Banged up for not making a bang

Justice delayed is justice denied. William Gladstone

Muktar Said Ibrahim, 27; Ramzi Mohamed, 23; Yassin Omar, 24; Hussein Osman, 27, and Asiedu, 32. have had a trial date of September 2006 set for plotting to murder passengers on London's transit system in a series of attempted bomb attacks on 28th July 2005.

Prosecuting counsel Nigel Sweeney argued on Thursday that their trial should be delayed as long as possible because of the need for detailed forensic analysis of the explosives, which he described as "hydro-peroxide devices."

Police have said the bombers used a peroxide-based explosive called HMDT, or hexamethylene triperoxide diamine, that can be made using ordinary ingredients such as hair bleach. (These details do not appear in BBC reports of the hearing)

Intriguingly Hussein Osman told an Italian court when being extradited the "bombs" were made of flour. (he was the guy lounging in luxury on Eurostar speeding across Europe whilst Ian Blair of that Ilk assured the public that the "bombers" had not "left the country".

One wonders what the fuck the highly experienced forensic scientists (with decades of experience relating to explosives in Northern Ireland) with matchless equipment will be doing all this time.

(Gypsy Petulengro whispers to me, it’s because they haven’t actually found any explosives – nor will they - but they might find some cathine )

They might perhaps consult the FBI site, and search on HMDT where they will find not only a huge amount about peroxide based explosives but full instructions (including brands to use of hair bleach) how to make a handy home made bomb. Apart from various Wiki references they might also consult some more unorthodox information sources…

http://www.totse.com/en/bad_ideas/ka_fucking_boom/162660.html
ttp://www.powerlabs.org/chemlabs/perox.htm
http://www.bluemud.org/article/23709
http://www.answers.com/acetone+peroxide

Recent blogs on same topic here

Pic is of Hussein Omar's Italian lawyer, who failed to prevent his extradition from Italy to the UK under the recently introduced fast - track EU procedures. Posted for no other reason than that Postman thinks she is stunning to look at.

UK Wind Energy - Bubble bows up

Energy companies know about energy and they know about money. They know how to make both. They also know a lousy investment when they see one.

E.ON UK and Energi E2 joint developers of the £100 Mn Scarweather Sands off Porthcawl, S. Wales with a projected 30 turbines, each 400 ft tall, claimed output of 100 Mw , have stated the project is no longer financially viable.

The Welsh Assembly members approved the plans in July 2004, but Jason Scagell, director of E.ON UK Renewables, said: “ ….building Scarweather simply isn't possible under current market conditions. Demand for the supply of key components such as turbines, offshore cabling and foundations is so high at the moment that it's very difficult to make projects cost effective."

E.ON also withdrew from the Tunes Plateau project in Northern Ireland last September and United Utilities withdrew from several projects in the North West, one of which Scout Farm has received approval but there appears little propects that the project will now go ahead.

The British Wind Energy Association is quoted in the Guradian this week saying the problems faced by E.ON were shared by many other members. The BWEA said almost all 10 of the similar schemes given the go-ahead under the government's first round of offshore licensing were delayed by this or other issues, such as difficult contract negotiations – although the Burbo Bank scheme off Liverpool has been awarded £10Mn of Lottery Funds!

The BWEA claim this is due to the tax credit scheme in the US raising demand, although most (i.e nearly 98%) of their new build is onshore. E-on’s partner in Wales the Danish group Energi E2, identify the cost of offshore cabling as a major problem inhibiting the development of offshore schemes. There are also problems being raised of the effect on subsea cabling on marine organisms (see COWRIE research paper)

– a conference was held this week about this subject.
COWRIE Data and Information Management Seminar
Monday 5th December 2005-11-25 IMAREST, 80 Coleman St, London
1000-1630
By Invitation Only


We posted recently the financial and production problems leading to losses at Vestas, one of the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturers.

The UK is Britain is currently bottom of the European renewable energy table. Wind supplies just 0.6% of our electricity, compared with 18% in Denmark.

It is evident that the whole bubble of wind generated electrical energy has burst. It was ill thought out, the financing hopelessly flawed and the details of construction not sufficiently understood and the huge problems of distribution and connection to the National Grid been overlooked, ignored or dismissed.

The contribution of wind energy offshore and onshore in the total UK energy budget will continue to be negligible, hugely costly and will involve maintenance costs that will eventually prove to be unsustainable.


Recent blogs on same topic here

Ereli - Another fucking lying bastard at State

At the Department of State's daily briefing spokesman Adam Ereli went out of his way to congratulate Croatian officials and the Spanish authorities who arrested General Gotovina late Wednesday in the Canary Islands.The United States were of course offering a reward of over $5 million for Gotovina.

Ereli would not discuss Croatia`s involvement in the arrest of Gotovina, who was indicted by a UN tribunal in The Hague on charges of committing atrocities against ethnic Serbs during the 1991-1995 Serbo-Croatian war.

Ereli said, "This arrest is obviously a major step forward for Croatia on its road to eventual NATO membership".

"It was clearly, therefore, in the best interests of Croatia, and we see it as a key step toward reconciliation in the region," Ereli told reporters at the State Department`s daily briefing.

You really have to admire the sheer fucking gall of the guy. It was of course President Clinton who approved and directed "Operation Storm" which led to the ethnic cleaning of the Serbs in Croatia, leaving untold thousands dead and up to 200,000 fleeing homeles refugees.

Did the assembled finest of the Washington Press Corps curiously incurious about such things , as, were Richard Holbrooke, Ambassador Galbraith etc., going to testify if Gotovina asked for them to appear ?

PS - In July the ICC's Carla Del Ponte travelled to Rome to share her intelligence (that Gotovina was holed up in a monastery - quite where she couldn't say) with the Vatican's 'foreign minister,' Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo. He refused to help, telling her the Vatican was not a state and thus had 'no international obligations' to help the UN to hunt war criminals." The Vatican is said to have assisted the exit of Croat Ustashe leaders to South America at the end of WWII - which they deny.

PPS - José Antonio Alonso, Spain’s Interior minister, said a false Croatian (in the name of Christian Horvat = Christian Croat)passport seized by police during Gen Gotovina’s detention on Wednesday night contained visa stamps from Argentina, Chile, China, Mauritius, Tahiti, the Czech Republic, Russia and Spain. Police also found a laptop computer, and a second false passport and some cash.

Ante Gotovina - A man with interesting friends in Virginia

Former Croat general Ante Gotovina, wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), was arrested in Spain yesterday, which set off riots in Zagreb among his nationalists supporters.

Demonstrators earlier threw stones at the building housing the Croatian government, which assisted in the arrest of general Ante Gotovina in Spain.

Gotovina, who is a former French legionnaire and mercenary, retired from the Croatian army in 2000 after earning a hero's status (memorably by Croatian tennis star Goran Ivanisovic at the 1991 Wimbledon Championships), in the 1991- 95 war for Croatia's independence from Yugoslavia.

He became a fugitive a year later when the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) indicted in the deaths of Serb civilians and other atrocities committed by his troops.

Those interested in his activities and In Operation Storm which led to the atrocities for which he has been arrested might like to take some time to look at the record of some interesting people who helped him.

Military Professional Resources Inc.
1201 E. Abingdon Dr
Alexandria, VA

MPRI reported annual sales of $95 million from numerous contracts with the U.S. and foreign governments to provide military training and consulting, according to the Center for Public Integrity.

In 1994 and 1995, MPRI was paid millions of dollars under a U.S. government-sanctioned contract to train the Croatian military. In August 1995, the previously inept Croatian army launched "Operation Lightning Storm," a U.S.-style military offensive designed to take back part of the country held throughout the war by rebel Serbs. Some photos taken at the time are said to show Gotovina together with US military advisors (See pic. Gotovina 2nd from left).

"Operation Lightning Storm", was launched against the Krajina region in which Serbian villages were sacked and burned, hundreds of civilians were killed and 170,000 were left homeless. The operation was a textbook illustration of western military doctrine. "The Croatians did a good job of coordinating armor, artillery and infantry", says Roger Charles, a retired marine lieutenant colonel and military researcher. "That's not something you learn while being instructed about democratic values."

The truth is the United States which provided logistical support, jammed Serbian radio communications and radar, and closely monitored all Serbian troop movements using unmanned spy planes (UAV's), which operated from Brac island just off the Croatian coast (ops later moved to Sepurina airport nr. Zadar after being exposed on New Years Day by the German Embassy staff). All the resulting information was passed on immediately to the Croatian armed forces, with Washington hoping that the Serbs would be beaten back quickly and thus forced to agree to take part in negotiations.

Critics charged that MPRI provided training and tactical skills that enabled the Croatian military to perpetrate one of the largest episodes of ethnic cleansing in the breakup of former Yugoslavia, in an offensive that left hundreds dead and 150,000 homeless. MPRI denied those charges. A fterwards, the Croatian government expressed its gratitude to MPRI for its help in training its military. MPRI was later hired to train the new Bosnian army after the Dayton Peace Accords ended the war in former Yugoslavia.

In early 1996 Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Holbrooke told Congress that the training of Bosnian forces by MPRI "can begin as soon as the contracts are worked out" --that's contracts, plural, because the $400 million program was paid for largely by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait.

Mr (General ?) Gotovina might have some interesting tales to tell the ICC, as will Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic when they are apprehended. But then of course the US doesn't recognise the court - I can think of several reasons why they don't.

By the way, Michael Meacher my EX MP also wrote about this in the Guradian last year, he claims (typically exaggerating) ethnic cleaning of 200,000 Serbs.

Recent blogs on same topic here

Poster of wanted persons by ICTY here

A very useful and detailed site about US involvement in "Operation Storm" here

Olympics 2012 - leave the country now

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) has started the process of designing a logo and identity for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It has appointed AAR, a leading agency search and selection company, to help select a brand and design agency.

This is Londonists very appropriate logo idea - more at their website

You can also visit this l website and find this sort of entirely predictable news ...

2012 Aquatic centre cost proposals have doubled
December 1st, 2005

Already costs for the 2012 Olympics are looking like they are on the up. Proposals for the new aquatic centre, designed by Architect Zaha Hadid, (who previously designed the Mind Zone at the Millennium Dome) have doubled in cost, (originally £75Mn) since the hosting proposals.

The Guradian today also has a story which provides more information...

"A source close to the project to construct a 20,000-seat arena, with two 50-metre swimming pools and a separate 25m diving pool, said the final budget for the complex was likely to be £116m.

"This figure [£75m] always referred to the base construction costs only," the spokeswoman told the magazine. "The specifications of the building and the design, along with the estimated construction cost of the building, have not changed since Zaha Hadid Architects won the original competition."

She said inflation costs, professional fees and other contingencies would also need to be considered in calculating the total cost." (.i.e to be added)

Recent blogs on same topic here

Through the adjacent Google contextual ad I discover there is a Not the Olympics 2012 site here which has a thread up about this - well worth visiting.

Russian Roulette

The Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty was agreed and signed between NATO and Warsaw Pact Countries in 1990 in Paris.

This deals with agreeing the expansion of boring old weapons that kill people in traditional ways, bullets, bombs etc., and tanks and helicopter gunships, and was a significant step in promoting the peace, stability and security of Europe.

Signed by many but rarely ratified it’s existence and use was questioned yesterday by Russian Defense Minister Sergei : "If the treaty is not ratified by other signatories, Moscow will raise the issue if whether or not this mechanism ... is needed at all." He went on to say on TV , “'The expansion of US and NATO infrastructure to Russian borders raises a question about the fate of the CFE,”

This is seen as a direct response to the "drive by diplomacy", of the Secretary of State Rice’s visits to Berlin, Kiev and Brussels as well as a hasty stop in Bucharest to sign an agreement giving the US access to three Romanian military bases - whilst also slipping in another lie about a shift in US policy on degrading torture and abuse of prisoners.

Romania seeks the power of the American umbrella, which will play uneasily with the EU – now the Russians are feeling threatened by the US military moves in the region.

Just more of the US Zionist / Neo-con “Fuck You “ Beltway gangsters world strategy unfolding – Rice did look very fetching in her floor length fur trimmed coat and boots however.

PS - 08 December 2005 - Last year Romanian exports to Russia were US$181 Mn and imports US$2.7 Bn a growth of 43%. Most of this is imported energy , crude oil, refined products and natural gas = 90% of imports."There is still an unexplored potential between the two countries" said Igor Sidorov yesterday, Russian Trade Representative to Romania.

Recent blogs on same topic here

Romanians have a word for it

naşpa (NAHSH-pah)

Meaning - ugly, nasty, ruined, messed up, out of order, not appealing

As in your 15 yr old daughter tells you she is pregnant. Then you discover the putative father is a 57 yr old drug addict with AIDS .... or the US Secretary of State is in town telling you their folks are going to settle down around here.

Fucking lying bitch

“The US does not condone torture,” Condoleezza Rice told reporters gathered in the Berlin Chancellery. “We do, however, have an obligation to defend our people and to use every lawful means to combat terrorism.”

Times Online today
She didn’t say they don’t do it.

Recent blogs on same topic here

Out of Africa - human prehistory and pre - historic African drought

Thomas Johnson, professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Syracuse associate professor of geology Christopher Scholz have been studying the climate of Africa for over 20 years. Their studies of palaeolimnology, - studies of lake sediments using plant / algal/ mineral remains are yielding some fascinating insights into human evolution and history.

Recent drillings in Lake Malawi and Tanganyika in East Africa, and from Lake Bosumtwi (Bosomtwi) in Ghana in a team including Andrew Cohen from the U of Arizona, John King and Kate Moran from the U of Rhode Island and Michael Richard Talbot of the U of Bergen in Norway have produced some fascinating results about the pre-hstoric African climate.

Results provide evidence of a prolonged equatorial drought some 75,000 years ago. This resulted in Lake Malawi, now an inland sea some 550km long and 700m deep being reduced to two tiny lakes 10km across and 200m deep. (Guradian article Sept 2003 ) Lake Bosumtwi is located in an old comet crater which is now a 10km-wide lake it lost all of its water. Lake Bosumtwi is unique to science, says Professor Koeberl a geologist from Vienna University, Austria.

"It is the youngest large impact crater we have on Earth, and it's very well preserved. There is no crater of the same size that is younger; and there is no crater that is better exposed or larger." No rivers flow through the very still lake surrounded and shielded from winds by high mountains. As a result, Lake Bosumtwi mud deposits hold an unrivalled record of tropical weather going back through several ice ages.

There are 11 known species of fish in the lake, including one endemic cichlid (Tilapia discolor). Two of the cichlid species are mouth brooders, meaning a parent holds the live-born fish in their mouth to protect them until they reach a certain stage of development.

The timing of this drought coincides neatly with current "Eve hypothesis" of human evolution.

Genetic studies increasingly support the theory that modern human society is descended from a group of around 10,000 individuals who lived in East Africa at the time of this drought crisis.

It is therefore possible that the drought was a causative reason for the exodus from Africa. This was a profound impact on the landscape," said Christopher Scholz, from Syracuse University, US.

Friends of Lake Bosomtwe can be found here http://www.geocities.com/lakebosomtwe/ and is based Department of Physics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi., where all business transactions including projects planning take place. Efforts are being made to acquire an office close to Lake Bosomtwe in the future.

For Ashantis, this large crater lake (10 km from capital Kumasi) with a diameter of 10.5km is sacred as legend has it that after death, the soul of an Ashanti goes to Lake Bosumtwi to bid farewell to their god Twi before departing for the afterlife.

Norcan a subsidiary of the giant AMI Resources Incorporated, a Vancouver, British Columbia based exploration and development have been granted by Ghana’s Minerals Commission prospecting licenses but the company is yet to obtain an environmental permit by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Pib of Lake Bosumtwi

Coitus interruptus - unsatisfactory but necessary

Exit Strategy
How to disengage from Iraq in 18 months
Barry R. Posen Boston Review


" The war is at best a stalemate; the large American presence now causes more trouble than it prevents. We must disengage from Iraq—and we must do it by removing most American and allied military units within 18 months. Though disengagement has risks and costs, they can be managed. The consequences would not be worse for the United States than the present situation, and capabilities for dealing with them are impressive, if properly employed.

"Some people argue that the United States should disengage because the war was a mistake in the first place, or because it is morally wrong. ..... My case for disengagement is different: it is forward-looking and based on American national interests. The war as it has evolved (and is likely to evolve) badly serves those interests. A well-planned disengagement will serve them much better by reducing military, economic, and political costs."

Essential reading if you want to grasp what has happened - and will happen now in Iraq. Although no-ne yet, seems to grasp that the essential objective in the invasion , that the maintenance of the global US oil dollar hegemony remains intact after Saddam got to sell his oil in Euros and bank it in Paris. SSShhhhh....

On Sunday 4th I pointed out that John Rauch had published in WaPO "All over but the Pullback" , which had already been forecast here. Now the big boys in Boston are jumping on Postman's bandwagon. Posen speaks from a deep, deep knowledge of the mil/political climate and it is unlikely that his views are in any way those of a maverick.

Well MIT anyway. Barry R. Posen is Ford International Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he is affiliated with the Security Studies Program. He is on the Executive Committee of Seminar XXI, an educational program for senior military officers, government officials and business executives in the national security policy community.

A recent article is “Command of the Commons: The Military Foundation of US Hegemony,” International Security, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Summer 2003). Prior to to MIT, he taught at Princeton University.

Like deep ocean waves the movers and the shifters of opinion are at work preparing the US public (i.e the ones that vote in the upcoming mid-term elections) for a pullout - a sort of military coitus interruptus.

Yoo. Who? ... Lawyers at War - No uniforms, no guns, but some great ideas

If you wanted to look at the sort of legal mind that might identify attaching diplomatic status to "rendered" prisoners, you might usefully examine the career of John Yoo.Famously the author of the "Torture memos" which provided such a unique view of obligations of signatories to the Geneva Conventions on Torture. Newsweek recalls an interesting memo on Presidential power as well.

University of California, Berkeley
Boalt Hall School of Law
890 Simon Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
Phone: (510) 643-5089
Fax: (510) 642-3728
E-Mail: yoo@law.berkeley.edu

John Yoo is a professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), where he has taught since 1993. From 2001-03, he served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice (A Gonzalez), where he worked on issues involving foreign affairs, national security, and the separation of powers. He served as general gounsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee from 1995-96, where he advised on constitutional issues and judicial nominations.See Common Dreams

He has written a great deal - here is a flavour ....

Abstract: Virginia Journal of Law The Status of Terrorists , 44 Va. J. Int'l L. 207 (2003).

"This paper identifies and analyzes two legal questions raised by the war against the al Qaeda terrorist organization. First, did the September 11, 2001 attacks initiate a war, or "international armed conflict," or was it only an act punishable under criminal law? Second, what legal rules govern the status and treatment of members of al Qaeda and the Taliban militia that harbored and supported them in Afghanistan? We argue that the United States is currently engaged in a state of armed conflict with al Qaeda, a multinational terrorist organization whose leadership declared war on the United States as early as 1996, and the Taliban militia, which harbors and supports that organization. This state of armed conflict justifies the use of military force by the United States to subdue and defeat the enemy, separate and apart from any ordinary law enforcement objectives that may also justify coercive government action against members of al Qaeda and the Taliban militia. To give legal recognition to the current armed conflict is not to confer upon members of al Qaeda or the Taliban militia the privileged status of lawful combatants. Neither group complies with the four traditional conditions of lawful combat long established under the laws of war and recognized by the Geneva Conventions. Members of al Qaeda and the Taliban militia have chosen to fight in blatant disregard for the laws of armed conflict and are, accordingly, unlawful combatants not entitled to the legal status of prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions."

Go on the Offensive against Terror

By John Yoo Posted: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 ARTICLES Los Angeles Times Publication Date: July 13, 2005
Reprinted by American Enterprise Institute

"Most directly, the U.S. should destroy the hubs of the network. Only a coordinated, simultaneous attack on several major hubs will leave a network in isolated and relatively harmless pieces.

Can we do this? In wartime, the military may legally kill members of the enemy's armed forces. If we are at war, the U.S. can carry out selective attacks on Al Qaeda's senior members, such as the 2002 Predator missile strike in Yemen. If we're not at war, we may have to rethink the 1970s-era presidential order banning assassination."

Condoleezza Rice. Statement Dec 6th Andrews Air Force Base..

"Because this war on terrorism challenges traditional norms and precedents of previous conflicts, our citizens have been discussing and debating the proper legal standards that should apply."

'Nuff sed

Recent blogs on same topic here

Maria Sharapova is highest earning Russian sport star

18-year-old Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova tops the list of Russia’s wealthiest athletes according to Finance magazine today. Maria’s income in 2005 was said to be US$14.5 million.

On top of prize money she has a host advertising contracts and mobile phone tunes to boost here income.

2nd = Basketball player Andrey Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz, US$10.97 million
3rd = Hockey player Alexei Yashin of the New York Islanders,US $7.6

6 of the other 7 in the top ten were ice hockeyists palying in North America: Nikolay Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks with $6.75 million, Ilya Kovalchuk of Atlanta Thrashers with $6.5 million, Sergey Fyodorov of Columbus Blue Jackets with $6.08 million, Alexei Kovalyov of Montreal Canadiens with $4.5 million, Alexei Zhamnov of Boston Bruins with $4.1 million and Sergey Zubkov of Dallas Stars with $4 million.

Recent blogs on same topic here

China shops - France sells - US looks on

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is busy shopping in France this week and is trying hard to share out the bonanza of helicopters, nuclear power and civil airliners carefully between the US and Europe. However the deals announced so far (It is still only Monday) will crown the short term success of the EADS International policy “Global Industrial Strategy” where they are targeting the Far East markets across their product range.

Alcatel Alenia Space, a company owned by Alcatel and Italy's Finmeccanica has confirmed sale of a telecomms satellite which Wen is due to sign today.

Eurocopter chief Fabrice Bregier has today announced the decision to co-develop with China a 6-ton helicopter for the world market. This will be the twin turbine EC175, which will be co-produced with Chinese manufacturer AVIC II (EADS has 5% of equity). China has been a customer for helicopters developed by Eurocopter and its forerunners since the 1960s, when it purchased Alouette IIIs. The Dauphin was produced under licence in the 1980s and China became an industrial partner on the EC120 in 1992.

Eurocopter will be awarded a contract before year-end, pending South Korean government approval, to help Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) develop and build 245 army utility helicopters.

Industry sources say KAI has selected Eurocopter over AgustaWestland and Bell Helicopter as its foreign airframe partner for the $8.6 billion Korea Helicopter Programme (KHP) and has already negotiated a contract with the EADS company. However, the selection still must be approved by South Korea’s defence ministry and its president.

This will presumably cut out competition from US makers Bell Helicopter and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Europcopter intend to enlarge their manufacturing resources in Malaysia including production of the Tiger military attack helicopter (pic).

Already Wen has signed up with EADS for a monster order for 150 A320 family aircraft capable of seating 107 to 185 passengers , said to be worth US$9.7 Bn. These will go China's three big airlines -- China Southern Airlines Co. Ltd., Air China Ltd. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd plus smaller carriers Sichuan Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines and Hainan Airlines, (partly owned by George Soros). Simultaneously Airbus will spend six months looking at a local manufacturing project in China. In January China agreed to buy up to 60 of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner for $7 billion -much of the Boeing 787 tailplane will be made in China.

This exceeds the order Dubya collected for 70 of the 737 – 300/400 Boeing passenger jets whilst in Beijing on November 20th.

Routes to China will represent 5 of the 10 top fastest growing traffic flows and the domestic Chinese market will grow 8.7% compared to 3.2% for the US and 5.2 % for Europe. Over the next ten years, the total market demand in China for aircraft over 100 seats is expected to reach 830 units for a total valueof US$ 76 Bn.

This is the largest single order Airbus has collected since entering the Chinese market two decades ago. Quantas are expected to make a decision in the next week for some US$10 Bn of Airbus wide body jets.Eurocopter has also sold the NH90 against competition of the Sikorsky BlackHawk in 2004 to Australia and New Zealand made the same choice months later.. This was the second export of this helicopter out of Europe; New Zealand also decided in favour of the NH90 a few months later.

EADS, (Who employ 110,000) shares stood at 32.65 Euros at close of business today, up 2.6%. EADS very much relies on exports: 63 % of its 2004 revenues were generated outside its home countries (France, Germany and Spain). This
compares to 60 % for BAe, 39 % for THALES and 28 % for Boeing

China is still in the process of deciding whether to buy French, American or Russian technology to build at least four nuclear reactors.Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric Co., France's Areva and Russia's Atomstroiexport are competing for what is said to be an $8 billion contract. France holds a great deal of influence having been involved through Electricite de France for nearly 20 years in China.

Wen has also signed a 150 Mn Euro contract for a high-speed Shitai railway link

These deals are related to the improvement in political ties as Paris campaigns for the European Union to drop their embargo on arms sales to China imposed after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre to crush pro-democracy protests. Prime Minister Villepin has described the ban as an anachronism.

EADS Co-Chief Executive Noel Forgeard denies that there is any link between the aerospace deals and France's position on the arms embargo. He further claims that no military technology would leak to China as a result of the new co-development deal with Eurocopter.

Wen is reported in Le Figaro today saying , “"Sino-French relations are better than ever. Mutual political trust keeps on growing," he said. "Our economic and commercial contacts are expanding ... Cooperation will be benefit both partners."

Colts take the Titans 35-3, to lead NFL 12-0

Payton Mannings throws three touchdown passes in awesome victory that takes them through into the play - offs - Superbowl beckons.

Patron Saint of this Blog, The Venerable Jack Straw, who squired the Whore on Terror and took in his first game of American Football with her in Alabama will be relishing this result... no doubt also looking forward to seeing the lady who says her dress size is a State Secret (Size 6 perfect fit my spy on the catwalk tells us)- seen holding hands with a curiously youthful looking Robert Redford this weekend.

Prisoners Diplomatic status to be questioned - is the MSM up to it ?

Dubyas Washroom Assistant is in Europe this week. Now that the world knows the prisoners seized without uniforms and travel papers, the "rendered" , the kidnapped were ferried about with diplomatic status.

Let's see who in the MSM steps up to the plate and asks the lady who launched an oil tanker in her name if this is true.

She can say No.

She can say Yes.

..or she can equivocate, repeating the cocky mantra they have been using all week, about breaking no laws, US, international etc.,

Those little old black books, or the cream and green printed credit card sized plastic chip bearing photo ID cards will no doubt get a closer look wherever they appear.

Guradian today report says "UK 'breaking law' over CIA secret flights " and quotes All party group of worried MP's Andrew Tyrie, the Tory MP and chairman of the parliamentary group....

"By apparently assisting the US in the practice of extraordinary rendition, the UK and the west are losing the moral high ground so valuable to foreign policy since the end of the cold war."

But not illegal as the US lawyers claim if those guys had diplomatic immunity / status. Curiously the Guradian had the information about their status.

The Daily Telegraph - with no doubt good FO contacts carefully reports..

Mr Hadley foreshadowed Miss Rice's riposte, saying: "We respect the sovereignty of those countries with whom we co-operate."

This is seen as diplomatic code for saying that anything the CIA gets up to in Europe is done with the permission of the host country.

Could be an exciting day, Saddam appears in court to delay things forever and the bearded jersey is set to get into web/mobile publishing with NTL.

Monday 2200 GMT nobody has asked the US State Dept or Condi about diplomatic passports - Hmmmmmm.

WaPo follows the Postman's lead

You could find here on November 28th "Oil price to drop to US$41 - Attitude shifts on Iraq pullout" and then on the following day , Tuesday, November 29 "Undiplomatic Gossip "

Just as the decision had been made to invade, the decision to begin the withdrawal has been made – they just have to sell it.

Now today in The Washington Post, they have agree with the Postman. Jon Rauch in "All Over but the Pullback, Nixon Did It in Vietnam. Bush Will Do It in Iraq"

Rauch looks at the poll numbers from Pew and Rasmussen and forms the same conclusion.

"Finally, a sizable majority is worried about the decline in America's image overseas, and it blames the Iraq war for much of the decline. Two-thirds of the respondents told Pew that America is less respected now than in the past, and 43 percent of the public (not just of the two-thirds) calls this a "major problem." And what caused America's decline in the world's eyes? A heavy majority, including almost two-thirds of Republicans, points to Iraq.

What emerges here is not fleeting disenchantment, but a coherent and hard-nosed critique of Bush's strategy. The administration's fundamental problem is not that the public is discouraged by U.S. casualties, or that news from Iraq has been bad, or that the president needs to give better speeches. The problem is that many Americans see no stakes in Iraq sufficient to justify the military effort and diplomatic cost.

If Pew's findings are accurate, then presidential rhetoric and developments in Iraq have mostly ceased to matter. The public will not support a military operation that it has come to regard as social work on behalf of Iraqis, rather than security work on behalf of Americans.

It's all there, the lower oil prices, .... read it. The "war" is over ... well for now. (Just keep an eye on Bantz Craddock @ SOUTHCOM)

Recent blogs on same topic here

SECRET of the secret prisoners on the secret overflights by CIA

It is now clear that the "detainees" , "rendered prisoners" were provided with US Diplomatic Passports starting series No 600 - , so notionally they were agents of the US State - i.e to legal eagles like Albert Gonzalez and Libby's successor, Addington. These un-uniformed people often had no documentation - so the CIA simply provided them with some along the lines of the Nansen certificates of the Displaced peoples (DP's) in Europe durting and after WWII.

(to the Curious see - Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and Optional Protocols Vienna, 18 April 1961 )

State Department Briefing Dec 1st ....

MR. MCCORMACK: Again, Glenn, all U.S. actions comply with U.S. laws. They comply with the United States Constitution and they comply with our international obligations. I'm not a lawyer. I can't tell you exactly what European laws are and how they mesh up with U.S. laws. I can only tell you that U.S. actions comply with U.S. laws. We don't ask our U.S. Government officials to do things that are illegal. They comply with the Constitution and they are consistent with our international obligations.

It is this wonderful legal charade that has enabled the US State Department to say with straight face and a lightly beating heart, that nobody's "rights" were affected.

Thus everybody on a flight over, in , out of any territory was on a diplomatic laissez passer.

Eazy peazy lemon - squeezy. (c) PostmanPatel 2005

Recent blogs on same topic here

Hummingbird - no crash version launched by Boeing

I wrote about crash testing the Boeing A160 Hummingbird UAV previously. Now Gary Gallagher , program manager,(who took over from Steve Glusman) tells me that on Wednesday they tested the new version with a six cylinder Subaru petrol engine (upgraded from the old 4 cylinder engine on previous models that crashed) at Victorville CA.

The new A160 successfully flew for "about" 30 minutes in the vicinity of the air field, bringing the total number of A160 test flights to 32 and the total number of flight hours to 58 – and this one didn’t crash.

The Hummingbird says Gary features a unique optimum speed rotor technology that significantly improves overall performance efficiency by adjusting the RPM of the rotor system at different altitudes, gross weights and cruise speeds. It is designed to fly autonomously, for long periods of time (24 hours +), over greater distances (2,500+ nautical miles), at higher altitudes (up to 30,000 feet), and much more quietly than current helicopters. Meanwhile they just dawdle around Victorville.Cool.

Gary is excited about the re-engined A160 and says it “could” provide reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, communication relay and precision re-supply. Its unique characteristics (i.e it doesn’t crash …yet), would allow it to effectively address current and emerging requirements of the U.S. armed forces, Department of Homeland Security, and international military and security organizations.

Boeing Phantom Works are developing the A160 Hummingbird under contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Phantom Works currently is under contract for eight A160 UAVs for DARPA and ten for Naval Air Systems Command.

So lots of taxpayers dollars there for an aircraft that hasn’t crashed … yet.

Recent blogs on same topic here

Scroogle ..... ?

If you go to www.scroogle.org

you will find this ....

Matt Cutts, a software engineer at Google since January 2000, used to work for the National Security Agency.

Keyhole, the satellite imaging company that Google acquired in October 2004, was funded by the CIA.

"We are moving to a Google that knows more about you." — Google CEO Eric Schmidt, February 9, 2005
Since 2000, Google has recorded your search terms, the date-time of each search, the globally-unique ID in your cookie (it expires in 2038), and your IP address. This information is available to governments on request. If your favorite site features a Google search box, ask them to install their own local site search. They could also use our site search for webmasters, which shows the same results without the tracking.

Wikipedia says .....

Scroogle is a screen-scraping proxy for the Google search engine that circumvents Google's tracking of user activity via cookies. The site also allows users to perform Google searches without receiving Google advertisements. A Yahoo scraper is included. There is support for 28 languages, and Mozilla offers a Scroogle plugin for the Firefox search bar. Scroogle is operated by Google critic Daniel Brandt, who is known for his Google Watch web site.

The cartoons and comments found in scroogle pages suggest that Brandt believes that aspects of Google's operations might have more sinister elements than the average user expects. As of October 2005, Scroogle was handling 15,000 searches per day. The source code for the scraper, written in 'C' for compilation on a Linux box, is available on the site.

3/12 Not much blog comment but this is interesting here from Rivertribe.

You might also want to take a look here at www.gmail is too creepy.com

Disembowelling America Pt 93

General Motors (still) the world's largest automaker, saw 11% decline in November U.S. sales while Ford Motor Co said sales fell 18 percent. Both saw catastrophic declines in SUV sales. DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group said U.S. November sales fell 7 percent, ending 19 consecutive months of year-over-year gains.

Meanwhile Asian constructors hit a record 40% of the US market in October, and Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. claimed sales gains for November of 5.6 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. said its U.S. sales slipped 7.8 percent, its second consecutive monthly decline.

GM's U.S. market share slipped 1.2% to 23.8 percent, (2 years ago =30%) while Ford's slipped 2.5 points to 17.2 percent.

Toyota, jumped 1.7 points in market share to 14.6 %. Honda gained 1.1 points to 9.1%.

Production levels are closely-watched because U.S automakers book profits on vehicles when they are shipped from assembly plants, not on sales through the dealer.

GM has recently published plans to produce 1.28 million vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2005 and 1.25 million vehicles in the first quarter of 2006, up from 1.18 million units a year earlier.

Last week GM said it would cut 30,000 jobs and close a dozen plants in the United States and Canada. GM will sharply scale back production at its Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, resulting in some 1,500 job losses. Over 2,500 jobs will be eliminated in Oklahoma City, and 3,000 workers will lose their jobs in Doraville, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta.

Ford announced today (WSJ) it is “likely” to close five plants that employ about 7,500 workers, or about 6 percent of the company's North American workforce. The plants rumoured to shutter are in St. Louis, Atlanta and St. Paul, Minn., as well as an engine-parts plant in Windsor, Ontario, and a truck-assembly plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico.

Since 2000, more than 100,000 hourly and salaried automotive jobs have been eliminated in the US.

The downsizing of the US auto industry is producing socially catastrophic consequences , for example in in Michigan. The Detroit Free Press on Tuesday quoting Us census data said ,“Michigan’s median household income has fallen by $9,914—19 percent—between 1999 and 2004, more than any other state.”

Truck sales at Ford fell nearly 18 percent, with some of its largest SUVs such as the Expedition falling nearly 44 percent in November. Sales of Ford's popular Explorer model plunged 52 percent.

Ford cut its fourth-quarter production target by 20,000 units to 790,000 vehicles. For the first quarter of 2006, Ford plans to build 885,000 vehicles, down from the 908,000 units it produced a year earlier.

GM launched a "Red Tag" sale, in November in which anyone in the United States could buy a vehicle for the price paid by its auto parts suppliers' employees. Combined with existing rebates, the program offered a discount of more than $10,000 on some of GM's largest SUVs, a greater savings than the automaker's summer sales incentives.

Chrysler offered customers two years of free gasoline, worth close to $2,400 each. Ford offered a more complicated program offering reduced prices and rebates.

At close of business GM traded at $22.31 and Ford at $8.10.

Truck sales at Ford fell nearly 18 percent, with some of its largest SUVs such as the Expedition falling nearly 44 percent in November. Sales of Ford's popular Explorer model plunged 52 percent.

Overall vehicle sales are forecast by the industry (at a seasonally adjusted annual rate) to be about 15.7 million in November. Last year, the U.S. vehicle sales rate in November was 16.6 million.

Mehlis off the Hariri case

The Financial Times reports the comments by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis in the Lebanes papers saying that the appearance of a Syrian intelligence agent on state television, recanting his testimony to the UN team, had not undermined his probe.

This followed the appearance of so called “star witness” on TV on Sunday, of Hosam Taher Hosam (pic) who alleged he had been offered money (US1.3mn) by Hariri's son to frame high-ranking Syrian officials in the February murder.

A spokesman for the Hariri family denied Hussam's statements.

"This claim is fabricated. It is a lie and it is baseless," spokesman Hani Hammoud told Hariri-owned Future Television in Beirut.

Doubts arise that investigation (already extended to December 15^th ) will be completed. Ibrahim Gambari, UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, is reported as saying on Wednesday he expected the investigation to continue past December 15, but that the German prosecutor might have other commitments.

One thing is certain. He will never reveal the truth about what happened. Even Mr Fisk who scampered along the Corniche in the reeking smoke to find the battered body of Hariri and police fixing the evidence in the bomb crater , as he claims in his recent book, (The Great War For Civilization;The Conquest of the Middle East) hasn’t yet come up with any answers.

Recent blogs on same topic here

Friday 2/12 Beirut Daily Star reports, Lebanese Justice Minister Charles Rizk said after meeting Mehlis on Thursday that the investigator had told him he would not continue with the investigation if its mandate was to be extended.

Rizk noted that investigations into the February bombing could "last months even years"

German representatives said it was down to Mehlis but diplomatic gossip says he's on his way out. Syrian witnesses are due to be interviewed in Vienna next week - don't hold your breath.

Saturday 3/12 am see al jazeera comments.

Kuwait News Agency reports John Bolton asking that Mehlis departure not slow the reporting down ... apparently Reuters repoorts he said that the best replacement for Mehlis would be a clone ... you bet.

Bolton (the man who visited Judy Miller in prison) must be going truly apeshit now Bashar has effectivley neutralised the enquiry. Chirac will no doubt have an amysed smile playing baout his lips at the discomfiture of the US and telling Total to get on with the plans for that Syrian refinery.

Interest rates rise in Euroland

Last month, Jean Claude Trichet , European Central Bank President, warned the FOREX markets that the ECB would raise interest rates after a long hiatus of five years to preempt incipient inflationary pressures. His comment strengthened the euro, but very briefly.

The ECB announced a 0.25% increase to its benchmark rate to 2.25 percent today.

Recent blogs on same topic here

Oil price West Texas

Channel 4 airs "TRophy Video" , AEGIS investigates

Channel 4 new aired the video of alleged shooting traffic from a civil convoy on the Airport (Irish) route from Baghdad to the Airport.

Menzies from the Lib Dems (where the hell is Kennedy – in a home ?) said it was dreadful if true. Aegis are quoted to have set up an internal enquiry with the US forces.

Then they dragged on some muppet from the Royal United Services Institute (founded by the Duke of Wellington) , who said , well war is a nasty business and it’s very difficult these things happen , and it’s very difficult to bring anyone to justice.

Well of course it was the RUSI who organised on 8th November 2005 a one day conference in Whitehall , “Expeditionary Operations in the Modern Era, Planning for the Conflicts of Today and Tomorrow” with the following speakers. PDF alert ! HERE

These are the speakers,

Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fry KCB CBE
Royal Marines, DCDS(C)

Maj Gen (Retd) John Holmes OBE DSO MC,
Director Erinys International

Brigadier Andrew Kennett CBE,
former commander 1UK Mech Brigade,
OP TELIC 4

Brigadier Andrew Salmon OBE Royal Marines,
former unit commander, Sierra Leone,
OP PALLISER

Andrew Bearpark,
Olive Security, Former Director of Reconstruction
and Infrastructure for the CPA, Baghdad

Andrew Michels,
DynCorp International

Simon Brooks,
International Committee of the Red Cross

Colonel (Retd) Tim Collins OBE
Dr John Mackinlay,
Centre for Defence Studies, KCL


Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley TD,
former senior police advisor Iraq

Lt Col Tim Spicer OBE,
Chief Executive, AEGIS

Colonel Robert Barnes,
Commander OPTAG

Lt Col Richard Spencer OBE Royal Marines,
former Chief of Staff CMATT

Alan Robinson,
Directorate of Operational Capability, MoD

Erinys International Ltd., is based in the pleasant farmhouse home of John Holmes and despite being awarded a major contract for security staff in Iraq doesn’t seem to have been able to publish any accounts since their formation in 2002. Col. Tim Collins chaired the session at which Tim Spicer spoke – then lo and behold turned up again on Channel 4 news talking about something else.

Curious camaraderie is evident, DynCorp moaned when Aegis got their monster Iraq contract , despite their deep experience in running sex slaves in Bosnia, and there is Andrew Michels happily fraternising with TimSpicer.

It must be very difficult at times to determine where private enterprise ends and the UK Military begins.

Disembowelling America

US September Trade figures are available.

Total deficit 11 % up from Aug. $59BN to $66Bn – highest ever.
Feb 2005 was highest previous = $60 Bn

Non oil deficit rose 14% = $47.5 Bn. Oil deficit rose 7% = $22 Bn. Both the second highest ever.

Advanced tech products deficit rose 70% to $5.57 billion - Exports dropped 8% in September to $17.07 billion and imports increased 4% to $22.64Bn – the 2nd highest on record.

Year-to-date, the $442.25 billion manufacturing deficit is running nearly 10.9% ahead of the comparable 2004 total.

What does this tell you ?

The US is running outsourcing with the foot flat down, … meanwhile Ford / GM haemorrhage money … their bonds are untouchable junk.

But, hey ! We’re winning the war against a bunch of sand niggers with home made bombs.

…Remember Dubya has to go to Congress to ask them to print some more Treasury IOU’s, real soon now, or he runs out of money in his piggy bank.

General Pace pulls no punches

 


Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace, the principal military advisor to the president and the secretary of defense spoke about the use of white phosphorous today. Pace is the 1st Marine officer to hold the post, it was of course the Marines who took and re-took Fallujah. Pace succeeded USAF General Richard Myers who was the guy who spent the morning of September 11th 2001 shooting the breeze with Congressman McClelland whilst New York burned the Pentagon blazed across the Potomac River , apparently out of sight of TV, telephones, pagers, staff etc.,

Pace described it as a "legitimate tool of the military", used to illuminate targets and create smokescreens. "It is not a chemical weapon. It is an incendiary. And it is well within the law of war to use those weapons as they're being used, for marking and for screening," he said.

"A bullet goes through skin even faster than white phosphorus does," Gen Pace said.
"So I would rather have the proper instrument applied at the proper time, as precisely as possible, to get the job done, in a way that kills as many of the bad guys as possible and does as little collateral damage as possible.
"That is just the nature of warfare."

At a press conference on 26th November given by Donald Rumsfeld Pave publicly disagreed with his boss. UPI's Pam Hess asked about torture by Iraqi authorities, and Rumsfeld replied that "obviously, the United States does not have a responsibility" other than to voice disapproval. Pace interjected and said, "It is the absolute responsibility of every U.S. service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it."

Rumsfeld disagreed : "I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it; it's to report it."

Pace stated calmly , but firmly, "If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it." 

President Bush in deep shit

President Bush, has made a speech at Annapolis and launched a 32 page "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq". He has three more such speechifyings before Christmas .. the Mid West can hardly wait.

This is evidently a Power Point presentation that every lame dick, PR bullshit Beltway booster has had a hand in. Windy rhetoric and piffle. Presumably the comic book version is being worked on as we speak.

What it does say is ... shit 37% popularity rating for Dubya, 68% opposed to the Administration policy on Iraq ... this might be an Exit Strategy.... for Bush. I can see a few Glocks being worked over.

VICTORY IN IRAQ IS A VITAL U.S. INTEREST

* The war on terrorism is the defining challenge of our generation, just as the struggle against communism and fascism were challenges of the generations before. As with those earlier struggles, the United States is fully committed to meeting this challenge. We will do everything it takes to win.

* Prevailing in Iraq will help us win the war on terror. ...etc....

Recent blogs on same topic here

Posted by Roddy McCorley over at Kos....

Remember the Monty Python sketch "How to Do It"? It featured three perky hosts offering the vaguest possible advice. Their explanation of how to play the flute was "You blow in this end and run your fingers along these keys." And this was how to rid the world of disease: "First discover a marvelous cure for something, so that you can tell people how to get rid of disease and they'll jolly well have to pay attention."

That's what Bush's plan reminds me of. Only without that level of detail...

"...the big trouble with dumb bastards is that they are too dumb to believe there is such a thing as being smart." -- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Seymour Hersh New Yorker "Up in the Air" - Bush in Deep shit

If this is Victory - give me defeat.

Multiculturalist Patel

Indian Bhikhu Patel (no relation) a Hindu, and this years Mayor of Preston (Lancs Uk) has introduced Hindu prayers instead of the traditional Christian blessing at the start of each council meeting . Now he has changed the traditional mayoral Christmas Carol Concert held in the council chamber, to an, evening of Asian and Afro-Caribbean music this year.

Choleric Councillor Ken Hudson, Leader of the opposition Conservative party in the city council, said it was "bloody ridiculous".

Mayor Patel claims a choir could not be found "I want a multicultural peace and harmony event. It will be a culturally cohesive, more inclusive event. I do not think carol singing is suitable for my mayoral year.”

Afro-Caribbean singer Katie McClelland and Asian musicians will perform at the event on Jan 7th 2006.

It is reported that the Mayor has previously been criticised for requesting that the taxpayer fund a trip for an 11-strong delegation, including members of his own family, to his home village - Navsari in Gujarat.

STOP PRESS

The Lancashire Evening Post today reveal that details of plans for a Town Hall event on December 15 after councillors gather for the final meeting of the year.
Instead of the usual evening event, an hour will be set aside for carols and prayers at 12.30pm. All 57 councillors will be asked to attend, along with any members of staff. Around 15 pupils from St Stephen's CE Primary school on South Meadow Lane will lead the carols, accompanied by councillors.

Father Chris Dyckhoff from St Wilfrid's Catholic Church on Winckley Square will talk about Christmas and say some prayers.

Councillor Hudson ready with the sound bite said this was a “knee jerk” reaction. Mayor Patel expressed surprise at the reaction of Councillors to his previous plans for a multicultural event.

Meanwhile they also report the security of 1,500 jobs at the Springfield . Preston / nuclear processing plant and Heysham power station as a result of Tony Blairs Damascene conversion to nuclear power.

More problems with wind

Hugh Sharman is an Englishman living in Denmark and is a Principal in Inteco, a Danish energy brokering and consulting outfit.

Here is a lucid and sensible document he has written, which anyone who wishes to consider the arguments about the use of wind powered electricity generation should read. (PDF Alert).

Now this month he has published an item for Proceedings of the Institute of Civil Engineering, vol 158, p. 161 (not online but available at cost of US$33 – Abstract at end of this post). In this he provides a technical analysis of the problems of power distribution where generation is in the North and West but consumption in the South and East of the UK.

Generators are paid, as it were, ex-works, passing up the opportunity to lose the 10%-20% lost in transmission. Of the proposed 11 Gigawatts to be built , some 7 Gigawatts will be generated in Scotland connected by the current single aerial 2 GW connector.

Sharman points out both the unwillingness to address the costs of bridging the gap, by politicians which will inevitably be from the public purse. Meanwhile major projects like the Isle of Lewis remain unbuilt until this problem is resolved.

Sharman , based on his deep knowledge and experience reckons 10 Gigawatts is possible.

It is therefore unsurprising that United Utilities bowed out of their interests in North West wind farms. Some time ago. Readers are also directed to the problems Vestas Wind Systems are having in producing reliable equipment posted about last week. It is evident that efficiencies (utilization) are going to be lower than expected and maintenance costs higher. Already installed costs have gone from an initial £1.15 MN per MWatt to £1.75 Mn - and the installers are losing money - and the National Lottery is also picking up 20% of the cost! Good causes indeed.

Why UK wind power should not exceed 10 GW Abstract

Britain's wind power reached 1 GW in June this year, making it the eighth largest national installation in the world. Over the next 5 years a further 6 GW is likely to be built at a cost of £7 billion in the rush to meet the Government's target of 10% renewable energy by 2010. The plan is for wind energy to deliver three-quarters of the target but that, as this paper explains, would actually require 12 GW, meaning the target will not be met. Furthermore, experience in Denmark and Germany shows that the UK will find it impractical to manage much over 10 GW of unpredictable wind power without major new storage schemes or inter-connectors. The paper concludes that while wind power should be exploited as fully as possible, it must not be at the expense of renewing existing firm generating capacity.

Also see (not online) "UK wind power takes a battering" by Rowan Hooper, New Scientist 12th November Issue 2525

Why the Lib-Dems will never form a Government

News Report from the LibDems

Blair must rule out nuclear option - Baker

Commenting ahead of the expected announcement of the energy review by the Prime Minister at the CBI conference on Tuesday morning, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Norman Baker MP said:

"The suspicion must be that Tony Blair has already decided to advocate an increase in the use of nuclear power. This review will serve little purpose if the Prime Minister has already made up his mind.

"What is needed is to rule out an extension of nuclear power now. This will provide the certainty that the industry so desperately needs, and will allow us to focus on cleaner renewable energy."

Related link(s):About Mr Norman Baker

Article © 2005 The Liberal Democrats

Why they want to Copyright this sort of tosh is beyond understanding - quite evidently they haven't a fucking clue , or indeed anyone who can undertake some simple arithmetic.

Undiplomatic Gossip

Richard Haass ,told the tale in the New Yorker, of meeting Condoleezza Rice July 2002 – 8 months prior to the Iraq war / invasion starting. Haass, who was then director of policy planning in the State Department, said Rice told him not to bother discussing the wisdom of confronting Iraq because, as she said, "that decision's been made. Don't waste your breath.''

Those with a good memory will remember Condoleezza Rice announced publicly in September 2002 that aluminum tubes (CNN) that Iraq was trying to acquire ``are only really suited for nuclear weapons programs,'' when she knew there were deep divisions in the intelligence community over whether that was true. ( We now know Energy Department experts, who said the tubes were for small conventional military rockets, were right.) … we won’t even mention the Winnebagos of Death.

Interestingly the CNN story mentioned above, (Headlined “Top Bush officials push case against Saddam") has a pic of Dubya’s glamourous washroom maid with the caption …” National security adviser Condoleezza Rice said President Bush hasn't made a decision yet about whether to attack Iraq.”

Just as the decision had been made to invade, the decision to begin the withdrawal has been made – they just have to sell it. President Bush starts the elevator pitch , speaking to Naval Students tomorrow.

Leaving the Dear Leader here the time and energy to sort out the accumulation of shit about Pensions, energy, education, transport, drugs, murdering policemen, qat, MRSA, MDRTB, that his fuckwit Cabinet colleagues have caused.

Already some have felt the firm hand of Cabinet Government and the caravan loving, "outdoor hiking girl, wholly to my liking girl", Mrs Beckett has decided instransigent opposition to nuclear power is not a career enhancing move, and undertaken a complete and very public U turn. The dumb , loyal but witless Energy Minister. Wicks, (Tony's 6th) has been given his instructions and will do as he is told. Watching him on Channel 4 News tonight with Jon Snow, shows how ill informed educated he is and doesn't even begin to grasp the arguments...as for Monbiot the BBC's tame tree hugger, and the Guradian's Rentagob... nuff said, he has just discovered that re-newables ( stupid New Labour phrase which never meant anything , you cannot renew energy) will not take the strain. Many years behind everyone else. He recently discovered partly thermo baric munitions which exposes his ignorance on another front.

Expect more .....
Bush instructs US Iraqi Ambassador Kalilzhad to talk to Iranians

PPS Wed 30th Nov BBC News 9.00 am report that President Bush will be announcing "they're comin' home" today - so it must be true.

No doubt the US / World public will have endless pics of (live) US soldiers returning for Christmas now the Iraqis can organise their own civil strife, torture, murder, and corruption.

President Tony grasps the nuclear nettle

Tony Blair addressing CBI Conference 29^th November 2005-11-22

"I can today announce that we have established a review of the UK's progress against the medium and long-term Energy White Paper goals. The Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks will be in the lead, with the aim of publishing a policy statement on energy in the early summer of 2006. It will include specifically the issue of whether we facilitate the development of a new generation of nuclear power stations."

The first time Tony publicly discussed the issue of nuclear power was on January 30^th 2005 ( almost exactly 10 months and an election away) see MediaLens here and Manchester Evening News here – from someone adept at providing Tony Blair with clear, precise, accurate information on Government Policy.

In a subsequent private discussion, Blair made it quite clear not only that UK based nuclear power was the only option available, his only concern in supporting the policy was the presentational aspect – he typically, and incorrectly assumed the questioner was in some way representing the interests of the nuclear power industry.

The UK Government is now set to endorse the installation of new nuclear power stations by mid 2006 – with the use of public fnds if necessary – after all lottery money has been awarded to wind farms, biofuel plant and the Duke of Buccleughs imortation of Austrian wood chip burning boilers – why not nuclear power plants ?

Wicks and Johnson sent in to bat for the Government on the BBC Today prgram clearly haven't got a fucking clue about the issues involved - Prezz T will just ride ( as ever) roughshod over the lot).

Once the impact of the real, raw figures and their geo-political impact and economic consequences hit the PLP there will be a Transformation scene which will make this years panto look slow.

Perhaps those shares in British Energy, in December 2003 when they stood @ 5p weren't such a bad investment after all.

I now discover Rupe's Rag the "Times" used the phrase nuclear nettle for their leader this am. Cheap alliteration on their part, clear simple, readily understood metaphor on my part.

Sir Ian Blair to confess to murder rap to CBI

Sir Ian Blair will address the Confederation of British Industry today about the problem of White Collar Crime according to the London Financial Times.

Have you noticed the colour of his collar ?

Perhaps the lying bastard is going to come clean about how the Met gang organised the Stockwell murder and then spent 4 days stalling the IPCC and clearing up the crime scene and getting the hymn sheets prepared ?

Will he be raising the US claims to extradite John Irving who was involved (allegedly) in siphoning off Saddam's oil under the UN / OFF scheme who has links to some very interesting people in the City and UK Military ? BBC story here. There are one or two anxious souls in the City waiting the outcome of that case, no doubt making sure their passports are in order and easily picked up.

Disembowelling US industry Part 73

Mike Bair, Boeing VP and general manager of the 787 program was telling me in Dubai about the selection of Panasonic as the second supplier for their X Series wireless in Flight Entertainment (IFE) for the 787. (Which will be superb and allows easy, quick cabin re-c0nfiguration).

This is of course as I reminded him, not a Boeing product but assembled in Californian from Chinese tails, Japanese fuselage wing stubs, UK de-icing, and undercarriage, Japanese toilet cabins, all carried in specially modified 747’s from Spain.

Meanwhile their program to diss the A380 continues, he tells me, trying to raise the wind about horizontal separation and take off slots - remember the bollocks about the tail fin falling off the Airbus over Rockway ? Shit, why can't they ban US overflights the way they did with Concord(e), that would really fuck the uppity "old Euro" crew.

I suggested the 787 should be designated the 787/UN because it had bits from so many nations. He took another pull on his sweetened lime soda in the cool evening quiet of the Bastakia courtyard and smiled wryly. He said something I didn't quote catch.

If IFE and a comparison of the Thales (French) wireless system with Panasonic X excites you read more here.

Oil price to drop to US$41

Attitude shifts on Iraq pullout

White House seems willing to conceive of future drawdown

By Paul Richter and Tyler Marshall: Los Angeles Times
Published November 27, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Even as debate over the Iraq war rages, signs are emerging of a convergence of opinion on how the Bush administration might begin to get out of the conflict.

In a departure from past statements, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last week that the training of Iraqi troops has advanced so far that the current number of U.S. forces probably will not be needed for much longer.

President Bush will give a major speech Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy in which aides say he is expected to proclaim the improved readiness of Iraqi troops, which he has identified as the key condition for withdrawing U.S. troops. ...More

Historians amongst you might like to look at this

Financial scribblers might just note that 18 months ago the WT oil futures Dec 2005 was US$38.75.

Qat - the Doors of Perception are opening

I first researched qat in the UK in 2001 and blogged about it July 30th after the 28/7 “bombings” undertaken by Somalis (allegedly), and then again on November 22nd when it was evident that PC Plod and the daily Telegraph was beginning to make a connection. (pic qat smugglers on train from Addis to Djibouti)

Tonight Channel 4 More had an item fronted by Ethiopian, Ismail Latif in which some Somalis have been asking for a ban on use of qat in the UK (it is illegal in US and most of Europe). Of great interest was the nightly arrival at Heathrow Terminal 4 from (it was said Ethiopia – but I suspect Kenya) of large quantities – 7 tons a week was stated – the same when I first wrote about it in 2001.

Due to the rapid degeneration of the active psycho – stimulants the goods are snapped up by car drivers from as far afield as Manchester and Birmingham.

It was stated that each bunch of twigs would retail @ £3 (say US$4.50). This seems from personal reference to be the London street price, but more the further from London you get.

The Home Office refused to appear but stated that they were “examining the use of qat” and would be making a decision by the end of the year.

It will be no surprise if a connection between this trade and the 28/7 spurious “bombings” in London becomes more apparent as the defendents arrive in court…. There is also a hazy connection through Luton and local low level criminal gangs and one of the 7/7 bombers, which the above links will take you to.

Recent blogs on same topic here


Yemeni qat session (note bulging cheeks and water bottles) taken from http://denisdouveneau.blogspot.com/ for which thanks.

Stockwell murder - Chief suspect to be further questioned by IPCC

Mike Grant, a senior investigator at the Independent Police Complaints Commission, (IPCC) will undertake an enquiry (Press release) into the conduct of Sir Ian Blair (pix with Jonathan Aitken's "Sword of Justice") after shooting in July of an Jean de Menezes. This is related to the family’s complaints that ``false public statements'' were made by police officials about the killing.

The investigation is separate from another into the circumstances surrounding the murder of the 27 year-old Brazilian electrician at Stockwell tube station in July.
``Neither we nor Jean Charles' family want this complaint to distract us from the main task of finding out how and why Jean Charles died,'' IPCC Chair Nick Hardwick said in the statement. ``We still expect our investigation into the shooting to be completed by the end of December.''

Not wishing in any way to pre-empt the results of the enquiry, Sir Ian Blair told straightforward lies in public about the events, and furthermore obstructed and delayed the activities and investigations of the IPCC by writing to the Home Office (letter c/o BBC pdf alert Met website copy)requesting a formal delay in initiating the IPCC mandatory enquiry, required when a Police officer had shot someone dead in public, after having refused their staff access to the murder site.

Imran Patel got 4 months for fucking the News of the World about, pretending to be the 5th, "7/7 bomber", one wonders what lying about officially sanctioned murder, and obstructing the course of justice, will get Sir Ian, the mastermind from Christ Church.

On the pm BBC Radio news programme at 17.20 the Met are reported to be helping the IPCC in every way, although nothing has appeared on their website.

Recent blogs on same topic here

See Dear Kitty Blog
Excellent Scotsman article today (Tuesday 29th)
Interesting brief autobiog from John Wadham Director IPCC here on Liberty website.
Also World Press biog on John Wadham.

How to shoot Iraqi citizens - reaching Hearts and Minds

The Sunday Telegraph reports the online availability of a "trophy" video said to be shot by AEGIS security staff from the rear vehicle in a convoy, on the Road (Irish) to Baghdad Airport. This shows vehicles being shot at (lit up) to slow or stop and not overtake. Crashes, result with unknown consequences to drivers and passengers. No date of incidents / filming is known.

Bareknuckle politics blog has a copy which is available as a .wmv file with a tuneful Elvis Presley backing track and perhaps Irish or Scottish voices to be heard, as well as bursts of automatic fire.

It was originally shown on a site (AEGIS IRAQ PSD TEAMS) said to be run by ex (or even present AEGIS) staff. A Company run by Col. Tim Spicer(pic) who is on contract to supply security services to the US Government in a contract worth £220Mn.(US$293Mn)

The cost plus contract ensures this officer and a gent of a profit -

Ted Kennedy and 5 democratic Senators asked the Pentagon to re-consider the contract in the light of Spicer’s background. In August, they asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to review the Spicer deal. In October, the Army admitted that its contracting officer was unaware of trouble spots in Spicer's past, but it refused to reconsider the contract.

"It is significant that the British Ministry of Defense was apprised of our intention...and did not object or advise against the action. Moreover, neither Aegis nor Mr. Spicer are on the...list of parties excluded from Federal contracting," wrote Sandra Sieber, director of the Army Contracting Agency. "We therefore had no legal basis to deny the award to Aegis, which won the competition fairly based on the rules and criteria established by our solicitation."

One of Spicer's most vocal critics is the Rev. Sean McManus of the Irish National Caucus, a Washington-based lobbying group. His group has a special section on its website devoted to the contract and Spicer's previous misdeeds, at www.irishnationalcaucus.org. "Mark my words, this contract is going to come back and bite them," McManus said. "He's a dangerous fellow. And as his record in Ireland shows.... I mean, these guys don't change their spots."

It was not likely that the US Army would reconsider the contract.


The video has been removed from the original site. To give a flavour of this very interesting site these comments may be of interest to those of us not used to running the tail gate, gunshop on a PSD convoy team.

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Hi all Can someone explain to me what is all this bol'''cks with GUNSHIPS??? Since when did we turn into septic's and just cabby away at vehicles because they come TOO CLOSE?. who thought of the name GUNSHIP Mr A Murphy? I always thought that pulling the trigger was a last resort and not a jolly at people who cant shoot back.
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Hi all Can someone explain to me what is all this bol'''cks with GUNSHIPS??? I think you mean GUN TRUCK, and if you think its a bad idea to have a belt fed and firing ports in the rear wagon i'd advise you to go out on the ground up north for a bit. and just cabby away at vehicles because they come TOO CLOSE?. Its to stop nutcases driving in and detonating up the backside of your convoy! Check the stats, back in late 2004 there was reckoned to be at least 1 suicide bomber on the BIAP every couple of days! Would i fire warning shots to keep traffic back, fucking right i would. why we no longer use intel and common sense and decent drills. please explain your "drill" that stops suicide bombers hitting your convoy? As for intel, fuck me when has Iraq ever been a "low threat" environment? Every time you roll out the wire expect the worst. Theres one drill, if it looks dodgy and its approaching at warp factor 9, hand signals - warning shots - brass the fucker into the stone age
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You're talkin shite mate,if you deploy your LN assets correctly then it allows vehicles to pass PSD's in HAV's,without you advertising the fact that you have guns poking out of them brassing every cunt that gets too close up,it's the engaging of civvies that's causing the Iraqi Interior Ministry to begin to scrutinise the actions of certain PSD companies,and once again there plenty of High Profile Teams out there without rear gunners pissing off the local population.
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guys, ref the video, are you surprised at this?? I mean you post this and other stuff on an unsecure site for everybody (media/terrorists etc) to see. Are you all fucking mad?? It's like the fusiliers getting their 'torture' photos developed at snappy snaps.....how daft can you get? All this plays into the hands of those that see us as mercenaries/ baby killers/ whatever. You wait for the fallout now. What the FUCK were you thinking putting it on here? I got sent it via other means, and believe me it's fast becoming the new 'Edinburgh Risk' video, ie everyone's seen it and it makes you all (and reflectively all of us in the AOR) look like cowboys. And it's a pretty bad clip lets face it (er, how many 'warning shots'??) I'm surprised the Guardian/Mirror and all the other media wankers haven't leapt on it (yet). Engage the brains guys cos EVERYONE can read these posts.... Incidentally, been doing PSD since summer '03 both high & low profile. No prizes for guessing which one I prefer...
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Well the shit has hit the fan. Now we get to witness the Tim Spicer tap dance routine as we did with the "Sandline Affair"....Goes to show the headshed that the guys on the ground aren't as stupid as they seem to think. Say what you wll about the shooting clips being posted on the site, nobody can say that they wouldn't do the same if they were treated as the owner of this site was a few weeks back (attempts made by the company hierachy to have him detained over a website). Well done man, fight fire with fire....paybacks a bitch ain't it London?

A spokesman for Aegis Defence Services confirmed that the company was "carrying out an internal investigation" to see if any of their employees were involved.

The Foreign Office has also confirmed that it is investigating the contents of the video in conjunction with Aegis.

Here is a useful article from the Nation about Spicer and the contract.See Anti-War piece with details of contacts to Buckingham / Heritage Oil/ Victor Bout etc.,

Recent blogs on same topic here

Interesting FOOTNOTE

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: A Life in Conflict by Tim Collins

“Military contracts are big game. And one of the most notorious hunters is a former British soldier whose past business ventures include violating a UN arms embargo in Sierra Leone and unwittingly triggering a coup in Papua New Guinea. His name is Tim Spicer, and in March his London-based company, Aegis Defense Services, bagged a $293 million contract from the Pentagon to protect US diplomats in Iraq”.

Something else Col Collins had to share with the world - a "lost" SLR from Londonderry, Bloody Sunday, 1972 identified by its serial number – found in the possession of Sierra Leone’s murderous West Side Boys.

Just note also that Aegis co-sponsored a conference in Belfast , November 6th 2005 , where Spicer had been due to speak (but ducked) in a session on civilian/military co-operation chaired by Col Tim Collins. ... who is of course the BBC "Rentagob" on military matters in Iraq.... small world.

Then ... SNAP they both spoke at a Royal United ServicesInstitute conference in London on November 8th 2005 details here (PDF alert)

Which tells us that the military guru Spicer will speak at 15:10 hrs on Linking Civilian and Military Operations:
The CMOC as a Model for the Future,
Lt Col Tim Spicer OBE, Chief Executive, AEGIS Specialist Risk Management

...evidently . absolutely the right man for the job.... keeping up civilian morale etc.,

...You couldn't fucking make it up.

The Bush / Blair chat - Lying bastards alert

The President of the United States and the Prime Minister of the UK met in Washington DC on April 16th 2004.

This was the day after US defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, at a Pentagon briefing referred to Al Jazeera’s reports that the US assault on Fallujah was terrorising citizens and said the news station was broadcasting , “vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable” reports about the all out assault on the City of Minarets. “They are simply lying”, he is reported as saying.

As a result of the meeting a 5/6 (?) page document was prepared by UK Civil Servants, ( No 10 / FO ) which is presumably a standard procedure, as a record of any meeting of Heads of State.

This document apparently “arrived on the desk” of (now ex) Northampton MP Tony Clarke. He apparently discussed this with Peter Kilfoyle Labour MP and ex Minister of defence under Blair. Peter Kilfoyle claims the document discusses the assault on Fallujah and has raised two early day motions (House of Commons devices which seek supporters prior to debate / discussion in the House) to ask for the document to be published.

Kilfoyle is quoted in the Sunday Times today ...

"My concern is that the only conspiracy surrounding this was a conspiracy to level Fallujah," said Mr Kilfoyle. "He [Mr Blair] would say 'conspiracy theory'. That's been the American line and now he's adopting it. But if it is so fantastical, why are they prosecuting these two people this week?"

David Keogh 49, a Cabinet Office official, has been charged under the Official Secrets Act with passing the memo to Leo O'Connor, Mr Tom Clarke's former researcher. Both men are due to appear at Bow Street magistrates' court in London this week.
The Attorney General acting, “quite independently” has reminded Uk newspaper editors that publication of the contents of such a memo would be an offence under section 5 of the Official Secrets Act.

Tony Blair in Malta is quoted in the Sunday Telegraph today, (having refused a request from the managing director of al-Jazeera, Wadah Khanfar, for a meeting) seeking a lawerly refuge …

"Look, there's a limit to what I can say - it's all sub judice," he said. "But honestly, I mean, conspiracy theories…"

Last Tuesday Scott Mclellan the POTUS pooper scooper said, “

"We are not going to dignify something so outlandish and inconceivable with a response.”

Scaryduck gives details of the meeting last night Monday Nov 29th at the Frontline Club with Maguire of the Mirror, Al Jazeera MD and 2 penny chew looking Martin Bell discussing the memo. Doesn't seem to be reported in the MSM although there were hacks present.