Qat - A Parliamentary Question to which you may have missed the answer

Hansard 31 Jan 2006 : Column 369W

Khat (Qat)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will add khat to the list of substances controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [Q No. 43565]

Paul Goggins: No. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in Parliament on 19th January that he had accepted the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs that khat should not be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

What is misleading is that the reference is to 19th January 2005 when overweight Charlie Clarke was Home Secretary and being quizzed about re-classifying Cannabis and he said in oral answers to questions ..

"As previously announced, I have accepted the advice to keep Methyl Amphetamine as a class B drug, though this is subject to a review reporting later this year. Similarly I have accepted the Council’s advice not to classify Khat as a controlled drug."

Which will not only cheer up the thousands of East Africans living in the UK who sit chewing it all day, but the suppliers in Kenya and the immensely profitable supply chain that prospers based on the daily deliveries at Heathrow Airport. Is VAT chargeable on the supply of Khat ?

Charlie Clarke took the opportunity that day to remind his listeners that ...

"Growing and selling cannabis is not harmless or idealistic. It is a multi-million pound business, often organised by sophisticated and violent criminals."

You can access the considerable research on Qat (Khat) by Lord Patel Global Botanical Mind Altering Substances Lab and Library here including it's connection with the 21/7 bombers who ocassionally appear at the Old Bailey these days.

PS. Kat is a banned drug / substance through most of Europe and Scandinavia and in North America , as is possession of the chemical stimulant in an isolated form in the UK.

21/7 - out of their heads ?

It is too soon to draw conclusions. People who set out with bombs to blow people up on empty tubes trains,and buses must have a peculiar mind set. An examination of comments provided to the jury suggests that thse guys were high - qat ?

Who knows yet - but there was something very odd going down that day, and it is difficult to believe these guys were terrists.

Hussein Osman

“He was lying on the floor with his arms outstretched. He was just dazed, like he couldn't believe he was there, lying on his back.

“My original thought was he might have been dazed, he was clearly shocked, in a state of confusion. He was somebody who wasn’t fully in control of what had just happened.”

I was just a few feet from him but he was completely expressionless. He made no eye contact

When Osman stepped off the bus, he was nearly run over thrice by driver Anne Moore, the court heard.

"He didn't seem to be aware of what he was doing, he seemed out of it," she said. I braked heavily to avoid hitting him."

"He was in a position like Jesus when nailed to the cross, with his arms out to the sides."

Ramzi Mohammed

Mohammed muttered "This is wrong, this is wrong" and said innocently replied "this is bread".

Ramzi dropped the rucksack to the ground and pointed at it repeatedly, pretending he had no idea what was happening.

Mohammed said: ‘What’s the matter? It was wasn’t me, it was that,’ pointing to the rucksack. He placed the rucksack on the floor of the carriage.

Muktar Ibrahim

"The way this particular man boarded the bus made him stand out. Most passengers who have a pass don't make eye contact but this man in question was waving his bus pass in a peculiar manner and he made staring eye contact with me."

That uniquitous and well informed commentator Anon. adds 9.00 am today

Another oddity. Remember that picture on the news, the one that looked like a pile of yellow vomit? The one that had the nails in it? Yes? Well, did you notice that the nails were in plastic bags? Ever wondered why? Well, if you use hydrogen peroxide on a chemical plant, part of your hazard and operability study tells you that you have to keep the hydrogen peroxide away from non-passivated iron. The iron causes a catalytic decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide. Now, I know that 'cos I'm a PhD chemist who has made products on chemical plants using hydrogen peroxide. So, how did they know that?

Indeed. Excellent pictures from SKY here on video select FULL SCREEN for best views

Interestingly ..."The jury was told that for safety reasons most of the materials recovered from the alleged attack were destroyed."