources at their disposal, including guns (to stop protests)," said Mutasa.

About 4.6 million people rely on food aid; children miss school because their parents cannot pay fees and hospitals lack basic equipment and medicine - handing a death sentence to those. Meanwhile people like Nicholas van Hoogstraten have invested heavily in property and mines. Earlier this year he denied reports that he had given Mr Mugabe $10m but made no secret of his financial engagement. "I'm probably the sole supporter, up in the UK, of this country and I think I'm the sole major investor in this country," he said.

Chinese and Indian firms have also snapped up mines and land at bargain prices, filling a gap left by western investors skittish about the risks.... and waiting for Mugabe's death, dismissal or replacement.

Mutasa said no one should expect the government to "keep its security organs in the camps" in the face of opposition-instigated protests meant to oust it. This is the man who stole the famous and prosperous Kondozi farm, a once thriving vegetable concern in Manicaland, which is now in ruins.

Mutasa also said (by Voice of America) that white farmers could apply to have leases on land in a desperate attempt to help develop agriculture. Meanwhile the country plunges into further chaos and misrule.

The Security Minister, who oversees the state's spy Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) mocked at suggestions that securitycommanders might refuse to order their men to use force to put down protests, especially in the event Zimbabweans heeded opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's call and turned out in the streets en masse.

"We will not fold our arms while the country burns," said Mutasa, one of the most influential members of President Robert Mugabe's Cabinet. In addition to overseeing intelligence operations, Mutasa is also in charge of land reform and food aid redistribution.

Asked at the weekend how the government would handle the planned protests Mutasa replied: "Organs of security are there to maintain security and no sane government in this world will keep its security organs in the camps while some mischievous elements destabilise the country, even threatening to remove a democratically elected government by force."

When put to Mutasa that security commanders might refuse to order their men to fire at civilians - as some political analysts have suggested might happen if demonstrators turn out in the streets in sufficiently large numbers - he responded: "Do you think disciplined forces like the CIO, the army and the police would not listen to orders or let Tsvangirai have his way?

"If Tsvangirai is brave as he says he is, then he should march alone, along Samora Machel Avenue to the Head of State's offices. Then he shall see that we mean business.

"But he doesn't want to lead from the front. He wants to use others as cannon fodder …. Tsvangirai is not a good leader because he wants to put others on the firing line while he cheers from home."

Tsvangirai, who says his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party has lost faith in elections as a democratic tool to change the government because Mugabe always rigs polls, has vowed to call mass anti-government protests this winter to force the government to accept a new and democratic constitution that would ensure free and fair polls.

The MDC leader says he is ready to lead from the front in street protests to force Mugabe to accept democracy even if this could lead to his own death but last Sunday sounded frustrated that police and soldiers might still obey orders to shoot at demonstrators.

"They (police and soldiers) come to my house every day complaining that they are suffering yet when Mugabe says crush the mass demonstration they are ready to shoot the people,"

Zimbabwe has been on edge since Tsvangirai and his MDC party resolved at a congress last month that they would no longer limit themselves to elections but would use what they called "people power" to pressure Mugabe to embrace democracy.

Analysts say the MDC that enjoys strong support in urban areas is best placed to lead streets protests against the government, adding that with strong leadership and organization, mass action could be successful.

Besides the Tsvangirai-led MDC - Arthur Mutambara a former student leads that another faction of the opposition party.

Australias Wheat for Weapons scandal - a bomb due to go off

Commissioner Terence Cole is heading the oil-for-food inquiry in Australia investigating $300 million worth of payments made by wheat exporter Australian Wheat Board (AWB) to the former Iraqi regime in contravention of UN sanctions against Iraq. Dubbed by the Opposition Labor Party as the "wheat-for-weapons" scandal, erupted late October following a report to the U.N. by former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board Paul A. Volcker that found AWB paid kickbacks totaling US$221.7 million (Total sales of US$2.2 Bn.) to Saddam Hussein during the operation of a United Nations oil-for-food program.SBS Dateline will air some fascinating details tonight about the conduit company Saddam used to get his kickbacks from AWB which might jolt a few people's memory.

Former senior Australian Wheat Board AWB executive Charles Stott said he asked The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) about Jordanian trucking company Alia Transportation, a trucking company with no trucks, who did no trucking, six years ago, and they sent him approval of the wheat exporter's deals with the bogus firm a few days later.

Curiously The Department says it has no documentary record, and relevant officers have no recollection of being advised about the AWB's use of Alia in the context that Mr Stott outlines.

Iraq's Wheat and Water Transport Authority regularly chased up payments which AWB has maintained it always believed to be legitimate transport payments.

Almost 20 emails sent to an assistant account manager, higher managers and AWB executives reveal an unusual interest by Iraq government departments in payments to Alia Transportation in Jordan.

Account manager Nigel Edmonds-Wilson says he thought the Iraqi departments just wanted to make sure the wheat would be delivered. He could not than explain why a number of emails said wheat ships could not berth until payments were made.

In 2003 AWB tried to get 2.5 million Euros back because the war had stopped a wheat shipment. Alia Transportation said the money was in Iraq but Mr Edmonds-Wilson says he still did not realise Alia was a conduit to the fallen regime.

However cables were earlier sent to the Foreign Office with warnings about Alia Transportation ...Among the warnings was one dated June 6, 2003, from U.S. Army captain Blake Puckett who said that every contract awarded by Iraq under the oil-for-food program "included a kickback to the regime from between 10 and 19 percent."

Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said to the enquiry on April 11th he was not alerted to that cable.

"I do not have a specific recollection of having received or read this cable or of it otherwise being brought to my attention," Downer wrote in his sworn statement about the cables.

On April 13, Howard told reporters after his appearance at the inquiry that the "government was plainly deceived by AWB" about the kickbacks, and that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade "was systematically deceived."

Plainly in an attempt to pre-judge the issue writing a letter to the Wall Street Journal of Tuesday 25th April PM Howard said "While I don't seek to prejudge the outcome, public evidence suggests behavior by some within AWB appears to have been designed to mislead not only my government, but the U.N. as well." He also said the company appeared to have misled Sir Anthony Mason, a former chief justice of the High Court Of Australia, who he described as one of the nation's most senior and respected former judges.

In 2005, Sir Anthony provided an expert opinion to AWB, clearing it of knowingly violating the U.N. sanctions regime against Iraq. "The corruption by Saddam Hussein of the Oil for Food Program was a heinous act of public graft," he continued "Corrupt behavior deserves to be punished and it will be."

The US wheat industry and key senators have expressed anger over AWB's conduct in Iraq, claiming it robbed American farmers of lucrative contracts. AWB has 17.7 million tons of wheat from the late 2005 harvest to sell into the global market, enough to influence a highly competitive global trade of about 110 million tons a year.

The scandal is affecting talks about the AWB marketing monolpoly - US Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services J.B. Penn said state trading enterprises should be brought under under scrutiny."I think it makes people talk more about the costs and benefits of single desks," Penn told a commodities conference in Canberra.European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel said the EU remained committed to removing marketing monopolies from global trade. Denmark's Boel said the EU would continue to push for such monopolies to be dismantled. Meanwhile the Iraqi Trade Board wont deal with the AWB until the enquiry is over.

Due to screen today will be the first television interview, with the managing director of Amman based, Alia Trucking who laims to have had long links with the Australian Trade representative at the Australian Embassy in Jordan from the mid 1990s.

Cole is due to report in June, it is not felt that he will pull any punches. Mr Downer obviously has problems with his memory he evidently shares with Tessa Jowell, Charles Clarke and the late lamented President Nixon.

Reid forced into U turn on Harriers in Afghanistan

It looks like the MOD could be having their "best year ever", Kandahar "Airport" is in a bad state and hasn't been repaired before the UK forces have been deployed (six months late).It is also littered with land mines which haven't yet been cleared up, which is making repairs a big problem.

Last weekend, Kandahar airfield was hit by two Taliban rocket attacks, which caused no casualties but some damage, and last year the RAF lost a jet when a Harrier was destroyed by a rocket attack on the US-run airbase.

It was planned that Dutch F-16 fighters would take over from the Harrier GR7's in June, but failure to repair Kandahar airport runway mean the jump jets, which can take off and land vertically (and can also use 900metres of runway), are the only fighters able to operate from the short functioning section of the dilapidated runway. They can be refuelled in mid-air from USAF Boeing KC-135 tankers.

British and allied commanders had lobbied hard for the 6 Harriers from No 1 (Fighter) Squadron based at RAF Cottesmore with 200-strong RAF contingent to remain at Kandahar airfield because Taleban attacks have risen rapidly in southern Afghanistan over the past three months. Currently there are troops from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania and the USA also have troops in southern Afghanistan.

Forced into a remarkable "U" turn Defence Secretary now Mr Reid calls the Harrier GR7's ( not the upgraded GR9's which are not available - upgraded with more powerful engines and electronic systems and INtegrated Weapons and INS/GPS navigation) an "essential tool" to provide reconnaissance and air support to ground troops under fire from insurgents on Operation Herrick, and they are going to stay - for how long he didn't (or wouldn't stay).Eight Army Air Corps Westland/Boeing Apache AH1 attack helicopters (unused in combat previously) and four Westland Lynx light utility helicopters will also arrive within the next month

United States Air Force data reports that in April alone the Harriers flew ten air support missions for coalition troops "in contact with the enemy". This mainly comprises making a loud noise either at 10,000 feet or in odd cases at 100 feet at a top speed of 1,000 km/h.

So far the Harriers have not been called in to support British troops stationed in Helmand province, where 16 Air Assault Brigade is in the process of setting up bases, but US and Canadian troops operating in the region call up Harrier support regularly.

The Harriers operate in pairs with two in reserve for instant call up. The flight leader carries two 245kg (540lb) freefall bombs with airburst and impact fuzes, two rocket pods respectively containing six and 19 unguided CRV-7 rockets and the digital Joint Reconnaissance Pod, which lacks a datalink, but can provide tactical images within 30min of the aircraft landing. The second Harrier carriers a 450kg unguided airburst bomb, one 540kg Enhanced Paveway II laser/GPS-guided weapon and a TIALD targeting pod.

The UK’s Harriers conduct only daytime operations, with the USAF’s Bagram-based A-10s better equipped for night-time duties.

Additional intra-theatre transport services are being provided by 27 Sqn Chinook HC2s currently operated by the RAF’s 1310 Flight. 6 Chinooks are now positioned at Kandahar. Hot-and- high environmental conditions mean the aircraft are operating “pretty much on the limit of their performance,” says Wg Cdr Dan Startup, officer commanding 1310 Flight, and as temperatures climb to over 40°C (104°F) by mid-year, the aircraft will be forced to carry a reduced payload. However, he notes: “Nothing else can fly throughout the year.”

The vast majority of tasks so far allocated to the RAF’s Chinooks have centred on supporting the establishment of Camp Bastion, and in delivering supplies to the UK task force in Lashkar Gar and Gereshk. Loads have primarily comprised food, water, ammunition and some underslung vehicles. The aircraft do not conduct operations outside Helmand province and have so far not supported any special forces activities, says Startup.

There is a lack of heavylift in the area, so the UK has worked with the Dutch, French, Canadians and Australians – Kandahar airfield also hosts US CH-47s, Boeing AH-64 Apaches, and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks and HH-60 Pave Hawks supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Sun today claim it is a victory for their campaign for them to be kept, to "protect our boys" - an alarming prospect when the Editors of Rupe's rags claim they dictate MOD policy.

Toray can expect world market share of PAN carbon fibre to grow.

Japan's Toray Industries Inc. have announced orders from Boeing for PAN carbon Fibre worth US$3 Bn.billion for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. Toray now hold about 32% of global supply which they want to boost to 39% by 2010 to 13,900 tons per annum and to 24,000 tons by 2010.

The high-margin carbon fiber business is a key growth area division is forecast to generate 50 Bn. yen sales with profits of 11 Bn. yen.

Toray has forecast sales of 1.43 Trillion yen and an operating profit of 92 Bn yen on for the last business year.The news sent shares of Toray up 5.4 percent to 1,002 yen outperforming the benchmark Nikkei average, which was up about 0.2 percent.

Toray not only benefits from this deal but is looking at a major increase in a share of Airbus work - which may get an even bigger boost if plans by Airbus to move some manufacture to China are realised.

Toray is evaluating opening a European prepreg carbonfibre production facility to support the Airbus A350 and other European aircraft programmes, they hope to sign an important pre preg Airbus deal soon. Toray manufactures non prepreg carbonfibre for other Airbus aircraft, including the A380, through deals with first- and second-tier suppliers, but has never provided prepared carbonfibres directly to Airbus. Qualifying anew plant can take two years.

Toray only produces prepreg carbonfibres at its Tacoma, Washington facility. Last year plans to expand its Japanese Ehime plant to meet soaring demand driven by its exclusive supplier deal with Boeing for the 787 were announced. This was motivated by the large number of Japanese suppliers (43 at last count) to the 787 program - as well as supplying composite plants in Chengdu , China.

Airbus has tentatively selected Hexcel and Toray to supply prepreg carbonfibre for the A350 program going head to head against the Dreamliner 787, but has not yet awarded raw material contracts for the new aircraft programme.

Toray joint venture Soficar already manufactures in France,producing non- prepreg carbonfibre. The recently upgraded 114,000m2 (1.23 million ft2) Toray Composites America factory in Tacoma is now the only supplier of prepreg carbonfibre for the 777 and 787.

So whichever way the 777/787/A350/A380 fight goes, Toray will be a winner. So far this year Boeing are in the lead with orders. 176/70 after 4 years dominance by Airbus.

Bikini - Lest we forget

If you want to know about the fate of the islanders from the Bikini Atoll, site of the first H bomb tests, visit their website here

This is the Bikini flag

The 23 white stars in the field of blue upper left,are the islands of the Bikini Atoll.

The three black stars in the upper right the three islands that were vaporized by the March 1, 1954, 15 megaton hydrogen bomb blast, code named Bravo.

The two black stars in the lower right represent where the Bikinians live now, Kili Island, 425 miles to the south of Bikini Atoll, and Ejit Island of Majuro Atoll. These two stars are symbolically far away from Bikini's stars on the flag as the islands are in real life (both in distance and quality of life).

The Marshallese words running across the bottom of the flag, "MEN OTEMJEJ REJ ILO BEIN ANIJ" [Translation: "Everything is in the hands of God"], are the words spoken in 1946 by the Bikinian leader, Juda, to U.S. Commodore Ben Wyatt when the American went to Bikini to ask the islanders--on a Sunday after church--to give up their islands for the 'good of all mankind' so that the U.S. could test nuclear weapons.

The close resemblance of the Bikinian's flag to the Stars and Stripes is to remind the people and the government of America that a great debt is still owed by them to the people of Bikini.

See a previous post by Lord Patel Feb 12th 2006
Iran, Uranium, and the UK "nuclear deterrant" that is owned by Uncle Sam ... life today for the Marshallese Bikinians.

Bikinians file lawsuit against the U.S. Government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims [April 11, 2006] [Download complaint in .PDF] (52 years after the H bomb tests) The lawsuit seeks compensation under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for the taking of their property damage claims resulting from the U.S. Government’s failure and refusal to adequately fund the March 5, 2001 order of the Nuclear Claims Tribunal. Alternatively, the people of Bikini seek damages for the U.S. Government’s breaches of its fiduciary duty to provide just and adequate compensation for the taking of their lands in consideration for their agreement to move off Bikini Atoll and for the breach of the implied duties and covenants integral to that agreement, the Compact of Free Association, and the Section 177 Agreement. The lawsuit will seek compensation and/or damages of at least $561,036,320 (which represents the Tribunal’s original award to the Bikinians of $563,315,500 less the two payments totaling $2,279,180), plus interest as required by law. The total with interest on the filing date of April 11, 2006, is approximately $724,560,902.

Also see 10/03/04 WMD lies persist for over 50 years

Contileezza - Natural gas, tear gas, drive by diplomacy SNAFU

Bulgaria woke up Tuesday with more expensive gas, after a series of hikes already. Lukoil Bulgaria upped prices by about 0.55%. In the end of last month, prices increased by 3%. On March 10, Lukoil introduced a 5% hike.

The 67% owned Czech Electricity company is also intending to put up electricity prices.Lukoil have expressed a desire to buy the Bulgarian nationalised gas company when it is privatised, meanwhile they have hiked prices by 5% from Lukoil Bulgaria overnight.

Not only did Sofians wake up to bigger gas bills but the latest drive by diplomacy by Condileeza Rice to seal the deal on US bases approved last week by Bulgaria's Council of Ministers. This followed the 10 year agreement by Bulgaria and the US who agreem the final details for the US military to use several military bases in Bulgaria.(pic of Rice in Turkey to meet Foreign MinisterGul)

The US will be able keep 2,500 troops (doubling at rotation times) to use three Bulgarian military bases - the Novo Selo range and the Bezmer both near Bulgaria's border with Turkey, and the Graf Ignatievo airfield in central Bulgaria. US forces will also use a storage facility near Bulgaria's port of Burgas (and all those gay bars).Rent will not be paid but "operational and maintenance expenses."will be. Troops will be able to be deployed elsewhere using Bulgaira as a holding station.

Contileeza (as the Sofians call her), is expected to sign a broad defense-cooperation agreement with the new NATO ally that would authorize the stationing of foreign forces on its soil for the first time. Their is however opposition , a nationalist party represented in the parliament plans to stage massive protests against the agreement during Contileezza's brief stopover.The possibility that U.S. troops would use a country with a large Muslim minority as a base for an attack on a Muslim nation, such as Iran or Syria, has provoked much strident vocal opposition in Bulgaria.

Contileezza signed a similiar agreement whilst she whizzed through Romania in December 2005. It has been ratified by the parliament's lower chamber and is currently awaiting approval by the Senate, said Sorin Ducaru, the Romanian Ambassador to Washington.

Contileezza is planned to meet NATO Foreign Ministers (another chance of a sneaky meet with Jack the Lad ?). She also paid a fly by night visit to be met by masked rioters throwing gasoline bombs and stones.

5,000 police in riot gear were deployed throughout the Greek capital, firing tear gas at protesters attempted to reach the US Embassy. In scenes reminiscent of Paris in the spring scores of store windows, cafes and hotel lobbies lining one of Athens' premier shopping districts were damaged. Three vehicles were wrecked during a 20-minute rampage. Anti-globalization groups together with Greece's hard-line Communist party had organized the demonstrations, declaring Contileezza "persona non grata" and billing her "a messenger of war." Panos Trigazis, responsible for foreignaffairs of Ecology (Synaspismos) described Rice as a "warmonger" and a "hawk". He said George Bush " has learnt nothing from the fiasco of the war in Iraq which constituted a major political and moral defeat."

An estimated 3,000 peaceful protestors carrying giant banners reading "Rice Go Home" dispersed when police began lobbing tear gas into the crowd. Again it appears the Greeks also call her Contileeza.Anti US sentiment caused Colin Powell to call off a visit at the time of the Athens Olympics.

Contileezza met Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and tough talking Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis (who refuses publicly to support sanctions against Iran) , discussing the appalling situation in Iraq and Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program as well as Cyprus and Greek-Turkish relations. She will also whizz by Turkey and may even drop in on Nicosia, Cyprus.

In Istanbul, two youths were arrested after unfurling a large banner reading: "Murderer Rice Get Out" out of the window of the top floor of a McDonald's fast food restaurant.

In Ankara, some 300 leftists demonstrated in a street just a few hundred yards away from a building where Rice is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. They doused red paint over an American flag and toy dolls, representing children killed in Iraq.

In Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said the Turkish separatist movement PKK has free run of a swath of northern Iraq, and has set up training camps and bases. Turkey fears that civil unrest in Iraq could lead to the fragmentation of the country, and has often called on the United States to stop PKK fighters from using Iraq as a base to stage attacks inside Turkey.

Meanwhile the US is anxious that Turkey (who failed to join in the illegal invasion of Iraq) are anxious they do not chase PKK terists over the border into Iraq. They also want help at UN over Iran, but largely Muslim Turkey does not appear to be a willing member of that Coalition.

Hiddden Agendas (Extremely well hidden - certainly not in MSM)

As hinted at initially Contileezza has a hidden but immensely important agenda, Headed Kremlin Energy Power Ltd., Alexei Miller, Chairman of Gazprom's Management Committee, met PM Kostas Karamanlis, Dimitris Sioufas, Greek Development Minister and top executives of the Greek Public Gas Corporation DEPA and the Russian-Greek joint venture Prometheus Gas headed by Greek billionaire, entrepreneur and Greek's "Mr Gas" D. Kopelouzos.

They considered the possibility of increasing Russian gas supply to Greece, in particular, extending the existing Contract after 2016 and developing new transmission routes (with the Blue Stream pipeline on the Balkan corridor) Greece could then be (and profit from) Greece being a transit country when gas is delivered to SW EurAsia.

Sibneft (no longer oart of Chelsea FC) have stepped into Lukoil's shoes to supply oil via the Bourgas - Alexandroupolis oil pipeline . (remember Lukoil run the oil/refined products industry pretty well in Cyprus)

Secondly there was the the promise to make serious investments in Greece relating to the aquisition state owned Phosphate Fertilisers Industry.

Last week a consortium of Russia’s Stroytransgaz and Kopelouzos's Prometheus Gas announced their participation in the construction of a pipeline that will link the Greek cities of Komotini and Alexandroupolis, The pipeline, which is to be completed in March 2007 and linked to the Turkish gas transportation system, will be used to supply gas from Azerbaijan and Iran. Though apparently against Russian gas interests the joint Russian-Greek venture was involved under Miller’s interstate agreement between Greece and Russia on gas supplies and supplements to it - giving Greece a handy and very desirable second gas supply source.

The US is absolutely furious but the Diplomatic scuttlebut is, Lord Patel understands across the tables of Northern Cyprus casinos, from his old chum Vajit that Kostas K or "KK" as he likes to be known has told the US Ambassador to Fuck off.

Contileezza will also be in there pitching for a power plant for General Electric for Larco a state owned mining company.

Who knows Contileezza might just bump into Vajit Alekperov in Cyprus - that would be neat. No wonder one of his yachts is in Limassol harbour tonight.

US State Department Official Brief

"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria April 24th through the 28th, 2006. In addition to discussions with leaders of the three countries, she will take part in an informal meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization foreign ministers to discuss preparations for the NATO Summit in Riga, Latvia this coming November. She will also take part in a trans-Atlantic dinner involving the foreign ministers of all NATO and EU countries.

She takes a lovely picture though doesn't she?

Cherie an Ambassador for our hairdressers and tailors.

Her Majesty Cherie looks magnificent, her wonderful, soft golden locks, displaying her petite shell like ears, the understated suit with ruched back panels emphasising the badly seated lapels.

Luckily the roped strand of natural seed pearls, a gift no doubt from the Sheikh of Araby perfectly complements her swan like, lily white neck.

Every penny spent of the fat cat businessmen's wedges, has been well spent on her coiffeuse, and congratulations are due to Tracey Leadbetter of Bootle Beacon of Excellence Coolege for Embroidery for designing the suit for her recent NVQ. Rumours have it that Margaret Beckett has been asking if she can do something for her.

This is for Nur I discover that the Italian is parrucchiere personale

Saddam's trial is an illegal, unfair, unjust American charade

Curtis Doebbler, is a a Washington based, American member of Saddam Hussein's legal defense team and provides a detailed,damning indictment of the trial of Saddam Hussein.The Jurist has a full text of his statement. Pic CNN in triumphalist mode. (C)

At the White House on Sunday, December 14, 2003 President Bush in a brief TV address to the nation said," "Now he will face the justice he denied to millions," "This afternoon I have a message for the Iraqi people: You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again," Bush said, adding a warning. "The capture of Saddam Hussein does not mean the end of violence in Iraq."... How right he was. His poodle in London said, ""Where his rule meant terror and division and brutality, let his capture bring about unity, reconciliation and peace between all the people in Iraq." yeah, yeah Tony, you straight kinda guy.

"The carefully edited pictures of the trial that are allowed to be broadcast and printed show few Americans in the Courtroom, but behind every door and more disturbingly behind almost every action there are Americans pulling the strings." ....

Curtis Doebbler says ....

"The glaring illegalities of the current process begin with illegal origins. The invasion and occupation of Iraq is widely understood to be illegal. On 5 March 2003, three of the five members of UN Security Council and Germany, which was then a non-permanent member, unambiguously declared that a US-led invasion without further Security Council authorization would violate international law. On 16 September 2004, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan reiterated what was by then obvious to almost every international lawyer, that the invasion and occupation of Iraq is illegal. In fact, this is a textbook case of illegal aggression in violation of the prohibition of the use of force by one country against another found in article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations and under customary international law. "

"Despite having acknowledged in UN SC Resolution 1483 that the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq is responsible for “promoting the protection of human rights” in Iraq, little successful action has been taken. This was confirmed earlier this year when the outgoing UN human rights chief in Iraqi, John Pace, described the human rights situation as worse than under the previous regime and deteriorating daily. Taking a stand on the issue of unfair trial would be a good place for the UN to start promoting human rights. The fairness of these proceedings, which are closely followed by Iraqis and throughout the Arab world, is a crucial test of the international community’s commitment to the rule of law."

This charade is a severe test of the Coalition of the Willing, so far they have proved to be more than willing to allow this travesty of justice to continue - one wonders who might end up in the dock alongside him if the final submission of documents CD's etc., that he sent to the UN which was helpfully "administered" by the US were freely available ?

See also Guradian Counterpunch Ben Davis Website and for for those who see the funny side of these events WAPO today
Curtis Doebbler can be contacted at cdoebbler@gmail.com.

WTC 1 cut down with thermite bombs - proof

Box section girder from WTC 1 cut with thermite showing melted steel (2500 Celsius)Lord Patel is not an engineer but reckons a sheer cut whould help generate a vertical drop rather than falling out of the base area.The scrap metal has of course been shipped overseas.

Unless some one has a better explanation..... 

Dahab in Sinai holiday resort area bombed 50 (? 30) dead 150 wounded

The question today lingers, by whom ? against whom ? and why ? Of course irresponsible conspiracy theorists say it was Mossad inspired byt they don't do that sort of thing - state inspired terrism - never , never , never, who mentioned the St. David Hotel, Lavon affair , USS Liberty ?

Me, I point my finger at the Chevaliers of the Knights Hospitallers of St John, they have a Castle nearby, where a document in the Vatican (lost in 1643 - or stolen ?) claims Mary Magdalen is buried. Primitive bombs suggest limited acquaintance with explosives - fits perfickly.

Egypt's Sinai resort town of Dahab (arabic for Gold) was rocked by three bomb blasts on Monday night, leaving at least 30 people dead and 160 wounded. (Jerusalem Post)Thomson Holidays, the UK's biggest tour operator, currently has 43 UK holidaymakers in Dahab.

Confusion about the number of dead D Telegraph , BBC, VOA and Aljazeera say 22, Financial Times, Times, and Reuters 30 Guradian 100.(Tuesday 1600 seems to be 23 is agreed figure a 6 yr old German child was among the dead. > 60 people were wounded, 42 Egyptians and 20 foreigners, including 3 Britons, 3 Danes, 2 Italians, 2 Germans, 2 French people, 1 each Lebanes, American, Israeli and Austrialian, the Egyptian interior ministry said.)

One blast hit the el-Khaleeg Hotel alone (17 dead), a second a restaurant and the third explosion was in the market area The blasts were timed at approx about 7:15 p.m. local time (1715 GMT 1815 BST). Egyptian authorities said the blasts were probaly plantes and NOT caused by suicide bombers.Mobile phones are not working and everything is closed by the police.

This is high tourist season - part of a five-day Egyptian holiday "Shamm el-Nessim" (Coptic Easter) when the middle classes head out of town - and hotels all along the Egyptian coasts could be expected to be at near capacity. It is a resort popular with independent travellers and not a "plush" resort like Sharm el Sheikh.There are few dive sites in Sinai more spectacular - or more dangerous - than Blue Hole. This circular, 203-foot drop off lies a few miles north of Dahab, and it looks exactly like its name.

To the north is a Crusader fort at the Island of Coral or Geziret Faraum, is the location of a Crusader fortress originally built by Baldwin I, the King of Jerusalem and was named originally named Ile De Graye Castle. From the top of the fortress, one can see four countries, including Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Lawrence of Arabia made a somewhat daring and unauthorized visit to the Island during his Wilderness of Zin survey in June 1914.

There were previously bombings in the Egyptian resorts of (again 3 bombs set off) Taba and
Ras Shitan in October 2004 (34 killed, including 12 Israelis,) and (again 3 bombs set off) in Sharm el-Sheikh (88 people were killed) in July 2005.

On 7th April last year, two French tourists and an American were also killed (and the bomber) and about 20 people wounded in a bomb attack in the al-Azhar area of the Egyptian capital.

Seven people (including two Israelis, an Italian and a Swede )were wounded in an attack later the same month(30th April 2005) in Cairo's Abdel Moneim Riad Square, and two women assailants were killed in a failed attack on a tourist bus.

Israeli ambassador in Egypt Shalom Cohen told Israel Radio said that he was in direct contact with Egyptian officials but, as far as he knew, there were no Israeli casualties in the attack. As it was the Passover at the weekend there would be few Israelis about it was reported although other reports say that there were 20,000 now said to be 1,800 Israeli's who ignored Government warnings and were on holiday in the region.

The Palestine news agency reports that during a phone with the Omer Suleiman, Head of Egyptian Intelligence, President Abbas condemned the terrorist attack against innocent civilians in Dahab resort in Sinai.

Emergency number for Israelis to call for information on Dahab explosions: 02-5303155
For UK citizens - 020 7008 0000.

LATE NEWS

Jack Straw said the terror attacks in Egypt had been carried out by "callous" terrorists. "I utterly condemn these appalling bombings in (EDITOR PLEASE INSERT PLACE NAME) ...ETC., ETC., ... what do they do ? Wind him up?

EGYPTIAN President Hosni Mubarak called the explosions a "wicked terrorist act".

In a phone call to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert condemned the three bomb blasts as a "terrorist act,"

By Ze'ev Schiff, Haaretz Correspondent

"Al-Qaida was behind Monday's terror attack in Dahab. Despite Egypt's efforts to halt Al-Qaida activity in the Sinai Peninsula, the radical Islamic terror organization clearly continues to operate adjacent to the border with Israel. It also smuggles explosive material from the same area. It emerged recently that Al-Qaida is also trying to set up a base in the Gaza Strip so as to infiltrate from into Israel to carry out strikes.

Egyptian authorities recently informed U.S. and international elements that in the framework of their activities, they successfully got rid of an Al-Qaida base in Jabal Hilal, in central Sinai. The Egyptian authorities moved large police forces and forces from special units into Sinai. After a car carrying two Egyptian officers went over a mine and the two men were killed, the special units were put into action and the base was eradicated."

Katrina - Silver linings for some.

In early February, Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE:DO) reported profits Q4 2005 $106.9 million, compared with $11.3 million, for the same period a year earlier. Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2005 were $368.3 million, ($237.3 million Q4 2004).

We noted the shares at $53 in the aftermath of Katrina, they closed on Friday 21/4/06 @ US$95.38 - giving the company a market valuation of US$12.3 Billion.

C & C Technologies of Lafayette were another company highlighted by Lord Patel to benefit from Katrina. One contract awarded to C & C is a portion of a 5 year, US$50 Mn. contract with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey that allows C & C to perform ocean bottom surveys in the coastal areas of the United States and its possessions.Two additional contracts awarded through NOAA's Ocean Exploration program supported a recently completed ocean exploration cruise, using the company's "C-Surveyor Autonomous Underwater Vehicle," to map the seafloor in the Gulf of Mexico.

Another contract, granted by the Department of Defense, requires C&C Technologies to develop a semi-submersible unmanned vehicle.

Diamond Offshore Share price last 12 months

Israel court ruling says PA is sovereign territory.

A far reaching ruling was made in an Israeli civil court yesterday (Sunday) that could potentially have massive consequences, locally and internationally.(Haaretz)

The Association of the Society of Elon Moreh Seminary claim to have purchased land in an area of the West Bank under full PA control.The deal was voided by the village sheikh and the college sued the sheikh (and Israel) in the Israeli civil District Court for their money to be returned claiming the sheikh lacked the authority.The claim was the sheikh falsely declared that people agreeing to sell village land to the society indeed owned the land. After the society paid for the land, it emerged that the sheikh's affidavit was false.

The Judge Boaz Okon ( Judge and registrar of the Israeli Supreme Court ) yesterday (23/4/06) ruled, that because the PA was vested with certain powers held by sovereign entities, it was not obligated to follow Israeli law and that the Israeli courts have no power to enforce their verdicts inside Palestinian territories. THis was clearer after the 2005 Gaza disengagement. Judge Boaz Okon said "One sovereign state does not rule over another sovereign state and does not put it on trial." a curious parallel with the current case where tortured UK citizens seek redress in Uk courts for being tortured in Saudi Arabia.

If this ruling is upheld by the Israel Supreme Court, constitutes a landmark decision that would over 120 lawsuits worth billions of shekels filed by private individuals, companies and victims of terrorism since the outbreak of the second intifada.

Okun was specific.."The application of this rule has nothing to do with the answer to the question of whether the PA is a state. It is sufficient to say that it is a sovereign body, or a quasi-sovereign body that imposes its authority on an area regarded by Israel as outside Israel. The application of immunity to the PA is also derived from a reading of the aims of the [1995 Oslo] Interim Agreement [between Israel and the PLO] as well as the [Israeli] law implementing the interim agreement,"

Okun also rejected the plaintiff's demand to sue the Israeli government.

This ruling contradicts several rulings handed down by the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv district courts that said the PA could be sued by private individuals. The PA has appealed these decisions to the Supreme Court, which has not yet handed down a decision on the matter.

If the Supreme Court rejects the PA appeal, it will also automatically overturn Okun's ruling.

Judge Okun also made a ground breaking decision in January in the Tel Aviv District Court when he ruled that the state could not declare Palestinian land which was abandoned following the 1967 war as "land under Israel's effective sovereignty."

The ruling states that declaring lands owned by West Bank Palestinians as "absentee property" was illegal and no longer in effect.The Absentee Property Law could not be applied to West Bank lands abandoned by Palestinians during the 1967 Six Day War.

This followed Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's decision in February 2005 which cancelled a June 2004 governmental decision made by two ministers (Natan Sharansky and Zevulun Orlev) to apply the absentee property law to tens of thousands of dunams of Palestinian property in East Jerusalem.

In a letter to Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mazuz wrote that Netanyahu must order an immediate halt to the application of the absentee property law to properties owned by West Bank residents in East Jerusalem.

If you want to read about how Judge Okun has been influenced by the Government when the Barry Chamish author of "Who shot Itzak Rabin" sued a bookseller for libel....read more here.

Amazon order here ISBN: 1571290818

Ozone depletion changes will affect asthma drug supplies

Ozone layer/ greenhouse effect chemicals are almost phased all out now and the latest changes will affect some asthma sufferers.

Compliance with the Montreal Protocol (Article 2F) clean air treaty by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will force leading metered-dose inhalers (MDI's) containing ozone-depleting propellants (chlorofluorocarbon's (CFC's)) off the U.S. asthma treatment market by the end of 2008. FDA Reg. 21 CFR 2.125 has been amended to cease the production and use of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) in asthma producst products, which had been exempt long ofater other non essential products such hair sprays etc.,. This regulation change establishes December 31, 2008, as the date by which production and sale of single ingredient albuterol CFC MDIs must stop.

Because all current generic versions of inhaled albuterol contain ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants, generics will be removed from the U.S. market by 2008. That means higher-priced ( approx US$20 more per metered dode inhaler than generics using CFC) branded albuterol's propelled with hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) (1/3rd the one third of the 'greenhouse' (global warming) effect of the CFCs it replaces),with the result that the U.S. supplies will become branded only. Leading to $1 billion in major market sales for GlaxoSmithKline's Ventolin and Schering-Plough's Proventil to enable access these manufacturers intend to include in their sales prgrams, MDI giveaways, coupons for reducing the price paid and patient-assistance programs based on financial need. However the FDA is already reporting supply problems as manufacturers phase out the HFC product.

More doctors will possibly use nebulized levalbuterol as an alternative to albuterol, which could generate more sales for Sepracor's Xopenex (levalbuterol) but this is unsuitable for children under six years of age.

American generic manufacturer IVAX was taken over by Israel's biggest company last year, TEVA to make the worlds biggest generic company with combined sales to the US market of 330 drugs and sales of US$7 Bn (of which US$1.2 Mn is MS treatment Copaxone); the US HQ will be in Kansas City. They say they will be producing an albuterol with HFA ... real soon.

TEVA recently announced upping their stake in Tienjin, China, based Hualida Biotechnology Co., Ltd. to 60%.

For more information and FAQ's from FDA go here see your doctor or find out more here. Do it NOW for yourself or yuor family.... NOW

Proventil-HFA (NDC 00085-1132-01) Schering Customer Service: 1-877-432-7768.
Ventolin-HFA (NDC# 0173-0682-00) GlaxoSmithKline -Customer service number 1-888-825-5249
Albuterol-HFA (NDC 59310-579-20) from IVAX as it becomes available

Xopenex HFA (levalbuterol tartrate) Inhalation Aerosol metered dose inhalers (NDC 63402-510-01). Sepracor - Customer service 1-888-394-7377

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Pulmicort(R) HFA-MDI
This new HFA-powered MDI containing AstraZeneca's inhaled
corticosteroid Pulmicort(R) (budesonide) was filed for marketing
authorization in June 2005 on a country-by-country basis in Europe for the
treatment of asthma in adults and children. SkyePharma developed this new
HFA-MDI formulation, which employs its proprietary formulation technology,
and also conducted the clinical development programme for AstraZeneca.

In February 2006, the product received approval in Finland, its first European market. This product has not yet been approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration.

PA - is sovereign rules Israeli Court

A far reaching ruling was made in an Israeli civil court that could potentially have massive consequences, locally and internationally.

The Association of the Society of Elon Moreh Seminary claim to have purchased land in an area of the West Bank under full PA control (A area).The deal was voided by the village sheikh and the college sued the sheikh (and Israel) in the Israeli civil District Court for their money to be returned claiming the sheikh lacked the authority.The claim was the sheikh falsely declared that people agreeing to sell village land to the society indeed owned the land. After the society paid for the land, it emerged that the sheikh's affidavit was false.

The Judge Boaz Okon ( Judge and registrar of the Israeli Supreme Court ) yesterday (23/4/06) ruled that because the PA was vested with certain powers held by sovereign entities, it was not obligated to follow Israeli law and that the Israeli courts have no power to enforce their verdicts inside Palestinian territories. This was clearer after the 2005 Gaza disengagement. Judge Boaz Okon said "One sovereign state does not rule over another sovereign state and does not put it on trial." a curious parallel with the current case where tortured UK citizens seek redress in Uk courts for being tortured in Saudi Arabia.

If this ruling is upheld by the Israel Supreme Court, it constitutes a landmark decision that would over 120 lawsuits worth billions of shekels filed by private individuals, companies and victims of terrorism since the outbreak of the second intifada.

Okun was specific.."The application of this rule has nothing to do with the answer to the question of whether the PA is a state. It is sufficient to say that it is a sovereign body, or a quasi-sovereign body that imposes its authority on an area regarded by Israel as outside Israel. The application of immunity to the PA is also derived from a reading of the aims of the [1995 Oslo] Interim Agreement [between Israel and the PLO] as well as the [Israeli] law implementing the interim agreement."

Okun also rejected the plaintiff's demand to sue the Israeli government.

This ruling contradicts several rulings handed down by the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv district courts that said the PA could be sued by private individuals. The PA has appealed these decisions to the Supreme Court, which has not yet handed down a decision on the matter.

If the Supreme Court rejects the PA appeal, it will also automatically overturn Okun's ruling.

Judge Okun also made a ground breaking decision in January 2006 in the Tel Aviv District Court when he ruled that the state could not declare Palestinian land which was abandoned following the 1967 war as "land under Israel's effective sovereignty." For more details of the illegal land grab read the lengthy and detailed piece in the Guradian. Jan 31st 2005.

The ruling states that declaring lands owned by West Bank Palestinians as "absentee property" was illegal and no longer in effect.The Absentee Property Law could not be applied to West Bank lands abandoned by Palestinians during the 1967 Six Day War.

This followed Attorney General Menachem Mazuz decision in February 2005 which cancelled a June 2004 governmental decision made by two ministers (Natan Sharansky and Zevulun Orlev) to apply the absentee property law to tens of thousands of dunams of Palestinian property in East Jerusalem.

In a letter to Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mazuz wrote that Netanyahu must order an immediate halt to the application of the absentee property law to properties owned by West Bank residents in East Jerusalem.

If you want to read about how Judge Okun has been influenced by the Government when the Barry Chamish author of "Who shot Itzak Rabin" sued a bookseller for libel....read more here.

Keep an old carworker happy - Buy GM

Buy This . . . Pay US$1,500 For This

GM lost $10.6 billion last year, Q1 2006 GM sold 2.2 million vehicles and lost $323 million. That means every time the company made a car or truck, it lost $147, its 6th Unprofitable Quarter in a row. (General Motors Acceptance Corp, made $605 million last quarter lending you the money to buy GM vehicles)

GM, who provide health care for 1.1 million employees, retirees and dependents, now tell the world , their shareholders ... and the Unions, that GM is the world's largest private purchaser of Viagra. They are paying out $17 million annually for impotence drugs such as Viagra and Cialis, said GM spokeswoman Sharon Baldwin.

OK so the life style drug bill (even outside the boardroom) is only a fraction of GM's overall health care costs. But at a total of US$5.6 billion each year, that's costing US$1,500 for every vehicle it builds.

St George - Lydda - Ramle and ethnic cleansing by the Zionists

This is a window in a small curch on the Sykes estate in Yorkshire, belonging to Sykes of the Sykes-Picot agreement. It shows St George and the flag of Jerusalem and celebrates the liberation from the Muslim Turks in WW1 by General Allenby of Armageddon.

By a curious coincidence St. George the patron saint of England (whose flag we will see too much of this summer in the World Cup)was entombed at Lydda (Diaspolis) now Hebrew Lod, where there was (circa 6th Century AD) a cult of St. George.

Perhaps we should celebrate the most notorious act of what we now call ethnic cleansing undertaken after WWII, in the area. On the direct orders of Ben - Gurion, countersigned by future Prime MInister Yitzak Rabin, on July 12 and 13, 1948, Israeli forces, led by Moshe Dayan, expelled the 50,000 residents of the towns of Lydda and neighboring Ramle. Which ended in the notorious Lydda/Ramle death march. This Operation Danny (Mivtza Dani in Hebrew) was to remove the threat the two towns had on the Tel Aviv / Jerusalem road. The attack was undertaken by the palmach (the irregular terrorists of the Hagana, Stern gang) initially and on the direct order of Ben-Gurion Israeli forces eventually expelled the 50,000 residents of the towns of Lydda and neighboring Ramle.

Previously the area was softened up as explained by Yigal Allon, the commander of the Palmach who said he had Jews talk to the Arabs in neighboring villages and tell them a large Jewish force was in Galilee with the intention of burning all the Arab villages in the Lake Huleh region. The Arabs were told to leave while they still had time and, according to Allon, they did exactly that.

Yitzak Rabin, later to become Israeli Prime Minister, wrote in his memoirs that "there was no way of avoiding the use of force and warning shots in order to make the inhabitants march the ten or fifteen miles" required to reach Arab positions. Before they left, the townspeople were "systematically stripped of all their belongings,"

Eventually the refugees from Lydda and Ramle made their way to refugee camps near Ramallah along with many others. The whole exodus was over 800,000 people with unknown dead. Count Folke Bernadotte, Swedish nobleman and United Nations mediator, attempted to offer aid. He later wrote that "I have made the acquaintance of a great many refugee camps, but never have I seen a more ghastly sight than that which met my eyes here at Ramallah." (Later that year, Bernadotte was murdered by the Stern Gang. One of its leaders, Yitzhak Shamir, became Israeli Prime Minister in 1983.)

Erskine Childers, British journalist and broadcaster, writing in The Spectator, May 12, 1961:
... the immediately responsible officer was Moshe Dayan…Kimche has described how, on July 11, 1948, Dayan with his columns: “drove at full speed into Lydda, shooting up the town and creating confusion and a degree of terror among the population.“ Ramallah, on the road to which these particular Arabs — numbering over 60,000 from this one area alone — were herded, was up in the Judaean hills, outside Zionist-held territory.

Simha Flapan, Israeli journalist and historian in “The Birth of Israel,” 1987, p. 100:

The most significant elimination of these “Arab islands” took place two months after the Declaration of Independence. In one of the gravest episodes of this tragic story, as many as fifty thousand Arabs were driven out of their homes in Lydda and Ramleh on July 12-13, 1948…In Lydda, the exodus took place on foot…With the population gone, the Israeli soldiers proceeded to loot the two towns in an outbreak of mass pillaging that the officers could neither prevent nor control.

Kenneth Bilby, correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune, who entered Lydda the second day it was occupied, writing in “New Star in the New East,” New York, 1950, p. 43:

Moshe Dayan led a jeep commando column into the town of Lydda with rifles, Stens, and sub-machine guns blazing. It coursed through the main streets, blasting at everything that moved...the corpses of Arab men, women, and even children were strewn about the streets in the wake of this ruthlessly brilliant charge.

British General John Glubb, Commander of Jordan’s Arab Legion, in “A Soldier with the Arabs,” Harper, 1957, p. 162:

No sooner were the enemy in the towns [Lydda and Ramle] than they set about an intensive house-to-house search, all men of military age being arrested and removed to concentration camps. Then Israeli vans fitted with loudspeakers drove through the streets, ordering all the remaining inhabitants to leave within half an hour...Suffice it to say that houses were broken into and women sufficiently roughly handled to give point to the warning to be clear of the town in that time.

Perhaps thirty thousand people or more, almost entirely women and children, snatched up what they could and fled from their homes across the open fields. The Israeli forces not only arrested men of military age, they also commandeered all means of transport.

This is the exodus, note the absence of men.

2 Interesting Footnotes

By Yuval Azoulay wrote an article in Haaretz 31/08/2004

"Jewish residents in Ramle are trying to block the opening of an Arab school in the Kiryat Menachem neighborhood, fearing it will harm property values and increase crime. The Jewish residents, mostly immigrants from the former Soviet Union and veterans from the Bukharan community, are demanding that Mayor Yoel Lavi prevent the school's opening Wednesday"......

This week the Jerusalem Post (and elsewhere)has the story of a find of three (very large) gold bracelets and the six silver ones, as well as an assortment of money, were discovered inside a jar found at the site these date from early Arab period (638-1099 AD ).

"This is the first time gold bracelets have been found in an organized archeological excavation," said Arab-period archeologist Ayala Lester. Hmmm early Arab Period.Could be St.George's wife's jewellery ?

March 30th is the Land Day in Israel when the Palestinians remember the ethnic cleansing. Perhaps we could remember St George's burial, say on Holocaust Day and combine the two memorial remembrances together. Apply to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. .. I am going to- send me an e-mail if you would like to join in.
Pic of the Ramle bracelets - early Arab.

Tony Blair is Mad ... as a Hatter

Tony Blair interviewed by the grossly overweight Con Coghlan Sunday Telegraph 23/4/06

"Yes, it's true a lot of people expressed that view. But I had come to the conclusion before we came to office - and even more so afterwards - that the transatlantic alliance was crucial to the security of the world."

"I never had a moment's doubt about this. Because 9/11 for me was, "Right, now I get it. I absolutely get it."

"And suddenly a light was switched on and you saw the whole picture. It was a defining moment. We stood shoulder to shoulder with America because my belief then, and my belief now, is that America was attacked not because it was America - but because it was the repository of the values of the Western world, and it was the main power embodying them. It was an attack on all of us."

"Yeah, but I think spreading democracy and human rights is very progressive. I can't quite get this idea it is supposed to be neocon."

"I just go with my instinct."

There was a crystallising moment when we all realised that Mrs Thatcher was batty ... for me it was her appointment of the grinning bearded loony Branson as Litter Czar ... she assembled the Press, threw down a few crisp bags and toffee wrappers and armed with a sharp stick and a bin liner, attacked the squalor of the usually pristineand manicured gardens of St. James's.

Reading the above, you can see the Messianic glitter in the Dear Leader's eyes, the intensity , the sweating brow ...."I just go with my instict" ... Poll Tax ? ... Iraq ? ... Iran ? ..... North Korea ... all the people attacking "our values" ?

Call the men in the white coats.