Frank Freeman's Diary, December 2004

'Former [UK] Labour MP George Galloway has won his libel action against the Daily Telegraph and [has] been awarded Ł150,000 in damages.

'He is also expected to be paid his costs — the case is estimated to have cost about Ł1m.

'The high court ruled that [the] Telegraph had defamed Mr Galloway when it published a report claiming documents found in Baghdad during the Iraq war last year alleged he was in the pay of Saddam Hussein. ...'

The Ministry of Information, where the documents were found, was ruined and wide open at the time. Anybody could have planted them, ready for the Telegraph's reporter's translator to lead him to ...

Google and others are co-operating with Chinese political internet censorship ...

'International media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (RWB) has criticised China for blocking access to Google News.

'The organization also has accused Google of being complicit by willingly filtering its Chinese language site to block politically sensitive material.

'This marks a fundamental change in the way Google has been operating, said Julien Pain, head of the RWB Internet freedom desk.

'"Up until now, Google had been really respectful of freedom of expression," Pain told NewsFactor. "But in the last six months, it seems they've changed their position." ...

'Google is not the only company that allegedly is liking the other way when China flexes its muscle in limiting political expression on the Internet, Pain said.

'Last year, RWB sent letters to several technology companies, including IBM ..., Cisco, Hewlitt-Packard ..., Yahoo ... and Oracle ..., stating that they were selling material that directly assisted the Chinese government in cracking down on people using the Internet. ...'

'WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Bush will announce former New York police commissioner Bernard Kerik as his nominee to become homeland security secretary at a White House ceremony on Friday morning [today], White House officials said.

'Kerik, 49, was the top police official in New York during the attack on the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, and was a strong supporter of Bush during the presidential campaign this year.

'Bush was to announce Kerik as his choice to succeed the resigning Tom Ridge as homeland security secretary at a 9:50 a.m. EST White House ceremony.'

'WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday warned Iran it was "making a lot of mistakes" but said action to prevent the Islamic state acquiring nuclear weapons was a call for George W. Bush and other world leaders to make.

'Mr Rumsfeld issued the warning as the US State Department denounced Iran for not allowing inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit military sites suspected of housing work on nuclear weapons.

'Spokesman Richard Boucher said that if Iran was sincere about not seeking nuclear weapons, "they should have absolutely no problem at all [has he been taking elocution lessons from Blair?] in allowing inspections of any facility, anywhere, on any suspicions, on any grounds. [!! Including, no doubt, the arsehole of Ayatollah Khomeini's corpse.] ...

'In a separate development, London-based Iranian opposition group the National Council of Resistance claimed Tehran was developing medium and long-range missiles that could reach western Europe and target US-led forces in Iraq. [They've clearly learned their lessons from the anti-Saddam Iraqi opposition, on how to encourage a petro-imperialist invasion.] [Agitprop details follow.] ...

'Asked about the likelihood the US would have to confront Iran militarily, Mr Rumsfeld said: "I guess [!] those are calls for the President ... or for other leaders of other countries to make. ...'

Sir John's ambitions are far too modest. Here is a list of targets that must be eliminated as an absolute minimum:-

(3) All paedophiles, especially those dressed provocatively in red who sit children on their laps at Christmas. (Come to think of it, what's the difference between 2 and 3?)

(5) ..... Hell, let's cut to the quick and say everyone. (I'm sure Colonel Blitzenburger thoroughly approves.)

This was the consulate which, according to J Michael Springmann (who was head of the visa department there in the 1980s), was filled with CIA and other intelligence agency personnel. It was also the consulate, he says, where 15 out of 19 of the 9/11 "hijackers" got their visas (which is presumably why they were called "Saudi" ...)
See "The 'Hijackers'".

See further "Al-Qaeda's Saudi Arm Was Behind U.S. Consulate Attack (Update 1)", Bloomberg.com [is this the organ of Guiliani's protege?], 7 December 04. "The Saudi Arabian branch of al-Qaeda said it carried out the attack on the U.S. Consulate in the Red Sea port of Jeddah that left eight people dead [none American, as we are used to by now in these anti-American attacks. Well, in this case the Yanks did have good security ...] ...' A statement 'signed by al-Qaeda's Saudi arm', was 'posted on an Islamist Web site'. But, as the article then admits, the statement 'can't be authenticated'.

'The Saudi ambassador to Britain has accepted libel damages from a magazine which claimed he was responsible for the September 11 attacks [my emphasis].

'Prince Turki al-Faisal received substantial damages and a public apology from Paris Match after action in London's High Court.

'The Prince denied all links to the attacks and al-Qaeda, which he described as an "evil cult".

'The Paris Match article included an interview with Laurent Murawiec and extracts from his book, La Guerre D'Apres, giving his account of the dangers Saudi Arabia posed for the US. ...'

'BBC director general Mark Thompson has announced savings of Ł320m a year and thousands of job losses as part of a "transformation" of the corporation.

'Mr Thompson said the savings were needed so that more of the licence fee [payable by TV holders] can be put into programmes.

'Almost 2,000 workers are expected to move from London to Manchester during the next five years, to make the BBC more reflective of UK audiences.'

'... unions attacked the cuts as "savage and said they threaten to destroy the heart of the corporation.'

The unions have been crying wolf for so many decades that their sword is blunted for facing a real destroyer.

'Former ambassadors, senior military figures and religious leaders have demanded that Tony Blair orders an inquiry into civilian deaths in Iraq.

'The 44-signatory letter to the PM comes after a recent study estimated that the number of excess deaths in Iraq since the war began in March 2003 is 98,000.

'The letter demands an independent probe to establish an accurate figure of the casualties, and give reasons for them.'

'Washington — The Senate overwhelmingly approved the intelligence restructuring bill Wednesday [8 Dec. 04] and sent it to the White House. ...'

'Four US troops serving on a special operations task force have been disciplined for abusing prisoners in Iraq, including unauthorised use of Taser electric-shock weapons, the Pentagon has said.

'The task force's activities became known on Tuesday [7 Dec. 04] with the release of a June document showing that its members punched and abused prisoners in front of Defence Intelligence Agency agents and then threatened the agents to try to keep them quiet. ...'

So now we know! Prisoner abuse isn't down to the DIA, let al-o-o-ne the CIA! :-^)

Well, we all knew that Jeb Bush was Dubya's brother! But also:- 1. Eighty percent of all votes in America are counted by only two companies — Diebold and ES&S;

3. The vice-president of Diebold and the president of ES&S are brothers; the chairman and CEO of Diebold is a major Bush campaign organizer and donor who wrote in 2003 that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year"; ...

8. ES&S is the largest voting machine manufacturer in the U.S. and counts almost 60% of all U.S. votes;

9. Diebold's new touch screen voting machines have no paper trail of any votes. In other words, there is no way to verify that the data coming out of the machine is the same as what was legitimately put in by voters; ... 11. Diebold is based in Ohio;

12.-14. Diebold employs convicted felons; and a hacking-facilitator in a key position; ...

17. 30% of all votes are carried out on unverifiable touch-screen voting machines with no paper trail;

18. All — not some — of the voting machine errors detected and reported in Florida went in favour of Bush or Republican candidates; ...

'TIMES[:] The [UK] Government defied its own independent advisers [the Electoral Commission] by declaring all-postal ballots could go ahead despite warnings of fraud and intimidation.'

The Brit-muppets are all set to mimic their Yankee masters with a faked general election.

The US military proposes to take fingerprints and iris scans of all men of fighting age returning to Fallujah.

'When the residents of Fallujah begin trickling back to their devastated city, they will be routed through sandbagged checkpoints where U.S. and Iraqi troops will take their fingerprints, issue ID cards and in some cases scan their irises, part of an elaborate plan to keep insurgents out of the former radical militant stronghold. ...

'All men of military age will be processed using a central database; they will be photographed, fingerprinted and have iris scans taken before being issued ID cards. The entire process will take 10 minutes per man, [Lt Gen John F] Sattler said. ...'

NORTH KOREA[:] The US exaggerated the threat of nuclear programmes just as it manipulated intelligence about WMD in Iraq, said a foreign policy expert.'

A military plane crashed in a mountainous area of northern Venezuela, killing 16 people. High-ranking officers were believed to be among the fatalities.

'Two paramedics called to the scene of the death of the weapons expert, Dr David Kelly, have questioned the manner in which he died, the Observer says.

'They do not want to start conspiracy theories but merely highlight their observations, the paper says.'

(BBC Ceefax, p.148, reviews of British papers) Kelly was the British government bioweapons expert who expressed — mildly — doubts on the Iraq-attack agitprop facade. His body was found last year in woodland close to his home. He had apparently taken an overdose of painkillers and slit his wrists.

One of the paramedics said that little blood was found where the body was found, and that the body appeared to have been moved after death. (British Channel 4 News, 12 Dec. 04, 7:30pm

The Observer report:
Antony Barnett, "Kelly death paramedics query verdict", 12 Dec. 04 (long)

Shorter reports, some follow-ups with reactions:

"Medics raise Kelly death doubts", BBC News online, 12 Dec. 04

Vikrim Dodd, "New Kelly claim splits medical opinion", The Guardian (The Observer's weekday sister), 13 Dec. 04
Dan McDougall, "Kelly 'could not have died' from knife wound, paramedics claim", The Scotsman, 13 Dec. 04

In the UK, the "opposition" Conservative Party is to "reluctantly" back the "Labour" government on the issue of ID cards.

'US President George W Bush has warned Iran and Syria not to interfere in Iraq in advance of next month's [Iraqi] elections.

'Mr Bush said he expected all of Iraq's neighbours [that includes Saudi], including Iran and Syria, to stop what he said was the flow of people and money into Iraq. [Remember that film about a wife-coveting cop who cries "Halt! Halt! Halt!" in front of a gaping husband before shooting him in the chest?]

'His comments came on the first day of the [Iraqi] election campaign, as at least seven people were killed and 30 injured by a bomb in the holy city of Karbala.'

British Home Secretary David Blunkett has resigned, over the fast-tracked visa drivel. His successor Charles Clarke is just as pro-ID-card.

In the UK House of Lords, the Law Lords (the highest court in the country) has ruled against the Government's detention of 13 foreign nationals without trial. The Lords said that it challenged the right to jury trial, as established for over 300 years, and that the real threat to freedom came from laws such as these.

An audio recording of "Osama bin Laden" has appeared on "an Islamist website". In it "Osama" praises the recent attack on the US consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and calls for attacks by "his" followers on Iraqi oil installations. The recording has not yet been verified.

Not to worry, I'm sure it soon will be. Ironic that "Osama" should praise the attack. The Jeddah consulate was where 15 of the "19 9/11 hijackers" got their entry visas for the US. J Michael Springmann, head of the visa department there in 1987-8, described the consulate as dominated by the CIA and other intelligence agencies. (See "The 'Hijackers'".) "Osama" could have called it, in the terminology of some previous Islamic revolutionaries, a "nest of spies".

Bush has signed into law the most far-reaching overhaul of the USA's intelligence agencies in nearly 60 years. A national intelligence director will oversee the work of 15 agencies, including the CIA and the FBI.

The CIA operates a secret prison-within-a-prison in Guantanamo, for interrogating high-level Qaeda prisoners.

The American Right is trying to get rid of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan via the food-for-oil corruption scandal. (Annan's son or nephew is said to be involved.)

'INDEPENDENT[:] The [UK] Government's refusal to withdraw its anti-terror laws has left Britain on the edge of a constitutional crisis that threatens civil liberties.

'TIMES[:] Millions of e-mails to civil servants at the heart of [British] government will be wiped on Monday [20 Dec. 04], 11 days before freedom of information laws come into force.'

'A senior MI5 officer has been appointed security chief at the Houses of Parliament after a series of blunders.

'Counter-terror chief Peter Mason will have powers to order the PM, the Cabinet and MPs, to leave the Commons or seal them inside if there is an alert. [My emphases.]

'... the first time a single security officer has been made responsible for both chambers. ...'

Here lieth the mummies of constitutional government. Blackened and entombed by the dragons of police-empire.

UK government legislation for identity cards has been voted on in the House of Commons by 306 votes to 93. Many Conservative MPs absented themselves from the chamber rather than follow their leadership's support of ID cards. Some Labour MPs voted against, and the Liberal Democrats are against them as a party.

At the start of the 21st century, the new divisions of authoritarians and libertarians cut clear across the old party lines.

'NEW YORK — A document released for the first time today by the American Civil Liberties Union suggests that President Bush issued an Executive Order authorizing the use of inhumane interrogation methods against detainees in Iraq. Also released by the ACLU today are a slew of other records including a December 2003 FBI e-mail that characterizes methods used by the Defense Department as "torture" and a June 2004 "Urgent Report" to the Director of the FBI that raises concerns that abuse of detainees is being covered up. ... [We should not, of course, regard the present-day FBI as any better or more trustworthy than other US government institutions. It has, since Bush came to power, been extensively purged. (And its conservative-Republican director, Mueller, appears to have played a key role in the 9/11 scam.) See "The Purge of the FBI" and "The [9/11] 'Hijackers'".]

'The documents were obtained after the ACLU and other public interest organizations filed a lawsuit against the government for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request. ...

'The ACLU and its allies are scheduled to go to court again this afternoon, where they will seek an order compelling the CIA to turn over records related to an internal investigation into detainee abuse. Although the ACLU has received more than 9,000 documents from other agencies, the CIA refuses to confirm or deny even the existence of many of the records that the ACLU and other plaintiffs have requested. The CIA is reported to have been involved in abusing detainees in Iraq and at secret CIA detention facilities around the globe [my emphasis]. ...'

'Nineteen of the 24 people killed in an Iraqi rebel attack on a US base near Mosul were American soldiers.

'A mess tent full of hundreds of troops was targeted while they were having their lunch. Three other soldiers of unknown nationality also died.

'It was the deadliest single incident for US troops since the start of the war in Iraq. sources said 57 people were injured in the rocket blast.

Following a surprise visit to Baghdad, 'Tony Blair has arrived in Israel to launch a new push for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. ...'

Terrorist attacks in Mideastern countries have in the past (at least since 9/11) coincided with unannounced visits of high-ranking members of the Bush-fronted junta.

A previous visit by Blair to Egypt and Israel, when there was a warning of an attack on his aircraft, coincided with the crash of a French airliner into the Red Sea. This was called an accident.

'The White House has said fresh allegations of abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay [and where else? by US military personnel will be "fully investigated". ...'

'United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has repeated that he has no intention of resigning following corruption allegations within the body. ...'

'Iran closed its borders with Iraq and banned its nationals from traveling to the war-torn country, the Iranian News Agency (IRNA) said on Wednesday [22 Dec. 04].

'The news agency published a police statement saying that "All borders with Iraq are now closed and movement in or out prohibited until further notice."

'The statement also said that the travel ban and the border closure were due to the deteriorating security situation in Iraq. ...'

Really, no doubt, to avoid giving America another excuse to invade Iran. Members of the US junta have recently reiterated claims that Iran is backing the Iraq insurgency with personnel and money.

'INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY[:] Prime Minister Tony Blair has ordered military chiefs to prepare to send British troops to intervene in Sudan in the New Year.'

In an unauthenticated audiotape, "bin Laden" calls on Iraqis to boycott the Iraq election (scheduled for 30 Jan. 05). "He" also calls Zarqawi the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

One faked videotape (just before the 2 Nov. 04 US elections) was probably about all the CIA or its hirelings felt they could get away with.

Zarqawi has already been built up by Western propaganda from a petty terrorist into a bogeyman. "Osama's" confirmation is rather one more hint that Bin Laden is an avatar in CIAberspace (see-eye-aye-berspace).

Liberal opposition leader Yushchenko has "won" the re-run of the Ukrainian elections.

There is, of course, no similarly-spirited liberal opposition in the United States to challenge the conservative oil cabal there, and chase up the similarly-big question marks hanging over last November 2's elections.

The CIA's deputy director of intelligence, Jami Miscik, has stepped down. She is the most senior official to do so since Porter Goss took over the CIA.

Ms Miscik had been head of the agency's intelligence branch since 2002. She called her departure a "natural evolution", according to reports.

'... Jami Miscik will leave in February [2005] ... former intelligence officials who know her say she would have preferred to stay and was being forced out by Mr Goss, a close ally of President Bush. One former official told the New York Times: "The decision to depart was not hers."

'Half a dozen other CIA officials have left in the three months since Mr goss took office accompanied by a team of republican aides he brought with him from his days as a congressman. ...'

'Former US attorney general Ramsay Clark has joined the team of Jordan-based lawyers defending Saddam Hussein.

'Mr Clark — who held office in the 1960s under President Lyndon Johnson — said his principle [sic] concern was protecting the rights of the former Iraqi leader.

'Left-wing activist Mr Clark described the special tribunal established to try members of the former regime as a creation of the US military occupation.'

I'm looking at AbdulAziz al-Omari, one of the claimed 9/11 hijackers. Apparently (to play Devil's advocate) the FBI initially confused his details — but not his photograph — with another Saudi of the same name.
"Abdulaziz al-Omari", Wikipedia)

A mysterious total absence of animal fatalities at one centre of the Indian-Ocean tsunami disaster ...

'As the death toll mounts [125,000 at the latest count], a number of papers carry the remark by Sri Lankan officials that no wild animals have been found dead since dead since the tsunami.

'According to the Sun, the waves washed floodwater two miles into the country's biggest wildlife reserve.

'But the National Wildlife department told the Telegraph there were no dead elephants, "not even a dead rabbit".

'A biologist says many animals seem to sense when a disaster or catastrophe is about to occur.'

Or is it rather the money-raking opportunities sensed by Third-World officials whenever one occurs?

I have suspected for a number of years that the bureaucracies of such countries take advantage of disasters by exaggerating casualty figures, so that they can pocket the surplus (and not necessarily just the surplus). In this, it may be speculated, they are aided by corrupt staff within Western aid agencies — money corrupts, and big money corrupts bigtime. A few years ago, whenever we heard news of a calamity (e.g. the Venezuelan flood disaster), casualty figures always — always — spiralled to the maximum.

'COLOMBO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan officials are stunned — the worst tsunami in memory has killed around 22,000 people along the Indian Ocean's coast, but they can't find any dead animals.

'Giant waves washed floodwaters up to 3 km (2 miles) inland at Yala National Park in the ravaged southeast, Sri Lanka's biggest wildlife reserve and home to hundreds of wild elephants and several leopards.

'"The strange thing is we haven't recorded any dead animals," H.D. Ratnayake, deputy director of the national Wildlife Department, told Reuters on Wednesday [29 Dec. 04].

'"No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit," he added. "I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening."