ChrisBryantMP Chris Bryant
So coulson was on £475k before election and £140k at downing street. Something doesn't add up
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Peter Jennings - Ecstasy Rising (200?)
The rise of Ecstasy is a major event in drug history. If current trends continue, 1.8 million Americans will try Ecstasy for the first time in 2004; only marijuana will attract more new users. Overwhelming, positive word of mouth has made Ecstasy a nightmare for drug controllers. On a special edition of 'Primetime Thursday' Peter Jennings tells the epic story of Ecstasy that has never been heard.
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Release the Lachlan!
Crises like this one are what drive Murdoch, John Lanchester wrote in the London Review of Books in 2004. The genocidal tyrant loves taking action at "the point when everything seems about to be lost." Lanchester cites News Corp.'s 1990 debt crisis, in which Murdoch almost lost the company; his relocation of his British papers to Wapping; and the financial disaster resulting from borrowing money from Michael Milken as prime examples of Rupert's tightrope walking. More recently, Murdoch had to scramble all of News Corp.'s fire engines and squad cars to repel John Malone, who had purchased enough of the company's stock on the sly to threaten the Murdoch family's control...
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Jack Shafer @'Slate'
Mark Twain’s ‘Advice to Little Girls’
(Click to enlarge)
It is difficult for us to imagine what a strange impression Advice to Little Girls, a children’s story by Mark Twain, must have had on its audience when it was written in 1865 and eventually published as part of The 30,000 Dollar Bequest and Other Stories. American children’s literature in those days was mostly didactic, addressed to some imaginary reader—an ideal girl or boy, upon reading the story, would immediately adopt its heroes as role models. He did not squat down to be heard and understood by children, but asked them to stand on their tiptoes—to absorb the kind of language and humor suitable for adults.
The unexpected idea to illustrate Twain’s text came from the editor Bianca Lazzaro of Donzelli Editore in Rome, who also translated the text in to Italian. I still feel envious that she originated it because I’m always trying to find unusual or provocative subjects for my children’s books.
Trying to follow Twain’s style, I wanted to make something along the lines of a scrap-book or an album that you could buy in any paper-goods store at the time. Children used these small albums to paste in various curious objects, or for drawing, or just for doodling.
The only missing elements in the design of the book are stains and dog-ears, but I hope those will come with time.
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Vladimir Radunsky @"NYR'
Beautiful!
Exorcists meet in Poland, tackle vampires
Held at Poland's Roman Catholic Jasna Gora monastery, home to the venerated Black Madonna icon, this year's congress "examines the current fashion for vampirism in Europe and the world-over, schizophrenia and other mental disorders as well as the devil's deceit during exorcism," according to the monastery's radio station.
Also attending are "priests and lay people who work with exorcists or who are themselves practitioners in cases which do not involve possession but rather other forms of harassment by evil spirits," Polish exorcist, Father Andrzej Grefkowicz was quoted as saying.
Hailing from India, world-renowned exorcist Father Rufus Pereira as well as chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of Vienna Larry Hogan are among the participants, the radio reported. The unusual meeting is held once every two years.
The Jasna Gora monastery's venerated Black Madonna icon is believed by many Poles to work miracles.
Legend has it that it was painted by the apostle Saint Luke on a table top from the home of the Holy Family, according to the Jasna Gora website. Records suggest the icon arrived in Poland during the 14th century.With around 90 percent of the population declaring themselves Roman Catholic, Poland remains one of Europe's most devout countries.
Rebekah Brooks' resignation - video analysis
Matt Wells assesses Rebekah Brooks' decision to step down as chief executive of News International and what it could mean for the Murdoch empire.
@'The Guardian'
@'The Guardian'
The Wizened of Oz changes his tune somewhat...
We are sorry."We are sorry" is written in huge letters at the top, and Rupert Murdoch's signature rounds off the note.
The News of the World was in the business of holding others to account. It failed when it came to itself.
We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred.
We are deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the individuals affected.
We regret not acting faster to sort things out.
I realise that simply apologising is not enough.
Our business was founded on the idea that a free and open press should be a positive force in society. We need to live up to this.
In the coming days, as we take further concrete steps to resolve these issues and make amends for the damage they have caused, you will hear more from us.
Sincerely,
Rupert Murdoch
For contrast, here are the relevant passages of that final NoW editorial, which, as well as apologising, emphasises the paper's "high standards" and its journalists' "skill, dedication, honour and integrity" and asks to be judged "on all our years":
We praised high standards, we demanded high standards but, as we are now only too painfully aware, for a period of a few years up to 2006 some who worked for us, or in our name, fell shamefully short of those standards.Via
Quite simply, we lost our way.
Phones were hacked, and for that this newspaper is truly sorry.
There is no justification for this appalling wrongdoing.
No justification for the pain caused to victims, nor for the deep stain it has left on a great history.
Yet when this outrage has been atoned, we hope history will eventually judge us on all our years.
The staff of this paper are people of skill, dedication, honour and integrity bearing the pain for the past misdeeds of a few others.
And as a small step on the long road to making some amends, all profits from the sale of this final edition will be split equally between three charities: Barnardo's, the Forces Children's Trust, and military projects at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity.
Once upon a time in Rafah
The award was given to freelance political cartoonist Carlos Latuff. His work deals with a number of themes including anti-globalization and ant-capitalism. He himself has described his own work as controversial.
In the cartoon the Israeli child addresses rhe Palestinian child saying ' My father told me that you Arabs are evil terrorist animals. In response the Palestinian child says ' My father told me nothing, he was murdered by yours. Simple but effective.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Latuff
@'teifidancer'
(Thanx Dave!)
The CIA's Secret Sites in Somalia
Nestled in a back corner of Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport is a sprawling walled compound run by the Central Intelligence Agency. Set on the coast of the Indian Ocean, the facility looks like a small gated community, with more than a dozen buildings behind large protective walls and secured by guard towers at each of its four corners. Adjacent to the compound are eight large metal hangars, and the CIA has its own aircraft at the airport. The site, which airport officials and Somali intelligence sources say was completed four months ago, is guarded by Somali soldiers, but the Americans control access. At the facility, the CIA runs a counterterrorism training program for Somali intelligence agents and operatives aimed at building an indigenous strike force capable of snatch operations and targeted “combat” operations against members of Al Shabab, an Islamic militant group with close ties to Al Qaeda.
As part of its expanding counterterrorism program in Somalia, the CIA also uses a secret prison buried in the basement of Somalia’s National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters, where prisoners suspected of being Shabab members or of having links to the group are held. Some of the prisoners have been snatched off the streets of Kenya and rendered by plane to Mogadishu. While the underground prison is officially run by the Somali NSA, US intelligence personnel pay the salaries of intelligence agents and also directly interrogate prisoners. The existence of both facilities and the CIA role was uncovered by The Nation during an extensive on-the-ground investigation in Mogadishu. Among the sources who provided information for this story are senior Somali intelligence officials; senior members of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG); former prisoners held at the underground prison; and several well-connected Somali analysts and militia leaders, some of whom have worked with US agents, including those from the CIA. A US official, who confirmed the existence of both sites, told The Nation, “It makes complete sense to have a strong counterterrorism partnership” with the Somali government.
The CIA presence in Mogadishu is part of Washington’s intensifying counterterrorism focus on Somalia, which includes targeted strikes by US Special Operations forces, drone attacks and expanded surveillance operations. The US agents “are here full time,” a senior Somali intelligence official told me. At times, he said, there are as many as thirty of them in Mogadishu, but he stressed that those working with the Somali NSA do not conduct operations; rather, they advise and train Somali agents. “In this environment, it’s very tricky. They want to help us, but the situation is not allowing them to do [it] however they want. They are not in control of the politics, they are not in control of the security,” he adds. “They are not controlling the environment like Afghanistan and Iraq. In Somalia, the situation is fluid, the situation is changing, personalities changing.”
According to well-connected Somali sources, the CIA is reluctant to deal directly with Somali political leaders, who are regarded by US officials as corrupt and untrustworthy. Instead, the United States has Somali intelligence agents on its payroll. Somali sources with knowledge of the program described the agents as lining up to receive $200 monthly cash payments from Americans. “They support us in a big way financially,” says the senior Somali intelligence official. “They are the largest [funder] by far...”
As part of its expanding counterterrorism program in Somalia, the CIA also uses a secret prison buried in the basement of Somalia’s National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters, where prisoners suspected of being Shabab members or of having links to the group are held. Some of the prisoners have been snatched off the streets of Kenya and rendered by plane to Mogadishu. While the underground prison is officially run by the Somali NSA, US intelligence personnel pay the salaries of intelligence agents and also directly interrogate prisoners. The existence of both facilities and the CIA role was uncovered by The Nation during an extensive on-the-ground investigation in Mogadishu. Among the sources who provided information for this story are senior Somali intelligence officials; senior members of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG); former prisoners held at the underground prison; and several well-connected Somali analysts and militia leaders, some of whom have worked with US agents, including those from the CIA. A US official, who confirmed the existence of both sites, told The Nation, “It makes complete sense to have a strong counterterrorism partnership” with the Somali government.
The CIA presence in Mogadishu is part of Washington’s intensifying counterterrorism focus on Somalia, which includes targeted strikes by US Special Operations forces, drone attacks and expanded surveillance operations. The US agents “are here full time,” a senior Somali intelligence official told me. At times, he said, there are as many as thirty of them in Mogadishu, but he stressed that those working with the Somali NSA do not conduct operations; rather, they advise and train Somali agents. “In this environment, it’s very tricky. They want to help us, but the situation is not allowing them to do [it] however they want. They are not in control of the politics, they are not in control of the security,” he adds. “They are not controlling the environment like Afghanistan and Iraq. In Somalia, the situation is fluid, the situation is changing, personalities changing.”
According to well-connected Somali sources, the CIA is reluctant to deal directly with Somali political leaders, who are regarded by US officials as corrupt and untrustworthy. Instead, the United States has Somali intelligence agents on its payroll. Somali sources with knowledge of the program described the agents as lining up to receive $200 monthly cash payments from Americans. “They support us in a big way financially,” says the senior Somali intelligence official. “They are the largest [funder] by far...”
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Jeremy Scahill @'The Nation'
How the U.S. Government uses its media servants to attack real journalism
Friday, 15 July 2011
Damn!
There were fears earlier this year that Thatcher would go the same Saturday night as a big UK sports celeb. Of course its standard procedure for papers to have pre-made obits for major public figures.
Via
Rebekah Brooks: where it all went wrong
But later that day the corporate death knell was sounded for Brooks after the second largest shareholder in News Corporation gave an extraordinary interview to BBC's Newsnight (interview starts 26 minutes in) from his yacht in Cannes: "For sure she has to go, you bet she has to go," declared Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Alsaud.
"Ethics to me are very important. I will not deal with a lady or a man that has any sliver of doubt on her or his integrity."
Worse, the friendship Brooks so carefully nurtured with Murdoch's second eldest daughter, Elisabeth, over the last 10 years appeared to have crumbled.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the 42-year-old TV executive had told friends that Brooks had "fucked the company".
And so, eight days after she announced the dramatic decision to close the News of the World, Brooks fell on her sword.
"I have given Rupert and James Murdoch my resignation ... this time my resignation has been accepted," she said in an email to staff just before 10am on Friday morning.
It was all so different last Thursday when Brooks told shocked News of the World staff that the paper was being shut down.
While they were losing their jobs, she was going to stay on despite the public revulsion over revelations days earlier that while she was editor of the paper murdered teenager Milly Dowler's phone had been hacked.
She said she need to stay at the helm to act as "lightning rod" for all the negativity raining down on the company, and explained to baffled and dispirited staff that in a year's time they would understand why she had stayed on.
Journalists within News International thought her decision to tough it out showed hubris in the extreme. "She was a timebomb strapped to Murdoch's leg," quipped one.
The tide began to turn on Brooks two weeks ago when the Guardian revealed that not only had messages been intercepted on Dowler's voicemail but they had been deleted to make way for new messages, giving her parents false hope that she was still alive.
Soon there were allegations that it had also snooped on 7/7 victims and Afghan soldiers' families and the question had become: Did the News of the World get any scoop without hacking into phones?
A scandal that had previously been confined to celebrities and politicians was now threatening to engulf the Murdochs' entire newspaper operation, with police confirming that there could be as many as 4,000 victims of the hacking.
The prime minister said he was "utterly appalled" by the Dowler revelations and said if Brooks had offered her resignation he would have accepted it.
It appeared that 30 years of resentment about the power Murdoch had exercised over a succession of prime ministers was coming together in a tsunami of political and commercial hostility against him.
By Wednesday 6 July the commercial future of News International was at stake, with advertisers announcing they would no longer take space in the News of the World.
Yet the Murdochs still stood firm behind Brooks, and after a series of transatlantic phone calls with his father, James announced the following day he was shutting the 168-year-old title down, a ruthlessly clever plan designed to draw a line under the affair.
In a series of interviews with TV stations, James Murdoch was unequivocal: "Fundamentally, I am satisfied that Rebekah, her leadership in this business and her standard of ethics and her standard of conduct throughout her career are very good."
Rupert Murdoch flew in to London on Sunday 10 July to take charge of the crisis that was by now threatening to scupper his takeover bid for BSkyB.
He made a point of dining out with James, Brooks and her husband Charlie in a Mayfair restaurant.
When asked what his top priority was he gestured to Brooks and said: "She is."
Their display of unity did not go down well with the Dowler family who the following day called on Brooks to do the honourable thing and resign.
News International's attempts to drive a wedge between the old News of the World regime and the new came further unstuck when an internal investigation revealed that the phone hacking was not confined to one "rogue reporter" as previously claimed by the company.
Sensational allegations of payments to police and allegations that the News of the World may even have hacked into the phones of 9/11 victims threatened to spread the contagion to the US where News Corp's real financial power lies.
By Wednesday 13 July Murdoch's bid for BSkyB was dead in the water and with it Brooks' future at the head of NI.
Lisa O'Carroll @'The Guardian'
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