I reported this story in my previous blog article where it seems that the United States of America has decided to bombed civilian targets in their illegal invasion of Iraq. It was about a discussion between George W Bush and Tony Blair, with Bush wanting to bomb Al-Jazeera (which seemed to have happened soon after this discussion). Now if there was no truth to that article, why are the men exposing this letter being taken to court for leaking this “secret” document? Here is the story of the men being prosecuted:
British men in court over Al-Jazeera row
London - Two men appeared in court on Tuesday charged with violating the Official Secrets Act by leaking a document which reportedly detailed a private conversation between United States President George W Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The Daily Mirror newspaper, citing unidentified sources, has claimed that the document reveals that Blair argued against Bush's suggestion of bombing the headquarters of the Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera in Doha, Qatar. The Daily Mirror said its sources disagreed over whether it was a serious suggestion.
Civil servant David Keogh, 49, appeared on a charge of passing a document to Leo O'Connor, who formerly worked for a British parliamentarian.
Keogh was charged with an offense under Section 3 of the Official Secrets Act relating to "a damaging disclosure" by a civil servant of information relating to international relations, between April 16 and May 28 last year.
O'Connor, 42, was charged under Section 5, which relates to receiving and disclosing the information.
O'Connor indicated he intended to plead not guilty. Keogh did not say how he intended to plead.
Judge Timothy Workman ordered both men to appear again at London's Bow Street magistrates court on January 10.
Neil Clark, O'Connor's lawyer, said it was important that the court saw the contents of the document.
"As far as we are concerned, it needs to be disclosed because it is impossible to defend unless you know the case you are defending," Clark said outside court.
He said his client, who worked as a researcher for former Labour Party lawmaker Tony Clarke, had simply passed on the document hoping his employer would then return it to the government - which he did.
Clark said he did not know what was in the document, and could not confirm the Daily Mirror report.
Last week, legislator Adam Price asked Blair in a written parliamentary question "what information you received on action that the United States administration proposed to take against the Al-Jazeera television channel".
In his one-word reply published on Monday, Blair replied: "None."
White House spokesperson Scott McClellan has called the newspaper's claims "outlandish and inconceivable."- Sapa-AP
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw1133268120376B216
22 November 2005
Who are bombing civilian targets in Iraq?
It is not often that I copy news articles in my blog, but this one makes me wonder what others civilian targets were on the US invasion target list? I copy this recent article from www.news24.com
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1838413,00.html:
London - United States President George W Bush planned to bomb pan-Arab television broadcaster al-Jazeera, British newspaper the Daily Mirror said on Tuesday, citing a Downing Street memo marked "Top Secret".
The five-page transcript of a conversation between Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair reveals that Blair talked Bush out of launching a military strike on the station, unnamed sources told the anti-war-in-Iraq daily.
The transcript of the pair's talks during Blair's April 16, 2004 visit to Washington allegedly shows Bush wanted to attack the satellite channel's headquarters.
Blair allegedly feared such a strike, in the business district of Doha, the capital of Qatar, a key western ally in the Persian Gulf, would spark revenge attacks.
The Mirror quoted an unnamed British government official as saying Bush's threat was "humorous, not serious".
Al-Jazeera's perspectives on the war in Iraq have drawn criticism from Washington since the US-led March 2003 invasion.
The station has broadcast messages from al-Qaeda terror network chief Osama bin Laden and the beheadings of Western hostages by insurgents in Iraq, as well as footage of dead coalition servicemen and Iraqi civilians killed in fighting.
A source told the Mirror: "The memo is explosive and hugely damaging to Bush.
"He made clear he wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in Qatar and elsewhere. Blair replied that would cause a big problem.
"There's no doubt what Bush wanted to do - and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it."
Another source said: "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair. That much is absolutely clear from the language used by both men."
A spokesperson for Blair's Downing Street office said: "We have got nothing to say about this story. We don't comment on leaked documents."
The Mirror said the memo turned up in the office of then British lawmaker Tony Clarke, a member of Blair's Labour Party, in May 2004.
Civil servant David Keogh, 49, is accused under the Official Secrets Act of handing it it to Clarke's former researcher Leo O'Connor, 42. Both are bailed to appear at Bow Street magistrate?s court in central London next week.
Clarke returned the memo to Downing Street. He said O'Connor had behaved "perfectly correctly".
He told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency that O'Connor had done "exactly the right thing" in bringing it to his attention.
The Mirror said such a strike would have been "the most spectacular foreign policy disaster since the Iraq war itself".
The newspaper said that the memo "casts fresh doubt on claims that other attacks on al-Jazeera were accidents". It cited the 2001 direct hit on the channel's Kabul office.
Blair's former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the transcript.
"I hope the prime minister insists this memo be published," he told the Mirror.
"It gives an insight into the mindset of those who were architects of the war."
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1838413,00.html:
London - United States President George W Bush planned to bomb pan-Arab television broadcaster al-Jazeera, British newspaper the Daily Mirror said on Tuesday, citing a Downing Street memo marked "Top Secret".
The five-page transcript of a conversation between Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair reveals that Blair talked Bush out of launching a military strike on the station, unnamed sources told the anti-war-in-Iraq daily.
The transcript of the pair's talks during Blair's April 16, 2004 visit to Washington allegedly shows Bush wanted to attack the satellite channel's headquarters.
Blair allegedly feared such a strike, in the business district of Doha, the capital of Qatar, a key western ally in the Persian Gulf, would spark revenge attacks.
The Mirror quoted an unnamed British government official as saying Bush's threat was "humorous, not serious".
Al-Jazeera's perspectives on the war in Iraq have drawn criticism from Washington since the US-led March 2003 invasion.
The station has broadcast messages from al-Qaeda terror network chief Osama bin Laden and the beheadings of Western hostages by insurgents in Iraq, as well as footage of dead coalition servicemen and Iraqi civilians killed in fighting.
A source told the Mirror: "The memo is explosive and hugely damaging to Bush.
"He made clear he wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in Qatar and elsewhere. Blair replied that would cause a big problem.
"There's no doubt what Bush wanted to do - and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it."
Another source said: "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair. That much is absolutely clear from the language used by both men."
A spokesperson for Blair's Downing Street office said: "We have got nothing to say about this story. We don't comment on leaked documents."
The Mirror said the memo turned up in the office of then British lawmaker Tony Clarke, a member of Blair's Labour Party, in May 2004.
Civil servant David Keogh, 49, is accused under the Official Secrets Act of handing it it to Clarke's former researcher Leo O'Connor, 42. Both are bailed to appear at Bow Street magistrate?s court in central London next week.
Clarke returned the memo to Downing Street. He said O'Connor had behaved "perfectly correctly".
He told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency that O'Connor had done "exactly the right thing" in bringing it to his attention.
The Mirror said such a strike would have been "the most spectacular foreign policy disaster since the Iraq war itself".
The newspaper said that the memo "casts fresh doubt on claims that other attacks on al-Jazeera were accidents". It cited the 2001 direct hit on the channel's Kabul office.
Blair's former defence minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the transcript.
"I hope the prime minister insists this memo be published," he told the Mirror.
"It gives an insight into the mindset of those who were architects of the war."
16 November 2005
Who's been caught using chemical weapons in Iraq?
Now it is interesting that there is a legal case going on where Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants are on trial over the killing of more than 140 Shia men in Iraq in 1982. He is charged for using chemical weapons (a contravention of the UN) and these weapons were supplied by the United States. Interesting that this is not highlighted in news reports, that the US supplied the chemical weapons in the first place?
This Iraq war is getting out of hand. First the war or invasion was “justified” by “intelligence” reports (lies) that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and that he was capable of using this within 24 hours. So based on this lie America invaded Iraq, killed thousands and thousands of innocent people with the bombings. For some reason Bush could not wait another week or two for the UN weapons inspectors to complete their search for these weapons of mass destruction, he had to invade the country, why? Did he know that there were no weapons and then he could not justify the invasion?
Now it is becoming known that America used chemical weapons on the people of Iraq. There are reports that were aired on an Italian TV station showing how the US military used a chemical weapon – white phosphorus against civilian targets. The report shows scenes of burned and melted bodies, burned children and women. Apparently white phosphorus kills indiscriminately; it spread out in a cloud and will burn every human and animal within a wide radius.
Now I should ask the question; if Saddam Hussein is on trial for killing innocent civilians using chemical weapons, when are we going to see George W Bush on trial for invading a country illegally (without UN approval) and then also use chemical weapons on civilians?
This Iraq war is getting out of hand. First the war or invasion was “justified” by “intelligence” reports (lies) that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and that he was capable of using this within 24 hours. So based on this lie America invaded Iraq, killed thousands and thousands of innocent people with the bombings. For some reason Bush could not wait another week or two for the UN weapons inspectors to complete their search for these weapons of mass destruction, he had to invade the country, why? Did he know that there were no weapons and then he could not justify the invasion?
Now it is becoming known that America used chemical weapons on the people of Iraq. There are reports that were aired on an Italian TV station showing how the US military used a chemical weapon – white phosphorus against civilian targets. The report shows scenes of burned and melted bodies, burned children and women. Apparently white phosphorus kills indiscriminately; it spread out in a cloud and will burn every human and animal within a wide radius.
Now I should ask the question; if Saddam Hussein is on trial for killing innocent civilians using chemical weapons, when are we going to see George W Bush on trial for invading a country illegally (without UN approval) and then also use chemical weapons on civilians?
09 November 2005
When did Sonic Blasters become everyday weapons?
It is getting scary to read about all the “non-lethal” weapons being developed to use against people and crowds. Most of the time you think at least the police force and military has a weapon that doesn’t kill and if this is used against criminals, it is safer. But what if this becomes the weapon of use against anybody not necessarily criminals but for example a crowd of people demonstrating their cause? What if in the future any sort of verbal or visual disapproval of the government in power is seen as not protest but labeled anti-government or worse; terrorist and those weapons are used against you?
Why I bring this up is because I’ve read a news article earlier this week describing the unfortunate event that happened when on the East Coast of Africa (Somalia), a group described as pirates, attached a passenger liner. I will quote parts of the story from http://www.news24.com/ here:
“Pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade and machine guns on Saturday in an attack on the luxury cruise liner Seabourn Spirit off the coast of the east African nation of Somalia, the vessel's owners said.”
"The ship's crew immediately initiated a trained response and as a result of protective and evasive measures taken the occupants of the small craft were unable to gain access to the ship," Dingle said.
Now what this article didn’t say but what was further discussed on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ is the following:
“The liner used a sonic blaster to foil the pirates. Developed by American forces to deter small boats from attacking warships, the non-lethal weapon sends out high-powered air vibrations that blow assailants off their feet. The equipment, about the size of a satellite dish, is rigged to the side of the ship.”
Now here we are seeing that this “military” technology is available and used on civilian ships. I was really surprised to read this! Well it is great for the passenger liner to have this technology in this case, because who knows what would have happened if they managed to board the ship.
I just find it unusual to read what until now I thought was almost science fiction, using a “sonic blaster” on this vessel, to be reported as an almost everyday thing that just happened there. When did these weapons become standard issue for passenger liners? Are they being installed on other civilian transport like aircraft, trains, and private security vehicles?
Just getting back to the pirate story as well, I wonder if this is something we are going to see more off. Is this another way of making people think twice before they travel? Are we going to see an escalation of attacks on passenger liners and holiday resorts? Are these people as was described just pirates, thugs looking for quick cash or are they going to be labeled “terrorist” to further install the fear in people’s minds that terrorists are real?
Why I bring this up is because I’ve read a news article earlier this week describing the unfortunate event that happened when on the East Coast of Africa (Somalia), a group described as pirates, attached a passenger liner. I will quote parts of the story from http://www.news24.com/ here:
“Pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade and machine guns on Saturday in an attack on the luxury cruise liner Seabourn Spirit off the coast of the east African nation of Somalia, the vessel's owners said.”
"The ship's crew immediately initiated a trained response and as a result of protective and evasive measures taken the occupants of the small craft were unable to gain access to the ship," Dingle said.
Now what this article didn’t say but what was further discussed on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ is the following:
“The liner used a sonic blaster to foil the pirates. Developed by American forces to deter small boats from attacking warships, the non-lethal weapon sends out high-powered air vibrations that blow assailants off their feet. The equipment, about the size of a satellite dish, is rigged to the side of the ship.”
Now here we are seeing that this “military” technology is available and used on civilian ships. I was really surprised to read this! Well it is great for the passenger liner to have this technology in this case, because who knows what would have happened if they managed to board the ship.
I just find it unusual to read what until now I thought was almost science fiction, using a “sonic blaster” on this vessel, to be reported as an almost everyday thing that just happened there. When did these weapons become standard issue for passenger liners? Are they being installed on other civilian transport like aircraft, trains, and private security vehicles?
Just getting back to the pirate story as well, I wonder if this is something we are going to see more off. Is this another way of making people think twice before they travel? Are we going to see an escalation of attacks on passenger liners and holiday resorts? Are these people as was described just pirates, thugs looking for quick cash or are they going to be labeled “terrorist” to further install the fear in people’s minds that terrorists are real?
03 November 2005
Are we REALLY in control of our thoughts?
At my office today two of my colleagues described how their respective clients spoke to them about their current solutions with our company. They both said that they were looking for information on new solutions that we currently offer and on hearing this they both replied and said that not only have they already offered them the new solution but they have already signed new contracts to have the new solutions implemented! They responded with, oh ok, go ahead then.
Now this makes me question how it is possible for those clients; successful businessman with senior management positions not being able to remember that they have signed 24 month contracts. These contracts will not only have an effect on the way they do business, but will also have a CAPEX implication on their Balance Sheet! Then how can they have forgotten this? Were they “present” when they signed the contracts?
This makes me think if this can happen on a business level what happens to them and other people on a normal day to day basis? Are we always in our present state of mind or do we go into a day dreaming or hypnotized “robotic” mode? What is the cause of this, is it boredom, distraction, fantasizing or an external influence? I’ve noticed before that if I travel the same route to work everyday that my mind drifts off, I will arrive at work and not remember my journey. In a way I find this very scary. It means “I” was not driving the car, someone else was. I was not driving the car because otherwise I would have noticed unique things on the route. I would have remembered something unique in the journey, a new car, a person in the vehicle next to me or the beautiful sunrise.
So I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to start noticing myself more. The need for discovering myself and notice every time my mind drifts off to day dreaming or fantasizing about all kinds of things. In fact I tried to slow down the thoughts running through my mind and although I found this very difficult, I made some interesting discoveries. I started to notice that I “see” more things. Also because I am “there” all the time, I don’t forget things, like where I’ve left the car keys. The only time I forget where I left something is when “I” was not there when I placed at that location in the first place.
Try this for yourself and you will notice how your world of discovery will open up. You will become less “robotic” and more in control of your body, mind, feelings, emotions and thoughts. You will start to notice the smaller things in life and at the same time discover more about yourself (remember your Self).
Now this makes me question how it is possible for those clients; successful businessman with senior management positions not being able to remember that they have signed 24 month contracts. These contracts will not only have an effect on the way they do business, but will also have a CAPEX implication on their Balance Sheet! Then how can they have forgotten this? Were they “present” when they signed the contracts?
This makes me think if this can happen on a business level what happens to them and other people on a normal day to day basis? Are we always in our present state of mind or do we go into a day dreaming or hypnotized “robotic” mode? What is the cause of this, is it boredom, distraction, fantasizing or an external influence? I’ve noticed before that if I travel the same route to work everyday that my mind drifts off, I will arrive at work and not remember my journey. In a way I find this very scary. It means “I” was not driving the car, someone else was. I was not driving the car because otherwise I would have noticed unique things on the route. I would have remembered something unique in the journey, a new car, a person in the vehicle next to me or the beautiful sunrise.
So I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to start noticing myself more. The need for discovering myself and notice every time my mind drifts off to day dreaming or fantasizing about all kinds of things. In fact I tried to slow down the thoughts running through my mind and although I found this very difficult, I made some interesting discoveries. I started to notice that I “see” more things. Also because I am “there” all the time, I don’t forget things, like where I’ve left the car keys. The only time I forget where I left something is when “I” was not there when I placed at that location in the first place.
Try this for yourself and you will notice how your world of discovery will open up. You will become less “robotic” and more in control of your body, mind, feelings, emotions and thoughts. You will start to notice the smaller things in life and at the same time discover more about yourself (remember your Self).
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