Frank Freeman's Diary, November 2004

'Something is rising from the ashes of September 11: the spectre of questions that will haunt our country until answered.

'Months after the release of the official 9/11 Commission Report — even as Congress moves to implement its proposals for a radical centralization of security forces — growing numbers of Americans are doubting their own government's account of what really happened on Septmebr 11, and how. ...

'A Zogby International poll of New York City residents last August [2004] showed that 49 percent believe some high officials knew about the [9/11] attacks in advance and "consciously failed" to take preventive action. 41 percent of [New York] state residents overall shared that view.

'A full 66 percent of New York City residents in the survey agreed the case of 9/11 should be reopened by Congress — or by Eliot Spitzer ...'

'The role of BBC governors as both champions and regulators of the corporation will be overhauled in the next BBC charter, it has emerged.

'Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell made the comment when quizzed on the conflicting position of governors by the Culture, Media and Sport committee.

'She told the hearing the "status quo was not an option". The BBC recognises the dual role is not sustainable.'

George Bush has won the US presidential elections. Republican majorities in Congress have been strengthened. Senate minority Democrat leader Tom Daschle has lost his seat to a Republican.

'Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said it is "inconceivable" that America would try to bomb Iran.

'There has been speculation about whether the newly re-elected George Bush will be more hawkish over Iran.

'Pointing to talks with Tehran, Mr Straw said: "I don't see any circumstances in which military action would be justified against Iran, full stop."

'Mr Straw said President Bush's re-election gave the world the chance to make new progress on Middle East peace.'

Some believe Yasser Arafat's "undiagnosable" critical illness is due to Israeli poisoning.

'The Iraqi government has declared a state of emergency for 60 days [which takes them nicely up to the "elections"] throughout the country, except for Kurdish-run areas in the north.

'It comes as American and Iraqi forces prepare for an all-out assault on the rebel stronghold of Fallujah.'

MI5 head Eliza Manningham-Buller has underlined the terrorist threat. She was addressing the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

'... "The terrorists are inventive, adaptable and patient; their planning includes a wide range of methods to attack us." ...'

Which neatly describes the CIA-led international network, the conjurors of Reich's construction, the advance guard of the new world evil empire.

Manningham-Buller's speech coincides with a warning by Mohamed ElBarradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, about terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons.

'A US-led attack on the insurgent stronghold of Falluja in central Iraq has begun. ...'

The death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been officially announced. His illness is still a mystery one (though French doctors are said to have ruled out poisoning).

'US marines have faced strong resistance on day four of a military push against Iraqi insurgents in Falluja. ...

'Commanders ... said 18 marines and five Iraqi soldiers have died so far. About 600 insurgents are reported dead, but the number of civilians hurt [] is not clear. [My emphasis.]'

'Jordanian neurologist Dr Ashraf al-Kurdi, who regularly treated Yasser Arafat, has said it is likely he was poisoned and has called for an autopsy.'

'... [On 9 Nov. 04] Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said after talks with Arafat's French doctors that they had "ruled out completely poison."

'Arafat, 75, died Thursday [11 Nov. 04] in Paris, where he had flown Oct. 29 for treatment after tests indicated he had a low count of blood platelets, components that help clotting. Neither doctors nor Palestinian leaders have said what caused Arafat's death after days in a coma.

'"One of the causes of platelet deficiency is poison," said al-Kurdi, who examined Arafat before he was taken to Paris.

'Although "not definitive, I believe the highest reason for Arafat's mysterious death is poisoning," al-Kurdi said. [My emphasis.]

'"Therefore, there should be an autopsy performed," added the Jordanian neurologist, who had frequently examined Arafat over the last two decades. ...'

Expelled British Labour Party MP George Galloway has begun his libel case against the Daily Telegraph at the High Court. Last year the paper published a claim that Galloway had been paid Ł375,000 by Saddam Hussein.

The claim waas based on documents allegedly found at the Iraqi Ministry of Information after the US invasion last year. The building was open to all and sundry at the time, and anyone could have planted the documents.

Now here are opportunities for the expansion in Britain of the Great Paedophile Campaign ...

'The [UK] government has made little progress in bringing child sex offenders to justice and helping victims, a new report has claimed.

'Children in care are safer, but fewer than one in 50 sexual offences [defined by ...?] leads to a criminal conviction, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation charity said.

'Its study was overseen by Sir William Utting, who led an official review of abuse of children in care in 1997.

NBC television has a film of one of its reporters, showing a US marine shooting dead an unarmed wounded man in a Falluja mosque.

Another film, by an embedded BBC reporter, showed a soldier apparently finishing off a wounded person behind a wall, in the same city.

'US forces have swept through parts of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in an operation to flush out insurgents and retake captured police stations.

'More than 1,000 soldiers are advancing through the city from west to east, meeting little resistance, the US says. ...'

'IRAN[:] Tehran is deceiving the United Nations by secretly running a programme intended to give it atomic arms by next year, an Iranian opposition group said.'

Which lays down a strict timetable for invasion. A repeat performance of the unholy alliance of US petro-imperialism and Iraqi opposition groups.

'US Secretary of State Colin Powell says he has seen information which suggests Iran is seeking to adapt its missiles to carry nuclear warheads.

'The intelligence suggests Iran has been "actively working on delivery systems", Mr Powell said on his way to Chile.

'His comments follow Iran's agreement to suspend its uranium enrichment activities, after talks with the EU.

'Iran insists its nuclear activities are peaceful, but the US says they are part of a secret weapon programme.'

Clearly, the these two pieces of agitprop (yesterday and today) are coordinated, and designed to point the way for the conquest of Iran. The latter item also throws further light, if any were needed, on the true nature of Powell's "moderation". It is not that Powell was better than Rice, but that Rice is worse than Powell.

It seems that, regrettably, the only things that will stop the American oil cabal are all-out nuclear war (unlikely for the moment, with Putin foolishly stringing along with them), or internal revolt (which could also be very bloody). The "second maximum phase of struggles", as Spengler termed it, is apparently not to be thwarted.

'He continued: "I'm not talking about uranium or fissile material or the warhead, I'm talking about what one does with a warhead."

'Powell's comments surprised senior officials in the [US] administration who had been privy to the classified and unverified information about Iran's missile and warhead capabilities.

'Earlier this month, U.S. intelligence received hundreds of pages of documents purporting to be Iranian nuclear warhead designs and plans to modify missiles to carry such warheads. But that information, officials said, has not been authenticated by U.S. intelligence. Officials have been proceeding cautiously in attempting to verify the information, mindful of mistakes made in prewar assessments of Iraq's weapons capabilities based partly on bad intelligence.'

'The CIA has revealed it is to change [should that be intensify?] its tactics in a bid to make progress in the war on global terrorism.

'The agency is to send more spies on dangerous missions in enemy territory rather than rely on diplomats under flimsy cover in foreign embassies.

'The strategy is part of a drive by the new US spymaster, Porter Goss, to modernise what he sees as a "dysfunctional" intelligence agency.

'The US spy agency says more agents will be sent undercover into threat nations like North Korea and Iran and to penetrate terrorist groups. ... [The point of advertising this in advance must be to undermine morale and fuel mutual suspicion in the target nations.]

'In recent days deputy director John McLaughlin retired, while the deputy director of operations Stephen Kappes quit amid reports of in-fighting. [See Dana Priest and Walter Pincus, "CIA Chief Seeks to Reassure Employees", Washington Post, p.A01.]

'Ex-CIA director George Tenet quit this year after criticism of intelligence failures in the run-up to the Iraq war.

'Porter Goss's appointment as CIA director general [sic] has caused a stir and the ex-Republican congressman has been accused of taking a partisan agenda. [Goss met Pakistani ISI chief Mahmoud Ahmad on the morning of 9/11. See Michel Chossudovsky, "Mysterious September 11 Breakfast Meeting on Capitol Hill", Global Outlook, winter 2003, reproduced on the Centre for Research on Globalisation website, 4 August 03.]

'In an e-mail to staff this week he set out the "rules of the road" and said: "We support the administration and its policies in our work."

'There have also been complaints that Mr Goss has appointed "cronies" to top positions in the agency.'

Anonymous "Western" diplomats have claimed more evidence of an Iranian nuclear arms programme. It's allegedly producing uranium hexafluoride, a potential stage in the development of nukes.

'Despite promises to freeze its nuclear programs, Iran has continued to convert uranium for enrichment, diplomats in Washington and Vienna said yesterday, a situation that they said signals potential trouble for a new and still untested agreement between the Islamic republic and European countries.

'Earlier this week Tehran agreed to freeze its nuclear programs in exchange for guarantees that it would not face the prospect of U.N. sanctions while it continued to negotiate with diplomats from Britain [America's Trojan horse in Europe], France and Germany. That deal was to take effect on Monday [22 Nov. 04], so while Iran's conversion work [The Washington Post seems to be taking for granted that these allegations are true] does not technically violate its terms or international law, it sparked concern among the Europeans that Iran was going to look for loopholes to continue its nuclear programs.

'"This is really a shot in the eye," one European diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of hurting the deal more. [Or was this "European" perhaps thinking "shot in the arm" for American petro-imperialism?]

'To help sell the deal to a skeptical Bush administration, Britain, France and Germany drafted a U.N. resolution making it clear that any Iranian attempt to pursue nuclear materials during the negotiations would result in immediate referral to the Security Council, according to diplomats who have seen the draft.

'The unambiguous language of the two-page resolution was shared with Bush administration officials yesterday; a final version is to be presented at the International Atomic Energy Agency's board meeting on Iran next week in Vienna.

'Diplomats here and in the Austrian capital confirmed yesterday that Iran has continued to convert raw uranium to hexafluoride gas, known as UF6, the end stage for the uranium before it can be enriched. ...'

'Several thousand more US troops are expected to be sent to Iraq to ensure security ahead of the elections in January, military commanders say.

'They warned up to 5,000 troops could soon be sent in, but a final decision on numbers will depend on what effect the Fallujah offensive has on the uprising. [Well, resistance fighters were given all the time in the world to escape and carry on elsewhere ...]

'They added that although the offensive had not snared Abu Musab al-Zarqawi [another phantom-Goldstein popinjay, after "Osama bin Laden"], his base of operations was eliminated.'

'The International Committee of the Red Cross has condemned what it calls the "utter contempt for humanity" shown by all sides in the fighting in Iraq.

'In an unusually critical statement from its headquarters in Iraq, the ICRC said the conflict was having a devastating impact on the people in Iraq. ...'

The Red Cross also estimated the number of civilian casualties in Falluja as about 800. (The US Military has said it has killed c.1,000 insurgents in the city.)

British Home Secretary David Blunkett "has warned hunters that Parliament's ban on the blood sport will be fully enforced by police.

'[He] said that any attempt to carry on foxhunting in defiance of the new Hunting Act would be a challenge to the whole legal system. [A rich one indeed, coming from this police-state projector.]

'He added no extra cash will be given to chief constables to enforce the law as resources currently used to tackle hunt saboteurs will be diverted instead.'

'OBSERVER[:] A US "super-cop" brought in by the [UK] Home Office to cut crime is worried the binge-drinking culture is spiralling out of control and overwhelming police.'

And now, the main course, for which the above bits of shit were served as appetisers:-

'Home Secretary David Blunkett has set out plans for tough new laws to fight the threat of an al-Qaeda attack.

'If Labour wins a third term, he will order officials to examine a range of measures from jury-less terror courts to allowing wiretap evidence in trials.

'The anti-terror laws may also see civil orders imposed against people who have not committed a crime but are suspected [my emphasis] of "acts preparatory to terrorism".'

And who would not believe that the "Labour" government won't follow the example of their American masters and falsify the upcoming election? The 1992 election ("stone-cold certain") was the infant. Fraudulent elections in the Anglo-Saxon world are now, perhaps, reaching adolescence.

US President Bush, at the APEC summit, has called for N Korea to give up its nuclear arms.

'GUARDIAN[:] Iraqi officials announced the first democratic elections in decades would be held [on 30 January 04], despite the relentless violence.'

'INDEPENDENT[:] British troops will be sent to help the US in other parts of Iraq, prompting fears that soldiers could be stuck in dangerous areas for years.'

They set up the Roman Empire, then all the troops came home to Italy. Are you kidding?!

Her's another fluff job for the Queen's speech today, which will outline legislation for ID cards and further "security" measures:-

'"UK TERROR ATTACKS THWARTED"

"September 11-style terror attacks on skyscrapers [sic] in London's Canary Wharf have been thwarted, it has emerged.

'Al-Qaeda plans to crash aircraft into three skyscrapers were among four or five terror strikes which security chiefs believe they have stopped.

'Training programmes [government subsidised?!] for suicide pilots who planned a spectacular attack on the financial centre were disrupted, a top security source told a newspaper.'

(ITV Teletext, p.303)

... reported by the Mail (ibid, p.328)

Benedict Brogan, "Target: Canary Wharf 'Al-Qaeda plot to hijack jets and fly them into skyscrapers is smashed', Daily Mail, 23 November 04, pp.1, 4. The security source of this story is just as anonymous here, too.

But now cf. ...

Home Office 'linked to discredited claim of al-Qa'ida plot'
Jason Bennetto, The Independent (Britain) (later in Nov. 04)

'The Home Office is suspected of being behind discredited media reports on the eve of the Queen's Speech that an al-Qa'ida plot to fly planes into London skyscrapers had been foiled.

'Supporters of David Blunkett were accused of trying to exploit public fears in an attempt to help the Government introduce anti-terrorism legislation. [As if MI5 didn't support it to the hilt!]

'The Daily Mail and ITV News reported that Islamic militants were caught preparing to attack the financial centre of Canary Wharf, or possibly Heathrow. [The latter a ghost of the agitprop campaign of early 2003 ("potential missile attack on Heathrow"), that prepared us for the Iraq invasion. MI5 agitpropnik-in-chief Eliza Manningham-Buller did support this propaganda campaign, later speechifying that those who thought it was an appertizer for the Iraq invasion were "quite wrong".]

'The two journalists responsible said they had been told about the story by a "senior source" several days ago. The Mail said the "security services" — MI5 and MI6 — had prevented the planned attack.

'Anti-terrorism sources denied the claim. [My emphasis. But is this "plausible deniability"?] One said: "To say we were surprised at the report is an understatement — this is the first we have heard of a plot like this." another said: "No one has been charged for this so-called plot which suggests it never happened."

"The source added that the fact that the story of the 11 September-style plan came from lobby correspondents, rather than security or crime specialists, "gives you a good clue to where they got their information". The journalists behind the story, Benedict Brogan, the Mail's Whitehall editor, and Nick Robinson, the political editor of ITV News, are known to have joint lunches with politicians and officials.

'Details of the story, which they agreed to run at the same time, are believed [by whom?] to have been provided by a Home Office source several days ago.

'Despite having the information for several days, and possibly longer than a week, the newspaper and television programme held the stories until just a week before the Queen's Speech, which contained Bills to introduce and ID-card, and FBI-style organised crime agency and other anti-terrorist measures.

'Barry Hugill, a spokesman for Liberty, the civil liberties organisation, said: "The timing and contents of this story look very, very suspicious indeed."

'He added: "Ten days ago Mr Blunkett announced that the intelligence services had thwarted a major al-Qa'ida plot then added that they might not be able to convict the people involved. Now we discover that al-Qa'ida are going to crash an aeroplane into Canary Wharf — the whole thing appears to be very cynical indeed." ...'

On 15 Dec. 2004 Home Secretary Blunkett resigned over petty drivel that he had fast-tracked a visa for his lover's nanny, etc. Stooges may come, and stooges may go, but the British police state grows on forever.

'One of America's most influential news presenters, Dan Rather, has announced that he is to give up his role as the CBS News anchor early next year.

'The 73-year-old presented the US network's main evening news broadcast for almost a quarter of a century.

'He has faced criticism over a recent report questioning President George W Bush's military service, based on evidence which turned out to be forged. [My emphasis.]

'TIMES[:] Identity cards will be issued within four years after ministers made them the centrepiece of their programme for the run-up to the election.'

The Bush administration is pushing for the CIA's secret paramilitary operations to be handed over to the Pentagon. Meanwhile, conservative Republicans are said to have caused Congress to block moves for the reform and centralization of US intelligence (as recommended by the 9/11 Commission).

US President Bush "intervened" in Northern Ireland, urging Ian Paisley to share power by letting Sinn Fein in. Paisley replied that he wouldn't let terrorists in.

'NORTH KOREA[:] A UN nuclear watchdog's decision not to refer South Korea's past illicit nuclear experiments to the Security Council has been attacked.'

Well, perhaps they didn't have the same significance as North Korea's. Or perhaps this is more evidence of the IAEA'S/ElBarradei's cabal-servitude.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was given details of the planned coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea at least five weeks before it was scheduled, reports the British Sunday The Observer. The claim comes from a member of the South African security forces, apparently as testimony for the trial of Mark Thatcher (son of the Iron Lady), who was allegedly backed the plot.

The security man thought he'd warn Britain to save lives of British nationals in the target country, but the UK government and security services weren't interested in passing the information on to Guinea, he says. (British Channel 4 News)

Meanwhile, the British "Labour" government is no doubt happy that the "opposition" Conservatives, the conservative Telegraph and other papers have taken up instead with some drivel about David Blunkett allegedly abusing his position as Home Secretary to do favours for his (now-ex) lover, including "fast-tracking a visa" for her Filipino nanny.

Of course the Tories would be as anxious as the government to divert attention from a more serious issue with some tabloid trash. Mark's mother Margaret Thatcher is the Matriarch of the squabbling Siamese twins, New Labour and the Tories.

'Identity cards would "protect rather than erode civil liberties", Prime Minister Tony Blair has insisted. [And a poke in the eye helps you to see.]

'Mr Blair told his monthly media conference ID cards would help secure the UK's borders, tackle crime and ensure public services were not abused. ...'

'ID cards will mean people have to give the state less information about themselves, Home Secretary David Blunkett has said.

'Launching the Identity Cards Bill, Mr Blunkett said 80% of the public were behind the proposal and it was said many politicians did not understand them. [At least they can't — yet — fake the statistics about politicians' views.]

'Lib Dems have vowed to stop the plans which they regard as "deeply flawed". The Tories expressed some misgivings.'

'The Government has published its Bill which will eventually mean that all Britons have to carry [?!] an identity card.

'The Identity Card Bill also includes plans for a host of new offences to be brought in which will deal with people who try to abuse the new cards.

'And it includes moves to fine Britons Ł1,000 if they fail to tell officials they have moved house, or Ł2,500 for failing to sign up to the card scheme.'

Equatorial Guinea national security adviser Ruben Mayu "told the BBC that mercenaries involved in the [recent coup-]plot said they had been backed by Spain's security services. ...'

'Ayman al-Zahwari, al-Qaeda's deputy leader, has appeared in a video shown by Arab channel al-Jazeera. ...'

A leaked report of the International Committee of the Red Cross criticises treatment of Guantanamo internees.

Our intrepid reporters of the New York Daily News have uncovered more dodgy oddities in the US presidential election ...

'It has been a month now and we still don't have a clear count of the votes for our own presidential race from the state of Ohio.

'for those who may have forgotten, Ohio supposedly assured George W. Bush a second term in the White House — only the most important job on the planet.

'The morning after the election, we were told Bush was ahead of John Kerry in that state's unofficial count by 139,000 votes, or 2.5%.

'At the time there were 155,000 uncounted provisional ballots and an unknown number of overseas ballots, but Kerry concluded [with enemies like him, Bush don't need friends] they would not produce enough of a margin to erase his deficit, so he promptly conceded. ...

'[But] Within a few days, other problems began to show up in Ohio's preliminary tally.

'We learned, for example, that an additional 93,000 voters had gone to the polls yet machines had registered no preference of theirs for President. Only a manual recount can tell us for sure what happened to those 93,000 ballots.

'Then, red-faced election officials in Franklin County admitted a computer error on Election Night had tallied 4,258 votes for Bush in a precinct where only 638 people voted. That correction alone will drop Bush's margin by 3,620. [Or more, assuming that not every single voter there voted for Bush. Funny how the "errors" are almost always in favour of Bush.]

'And now Daily News reporter Larry Cohler-Esses and I have uncovered some more unusual vote totals, this time in black neighborhoods of Cleveland. Those results are from the precinct-by-precinct tallies released by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, where Cleveland is located. [Cf. my "Questions Over the US Presidential Election".] ...'

... Gonzalez goes on to say that, in certain poor black Cleveland neighbourhoods, two hard-right fringe candidates, most improbably, did exceptionally well — at the expense of Kerry. Benefit, of course, to Bush.