Planned Attack on Iran - Diego Garcia To Be Launchpad?

US plans to use the British island of Diego Garcia as a base to attack Iran are the subject of much dodging and weaving by the Foreign Office at present. David Milliband has repeatedly evaded questions on its role in any forthcoming assault on Iran. Opposition politicians are questioning the role played by the Indian Ocean atoll in previous attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan as well as a staging post for extraordinary rendition. It is now documented that some of the US airstrikes in Iraq in 1991 and 2003 and in Afghanistan on numerous occasions since 2001 have come from the island. Sir Menzies Campbell MP has condemned the use of British territory for these purposes. The US operates a military base there but the UK Government has been reluctant to give details on the agreement which allows this to happen. Ed Davey MP the liberal democrat said yesterday:

'the events relating to this island of shame have damaged Britain's international reputation'. Not that there's much left of it it seems to us at WITC. Last week a number of US media sources exposed a consignment of US 'bunker buster' bombs destined for god knows where which were diverted to Diego Garcia. I am going to see my own MP next month about the use of Scottish airports by the US Military in the evil rendition process (a recent scandal emerged in Ireland about security costs resulting from US personnel passing through their airports to occupied territories and the related costs to Irish citizens). I will be taking a sheaf of articles about Diego Garcia along with me. US Navy propaganda travelogue for the island here

Fallujah - Latest Horrors

Stories were widespread at the time(see posts on this site) about white phosphorous and depleted uranium being used by the US Military in Fallujah. The predictable denials were, as ever, unconvincing.Click on post title for full details from BBC.





Officials in Fallujah had warned women that they should not have children.
Doctors and parents believe the problem is the highly sophisticated weapons the US troops used in Fallujah six years ago.
British-based Iraqi researcher Malik Hamdan told the BBC's World Today programme that doctors in Fallujah were witnessing a "massive unprecedented number" of heart defects, and an increase in the number of nervous system defects.
She said that one doctor in the city had compared data about birth defects from before 2003 - when she saw about one case every two months - with the situation now, when, she saw cases every day.

Iran Hostages Fiasco - Carry On Des

Yes - it's 'Carry On-Hello Sailor':
Kenneth Williams is Tony Blair
Charles Hawtree is Des Browne
Sid James is Sir Ivor Smallcock, First Lord of the Admiralty.

How our enemies in the 'Axis of Evil' countries must be shaking in their sandals as the 'War on Terror' is conducted by our tough, kick-ass politicians backed up by the dedication of the brave sailors of Shatt al Arab. 'They gave us blankets which were prickly' said one of them. Sounds a bit like the fate of the inmates of Guantanamo Bay, where I am sure similar atrocities happen.
In order to try to salvage something positive from the fiasco, perhaps the money from the stories sold could be put towards better equipment for our armed forces. Some decent compasses or up to date charts of Iraqi/Iranian territorial waters would be a start.

Iran - New Low for New Labour

Another low for New Labour in allowing the returning hostages to cash in and demeaning the whole military in the process. Watch out for Faye Turley turning up on Celebrity Big Brother later in the year. Maybe Ant and Dec could do a Summer Special of 'I'm a Soldier in Afghanistan - Get Me Out of Here'. A hundred grand for the winner or a lifetime pass to Tessa Jowell's Super Casino.