UK - 'Kidnap terror plot' thwarted

Nine men have been arrested in connect with an alleged terror plot. Twenty-four hour rolling news was saturated with coverage of the arrests. CNN interrupted the repeat showing of Larry King Live in order to bring viewers the latest developments.
At 4 a.m UK time, dozens of police officers raided 12 locations in and around the Birmingham area. They arrested 8 people, but few details about the operation for several hours. Even a police press conference 12 hours after the operation was initiated revealed little. Only one fresh detail emerged, that of a further arrest on a Birmingham motorway.
Home Secretary John Reid said it was an ongoing “major operation” and urged the media to “exercise a great deal of responsibility and restraint” in their reporting of the story. The police and authorities were particularly concerned of certain details that were emerging. By lunchtime Sky news were reporting that the arrests were connected to a possible kidnap plot. The chosen victim, it later emerged, was to be a serving soldier. ITN’s 6:30 pm news bulletin revealed that the soldier was a 22 year old Muslim soldier who had served in Afghanistan. He was said to be under police protection, but the MoD would neither confirm nor deny the reports. Most media organisations were speculating the possibility that the plot was to re-enact a Ken Bigley style kidnap and execution. All would be played out in video broadcasts using the internet.
The arrests have heightened tensions in the area with many Muslims expressing their anger. Pervez Iqbal, a cousin of one suspect, insisted the arrested man would soon be released because “he has not done anything”.
Police have refused to comment on the media reports of a ‘kidnap plot’, only that the group had a "terrifying plan which was close to fruition". They also have not confirmed the ethnicity or religion of the suspects, but Sky news, as well as other broadcasters, has reported some had connection to Pakistan. Sky also named one of the suspects as 29 year old Amjad Mahmood, a local shopkeeper. [CNN / BBC / Sky News]

Asia's internet 'repaired'

Internet in Asia has been severely disrupted since 26 December

China, and the Far East, is now back on-line after telecommunications cables, damaged after December’s 7.1 quake, have been repaired [CCTV]. Several undersea cables, which connect the Far East to the US and the rest of the world, were damaged. It resulted in severe disruption to millions of internet users. Telephonic communication was also disrupted. In January, Bloomberg reported that there were delays in repairing the cables. Bad weather and a major fault in one of the cable laying ships was said to be the cause of the delay.

Re-routing of internet and telecommunications traffic has eased some of the disruption, but international communications have been slow or non-existent. Over the last month, a Chinese internet page accessed in the west has taken several minutes to load. On many occasions the page failed to load at all. Similar conditions have also hit Chinese internet users. This has resulted in a slowing of business affairs as well as the more mundane uses of the world wide web. On the day of the earthquake, several financial institutions ground to a halt.

China Netcom and China Telecom said today that further repairs still need to be completed but work should be completed by mid-February. According to Bloomberg, five of the seven cables are now repaired. Repairing the cables is a delicate and time-consuming operation. Divers must hook both ends of the ruptured cables from the ocean floor to 1,000 metres below the surface. After connecting the two ends, they must then test the cable before lowering it to the ocean floor. Eight repair ships were sent, and reports suggested that the cables would be fixed within two to three weeks. However, another earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale shook the same waters on Jan. 17, bringing further damage to the cables.

Many analysts have speculated that the disruption has been exacerbated by a lack of investment to the internet infrastructure. However, TeleGeography.com, in a report published in early January, says this is a myth, and that the existing cable infrastructure is only operating at 15% capacity, leaving plenty of room for growth. Whatever the truth, the disruption to the internet by December’s earthquake sends a clear signal that more needs to be done in maintaining communications which hold together the modern world.

US concern over China's military modernization

A new cold war may be brewing as the US continues to raise concerns over China’s military plans. In the last week the United States led representations to the Chinese government over the test firing of a ‘space weapon’. The test involved the firing of a ballistic missile at a redundant Chinese weather satellite. The satellite was destroyed. It left behind space debris which the US is concerned may pose a risk to its own satellites. It is true that space debris poses a risk to satellites, and even the space shuttle and International Space Station. However the resulting debris left behind from China’s ‘space weapon’ test is minute compared to the space junk already floating around the Earth.

There is a concern amongst military analysts in the US, that the weapon poses a more direct threat to its satellites. China have already been accused of ‘blinding’ US spy satellites over the past few years, and the threat or potential threat of this new satellite destroying technology is ruffling many feathers in Washington.

Today, CNN broadcast a report which may raise further concerns in the west. China’s military budget has risen significantly over recent years. In 2000, China’s military spend was $14 Bn [¥415 Bn]. According to recent figures released it has risen by more than 200% to $30 Bn [¥855 Bn]. The rise may seem significant, but China’s military force should also be seen context. China is seen by some analysts as just trying to play catch-up. David Lampton, a military analyst, said their standing should not be overstated. “They are still far behind [the technological standing of] America” he told the American news broadcaster. Indeed if statistics are compared with other ‘world powers’,

China is far from the top of the list with regards military might. The US alone has 9 aircraft carriers and at least 1 in production [hazegray.org]. China has no aircraft carriers but is believed to have made a decision to build one. The Chinese have reportedly held discussions with the French and Russians concerning design and construction of new carriers, and have considered purchase of ex-Russian ships. When it comes to destroyers, warships and frigates, the numbers reach little above double figures compared to the US fleet consisting of more than 100. China’s airforce too stands way behind other industrialized countries. The Chengdu J-10 is one of the country’s newest acquisitions to a substantial airforce consisting of over 2000 combat aircraft [sinodefence.com]. However, the US possess more than 15,000 aircraft [wikipedia]. When it comes to nuclear weapons, the US comes out on top with up to 12,000 warheads. China is believed to possess around 150 [wikipedia].

China’s increased military strength could be seen more as a sign of posturing. Russell Moses, a political commentator, told CNN he thought it was a “Signal to show it [China] won’t be pushed around”. China confirmed the space weapon’s test this week, but a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the test was “not targeted at any country nor threatening any country”. Andrew Brookes, an Aerospace Analyst, said “The Americans can do what they like and that seems to be their remit, but if the Chinese do something in order to demonstrate their technological prowess suddenly they’re being offensive, they’re being provocative. All around the world the United States is being incredibly provocative. And if I was in the Chinese military I’d be saying, ‘Look, If you want to interfere in the Far East ... you’ll have us [China] to deal with’ ”. However, China and pundits alike have to convince a more than sceptical US administration.

Bush's rallying call fails to impress Democrats

Give war a chance - Bush asks for support in his new Iraqi strategy
After nearly an hour of introduction and debate on CNN’s Late Edition, President George W Bush last night gave his State of the Nation address to a largely sceptical congress. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was bubbling with excitement as he went over the details of what the President might say and alongside him Paula Zahn described the upcoming address as a ‘tough assignment’.
Iraq, immigration, health insurance, and the environment were the issues the President had to address as he walked a ‘political tightrope’ according to these two political pundits. Zahn asked whether his words would “unite or further divide a new congress and a sceptical country”. The Presidential approval rating has taken a continuous slide over the last 5 years. According to a CNN/USA Today poll his approval rating slipped from 84% in January 2002 to 60% in January 2003. The war in Iraq has only pushed the support for the President lower still. By January 2004 the percentage had fallen to 53% and by January 2006 it had fallen further still to 43%. The most recent figures show President Bush has only a 34% approval rating, the lowest ever approval rating for a President at this time in office. Specifically with relation to his proposal to send more troops to Iraq, polls indicate more than 60% of the country against such a decision. With regards the effort to win the global ‘War on Terror’, many were are just as disillusioned. According to a CNN poll, 28% thought the US was winning in the ‘War on Terror’. However, 54% believed neither side was winning, and 17% thought the terrorists were winning. William Schneider, or Bill as he is sometimes referred, CNN’s senior political analyst, described the ‘War on Terror’ as being like the Cold War, in as much as it was “a long a protracted conflict against an elusive enemy with no discernable or decisive outcome in the foreseeable future”. He said that support would “ebb and flow according to events”. But events are not going well at all in the long war which has seen thousands killed and maimed. The United States have lost 3,062 since hostilities begun nearly four years ago. Over 47,000 troops, airmen and navy personnel have been injured over the same period. By comparison other coalition countries have collectively lost 253 personnel since March 2003. Britain, which has been one of America’s closest allies, has lost 130 [icasualties.org]. Violence in Afghanistan still continues, although not on the same scale as seen in Iraq. A total of 358 US armed forces have died since 2001. Other coalition losses doubling the overall total to 518 [icasualties.org]. But although not on the scale of Iraq, attacks in the country have increased in recent months. There were 139 suicide attacks in 2006 compared to 27 the year before.
After flipping between other correspondents around Washington, the President eventually arrived to deliver his much awaited speech. As he entered, Wilson Livingood, the Sergeant of Arms, introduced him to a House of Representatives led for the first time by a woman Democrat. He shook Nancy Pelosi’s hand and that of vice president Dick Cheney before turning to the applauding audience. Pelosi made the opening introduction saying, “Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and the distinct honour of presenting to you the President of the United States”.
“Thankyou very much, and tonight I have the high privilege and distinct honour of my own as the first president to begin the State of Union message with these words; Madam Speaker”
Nancy Pelosi beamed from ear to ear. And a rapturous applause followed as the president turned once again to shake her hand.

After the formalities he gently entered into first lines of his message. “The right of custom has brought us together at a defining hour where decisions are hard and courage is needed”.
“We enter 2007 with large endeavours underway and others that are ours to begin”. He then went on to outline the importance of a growing economy and said that 41 months of “uninterrupted job growth” showed the strength of America’s economy. “Unemployment is low, inflation is low, wages are rising,” he said, “and our job is to keep it that way, not with more government, but with more enterprise.”
He said he could “eliminate the federal deficit within five years” and without increasing taxes. He pledged more support for the welfare system, particularly with respect to health care. It was “important that all of our citizens have available and affordable health care.” He said that proposed tax thresholds would make “health insurance more affordable” to those on low wages. He also said more funds should also be made available to the educational system. Mr Bush then urged for full support for his “no child left behind act” and to help make it law.

Moving on to the contentious issue of immigration the President said he would “double the size of border patrols” to keep the country secure. The lack of secure borders harmed the “interests of our country” he said. “We should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to pass into our country to work on a temporary basis” which, he said, would stop them “trying to sneak in”. This he said would leave “our agents free to chase down drug smugglers, criminals and terrorists”.

On energy he proposed less reliance on foreign supplies of oil which left America “more vulnerable to hostile regimes and to terrorists who could cause huge disruptions of oil shipments and raise the price of oil and do great harm to our economy”.
He said it was in our “vital interest to diversify America’s energy supply” and that the “way forward was through technology”. Greater use of “clean coal technology, solar and wind energy, and clean safe nuclear power” should be employed to achieve this goal, he said. He said further research was needed to increase the use of hybrid vehicles and those running on bio-diesel fuel. “We must continue investing in new methods for producing ethanol…using everything from wood-chips, to grasses and agricultural waste”. He then urged congress to help reduce gasoline usage by 20% over the next decade. He said this would achieve a reduction of up to 75% the oil imported from the Middle East. But environmentalists would be concerned at his follow up statement in which he said that America “must step up domestic oil production in environmentally sensitive ways”. He said, however, that America was on the verge of technological breakthroughs that would make the country less reliant on oil. “These technologies”, he said, “will help us be better stewards of the environment and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change.”

The President then moved on to issues of homeland security. “Five years have come and gone since we saw the scenes and felt sorrow that terrorists can cause. We’ve had time to take stock of our situation.” He added that “the horrors that we experienced that September morning were only a glimpse into what the terrorists intend for us, unless we stop them”, and “to win the war on terror we must take the fight to the enemy”.
“The enemy knows that the days of comfortable sanctuary, easy movement, steady financing, and free flowing communications are long over”, but, “our success in this war is often measured by the things that did not happen, we cannot know the full extent of the attacks that we and our allies have prevented”.

George W Bush then outlined some of the achievements in the global War on Terror. “We stopped an al-Qaeda plot to fly a hijacked aeroplane into the tallest building on the west coast, we broke up a south-east Asian terror cell who were grooming operatives for attacks inside the United States. We uncovered an al-Qaeda cell developing anthrax to be used in attacks against America. And just last August, British authorities uncovered a plot to blow up passenger planes bound for America over the Atlantic Ocean. For each life saved we owe a debt of gratitude to the brave public servants who devote their lives to finding the terrorists and stopping them.”
He said the “evil that rejoiced in 9/11 is still at work in the world and so long as that is the case, America is at war”. The threat to America came not only from al-Qaeda and Sunni extremists but also fro Shi’ite extremists who were “determined to dominate the Middle East”. He added that many take their “direction from the regime in Iran which is funding and arming terrorists like Hezbollah, a group second only to al-Qaeda in the amount of lives it has taken.”
“In the six years since our nation was attacked I wish I could report to you that the dangers have ended, they have not. So it remains the policy of this government to use every lawful and proper tool of intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement, and military action to do our duty, find these enemies, and to protect the American people.”

He acknowledged the shift of violence in Iraq to one of sectarianism. “This is not the fight we entered into in Iraq, but it is the fight we’re in. Everyone wishes this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk.”

He said the battle could be won and asked for support, “Let us find our resolve and turn events towards victory”.

On Iraq he said he was “giving our troops the reinforcements they need to complete their mission… a democratic Iraq that upholds the rule of law”. Most of the promised 20,000 troops would secure Baghdad from “the roaming insurgents and death squads”. But he insisted that a proportion of responsibility lies in the hands of the Iraqi government.
“I chose this course of action because it provides the best chance for success”. An early withdrawal could, he suggested, end in a wider conflict and embolden the enemy. “For America this is a nightmare scenario, for the enemy it is the objective”. He then spoke to those who opposed his plan, saying, “Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq and I ask you to give it a chance to work, and I ask you to support our troops in the field and those on their way”.

At the end of his 50 minute address he said, “This is a decent and honourable country, and resilient too. We’ve been through a lot together. We’ve met challenges and faced dangers, and we know more lie ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence because the state of our union is strong. Our cause in the world is right. And tonight our cause goes on. God bless.”

The request for support in his latest offensive has already fallen on deaf ears. Today Democrats have already taken the first steps to repudiate the President’s Iraqi strategy [CNN / BBC]

'Looters' scavenge Devon's coast after shipwreck

Hundreds have stripped the beach of the stricken cargo

The MSC Napoli which is listing off the Devon coast continues to cause concern for environmentalists. The ship which encountered heavy storms on the 18th of January, is carrying a variety of goods including 158 containers described as ‘hazardous’. The other risk to the environment is the fuel oil and engine which threatens marine and birdlife. At least 200 tonnes of engine oil has already spilt into the sea. But it is the cargo of consumer items that have drawn hundreds of ‘looters’ who have swarmed over the beach collecting anything they could find. BMW motorcycles were amongst the more expensive items taken, but nappies were also being carried off by beachcombers drawn to Branscombe beach. Police have warned that it may be an offence to carry items away without reporting to authorities. The Merchant Shipping Act 1995 says it is an offence for people to remove items from a wreck if they conceal or keep possession of cargo and refuse to surrender it. The Act itself is exceedingly complex, but Wikipedia has this to say on the issue: “under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, jetsam, flotsam, lagan and all other cargo and wreckage remain the property of their original owners. Anyone, including recreational divers and beachcombers, removing those goods must inform the Receiver of Wreck to avoid the accusation of theft… It is a legal requirement that all recovered wreck landed in the United Kingdom is reported to the Receiver of Wreck, whether recovered from within or outside UK waters and even if the finder is the owner. The Receiver of Wreck will investigate ownership. The owner has one year in which to come forward and prove title to the property. During this period it is common for the finder to hold the wreck on behalf of the Receiver of Wreck while investigations are carried out. Wreck which remains unclaimed after a year becomes the property of the Crown and the Receiver of Wreck is required to dispose of it. Often the finder is allowed to keep items of unclaimed wreck in lieu of a salvage award.” Police were last night handing out forms in the area but have also asked the public to stay way from the area [BBC]

Carnage in Iraq as sectarian violence increases

The civilian death toll in Iraq continues to rise despite the execution of Saddam Hussein and other prominent figures. This weekend has also seen further coalition casualties. On Saturday several attacks on coalition troops left more than a dozen dead. Thirteen US troops died when their helicopter was downed by hostile fire north-east of Baghdad and a further 5 were killed in gun battles in Karbala, soutyh of the capital. It brings the US death toll to 3,054 since hostilities begun [BBC]. A British soldier was also killed over the weekend by a roadside bomb near Basra. Private Michael Tench became the 130th British soldier to be killed in the country. But civilians still suffer the most in this war torn country gripped by sectarian violence [Facts & figures].

Today saw one of the deadliest attacks so far this year. At least 80 were killed and more than 150 injured in a double car bombing in one of Baghdad’s poorest districts [BBC/CNN]. Later in the day another bombing occurred in Baquba. Early reports suggested around 40 injured. There seems to be no slowing of the violence besides initiatives by Iraqi police and coalition forces to break up insurgent groups. Less than a week ago 70 died in an attack at Baghdad University this on a day that the UN announced the death toll in Iraq throughout the country in 2006 exceeded 34,000 [BBC]. George W Bush’s plan to send 20,000 troops to the country to quell the violence has been met with much criticism, both from his own party as well as the Democratic Party. His recently appointed Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates, broadly supported the bolstering of troop numbers but said he wanted it increased to 90,000 [Bush speech in full].

China tests 'space weapon'

Not yet 'Star Wars' but it is thought to be the first weapons deployment in space

China has tested a weapon in space much to the dismay of Canada, Australia and the USA. The United States have said the Chinese sent up a ballistic missile to destroy an ageing weather satellite and that the test went against the spirit of co-operation both countries aspire to in the area of civil space. There are also reports saying that Britain, South Korea and Japan were expected to express their concerns to China soon [BBC].

Earlier, a report in the American Aviation Week magazine said that US spy agencies had concluded that China conducted a successful test of a satellite-killing weapon on January 11.

It said China knocked out the weather satellite with a "kinetic kill vehicle" launched on board a ballistic missile. The impact occurred at more than 800 km above Earth.

In May 2005 China said it opposed all weapons in space. "Space belongs to the commonwealth of all humanity." China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told Xinhua the state news agency. "China has always held the opinion that space should be utilised for peace to benefit humankind. China opposes putting weapons into space."

Besides the unprecedented nature of this weapons test, there was no mention of it on the Chinese National Space Agency website.

UK TV show spurs protests in India

Big Brother, a voyeuristic television show in the UK, has made headlines and prompted questions in parliament after ‘racist’ behaviour. The show, which has placed a mix of celebrities together in the so called Big Brother house, has incensed viewers. Ofcom, the broadcast regulatory body, has received nearly 20,000 viewer complaints and Channel 4 has received at least 4,000 complaints. There have even been threats against three of the Big Brother housemates who have allegedly made racist slurs against Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Gordon Brown, Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, has been drawn into the row and was today bombarded with questions by reporters during his visit to India. There have also been a number of protests in the country with effigies of the shows producers being burned. Ms Shetty’s mother has also spoken exclusively to Sky News and aired her concerns. The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was today forced to give his response to the allegations. He said he could not comment specifically on the programme, which he hadn’t seen, but added that he “opposed racism in all its forms”. The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has described the behaviour of Jo O’Meara, Jade Goody and Danielle Lloyd as being “completely unacceptable”. Others that have spoken out against Shilpa Shetty’s ‘bullying’ is a former Big Brother contestant Jodie Marsh [Sky News]. The issue is unlikely to go away with sponsors, producers and broadcasters, coming under pressure to act. So far there has been a muted response. Carphone Warehouse has so far declined to pull out of its sponsorship of the show. The programme’s producer Endemol has yet to make a public statement, but Channel Four has said there has been “no overt racist behaviour towards Shilpa Shetty”. But many viewers remain unconvinced. In one outburst, Lloyd asked Shetty: "Do you get stubble?" In another, Jackiey Budden, Jade’s mother, who constantly called her "the Indian", asked: "Do you live in a house or a shack?" The actress has also been called a "dog" and contestants have complained about her touching their food. Jo O’Meara declared that Indians were thin because they were always ill as a result of undercooking food. Shetty’s accent has also been mocked. Channel 4 has denied reports that Jack Tweed, Jade’s boyfriend, has called the actress a "f***ing Paki". The increased publicity this issue has generated has however only served to increase viewing figures.

Lack of sympathy for tube deaths

Initial shock and a certain amount of recrimination in some papers over the deaths of two men killed by a train on Friday has brought little sympathy from many members of the public. The two men, Daniel Elgar, 19, and Bradley Chapman, 21, were killed as they ‘ran’ from security guards and into the path of a west-bound District Line subway train. Some witnesses to the commotion aired their shock at the deaths. Mr Leitch, a local resident, described it as a “tragedy that someone wouldn’t be returning home”.
He had watched from his flat as police and emergency crews cleared the scene of the two bodies. He said one of the victims legs had been ripped off by the train’s impact. Police have denied the victims had been chased but that an investigation had been launched to determine all the facts. Meanwhile two other men, arrested soon after the incident, have appeared in court and bailed until February. Neither have yet been named.
But as investigations continue, the chatter in the ‘Blogosphere’ and elsewhere is one of general condemnation. Some refer to the incident as “poetic justice” whilst others describe the victims as “just the sort of people Barking doesn’t need”.
In a post at LibertyScott.blogspot the writer from News Zealand says, “Two men died being run over by a tube train as they were attempting to graffiti a building - how sad! They are exactly the type of people Barking needs rid of, the ones that help make it look run down.” [libertyscott.blogspot.com]. Another blogger, mymindwork.blogspot.com, said it was “fantastic” that “two useless lives” were “snuffed out”. The blogger who goes by the name of Stephen claimed that “100% of people asked said the vandals got what they deserved. And it is only a pity that innocent commuters were delayed on their journeys”. Other bloggers took issue on how the men were described. biased-bbc.blogspot.com said the BBC was biased in calling the men “graffiti artists”. A comment posted on the same site says, “Suppose vandals spray-painted the homes of BBC officials and reporters. Do you think the BBC would describe them as artists? I don't think so.” Another comment describes the incident as “Darwinism in action” whilst the whilst the writer at Biased-BBC referred readers to what can happen to those who play on railway lines [Warning: graphic content - deadtrainbums.com archived at web.archive.org]. There are some comments of sympathy for the two men killed, some from friends and fellow ‘taggers’. One tagger who describes himself as being ‘passionate about graffiti’ writes on myspace.com [link]. Referring to the tube deaths he says, “R.I.P OZONE AND WANTS.......YOU WILL BE MISSED."
"It was jokes seeing you spitting at ezkas party and having it up....you had a true passion for graffiti..........blessy”. OZONE is believed to be the tag of Bradley Chapman, and WANTS the tag belonging to Daniel Elgar. Another tagger who goes by the name of Mowgli shows a picture of a ‘graffiti artist’ in a tube tunnel on his myspace website. On Sunday 14th he posted “RIP OZONE, RIP WANTS” [link].
Cheffy Baby from Croydon in South London writes on her myspace website, “Daniel Elgar was 19 and lived in Southend. I knew him since playschool and we only lived a road away. The Friday just gone he was killed by a tube at Barking station after getting caught vandalizing a train. He had a child and worked at the Post office with my Uncle. It’s weird ‘cause I haven’t spoken to him or seen him in years but I feel sad. I’ve known of him all my life and his parents were friends with my parents and members of my family. I’m still shocked after hearing it was him this morning. It’s weird though cause I saw the story on the news and I watched it all (which I never do). I thought maybe it’s because Barking is where my Mum comes from and my family live there but now I know it’s because I actually knew one of the guys who got killed. Strange huh!?"
"But in a good way his death will show kids out there who vandalize in dangerous places to think twice. Well I hope it does anyway" [Link]

War on Terror: Terror trials & hangings

'Failed bombers' on trial, but at least 30 terror plots still threaten the UK

Six men have appeared before a court in London charged with terror offences. The charges relate to failed terrorist attacks on 21st July 2005. Media reports since then have only referred to 4 individuals. One had fled to Italy and was subsequently extradited. Two others were arrested after an armed siege in north London.
On this, the first day of the trial, the jury was told how the suspects had assembled their devices from chapatti flour and chemicals. The prosecution showed videos of bomb replicas being exploded. The six men, Muktar Ibrahim Said, Manfo Asiedu, Yassin Hassan Omar, Hussain Osman, Ramzi Mohammed and Adel Yahar, are charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions [BBC]. Sky News also reported that one of the individuals had fled to Birmingham wearing a burka. The trial at Woolwich Crown Court is expected to last up to six weeks.

It has been a week of trials against those taking part in terror related offences. In Germany, Mounir El Motassadeq has been sentenced to 15 years for his part in the 9/11 conspiracy [BBC]. The sentence comes after two failed by authorities to secure a conviction. The jailing of Motassadeq did not create as much press coverage as might have been expected. Fox News in the US and CNN had only scant coverage. The BBC and Sky News also lacked the coverage of this high profile suspect, the second suspect to have been connected to the terror attacks on 11th September 2001. Motassadeq has appealed the conviction so far the Germany’s high court has refused to hear the case [Spiegel]. It expected that the Moroccan’s defence team will launch another appeal both to the German courts and the European Court of Justice.

Today two of Saddam Hussein’s co-defendants met their fate. Saddam’s half brother and former head of the secret police, Barzan al-Tikriti, and Awad Hamad al-Bandar were both hung early Monday morning. One was said to have been decapitated as he fell through the trap door. As to whether there was an orderly assembly at this execution can only be speculated. Strict controls to prevent unauthorised filming will prevent the release of footage to further embarrass the majority Shi’ite government.
By the afternoon some journalists had been shown the official video of the execution. A short silent video showed the bodies dropping at the end of the hangman’s noose. The BBC’s Andrew North said the video showed the men both dressed in orange boiler suits and wearing hoods dropping through the trapdoor. Barzan’s head was said to have been decapitated as he plummeted through the trapdoor, apparently flying off across the room. Barzan al-Tikriti, Saddam’s half brother, and Awad Hamad al-Bandar were both convicted for their part in the killing of 148 Shia in the 1980s.
CNN described the video as gruesome but had not viewed it themselves, saying that only a select group of journalists and officials had seen the film. The execution of the two men is unlikely to quell the increasing violence in the country, however. Indeed the revelations that one was decapitated may only serve to increase sectarian tensions. The debate over capital punishment be also be rekindled. Amnesty International, who maintain its opposition to the death sentence, have not yet commented on this high profile case. Condoleezza Rice has said she was “disappointed” in the way Saddam’s aides were hanged, adding that she had hoped greater dignity had been afforded to them. There are 69 countries worldwide who implement the death penalty [BBC]. Meanwhile the threat to the UK mainland remains high. Fueled by events in Iraq, homegrown terrorists are posing a greater risk to UK and US interests. And the efforts by authorities to catch them before they act is being stepped up. According to MI5, Britain's security agency, there are some 30 terror plots currently being investigated [BBC].

Bush commits 20,000 troops to Iraq

A worried looking President addresses the nation.

Coming two days after US planes struck Al Qaeda targets in Somalia, George Bush has made a speech to the nation. It was not just the nation that was watching. Many in Iraq were also watching as the President presented his new strategy for the war in Iraq. Prior to the President's first main address since Saddam’s hanging CNN’s Wolf Blitzer presented a special edition of the Situation Room. Emails from viewers suggested a general sense of dissatisfaction which has swelled against this President. Many feel he has not only failed in the war in Iraq, but also in the war on the environment, in industry with the loss of jobs and failures to control borders from drugs and illegal aliens. At 02:00 GMT the President addressed the world.

As he started his half hour address he stood rigidly at a rostrum, not seated unlike many other Presidential addresses. “The armed forces are involved in the war in terror,” he said as he opened. “When I addressed you over a year a go elections had just taken place” which Mr Bush said may have brought a better future for Iraq. “But the opposite happened,” he said, “Al-Qaeda terrorists saw the threat posed to their cause and made calculated efforts to attack … with death squads and sectarian violence.” This, he said, was “Unacceptable” and that “We need to change our strategy in Iraq.”
He acknowledged some of the findings in the recently released Iraq Study Group Report, particularly the much quoted line, “There is no magic formula”, but he said, “Failure is not an option”.
“On September 11th 2001 we saw what terrorists could do on the streets of our cities … and the violence in Baghdad is shaking the confidence of all Iraqis.” He then pointed to one reason why the US was failing. “There have been too many restrictions on our troops ", he said. He then went on to outline his new strategy in which “new Iraq forces” would be deployed throughout Baghdad. US forces would also be increased by 5 brigades in Baghdad alone. The total commitment to Iraq would number 20,000 troops “to help protect the population and create security.”
Another area in which the US strategy had failed was to not properly secure areas cleared of insurgents. “In earlier operations we cleared areas and left, only for the terrorists to return.” He said the renewed efforts “will be different, as areas cleared will be secured.”
“Now is the time to act …This new strategy will not immediately stop the suicide attacks and IED attacks” but the continued effort was “necessary”.
“Al-Qaeda has made al-Anbar province the most violent of all the provinces.” But, he said, “Our forces have killed and captured many terrorists…and I am increasing by 4000 the number of troops deployed in Al Anbar.”

Not all rested on force however. “The successful strategy goes beyond a military strategy.” He spoke of the Iraqi government “sharing oil revenues”, but with whom it was unclear. He said the US would “change its approach” and “accelerate the building of Iraqi forces and double reconstruction teams.”
President Bush said that Secretary Rice would oversee some of this and would be travelling to the region on Friday.
His wider concerns for the region were also aired. “We will interrupt support from Iran & Syria … and I have ordered a regional attack strike team to the region”. And there was a brief mention of the continued stand-off between Iran and the international community over their nuclear policy. “We will stop Iran developing a nuclear weapon,” he said.
As he neared the end of his address, President Bush emphasised the importance of the fight in the defence of freedom. “We stand in the defence of the ideology of democracy” he said. But he warned that the fight may still bring dangers for a time as “Deadly attacks will continue”. Even “Victory will not look like ones our fathers saw,” but, he said, “It will bring a democratic Iraq offering hope to the wider region”.
“If we help the Iraqis break the cycle of violence we hasten the day we can welcome our troops home.”

He ended with a series of punctuated sound-bites. “In these dangerous times, the advance of freedom is the calling of our time … we mourn the loss of every fallen American … but, we can and we will prevail. Thankyou and Goodnight.”

US target al Qaeda in Somalia

US planes taking off from Djibouti have bombed several strikes against Al Qaeda targets in Somalia. AC-130 Gunship is said to have been involved in the strikes. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer broke into regular programming at around 00:30 GMT with the Breaking News. The information was said to come from a senior Pentagon Official. Al Qaeda has been very active over the past decade in the region. Two notable events were the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Over 250 died.
The missile strike is believed to be the first US action in the region since the infamous ‘Black Hawk Down” incident [or Battle of Mogadishu] in which 18 marines died and dozens more injured. This recent strike is said to have taken place in the southern part of the country and according to CNN may be connected with the 1998 bombs. Of all the so called rolling-news channels only CNN had reported the even by 01:00 GMT. Sky continued to show the taped CBS news broadcast whilst the BBC were showing World Business Report. Al Jazeera in English also continued with regular programming. The most recent addition to the 24 hour news broadcasters, France 24, continued with rolling news but did not mention the recent strike.

Saddam execution video angers Sunnis

The controversial video footage has caused anger amongst Sunnis

An Iraqi national security advisor has told Sky News that they were not in control of the guards who had mobile phones and abused Saddam in his final moments. Mowaffak Al Rubaie however dismissed rumours that Moqtada al Sadr was present at the former dictator’s execution.
He said the filming of the execution and the abuse “was terrible and disgusting” but refused to apologise to Saddam’s family. He said the execution of Saddam’s half brother would be better organised but to many commentators the damage has already been done. On the 30th December he told Sky News that the execution was carried out in an orderly way and in accordance with Islamic tradition. But the subsequent release of the footage contradicted this and forced his condemnation of the humiliation of a condemned man. He added that the hanging and the controversy surrounding it must be balanced with the crimes the former Iraqi leader had committed.

The timing of Saddam Hussein’s execution has enflamed sentiments amongst the Sunni population coming at the beginning of Eid al Adha. The fact that the trap door was released during Saddam’s second recitation of the Shahadah has also been seen as an insult by many Sunni. The Shahadah is an Islamic creed, recited daily by followers of the Islamic faith, and is considered to be one of the five pillars of Islam. At best it was bad etiquette that the lever was pulled as Saddam said, “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger”. At worst it is an insult which will enflame many Sunnis. Already there have been a significant number of protests in Sunni areas of Iraq following the execution and in a number of other countries, most notably Jordan and Palestine. It was in Jordan where Saddam’s daughter broke her silence to condemn the hanging and the baying mob who hurled insults as her father was executed. In Palestine hundreds condemned the execution. Many Palestinians see Saddam as a saviour. He had funded the Palestinian cause for many years and would give money to families of suicide bombers.
Much of the criticism surrounds the filming of the execution and the Iraqi government has ordered an inquiry saying they will leave no stone unturned to find those responsible. It has to be said, however, that the manner in which Saddam met his death, together with insults and the impression of a lynch mob hanging, would not have been conveyed to the public had the illicit filming not taken place.
This was a point that the editor of Al Quds newspaper raised on Al Jazeera English during Inside Story. Abdel Bari Atwan said, “We need to thank the man who filmed the execution” for showing the truth. There has been a mute response from leaders throughout the international community. President Bush has yet to make any comment but a military spokesman, Major General Caldwell, said “If you’re asking if we’d have done things differently of course we would have”. Tony Blair, currently on holiday in Florida, has made no official comment but his deputy minister, John Prescott, has condemned the way in which Saddam was executed. The general discussion on most news stations hinges around the inability of the Iraqi government to behave in a disciplined manner.

The footage emerged just 24 hours after it was announced that Saddam had been executed. It also came after official footage had been released. Official footage came without sound.
Before the execution, continued violence took more lives in the war torn country. A bombing in a Baghdad market killed 7 and injured dozens more. In a roadside bomb at a petrol station 10 were killed and attacks on US troops also continued. The toll for US troops in December exceeded 100. Amidst this violence George Bush insisted “good progress” was being made in the country. After Saddam’s appeals failed, a letter emerged from the former dictator calling on Iraqis to unite. By Friday evening it had been announced by Saddam Hussein’s lawyers that he had been handed over to Iraqi authorities. However, the US State Department denied this had yet happened. As the execution neared there was debate as to whether the timing was appropriate with the religious holiday of Eid due to start on Saturday. A curfew was imposed as the execution neared. At 03:30 hours Baghdad time it was announced that Saddam would be hung before dawn. As new of the impending execution neared, threats emerged on the internet warning of “grave consequences” for the US. The Department of Homeland Security also issued alerts for authorities to be vigilant but stressed they had no specific threat of attack.
At 03:49 Baghdad time CNN said that some Arabic networks had reported that Saddam had already been executed. However the official line was that Saddam would meet his fate at 06:00 hours. As the former leader was hanged the violence in the capital escalated with at least 66 killed and more than 100 injured in three bomb blasts.

As Saddam was buried in his home town of Awja, near Tikrit, unofficial footage emerged of the execution. The footage, which appeared to have been shot on a mobile phone, swiftly spread around the internet. Arab TV news networks quickly picked up on the images and before long even western networks were showing portions of the footage [Reuters]. Due to Ofcom restrictions Sky News and the BBC were prevented from showing the entire 3 minutes of footage, though they had already made an editorial decision to show only a part. Fox News did make the entire clip avaible via its website, but from a third party source [Revver.com]. CNN also had the footage available via its website but they took the decision to cut the footage at the point the trap door opened. As Eid started there were celebrations and protests over the grainy film. The recriminations will continue for some time to come.

7.1 quake cuts of Asia's internet

A Boxing Day earthquake caused panic in the Philippines after a tsunami warning was issued. The warnings followed a 7.1 magnitude quake which hit off the coast of Taiwan [22.023°N, 120.539°E] [BBC]. It comes exactly two years after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami which killed over 200,000 and displaced millions. This latest earthquake has had a devastating effect on internet communications for millions in Asia [BBC]. Banks and businesses in Taiwan, South Korea, China and Japan reported telephone and internet problems. Taiwan's largest telephone company, Chunghwa Telecom Co, said damage to the undersea cable had disrupted 98% of Taiwan's communications with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. Repairs could take three weeks, Vice-General Manager Lin Jen-hung said. Telecommunications companies in Hong Kong, Japan and China also reported problems. China's biggest telecoms provider, China Telecommunications Group, said that communications cables to the US and to Europe had been damaged.
"Internet connections have been seriously affected, and phone links and dedicated business lines have also been affected to some degree," a spokesperson said. Technicians have been scrambled to repair the damage but it will not be soon enough for some. Trading on some financial markets all but halted, but some overcame the reliance of the internet by going back to old fashioned methods. It highlights the reliance that many place both on technology and the internet.

It is not the first time the cables between the US and China have been damaged. In 2001 the cable was damaged and it took weeks to repair [BBC]. At the time millions in China were said to have been cut off from the World Wide Web, and other parts of Asia were reporting reduced speeds and difficult access to international sites. The cable which was affected stretches under the Pacific Ocean from Shanghai, China, to the United States. China Telecom said at the time they were “sparing no effort” to get China reconnected but the cable took weeks to repair. It was not the only connection to the outside world, but was said to carry the most traffic.
As parts of Asia were clearing up following Tuesday’s earthquake, a small town in the north of Britain was coming to terms with an earthquake. The 3.5 magnitude tremor hit near a town called Dumfries [55.10º N / 3.64º W] at 10:40 GMT, a little under two hours before the Taiwan quake [BBC Scotland]. There were no reported injuries or damage. The British Geological Survey reported several witness as saying, “people came out into the street”, “we felt one big bump”, “a tremendous crack and rumble” and “the whole house shook”.

Spy saga - Scaramella faces arms charges

Mario Scaramella, the friend of Alexander Litvinenko who died in November following radiation poisoning, has been arrested in Italy. The charges relate to arms smuggling and there is no suggestion he was involved in Mr Litvinenko’s death, but it adds a further twist to an already complex saga. British detectives who have been in Moscow are said to have completed their investigation in the country but there has been little news coverage of any new developments made in the case [BBC].
The BBC reported on the 16th of December that Litvinenko may have been killed over a dossier of information he held on powerful Kremlin officials. This came shortly after Marina Litvinenko, the former spy’s wife, accused the Kremlin of ordering her husband’s assassination [BBC].
The continuing investigation and search for radioactive traces of Polonium have revealed traces in a number of locations in Germany. These were said to be places where Dmitry Kovtun had visited following his meeting with Litvinenko in London. He himself is being treated at a Moscow hospital for radiation poisoning. Kovtun, a business associate of Andei Lugovoi, another ex-KGB officer, has denied any involvement in Litvinenko’s death. Lugovoi has also denied involvement in Mr Litvinenko’s death, but has not been talked to by UK detectives. Another man who also met with Litvinenko, Vyacheslav Sokolenko, also denies any involvement in the poisoning. Meanwhile, it has emerged that seven bar staff who were working at the Millennium Hotel's Pine Bar on 1 November have tested positive for low levels of polonium-210 [BBC]

Man charged in 'Suffolk Ripper' case

Police remove items from Tom Stephens' house

A man has been charged with the murder of 5 prostitutes in Suffolk, England. It marks the climax of nearly two weeks of saturation news coverage.

Steve Wright, 48, from Ipswich, appeared at an Ipswich court surrounded by a media frenzy. He is charged with the murder of Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29.

All were killed in a 14 day period during early December. The media has been heavily criticized for their sensationalist coverage especially since the arrest of two men, Tom Stephens and Steven Wright earlier this week.

Tabloid newspapers in the UK have been particularly sensational with headlines such as "He begged me for sex... 4 hours later he was arrested" [Mirror 19/12/2006]. The arrest and charging of Steven Wright will now inhibit the details which news media are allowed to broadcast. But the saturation coverage is set to continue for sometime.

Meanwhile police have released Tom Stephens on bail. But he is unlikely to return home where police maintain a presence and where a tent remains in place in front of the property.

Man 'escaped UK wearing a veil'

Mustaf Jamma and how he may have looked in a niqab

In what looks set to increase the ‘veil debate’, a man is reported to have ‘slipped through customs’ whilst dressed in a niqab. Mustaf Jamma, a suspect wanted in connection with the murder of police officer Sharon Beshenivsky, is said to have evaded authorities and returned to his native Somalia last December [BBC]. The Home Office has said the claims, made in several newspapers, were unlikely to be true, and that immigration officers had powers to make checks. The reports claim that Mr Jamma had used his sister’s passport in order to pass through airport security. Immigration Minister Liam Byrne told BBC Radio 4’s World at One that it was “standard practice" for immigration officers to ask woman to lift their veils. But on a recent return from China, tvnewswatch has observed a fully veiled woman enter the UK without such checks. This was at the height of the ‘veil debate’ which had dominated the UK news media in October of this year.

Bush may step up troops in Iraq

President Bush has addressed the American people and asserted his determination to continue his effort in defeating terrorism and to step up efforts in Iraq to advance a ‘unity government’. During his address he said, “We’re going to win” but acknowledged the “situation is tough”. He said, “I want our troops to understand that we support them, and what I want our enemies to understand is we’re not going to cut and run“. One of the options he suggested, in his continued War on Terror, was for more troops to be sent to Iraq. “Victory in Iraq is achievable and is taking longer than I’d have hoped” but retreat from Iraq would not be beneficial to America. “The most painful time in my Presidency is the reading of the losses of American troops in Iraq,” he said, “My heart breaks for them on a regular basis.” The President also urged for increased development of alternative and environmental energy sources. He particularly stressed the importance of electricity developed from nuclear technology. He said that trading technology with countries such as India was important. But when it came to a question on Iran, and its continuing nuclear program, he said, “The Iranians must suspend their enrichment program.” He also singled out Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as being a backward looking President, and added, “My message to the Iranian people is you can do better.” He also attacked other counties in the region. “To Syria the message is the same.” He said that Syria ought to “stop Saddamists sending arms and money to Iraq.” Mahmoud Ahmedinejad has been particularly criticized recently for having denied the Holocaust [aim.org]. He has been quoted many times as saying Israel should be “wiped off the map”. But Ahmadinejad’s questioning of the truth of the Holocaust has enraged many throughout the world. He said in letter to German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that the allied powers invented the Holocaust to ‘embarrass’ Germany. In the letter, sent in July 2006, he said, “Is it not a reasonable possibility that some countries that had won the war made up this excuse to constantly embarrass the defeated people ... to bar their progress." It is not the first time he has raised issue of the veracity of the truth behind the Holocaust which killed millions of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, political enemies, communists, artists and others. A year ago he was quoted as saying, "Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces. . . Although we don't accept this claim, if we suppose it is true. . . .The Europeans should give some of their provinces in Europe to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe." And in June this year, at a conference in Shanghai, China, he called for an investigation to establish the truth of the Holocaust. "An event that has influenced so many diplomatic and political equations of the world needs to be investigated and researched by impartial and independent groups," he said. But there have been some unlikely attendees to a recent conference in the Iranian capital [BBC]. Neturei Karta (Guardians of the City), a Hasidic sect of a few thousand people which views Zionism [the movement to establish a Jewish national home or state in what was Palestine] as a "poison" threatening "true Jews". Meanwhile, Palestine has seen a resurgence of violence in recent weeks. Fighting in the region has exacerbated between Fatah and Hamas [BBC] and Israel has also continued to launch attacks on Gaza. This has provoked criticism over a number of incidents in which civilians have been killed. Israel has also come into the spotlight over its believed possession of nuclear weapons. In an interview with a German TV station, the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, made a slip in which he appeared to confirm Israel’s possession of such weapons [BBC]. During a debate in which he criticized Iran’s perceived development of nuclear weapons, he said, “Can you say that this is the same level, when they [Iran] are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel, Russia?". Since then, there has been much debate over what might be drawn from his comments [BBC]. Into all this turmoil, Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived at the weekend in attempt to bring all sides together [BBC]. But his talks with Abbas and Olmert, appear to have produced few results. Many UK papers are dismissive of his efforts. The Financial Times described his latest visit to the region as a “last roll of the dice”, whilst the Guardian said, “neither Iraq nor the conflict between Israel and Palestine are close to resolution and Mr Blair may not bring it any closer.” Mr Bush ended his 50 minute news conference with a goodwill wish. “Happy Holidays”, he said. Not so happy if one lives in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, to name just a few unhappy regions of the world.

BAE inquiry is dropped - PM defends decision

The Al Yamamah deal hangs in the balance

The British Prime Minister has been fending off criticism from many fronts this week. Yesterday it emerged he had been questioned by police for nearly two hours in connection with the so called ‘cash for honours’ inquiry. The PM was not under caution during the interview and a solicitor was not present, but the very fact that he was questioned at all, will fuel further criticism of the leader [BBC]. The timing of the interview and the release to the press, has also been the subject of criticism. Some commentators have said the release of the story to the media, coinciding with the release of the Diana inquiry report, was an attempt to bury bad news. It is not the first time the current Labour government has been accused of manipulating or attempting to manipulate the news. In 2001, Jo Moore, the then special adviser to the Transport Secretary Stephen Byers, had put about a memo that read “It is now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors' expenses?" This on the day of America’s worst terrorist attack, 9/11. She subsequently resigned following an outcry in the media. There exists only speculation surrounding the timing of yesterday’s news, and the Prime Minister’s spokesman has denied any plan to bury the event of Mr Blair’s interview. He emphasized that there was no deliberate plan to "bury bad news" by holding the interview on the same day Lord Stevens released his report into the death of Princess Diana. "Categorically there was no linkage to other events," he said. But it is understood Mr Blair chose the day of the interview.
Today the Prime Minister was under further scrutiny after pulling the plug on an investigation into a Saudi arms deal [BBC]. The inquiry was halted on the grounds of ‘national security’. Mr Blair said today that to pursue the inquiry would create ‘ill feeling’ between a key ally in the War on Terror. Details of the corruption in the £6 billion arms deal may never emerge, but it is one more murky chapter in 20 years of trading with the Saudi kingdom [BBC]. In the decade following 1986, the UK government has sold the Saudis more than £50 billion in Tornados and Hawks. During the first Gulf war Saudi jets flew alongside British Tornados on missions into Iraq, a sign of the special relationship between the two countries. But in 2004 the Guardian newspaper alleged that BAE Systems had won the deal with the aid of a secret slush fund. It claimed that Ministry of Defence police were investigating payments totalling £60m made during the course of the Al Yamamah deal by BAE Systems. By November of the same year BAE Systems confirmed it was being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), but the company strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Within a year a provisional deal had been made to sell the Saudis 72 Eurofighter jets to the tune of £6 billion. But by December this year, talks between BAE and the Saudis were said to have ‘slowed down’ following a proposed deal from French aircraft manufacturer Dassault. In this deal Dassault had offered to sell Rafale jets, but the details of the deal are not yet clear [BBC], but it is believed up to 36 aircraft maybe involved. Following the decision to drop the inquiry into BAE a statement from the company said: "After over two years of what has been a thorough investigation by the SFO, we welcome the statement made yesterday by the attorney general in the House of Lords." It is not yet clear whether the Eurofighter deal is still on the table, but shares in the company rose 6% after the announcement to £4.20.25.

Diana report - crash was a "tragic accident"

The report into the accident which killed Lady Diana was released today. Sky News broadcast the findings LIVE. As they showed Lord Steven’s findings in one screen, a split screen showed a continuing operation in Suffolk where police are examining the bodies of a number of murdered prostitutes. The BBC News 24, which also broadcast the findings LIVE, devoted the entire screen to the Diana report. CNN also gave substantial LIVE coverage. France 24 and Al Jazeera did not cover the report findings LIVE, but France 24 did report on the report’s release on its website.
The report in itself has revealed nothing new. Allegations of a cover up and murder allegations were dismissed by the report. The primary cause of the crash was blamed on excessive speed and a result of the chauffeur Henri Paul not being in proper control of the vehicle. The report established that 1.7 g per litre of alcohol was in Henri Paul’s blood. This was three times the French drink-drive limit, twice the UK drink-drive limit.
The report which took three years to compile, and is over 800 pages in length, established that there was no conspiracy and that the crash was “merely a tragic accident.” The issues as to whether Diana had proposed to marry Dodi Fayed, or was pregnant, were both dismissed. There was evidence of a collision between the Mercedes and a white Fiat Uno but the report did not intimate this as being the cause of the accident. The car has never been found.
Mohammed Al Fayed, Dodi’s father, has said he would not accept the findings of the report. He continues to insist that Diana was killed by agents belonging to the British secret services. The report took up many of the issues surrounding the conspiracy theories. The Stevens’ report established such allegations were unfounded. “There will be a number of people who will not accept what we’re saying” Lord Stevens said, but he urged them to read the report in its entirety.
Speaking on BBC News 24, Martin Gregory who wrote “The Last Days of Diana” said he agreed with the findings. Dickie Arbiter, a former Royal Press Secretary, speaking on Sky News, echoed Steven’s request that those who were sceptical read the report in full. He said that Henri Paul was “well over the drink drive limit” and “should not have been driving that car”.
David Cohen, an author, told Sky News he was not satisfied. He posed the question as to whether Lord Stevens had dealt with a New Zealand expert’s evidence regards the blood testing of Henri Paul’s blood. He said Dr Sprott OBE had taken issue with methods employed in analysing samples of the blood of the chauffer [Stuff.co.nz]. Dr Jim Sprott is known for his outspoken views on the cause of cot death [pnc.com.au]. Cohen, who wrote ‘Diana: Death of a Goddess’, also took issue with the speed of the vehicle as it entered L’Alma tunnel. He pointed out that the French investigation had showed the car as travelling significantly higher than the Stevens’ report had established. This, he said, showed a lack of competence in the investigative procedure. The report will no doubt spawn a proliferation of yet more books about this iconic woman and her tragic demise. There are dozens of books surrounding the tragic events of the 31st August 1997 [The Age] and this new report will only fuel further literary enterprises. Unlike the US authorities who make such reports readily available though booksellers, the UK does not. If it were, it may too enter into the list of bestsellers. In the US both The 9/11 Commission Report and the recently released Iraq Study Group Report entered the best seller list. The 9/11 Commission report sold more than 1 million copies and was nominated for a National Book Award. It was published by W.W. Norton & Co. The Iraq Study Group Report is currently number 2 on the Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com websites [CNN]. The report into the death of Diana, otherwise known as the Operation Paget Report is available for free online via the Metropolitan Police website [PDF file]. Some media organisations did however provide the document via their respective websites, but many omitted a map of the Ritz hotel in Place Vendome, Paris.

Full report in PDF format - source: Sky / source: BBC]

Pinochet death sparks riots in Chile

Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte - 1915~2006

Chile’s former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, died this weekend triggering violence on the streets of Santiago and saturation coverage on many news channels [CNN]. More than 6,000 demonstrators gathered to celebrate the dictators death, breaking open bottles of Champagne. But within hours the gathering broke into violence as riot police moved against the swelling crowds. Pinochet had been in frail health for years and was under house arrest in the capital last Sunday when he suffered a heart attack; his wife, Lucia Hiriart, and a number of his children took him to Santiago Military Hospital. Pinochet underwent angioplasty to boost blood flow to his heart. But soon after, his lungs began to fill with fluid, and he suffered heart failure. Pinochet who rose to power following a U.S.-backed coup, was accused of torturing and killing thousands of people during his 1973-1990 regime.

Discovery launches with little fanfare

Space shuttle Discovery on its Saturday night launch

STS-116 [NASA] finally made its way into space on Saturday night. It is the first night launch since before the Columbia disaster of 2003. This latest mission will include three spacewalks to install the P5 integrated truss structure and rewire the station’s electrical system. One space walk and use of the robotic arm has already taken place in order to check the integrity of the shuttle’s heatshield. Space shuttle Discovery is due to dock with the International Space Station at 17:05 EST, Monday 11/12/2006 [01:05 GMT Tuesday 12/12/2006]. Here they will deliver a new crew member, Sunita Williams, to the ISS. She will replace European Space Agency Astronaut Thomas Reiter. Whilst the shuttle mission is set to last until 18th December, Williams is set to stay for 6 months on the International Space Station [Mission Page]. Expedition 14 has been in progress for a little over 84 days [Expedition 14] and currently consists of Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Flight Commander Mikhail Tyurin, and Flight Engineer Thomas Reiter. Additionally there is the back up crew consisting of Astronaut Peggy Whitson [backup commander], Astronaut Clay Anderson [backup flight engineer] and Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko [backup Soyuz commander and flight engineer] who wait back on Earth. Continuing coverage of this and other missions can be seen on NASA TV . Most news broadcasters have scant coverage of the continuing missions into space.

Shuttle launch cancelled

Cancelled at the last minute - STS-116

It had been four years since NASA engaged in a night launch, but tonight was not the night for restarting such initiatives. In 2003 Columbia was destroyed after foam falling from the fuel tank damaged the heatshield resulting in the shuttle burning up as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere. A night launch had been deemed too risky after setbacks over safety and NASA’s inability to observe debris falling from the fuel tank. But after the go ahead for tonight’s launch it was weather that finally halted the launch of STS-116.

Bush & Blair meet in Washington

Prime Minister Blair flew into the US late last night to talk with George Bush about the situation in Iraq. This followed the releasing of a critical report over the situation in the country. Bush has said it was a “tough report” but would look “seriously” at its recommendations. The Iraq Study Group Report [PDF file], which has already hit no. 18 in the Amazon.com best seller list, [MSNBC] described the situation in Iraq as “grave and deteriorating” and said there was “no magic formula”. It also proposed a withdrawal of troops within 18 months and said one key was a solution to the “Middle East process” between Israel and Palestine. Speaking on CNN, Robin Oakley said if he had a dollar for every time Blair had iterated the key to the Iraq issue was the Palestine/Israel situation he’d be buying his wife a new car this Christmas! When the two leaders finally met, both echoed each other with their resolve to see the job done. Bush said, “We will defeat the extremists and radicals”. Tony Blair adding that the issue was a “Struggle for freedom and democracy.” He added that the “Consequenses of failure are severe” and that there were three elements which were important. He said the first element was the support of Maliki governent. Secondly, all that were engaged in this should support the Maliki government. And thirdly it was important to solve the question of peace in the Israel/Palestinian issue. He emphasised the task was “tough and challenging” but the only choice was between secularism or democracy. He said, “the only realistic path is to spread the idea of liberty.”
In questions folowing the briefing bothleaders were tackled over issues raised in the Baker Hamilton report on Iraq. Blair said the report was useful. But he said the situation had become difficult. “Outside extemists were linking up with internal extremists” which made it difficult to instil democracy in the region. He went on to say that “the old Middle East had the origins of all the problems we see, it’s come out of a perverted view of Islam.”
“We have to have to right vision. If the Israel/Palestine issue was not solved then nothing would be solved,” the Prime Minister said. He said there were obstacles but “not beyond the wit of ourselves” to overcome. [CNN]

Litvinenko buried

Alexander Litvinenko has been buried at a private funeral after a service at a mosque in London’s Regent’s Park [BBC]. Mourners included Mr Litvinenko’s father, Walter, and friend and Chechen separatist Akhmed Zakayev.

Spy saga - Litvinenko funeral due today

Blocked - investigation is being hampered by Russian authorities

Alexander Litvinenko’s funeral takes place today a day after the announcement that the killing had officially become a murder inquiry [CNN / BBC]. In Moscow, British detectives continue their investigation into the poisoning but have been told that any prosecutions would have t take place on Russian soil. As the detectives arrived in the capital news footage on CNN obscured the faces of the British investigators. However both Sky and the BBC, as well as many newspapers in the UK, published images without any censorship. It is not clear why CNN made the decision to obscure the faces of the investigators. Several new locations have been found to show traces of radioactivity as the detective work continues. In London traces of radioactivity were found at the Arsenal Emirate’s Stadium. The executive box was sealed off following the revelation that Andrei Lugovoi had visited there. Luguvoi who had met with Litvinenko in London, and having since returned to Russia, was said to be ill and had been hospitalised. Prior to his admission to hospital, Andrei Lugovoi visited the British Embassy in Moscow in order to give a statement. This was an effort to thwart rumours that he may have had a hand in Mr Litvinenko’s death. The British Embassy has also shown signs of radioactivity, the BBC reported Wednesday afternoon. Mario Scaramella was also hospitalised for a time after it was discovered that he too had ‘significant amounts’ of Polonium 210 in his urine. However he was later discharged after showing no signs of illness. CNN secured an exclusive interview with the self styled academic prior to his release from hospital. "I received several e-mails from another source he [Litvinenko] introduced to me some years before, saying that him and me were under the special attention of hostile people, so to take care," Scaramella told the news organisation. He said he tried to warn Litvinenko that they were being targeted by "people linked with some clandestine organizations, not directly under control of Russian establishment but from Russia ... generally retired people from the security service." Meanwhile detectives in Russia have been given permission to question Andrei Lugovoi [BBC]. But it is likely that their role will be limited to observing an interview conducted by Russion authorities. Lugovoi, a former KGB bodyguard, has said he met with Mr Litvinenko but did not meet no even know Mr Scaramella.