Fun and games in the US
Groucho Marx in 1969 told a magazine reporter that "The only hope for this country is in Nixon's assassination." A publisher of an American underground magazine sent a letter, tongue in cheek, complaining to the justice department. The FBI had just arrested a leading Black Panther activist for making the same point in speech. The US Attorney responded that Groucho's remarks did not constitute a true threat because he was an "alleged" comedian, and not "the leader of an organisation, which advocates killing people and overthrowing the government."
In Bush's America such distinctions have now gone. Michael Ramirez, cartoonist at the Los Angeles Times, pictured President Bush with a gun held to his head. The cartoon was an attempt to show the impact of the deteriorating situation in Baghdad on Bush's political future. Mr Ramirez was interviewed and investigated by the US secret service. This visit was mentioned by the notorious Drudge Report before it took place.
The Pentagon has been forced to abandon plans to set a betting market to allow traders to benefit from predicting assassinations and terrorist strikes in the Middle East. The plans had advanced far enough for a web site to be set up and a date set for the commencement of trading. Senator Hillary Clinton called it a "futures market in death," and Democratic Leader Thomas Daschle denounced the plan as "an incentive actually to commit acts of terrorism".
So presumably the US secret service investigation of the Los Angles Times cartoonist was to prevent him from influencing the "market".
The US Army has developed a video game aimed at 18-24 year olds to recruit them to the armed forces. Called America's Army, it is designed to show the army as it really is: "a high-tech, exciting organisation with lots to do." It has cost the American taxpayers over $6 million to develop. For their money the taxpayers get two games Defend Freedom and Soldiers, Empower Yourself. The games involve killing lots of enemies and almost no examples of the army acting as peacekeepers. This might be the kind of philosophical problem that the US army is now finding so difficult in Iraq.
The video game has been produced in a background of almost continuous advertising for the military on US radio and television, plus numerous other manoeuvres by the Bush administration to build up patriotic fever in preparation for the presidential elections. The game is part of this propaganda and is being distributed for free via the Internet and attached to the front covers of computer magazines.
Oil and war
George Bush is refusing to declassify part of an intelligence report on possible links between Saudi officials and the September 11 hijackers. The report is part of the ongoing investigation into the September 11th outrage. The Saudi Government has seen the report but not the US people. It apparently deals with the relationships between the Bin Laden family and Bush and other members of his administration interests in the oil industry.
The need to cover up (and at the same time protect the asses assets involved in) these financial relationships became the driving force over the Bush administration's invasion of Iraq. This has led to a set of unexpected consequences, which has helped to destabilise the world.
Examples in Iraq include:
- Allowing the growth of effective groups of Al-Qaeda supporters who are now able to confront the US army on their second front on a daily basis.
- The destroying of UN influence. My uncle from the Yemen has reported persistent rumours that the CIA was behind the bombing of the UN building in Baghdad. Anything that interferes with Bush's plans for taking over the Iraqi oil industry has to be kept out.
- The massive expansion of Iranian influence in Iraq. The Iranian intelligence service has worked out that the longer the US are pinned down in Iraq the longer it will take them to attack Iran. They are pouring a million dollars a week into Iraq. It is a very cheap and effective form of defence and another example of disproportionate response style war. This scenario was analysed in depth after September the 11th by the Pentagon.
- Increasingly the US and UK occupying forces are coming under military attack. The US response is to say the situation is getting better and that Iraq is not Vietnam because it has no jungles. One particularly stupid commentator said the explanation was that the Iraqis were by nature bloodthirsty. He came to this conclusion by looking at the cemeteries of the British soldiers who had been killed trying to invade the country in the past!
The repercussions of the Iraqi war in the UK
Colin Powell made it clear in his recent meeting with Straw in New York that the US was not giving up control of Iraq. Jack Straw completely supported Colin in his attempts to keep the UN out of Iraq and to prevent any development of democracy there.
Meanwhile in the UK the Blair-appointed Hutton inquiry into Dr Kelly's death continues to divert attention away from the reasons why the UK followed the US in the invasion.
It is almost irrelevant about who did what to the dossier on weapons of mass destruction. The fact is the only person who believed there were any was the evil dictator Saddam Hussain who, according to US intelligence, ordered their use when the invasion started. However there were no weapons. 200,000 UK and US troops have had several months to find them and failed.
The question is why did Blair, Campbell, Hoon, Straw and British Intelligence conspire to bounce Britain into the invasion with Bush? To answer this question we would have to look at the oil industry and the ways that oil and gas is beginning to run out in the North Sea. Hutton will be calling no economic experts.
The second major question is: how did Dr Kelly die? The coroner has been removed from a further investigation into the convenient and mysterious death of Kelly. It is no longer clear who is carrying out the investigation and whether any independent forensic scientists are being used. After the Ponti "suicide" the lack of a genuinely independent investigation would be clear proof that Kelly was murdered
The circumstantial case for Kelly being murdered can be made as follows:
- He predicted months before that he would be found dead in woods if Iraq was invaded.
- Although he was pushed into following the Government line at the Foreign Affairs Committee, he had on numerous occasions raised his opposition to the gung-ho perspective put out in the government dossier. Just before he was found dead he was emailing and discussing with friends about the pressure he was under. The implication was that he wanted to speak the truth, ie reverse his testimony to the Foreign Affairs Committee. This would have finished off the Blair government.
- He left no suicide note
- Dr Kelly approached Hoon in the Ministry of Defense canteen over his doubts over the dossier. It is difficult to describe how such a direct approach could upset Hoon, a man completely used to getting received wisdom through intermediaries, in particularly from his American friends. This meeting would have had a profound effect on Hoon.
- Dr Kelly was taken to the Government safe house near the Walmer barracks where his pension (important for a career civil servant due to retire in two years) was threatened. It was after this he appeared at the select Committee. However such grillings wear off over time and also as events unfold.
The death of Dr Kelly has the hallmarks of the Israeli Kidon assassination squad (see Umbrella 60) which Straw recently allowed to come to the UK.
Hoon Blair Brown
The whole complex relationship between Hoon, Blair and Brown needs to be explored further.
Hoon, a second-rate lawyer with no real track record of political activism but with strong American links, has risen effortlessly through the New Labour ranks to be the UK Minister for War for the US. He is now carefully spinning a web over the Kelly inquiry, which is designed to save his neck at the expense of Blair. The Sunday Telegraph lead with the story about how Hoon was bleating about the Kelly affair "destroying my career". Then remarks attributed to his allies went on to say that he was only working for Blair but the boss cannot carry the can and therefore Hoon has to go. However Hoon will vigorously defend himself. Reading between the lines it is a series of veiled threats to Blair that Hoon will blow the whole gaffe if he is not allowed to buffoon on.
Another example was the giving of the latest military aircraft contract to BAE. Brown argued it should go to the cheapest tender; however Blair overrode Brown and the Treasury and made Hoon use BAE.
One UK General agrees with Hoon over the further integration of the UK's armed forces with the US. At a recent meeting he said, "We have to be more like them".
Bring in the police state
Junior Health Minister John Hutton has put forward a consultation paper over the introduction of a universal identity card.
This would "target" failed asylum-seekers, business travellers and their families in a Government move to crack down on so-called "health tourists" exploiting the National Health Service.
For the present all patients would be asked for proof of residence, such as a passport or utility bill, before receiving free routine services on the NHS. Mr Hutton stressed that the plans would not affect those seeking emergency treatment in hospitals.
This is further attempt by the government to have a much more controlled society by building up fears about asylum seekers and immigrants taking away our resources. There isn't the same emphasis on the massive raids the National Heath Service is making on poorer countries in recruiting their scarce trained doctors and nurses.
A great wedding
Lorna Cohen, a former popular Leeds City Councillor, hosted a large wedding party for her grandson Matthew. Coming after recent family tragedies this was a happy and joyous occasion. There was an enormous food spread and the avuncular Alan Beet was in charge of an extensive bar which included a wonderful hand-pulled beer.
The partying continued through the day into the evening where the feasting was continued with a barbecue. Matthew's and the bride's many friends along with neighbours and friends of Lorna had a wonderful time.
One of the minor highlights of the party was Chapel Allerton Ward Councillor Eileen Moxon's attempt to start the barbecue early. This sadly resulted in her carefully coiffured head becoming streaked with smoke and unfortunately many refusing her sausage and burger offering because they had just eaten. Even my over-indulgent Alliance for Green Socialism friend Garth Frankland could not manage any more to eat although he did enjoy the beer.
I wish Matthew and his beautiful bride all the best.
-- Half-Celestial Khan
