World Watching

While driving home an hour and a bit ago… i had the radio on in the car and quite by chance while searching through stations i decided to listen to the BBC World Service.

What do you think about Global Warming?

The feature was about Global Warming, Not unusual you may say.. given that the Copenhagen International Climate Change Summit is kicking off today. The key part of the feature was an international survey carried out by somebody (i forget who it was now) which recorded results that around the world there is far more concern within populations about global warming and its effects than there was last year.

Are you concerned about global warming?

What i couldn’t believe i had heard was that in two countries, China and the USA there are reported to be fewer people who are concerned about Global Warming than there were just 12months ago. China and the USA are also coincidentally the worlds two biggest polluters.

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French MP’s are currently holding a series of hearings surrounding the future of the Burka in the country. The Muslim garment has been a flashpoint issue in many countries recently including here in the UK because it covers all a womans facial features except her eyes.

Many have called for it to be banned on a variety of grounds ranging from security issues to the fact that it represents the oppression of women.

French Urban Regeneration Minister Fadela Amara has been quoted as saying that she:

“in favour of the burka not existing in my country”.

The French government created the comittee after French President Nicolas Sarkozy stated that the garment was “not welcome” in France, which is home to Western Europe’s largest population of Muslims.

In 2004, France controversially banned Muslim headscarves and other “conspicuous” religious symbols in state schools and by public employees.

What the bleedin hell is wrong with this country?

The terrorist suspect Binyam Mohamed who was released from Guantanamo Bay back in February now wants to be allowed to publish details of what he claims is proof that he was subjected to torture by the US intelligence agencies with British intelligence agents in full knowledge and on occasion with British assistance even though it would seriously harm US-UK relations… and it’s made it into court now!!

For crying out loud..  Why are the courts even considering whether an Ethiopian national should be allowed to endanger UK – US relations to the point that the CIA quite rightly, would think twice about sharing sensitive information knowing any tom, dick or harry could just go into a British court and have it made public knowledge??

The media:

Unsurprisingly the British media, represented in the High Courts by Guy Vassall-Adams  have rubbished the governments claim that US intelligence may be withheld even though a letter sent by the Obama administration clearly states that disclosure…

“may result in a constriction of the US-UK relationship”

Binyam Mohamed 31,  was born in Ethiopia and held resident status in the UK and having converted to Islam admits travelling to Afghanistan in 2001  prior to being arrested in Pakistan having then become a suspect in an Al-Qaeda bomb plot, Was arrested in Pakistan in possession of a forged passport, he confessed to being involved terrorist activities in 2004 to US authorities (twice) and was taken ultimately to Guantanamo Bay where he was held for a further 4 years. He then upon his return to this country from Guantanamo Bay had to re-apply for permission to enter the country because he isn’t a British citizen.

Sight seeing trip:

This may be an emotive issue but there are larger issues at stake here.. and i have yet to hear/read one credible account of just what he was doing lurking in the area’s of Afghanistan and Pakistan that he was known and has admitted to have been in..

“I decided to take a journey to Afghanistan as any 21, 22-year-old would do. Just go and see a part of the world and learn about what’s happening over there.” – Binyam Mohamed

“I was trying to understand Islam and I was told that Afghanistan was where the real Islam was.” – Binyam Mohamed

“wanted to kick a drug habit and get away from familiar haunts in London.” – Binyam Mohamed

“wanted to see whether Taleban-run Afghanistan was a good Islamic country” – Binyam Mohamed

The BBC has reported that, Mr Mohamed was originally said to have conspired with Jose Padilla, a US convert to Islam, but the charges against Padilla were dropped, although a US court convicted him of other terrorist offences.

A diversion?:

Regardless of what has happened to him, Binyam Mohamed’s supporters have clearly manufactured an effective diversion away from his ’sight seeing’ trip to a war zone by trying to deliberately endanger national security via the courts… and if you think about it, therefore meaning actually the US doesn’t need to prove a damned thing as Binyam Mohamed and his supporters are  now doing it all for them! which will ultimately weaken and possibly invalidate any claims he makes or explanations he gives.

A favour:

He would have done himself a big favour, to simply publicly thank the authorities for their assistance in getting him out of Guantanamo Bay and leave the rest to be handled by legal teams behind the scenes.

On a personal note: Given that the British authorities apparently worked damned hard to get him out of Guantanamo Bay, if i were the home secretary; i would probably be thinking of sending him on his way about now, with a pat on the back and something like “thanks for coming, but don’t hurry back” whispered in his ear!

Q: Was Binyam Mohamed treated harshly?
A: Yes, I’m sure he probably was.

Q: Should he be allowed to endanger British international relations and national security?
A: NO, of course he bloody shouldn’t.

It’s about time Mr Mohamed accepted he was caught red handed having gone to the home (Afghanistan) of Islamic extremeist terrorism, Entered another country (Pakistan) with a forged passport and then attempted to board a flight back to the UK with that same forged passport. Those facts alone demand serious questions be asked!

He should also consider himself bloody lucky that the UK has allowed him back into the country given that he has already had his asylum request refused once in the past.

Those who are supporting this legal bid to endanger national security should be asking themselves why they are doing it? and how does it look to others?

In my humble opinion the only people who would knowingly seek to endanger national security are those who wish to aid and abet those who would do harm to this country and it’s population.

On Tuesday it was NATO secretary-general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and now US vice president Joe Biden trying to boost support for the Afghanistan campaign.

Tuesday, NATO’s  Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was calling for greater equality in sharing the burden of dealing with the taliban from the US and UK’s so called NATO allies.

Mr Scheffer is quoted by the BBC as saying:

“If we were to walk away, Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban, with devastating effect for the people there – women in particular,”

and,

“As much as we may long for the near-perfect security of Cold War deterrence, we must accept that security today requires engagement in far away places – engagement that is dangerous, expensive, open ended, and with no guarantee of success.”

never the less the limp wristed brigade of spineless cowards in this country have seen 17 UK deaths reported and are againing whining about being involved in the campaign.

Now today, Vice President Biden has been reminding those who are whining about the death toll, that forces are engaged in combat in taliban held area’s and that if we were to just walk away the taliban would be free to “wreak havoc in the UK, the US and Europe.”

On a personal note, i cant think of anything more dis-respectful to the memories of the brave soldiers from the allied forces than to simply walk away. Do those lives that have been lost count for nothing in what passes for brains in the whinging half-wit simpletons that want to run in the face of  global terrorism?

Do these cowardly Muppet’s not actually understand that this isn’t entirely about terrorism but also the fact the region is a big drug producing tract of land and operated by those sympathetic to both the taliban and AL-qaeda?

It seems the US president Barack Obama has ordered the closure of the controversial Guantanamo Bay military run prison camp because he feels America will be safer without it in operation.

The BBC has reported that he signed an executive order closing Guantanamo and “all other CIA overseas detention centres”

While i certainly don’t condone detention without trial or the imminent possibility of trial.. Does Mr Obama seriously think that simply releasing known terrorists back into the wild will make America any safer?

It seems odd that only a few weeks ago he authorised the resuming of military trials at Guantanamo Bay and now just after returning from his trip around the world he orders the shutting down of the prison camp.

It really does beg the question, Who is actually deciding US policy?

Guantanamo terrorists released onto British soil

and now, just to cap it all off, ITN is reporting that four chinese terrorists have been relocated from Guantanamo Bay to Bermuda.. a British territory without the British governments knowledge. Foreign Secretary David Miliband has been called to account in the house of commons and the government blasted with shadow foreign secretary William Hague commenting

“The UK is responsible for Bermuda’s external relations, defence and security and for appointing its Governor. This can only confirm the perception that the Labour Government has been so busy with its own internal turmoil that it has lost grip of running the country.”

The only thing left for these two completely clueless governments to do, is give bin laden benefits, a council house and a champagne reception at Buckingham Palace!

If you thought the wackiest things only happened in the USA, think again. Thousands of women across Kenya have launched a week long sex strike to protest about what they feel is squabbling and bickering between the country’s president and prime minister.

Kenya's PM Odinga

The wife of the PM, Ida Odinga has let it be known she is participating in the action.

The protests came after PM Odinga and President Kibaki formed a coalition government ending several weeks of violence and bloodshed after the elections. That has however been an un-easy alliance and many have accused them of arguing about protocol instead of tackling the issues that desperately need addressing.

I wonder given the incentive how long it takes them to get their acts together?

Pakistans president Asif Ali Zardari, has told reporters that the Pakistani intelligence services believe Osama Bin Laden to be dead.

While responding to reports that the Pakistani Taleban have said they would welcome Bin Laden if he ‘chose’ to visit. President Zardari said  ”The Americans tell me they don’t know, and they are much more equipped than us to trace him. And our own intelligence services obviously think that he does not exist any more, that he is dead”

He quickly followed that up with with the comments, “But there is no evidence, you cannot take that as a fact” and “We are between facts and fiction.”

So the bottom line is actually nobody knows anything and they are making it up as they go along. Typical politicians.

The Russian Government has confirmed it has signed a deal with Iran to sell its powerful S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to the Iranian Military.

The two state run news agencies, ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti along with independant agencies including Interfax have all reported that an un-named official within the Russian government has revealed that “the deal had been signed two years ago”

The Russian Government has dismissed accusations that some of the S-300 missiles have already been supplied to Iran.

Just what the world needs.. a terrorist supporting government persueing nuclear warheads and Russia supplying it with defence systems…

It has been claimed that US President Barack Obama has offered his Russian counterpart President Dmitry Medvedev a deal in a ’secret’ letter delivered by hand to the kremlin 3 weeks ago say anonymous sources in Washington according to reports in the New York Times.

The letter is believed to suggest that President Obama would back off on plans to site a missile defence grid in Eastern Europe in return for assistance in stopping Iran devolping long range weapons.

An Obama administration official confirmed that President Obama did send a letter to President Medvedev “that covered a broad range of issues, including missile defence and how it relates to the Iranian threat.”

The official however, refused to confirm the existance of or suggestion of a deal in the letter.

A Kremlin source said that President Obama’s letter to President Medvedev offered no trade-off on missile defence and Iran.

Russia has vigorously opposed the missile shield, which would include sites in the Czech Republic and Poland, since it was proposed by the Bush administration and at one point in 2008 even suggesting that any missile sites would be targeted by Russian forces in a bid to disable them.

The stated aim of the shield is to deter Iran from launching nuclear-tipped missiles at US allies in Europe.