Wikileaks wonderland

Genuine question: How do you know they are accurate?

You see, the problem I have with this leak and the previous one is reliability. May be someone can help me out. Do we know where all this information came from? Or are we assuming all information dumped on wikileaks is an original source? Pure fact or fact mixed with fiction?

Playing the devil's advocate here.... So far most wikileak files mentioned in the press seem to be "confirmations" of earlier speculations. It looks like what we suspected all along is true (however, we never saw it in writing, and writing makes it true somehow. And when it's on tv of course.....) An example:

Apparently one of the wikileak documents suggests there are nucleair weapons in The Netherlands. Information considered a public secret. This evening the foreign affairs minister was interviewed about this and he declined to comment. The journalist then said "well it's in the public domain anyway, look it's on wikileaks.". The minister still had no comments, but it would be easy to lure someone into a "oh well, you got me there! Yeah, we do have them. 50 to be precisely at Woensdrecht".

The fact that it's on wikileaks doesn't make it holy writ as such. By posting information "everybody knows already" (read: everybody suspects) there is a hint of familiarity. It must be true! Since there is an infodump at the moment, everybody dives into the content and not into the evidence itself. What about the nature of these documents. Again, are all these documents original sources?

If someone could explain to me how they all know these are original sources I'd be very grateful. I'm new to these wikileaks so I could have missed it.

300 sad memories.

Today marks a sad milestone in Afghanistan.
Below is a complete list of those who have died in the service of their country.

April 9 2002 Private Darren George, 23
August 17 Sergeant Robert Busuttil, 30

January 28 2004 Private Jonathan Kitulagoda, 23

October 29 2005 Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood, 23

March 22 2006 Corporal Mark Cridge, 25
March 27 Corporal Peter Craddock, 31
June 11 Captain Jim Philippson, 29
June 27Captain David Patten, 38, and Sergeant Paul Bartlett, 35
July 1 Corporal Peter Thorpe, 27, Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, 24,
July 5 Private Damien Jackson, 19,
August 1 Captain Alex Eida, 29, 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Johnson, 24, Lance Corporal Ross Nicholls, 27
August 6 Private Andrew Cutts, 19
August 9 Private Leigh Reeves, 25
August 12 Lance Corporal Sean Tansey, 26
August 20 Corporal Bryan Budd, 29
August 27 Lance Corporal Jonathan Hetherington, 22
September 1 Ranger Anare Draiva, 27, Lance Corporal Paul Muirhead, 29
September 2 14 soldiers killed in Nimrod crash: Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson, 38, Flt Lt Leigh Mitchelmore, 28, Flt Lt Gareth Nicholas, 40, Flt Lt Allan Squires, 39, Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick, 28, Flight Sergeant Gary Andrews, 48, Flt Sgt Stephen Beattie, 42, Flt Sgt Gerard Bell, 48, Flt Sgt Adrian Davies, 49, Sgt Benjamin Knight, 25, Sgt John Langton, 29, Sgt Gary Quilliam, 42, Lance Corporal Oliver Dicketts, 27, Marine Joseph Windall, 22
September 4 Private Craig O'Donnell, 24
September 6 Corporal Mark Wright, 27, Lance Corporal Luke McCulloch, 21
October 19 Marine Gary Wright, 22
December 5 Marine Jonathan Wigley, 21
December 12 Richard Watson, 23
December 27 Lance Bombardier James Dwyer, 22

January 13 2007 Marine Tom Curry, 21
January 15 Lance Corporal Mathew Ford, 30
February 21 2007 Marine Jonathan Holland, 23, Marine Scott Summers, 23
March 3 Lance Bombardier Ross Clark, 25, Lance Bombardier Liam 'Paddy' McLaughlin, 21
March 6 Royal Marine Ben Reddy, 22
March 8 Warrant Officer Class 2 Mick Smith, 39
April 13 Private Chris Gray, 19
May 3 Guardsman Simon Davison, 22
May 20 Lance Corporal George Russell Davey, 23
May 26 Guardsman Daniel Probyn, 22
May 28 Corporal Darren Bonner, 31
May 30 Corporal Mike Gilyeat, 28,
June 6 Lance Corporal Paul Sandford, 23
June 9 Guardsman Neil Downes, 20
June 24 Drummer Thomas Wright, 26
June 30 Captain Sean Dolan, 40
July 1 Sergeant Dave Wilkinson, 33
July 12 Guardsman Daryl Hickey, 27
July 25 Lance Corporal Alex Hawkins, 22
July 26 Guardsman David Atherton, 25
July 27 Sergeant Barry Keen, 34
July 29 Lance Corporal Michael Jones, 26
August 10 Private Tony Rawson, 27
August 11 Captain David Hicks, 26
August 23 Private Aaron McClure, 19, Private Robert Foster, 19, Private John Thrumble, 21
August 30 Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge, 20
September 5 Private Ben Ford, 18, and Private Damian Wright, 23
September 8 Sergeant Craig Brelsford, 25, and Private Johan Botha, 25
September 17 Lance Corporal Ivano Violino, 29
September 20 Colour Sergeant Phillip Newman, 36, Private Brian Tunnicliffe, 33
October 4 Major Alexis Roberts, 32
November 9 Lance Corporal Jake Alderton, 22, Captain John McDermid, 43
December 4 Trooper Jack Sadler, 21
December 8 Sergeant Lee Johnson, 33

January 20 2008 Corporal Darryl Gardiner, 25
January 17 Corporal Damian Lawrence, 25
February 20 Corporal Damian Mulvihill, 32
March 30 Lieutenant John Thornton, 22, Marine David Marsh, 23
April 13 Senior Aircraftman Graham Livingstone, 23, Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, 51
April 21 Trooper Robert Pearson, 22
May 2 Trooper Ratu Babakobau, 29
May 19 James Thompson, 27
May 25 Marine Dale Gostick, 22
June 8 Private Nathan Cuthbertson, 19, Private Daniel Gamble, 22, Private Charles David Murray, 19
June 12 Lance Corporal James Bateman, 29, Private Jeff Doherty, 20
June 17 Corporal Sarah Bryant, 26, Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39, Private Paul Stout, 31
June 24 Sergeant Major Michael Williams, 40, Private Joe Whittaker, 20
June 27 Warrant Officer Dan Shirley, 32
June 28 Lance Corporal James Johnson, 31
July 22 Corporal Jason Barnes, 25
July 24 Army dog handler Lance Corporal Kenneth Michael Rowe, 24
July 28 Sergeant Jonathan Mathews, 35
July 29 Private Peter Cowton, 25
August 11 Signaller Wayne Bland, 21
August 18 2008 Corporal Barry Dempsey, 29
September 4 Ranger Justin James Cupples, 29
September 10 Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary O'Donnell, 40
September 12 Private Jason Lee Rawstron, 23
September 13 Lance Corporal Nicky Mason, 26
October 15 Trooper James Munday, 21
November 4 Rifleman Yubraj Rai,28
November 12 Marine Robert McKibben, 32, Marine Neil Dunstan, 32
November 15 Colour Sergeant Krishnabahadur Dura, 36
November 24 Marine Alexander Lucas, 24
November 27 Marine Tony Evans, 20, Marine Georgie Sparks, 19
December 12 Lance Corporal Steven 'Jamie' Fellows, 26, Sergeant John Manuel, 38, Corporal Marc Birch, 26, Marine Damian Davies, 27
December 15 Lieutenant Aaron Lewis, 26
December 17 Rifleman Stuart Nash, 21
December 21 Corporal Robert Christopher Deering, 33
December 24 Lance Corporal Ben Whatley, 20
December 31 Corporal Liam Elms, 26

January 1 2009 Serjeant Chris Reed, 25
January 11Marine Travis Mackin, 22
January 14 Captain Tom Sawyer, 26, Corporal Danny Winter, 28
January 17 Acting Corporal Richard Robinson, 21
January 30 Corporal Daniel Nield, 31
February 14 Marine Darren Smith, 28
February 16 Lance Corporal Stephen Kingscott, 22
February 25 Acting Lance Corporal Paul Upton, 31, Corporal Tom Gaden, 24, Rifleman Jamie Gunn, 21
February 25 Marine Michael Laski, 21,
March 14 Lance Corporal Christopher Harkett, 22

March 15 Corporal Graeme Stiff, 24, Corporal Dean John, 25
April 28 Lance Sergeant Tobie Fasfous, 29
May 7 Corporal Sean Binnie, 22
May 7 Rifleman Adrian Sheldon, 25
May 7Sergeant Ben Ross, 34, Corporal Kumar Pun, 31
May 12 Lieutenant Mark Evison, 26
May 14 Marine Jason Mackie, 21
May 22 Fusilier Petero 'Pat' Suesue, 28
May 23 Sapper Jordan Rossi, 22,
May 27 Lance Corporal Martin Richards, 24
May 28 Lance Corporal Kieron Hill, 20
May 30 Lance Corporal Nigel Moffett, 28, Corporal Stephen Bolger
June 2 Rifleman Cyrus Thatcher, 19
June 11 Private Robert McLaren, 20
June 12 Lieutenant Paul Mervis, 27
June 19 Major Sean Birchall, 33
July 1 Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, 39, Trooper Joshua Hammond, 18
July 4 Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, Private Robert Laws, 18
July 5 Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 22
July 6 Captain Ben Babington-Browne, 27
July 7 Trooper Christopher Whiteside, 20
July 9 Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, Private John Brackpool, 27
July 10 Corporal Lee Scott, 26, Corporal Jonathan Horne, 28, Rifleman James Backhouse, 18, Rifleman Joseph Murphy, 18, Rifleman Daniel Simpson, 20, Rifleman William Aldridge, 28
July 16 Rifleman Aminiasi Toge, 26
July 19 Corporal Joseph Etchells, 22
July 20 Captain Daniel Shepherd, 28
July 22 Guardsman Christopher King, 20
July 25 Bombardier Craig Hopson, 24
July 27 Warrant Officer Class 2 Sean Upton, 35
July 27 Trooper Phillip Lawrence, 22
August 4 Craftsman Anthony Lombardi, 21
August 6 Corporal Kevin Mulligan, 26, Lance Corporal Dale Hopkins, 23, and Private Kyle Adams, 21
August 8 Private Jason Williams, 23
August 13 Captain Mark Hale, 42, Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23
August 15 Private Richard Hunt, 21, Sergeant Simon Valentine, 29
August 16 Fusilier Simon Annis, 22, Fusilier Louis Carter, 18, Lance Corporal James Fullarton, 24
August 20 Serjeant Paul McAleese, 29, Private Johnathon Young, 18,
August 25 Fusilier Shaun Bush, 24
August 29 Sergeant Lee Houltram,
August 31Sergeant Stuart Millar, 40, Private Kevin Elliott, 24
September 2 Lance Corporal Richard Brandon, 24
September 3 Private Gavin Elliott, 19
September 9 Corporal John Harrison, 29
September 13 Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman, 20
September 16 Trooper Brett Hall, 21,
September 16 Acting Serjeant Stuart McGrath, 28
September 21 Acting Sergeant Michael Lockett, 29
September 27 Private James Prosser, 21
October 1 Senior Aircraftsman Marcin Wojtak, 24
October 5 Guardsman Jamie Janes, 20
October 8 Lance Corporal James Hill, 23
October 22 Corporal James Oakland, 26
October 25 Corporal Thomas Mason, 27
October 31 Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30
November 3 Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Sergeant Matthew Telford, 37, Guardsman Jimmy Major, 18, Corporal Steven Boote, 22, Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, 24
November 5 Serjeant Phillip Scott, 30
November 7 Rifleman Philip Allen, 20
November 8 Rifleman Samuel Bassett, 20
November 15 Rifleman Andrew Fentiman, 23, Corporal Loren Marlton-Thomas, 28
November 18 Sergeant Robert Loughran-Dickson, 33
November 30 Acting Sergeant John Amer, 30
December 7 Lance Corporal Adam Drane, 23
December 15 Lance Corporal David Kirkness, 24, Rifleman James Brown, 18
December 19 Corporal Simon Hornby, 29,
December 20 Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard, 22
December 21 Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, 23
December 22 Lance Corporal Tommy Brown
December 28 Rifleman Aidan Howell, 19,
December 31 Sapper David Michael Watson, 23

January 3 2010 Private Robert Hayes, 19
January 11 Captain Daniel Read, 31
January 15 Corporal Lee Brownson, 30, Rifleman Luke Farmer, 19
January 22 Rifleman Peter Aldridge, 19
January 24 Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper, 22
February 1 Corporal Liam Riley, 21, Lance Corporal Graham Shaw, 27
February 7 Corporal John Moore, 22, Private Sean McDonald, 26
February 8 Warrant Officer Class 2 David Markland, 36
February 11 Lance Corporal Darren Hicks, 29
February 13 Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh, 25
February 14 Rifleman Mark Marshall, 29, Kingsman Sean Dawson, 19
February 15 Sapper Guy Mellors, 20,
February 18 Lieutenant Douglas Dalzell, 27, Lance Sergeant David Walker, 36
February 24 Senior Aircraftman Luke Southgate, 20,
February 25 Rifleman Martin Kinggett, 19
February 26 Sergeant Paul Fox, 34
March 1 Rifleman Carlo Apolis, 28
March 2 Corporal Richard Green, 23
March 5 Rifleman Jonathon Allott, 19
March 6 Rifleman Liam Maughan, 18
March 7 Corporal Stephen Thompson, 31, Lance Corporal Tom Keogh, 24
March 15 Captain Martin Driver, 31
March 16 Lance Corporal Scott Hardy, 26, Private James Grigg, 21
March 22 Serjeant Steven Campbell, 30
March 26 Lance Corporal of Horse Jonathan Woodgate, 27
March 27 Rifleman Daniel Holkham, 19
April 1 Guardsman Michael Sweeney, 19
April 4 Rifleman Mark Turner, 21
April 7 Fusilier Jonathan Burgess, 20
May 2 Corporal Harvey Alex Holmes, 22
May 3 Sapper Daryn Roy, 28, Lance Corporal Barry Buxton, 27
May 9 Corporal Christopher Lewis Harrison, 26
May 21 Corporal Stephen Walker, 42
May 26 Gunner Zack Cusack, 20, Corporal Stephen Curley, 26
May 30 Marine Scott Gregory Taylor, 21
June 1 Marine Anthony Hotine, 21
June 4 Corporal Terry Webster, 24, Lance Corporal Alan Cochran, 23
June 8 Lance Bombardier Mark Chandler, 32
June 9 Private Jonathan Monk, 25
June 12 Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze, 31
June 14 Marine Steven Birdsall, 20
June 15 Corporal Taniela Tolevu Rogoiruwai, 32, Kingsman Ponipate Tagitaginimoce, 29
June 18 Trooper Ashley Smith, 21
June 20 Royal Marine from 40 Commando, not yet named

Rooney opens his foul mouth! He should have put his foot in it!

Like it or not, we are all Ambassadors for our respective countries!
To the greater or lesser extent our conduct, good bad or indifferent, is what influences the perception of other citizens of other countries around the globe.

The rude, self-pitying and obnoxious Rooney displayed to the same global spectators what will no doubt become one of the most quotable quotes for the future. Albeit a negative one!

After a lifetime of trying to ignore football and all it entails, even I have to acknowledge that Mr Rooney et al displayed the very worst in talent and tact when facing one of the 'minnows' of the tournament, Algeria. The England 'team' (and I use this terms in its widest possible interpretation) were lacklustre, limp and leaderless and in being so deprived the fans of their money under false pretences.

Having performed so dismally, any other public performer in any other context would find themselves in possession of a P45 this morning; however Rooney and his coterie will be pocketing vast amounts of undeserved cash and pecuniary advantages.

One can only hope that the football 'Wags' were similarly disappointed and that they will be withholding their conjugal favours until the dreamy, dreary and now desperate eleven get their act together and start to play the game.

Ambassadors they aint..............

World Cup Comment

Friday 18th of June, .............
A war of two nations!
England v Algeria!
One of them a fanatical muslim country, where bombers and
terrorists are born and trained! Where tough Sharia law is being
implemented and white christians are outcasts and live in fear!

The other is Algeria!

Why didn't we think of this before?

Here's a solution to all the controversy over full-body scanners at the airports.

Have a booth that you can step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have on you!

It would be a win-win for everyone - there would be none of this crap about racial profiling and it would eliminate long and expensive trials.
Justice would be quick and swift. Case Closed!

This is so simple that it's brilliant. I can see it now: you're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion.
Shortly thereafter, an announcement comes over the PA system:
"Attention Standby passengers, we now have a seat available on flight number..."

Perfect!!!!

Follow me on http://www.the-mamblings.blogspot.com

Burkha off you sill furkhas

There is nothing wrong with the beauty of the human body, male or female, nothing wrong with enjoying it, and nothing wrong with displaying it to the world.
I would encourage everyone to 'Strut your stuff', and don’t let anyone make you feel ashamed about so-called 'immodesty'.
Feel free to scorn the moralism of Islamic clerics and anyone else who tries to put you down

Burkha Fashion Week

Burkhas/Niqabs

The best way to deal with Burkha/Niqab wearing people is to ignore them.
If they choose to hide their identity then they are (de-facto) invisible and should be treated so.

Refusing to speak, listen or acknowledge them within banks businesses etc will encourage employers implement and enforce a 'Face-to Face' section in the Company Policy document.

I believe the wearing of religious apparel is inappropriate in almost all work related and educational circumstances.

Religios opinions, if you have any, belong inside your head and are strictly between you and your chosen imaginary friend.........

The best way to deal with Burkha wearing people is to ignore them.
If they chooose to hide thier identity then they are (de-facto) invisible and should be treated so.
Refusing to speak, listen or acknowledge them within banks businesses etc. will make the employers enforce a Face-to Face policy.

I beleive the wearing of religious apparell is inapropriate in almost all circumstances.

Religious beliefs, if you have any, belong inside your head and is strictly between you and your chosen immaginary friend.

Johnson Beharry VC

Many have the wish but few get the opportunity to express, in tangible terms, what millions think of unelected Brown.
In strict terms of protocol - yes he was wrong - however protocol protects Prime Ministers from the real world.
They are surrounded by sychophants all too anxious to protect their own positions and pensions. Senior officers included!
Beharry brought Brown face to face with his failings and let him know the general feelings of the majority of those serving.
As a 30 year soldier/officer I was often told 'not to rock the boat' and to my eternal discredit I didn't.
Brown has not earned respect - it must be commanded NOT demanded by dint of status.

Behold Beharry - Best friend of the Armed Forces.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263619/Johnson-Beharry-Victoria-Cross-hero-refuses-shake-Gordon-Browns-hand-disrespect.html#comments#ixzz0kJ0gijoB

Virgins anyone?

If a man gets 72 virgins for martyring himself, what do you suppose this Moscow maniac female got?
72 Chippendales?
And, one must ask, what do they do with their 'reward'?
Would selestial sex outside marriage be punished in the same Sharia way as it is down here in the real world?
Personally I think the followers of Islam have got such a crummy existance that they use these incidents as an excuse to shed their mortal coil - shame about the poor innocents who happened to be in the vicinity.
And you can shove your fatwa's up your fatah's.

Bureaucratic bungling beggars belief!

More bureaucratic hassle for foreigners in Spain

A new bureaucratic hurdle for the ‘foreigners’ erected by the Spanish Administration, which emanated from INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística). The registration in the “Padron Municipal” (list of habitants) must now be renewed every second year. If one does not re-register as the bureaucrats demand one will automatically be kicked out of the list and lose the benefits of being on the Padron: losing discounts on local taxes, voting rights etc.

A visit to the town hall does not sound too bad but the problem lies in the requirement to present at the registration a document from the National Police station confirming your NIE (Foreigners Identification Number). It must be a recent document, any bureaucrat may refuse one which he/she considers too old. More queues for you. One must also take their ‘Original ID.’ For many citizens, who do not have a valid Residence Card (not the paper certificate) or a National ID card, the only valid ID is their original passport, not a copy!

In addition to the many foreigners now actively selling their dwellings and leaving Spain, this new measure will certainly lead to other foreigners being forced out of the Padron because they do not know about the new rule, while others will refuse to be herded around and stand in the long queues.

Others may think: This is only for the citizens from outside the EU or EEC, certainly not for European citizens, but it applies to all non-Spanish European citizens.

It should be noted that whilst this ‘new instruction’ from Instituto Nacional de Estadística has applied to some parts of Spain for the past eighteen months, however some Municipalities, such as Mijas, have not heard of it. Mijas is currently investigating the situation.

Myths and misteaks

Boozy British - It's a myth.
Facts always get in the way of a good story so don't believe the newspapers.

In spite of being a European leading wine producer, Spain is not among the top consumers of alcohol when measured in litres per person per annum. The figures show that in 2006 Luxemburg consumed the most at 15,5 litres per person, followed by France and Ireland with 13.4, Hungary 13.2 and Denmark 12.2. Spaniards drank 11.7; United Kingdom 10.9; Germany 10.1; Sweden 6.8 and Norway only 6.5. In Turkey, they swilled only 1.2 litres of alcohol per citizen.

Madrid could add siesta to list of protected Spanish cultural icons

The Spanish practice of napping in the afternoon should be declared a protected art form, Madrid's conservative government has been told.

An application has been presented to Madrid authorities calling for the 'siesta' to be given a special cultural status to ensure its preservation.

It comes following the announcement earlier this month by Esperanza Aguirre, the President of the conservative regional government in Madrid, that the bullfight was to be included on the list of items of "special cultural value" that were protected by law.

The controversial decision to put bullfighting on the same cultural level as Madrid's most important historical monuments caused outrage amongst animal rights activists.

Daniel Dorado, a lawyer who campaigns for the protection of animals, filed an application last week arguing that the siesta fulfills the same criteria for protected cultural patrimony as bullfighting.

"The siesta is a cultural fact of special relevance and significance, an art which deserves protection," he declared in the request presented last week.

"It has been part of Mediterranean and Spanish culture for time immemorial," he said echoing the argument used to justify the inclusion of bullfighting on the list.

Mr Dorado argues that the siesta - traditionally a post lunch snooze of up to an hour - was being threatened by the pressures of modern working practices and that its loss could bring about the demise of the country.

In an attempt to mock the law which protects the culture of bullfighting above the prevention of cruelty to animals he argued that Madrid was under obligation to preserve the siesta and should consider installing beds in the street!!!!!!!!!

A simple 'Time & Motion' study clearly indicates that the Spanish nation would be well advised to come into line with the other 26 countries if it is ever going to get itself out of the current financial mess.

Somnolence (or "drowsiness") is a state of near-sleep, a strong desire for sleep, or sleeping for unusually long periods (c.f. hypersomnia). It has two distinct meanings, referring both to the usual state preceding falling asleep, and the chronic condition referring to being in that state independent of a circadian rhythm.

Webeurope's wishes

Background

Allegedly, Karl Winn, Webeurope's founder and principle owner, has for many years supported numerous charitable organisations (NGO's), such organisations include: -

● The International Human Rights Network - Supporting others in applying Human Rights Based Approaches to UN Agencies, countries, and organisations.

● Film Makers Against War - FAW seeks to educate and raise awareness of UK and international war law

● Art and Sacred Places - Encourages the interaction of art and religion by commissioning artists to make work in sacred places.

● Relatives for Justice – A northern Ireland based organisation that supports and campaigns on behalf of the families of the 367 men, women, and children, who have been killed by members of the British Military and Police services. The campaign seeks to bring the perpetrators of such killings
before the courts.

Overview
Between 5th and 9th of March, there was a private and personal email exchange between Karl Winn and Graham Brown the Managing Director of Forces Recruitment Services Ltd. FRS specialises in the recruitment of ex-British Army personnel, as part of the “Hire-A-Hero” campaign.

In those emails Karl Winn stated that his personal preference would be to offer employment even to ex-offenders, rather than British Military personnel because at least the former had been investigated, and bought before the courts, and held accountable for their actions. “The reality for the families of their victims is that there will never be any justice, and there never will be any closure, for the loss of a son, a husband, a child, or a family member who has fallen victim to British Military personnel who are going beyond "just doing their job".

“The reality from the north of Ireland , to Afghanistan and Iraq , is that the perpetrators of such atrocities will always be free to get on with their lives, safe in the knowledge that the policy of the British Government is to ensure their protection from prosecution”.

... “we are not talking about people who do their duty. Nobody is going to condemn any service man or woman for that. What I'm referring to is the unwillingness of far too many service men and women to give evidence against those who commit criminal offences. .. I'm not talking about
incidents that happen in the heat of battle against armed combatants, but actions, that by any standard, amount to murder, or other such crimes against a civilian population. However, I accept we'll never agree on this. Your allegiance is to the British Military - mine is on the side of its victims”.

Forces Recruitment Services Ltd subsequently passed copies of those private emails to The Sun newspaper.

As a former soldier (1961-1991) I was called upon to serve in on active service in Borneo and particularly in NI and absolutely refute the allegations made by Winn. All conflicts have victims, the British Army sustained a massively distproportionate number of casualties by exercising 'restraint'. The 'Yellow Card' system meant that the 'enemy' always had the initiative and usually got the first strike with obvious consequences.

Notwithstanding this, the 'Troubles', as they were euphemistically called, are over now and we should all look to a new brighter future. This will not be possible whilst people such as Winn are allowed to perpetrate discrimination against any group such as the one he has chosen.

He is, no doubt, in this to make money and the latest press coverage will be free advertising albeit considered bad press by the majority. Perhaps he would be inclined to take a more sanguine view of the Armed Forces personnel if he too had been subjected to the bombing, torture and attrocities known to have been carried out against Captain Nairac and hundreds of others in NI and abroad.

And finally, as for prefering to employ peadophiles etc. rather than ex-forces, just rememeber, "Be careful what you wish for! You might just get it!"

Did you know that all pensioners (approx 11 million to date) were born on a Monday?
Well not really, but according to the DWP and Government Departments, Monday is the ONLY day on which they will register you for a pension.
If for example your birthday falls on a Tuesday, your pension will not commence until the following Monday!
This in effect means that the average pension bill for the Government will be significantly lower than it would otherwise be.
To you of course it's only 50 quid but collectively it adds up to a tidy sum! 11 million x an average of 3 days = 55 million pounds that they save!
Actually you do get it back later.
When you die they continue to pay until the next 'Monday' after your demise - Enjoy trying to spend it when your dead!
Lobby your local MP to remedy this invidious Government sponsored robbery.

A close-up of the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) equipment funded by the US Department of Commerce. Why spend billions on a system that cannot react to a 7.1 (a biggeee) such as the one in Haiti.
In order to determine the likelihood of future seismic activity, geologists and other scientists examine the rock of an area to determine if the rock appears to be "strained". Studying the faults of an area to study the buildup time it takes for the fault to build up stress sufficient for an earthquake also serves as an effective prediction technique.
Despite considerable research efforts by seismologists, scientifically reproducible predictions cannot yet be made to a specific hour, day, or month but for well-understood faults, seismic hazard assessment maps can estimate the probability that an earthquake of a given size will affect a given location over a certain number of years.
When living in the Caribbean island of Grenada, I saw these and met the staffs who operated them. Now tell me they didn't know!

This graphic display show all the US controlled seismic sensors.
One of which can be seen near Haiti - Proof if required that the American's knew, or at least had a very strong hint, that the Haiti earthquake was iminent.

Family photo's from friends of JB.

John Barry comes of age 010310

Wherever he goes, John Barry, a 60-year-old ex-soldier/officer, known to his fellow enthusiasts as 'Mr Flyblown', gets the blue carpet treatment.

The hum of a bluebottle (Calliphora vomitoria), the drone of a housefly (Musca domestica) are music to his ears, and earlier this month – frustrated by the nation's failure to recognise the importance of fly extermination in society – he opened the first museum dedicated entirely to them.

Visitors have been turning up to the exhibition iin his home outside Portsmouth, in numbers he can't quite explain.

Perhaps they come because bluebottle obsession is a more widely-suffered condition than previously suspected.

Or because John's love for the flat variety is so deep, genuine and, in its way, touching. Or, maybe, it is because he's the kind of man around whom there's always a buzz.

"I've been fascinated by flies since I was a small boy," he says, sitting in a work room writhing with latest swatter development.

"My mum probably thought I'd grow out of it, but once I got my hands on our our budgie she agreed to let me swat flies instead and I knew I never wanted to let go.

When I went to the middle east, it was fly swatting heaven and that is where I was recognised by the Guiness Book of Records - although it was with my left hand that I did all the work!"

John Barry was eight, and desperate to kill flies of his own, when he spotted a ‘Red Fly Gobbler 800’ lying on a rubbish dump. "I took it home, wiped all the muck off it, plugged it in, and it worked," he sighs. "That was one of the most fantastic moments of my life."

By the time he reached his teens John already had 3 million flies to his credit. One by one his other interests – sport, music, books – bit the dust. "I suppose you could say that flies took over my life," he says.

"I loved the look, the feel, the sound of them. You can't really explain it to people who don't have the same enthusiasm. It's like some people love vintage cars or clocks. For me it was flies."

One of his party tricks is to put on a blindfold and identify the mating habits of bluebottles by their cries of ecstasy in orgasm.

Thus he can recognise the soothing whirr of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, an art deco flying masterpiece, and one of the first flying creatures on earth.

Or the satisfying burble of the Anopheles, which, with its double-speed wings, big bum and variable proboscis is considered by many connoisseurs to be the ultimate expression of the flyblown world.

"One of the interesting things about flying things," says John, "is that although the basic design hasn't changed that much, they are constantly evolving.”

"When they first came into the world they were seen as things of wonder. High society families would throw parties to celebrate getting their first 1,000 flies.

"Now we take them for granted, but to me they are as amazing as ever."

He found a job in the Army, where, he hoped; he could establish a perfect fusion of work and pleasure.

But the wages were low, and his quest for ever more exotic prey was growing costlier by the year.

The prize items of his current collection is the two handled gold-plated American-made ‘Kill’em Dead Ultimate G' (not displayed on the premises for security reasons) that he reckons would fetch £2,500 on a good day!

Well, there's a sucker born every minute, but John, sees the real value of his 126-piece swatter collection as its ability to tell the remarkable story of a dead flies and Garibaldi biscuits that too many of us take for granted.

Before fly extermination, he points out; life was a dirty, sometimes perilously unhygienic business.

The complete contents of houses had to be dragged outdoors to be cleaned, and even modest homes were forced to maintain domestic staffs to keep the fly-poo and all kinds of bugs at bay.

Early fly swatting tended to allow the flies to escape due to air pressure, blowing them away rather than sucking them towards you, with the result that the grotty little buggers were merely redistributed around the house.

The big breakthrough came at the beginning of the 1960’s when John went on deployment to the Middle East! It was there he came across the study made by Hubert Cecil Booth, a British engineer and inventor, who came up with a powered fly suction device misleadingly nicknamed 'The Puffing Billy'.

This hulking, oil-powered contraption had to be pulled down the street by horses, and parked outside the building to be de-fly’d.

In a scientific paper, Booth later recounted its effectiveness. " … this really was astonishing," he wrote: "two machines took half a ton of flies out of one of the largest shops in the West Bank one night."

A few years later John registered his very own patent for an ingenious electric-powered household fly killer from his cousin, and launched the world-beating 'Model O' (Short for Orifice for Obturating Orrible fings).

John said, “"I got a grant from the Princes Trust to open the Fly Swatters Arms – my nearby pub" he says, "and I thought it would be good to keep the collection there, to be honest I didn't think there'd be so much interest."

For more information go to http://www.wikihow.com/Swat-a-Fly-Without-a-Fly-Swatter

I hope black people will learn a lesson from the earthquake that hit Haiti.

If they don’t learn anything from it, then I throw up my hands in despair and give up.

Let’s start with a few basic facts.
Until the earthquake, I never knew there was a place called Haiti. I was taught geography at school but I can't remember a time when the teacher told us about Haiti. It must have been one of those insignificant countries that we had no reason to know about.

I was fairly good at geography because I knew which country was on which continent but as for Haiti I was clueless.

Now the whole world, including myself, knows about Haiti. When I heard news of the earthquake on the radio and TV, I wondered where Haiti was and what sort of people lived there.

Finally, when I switched on the television, I was informed that Haiti is an island in the Caribbean. Television pictures revealed a place populated by black people.

From the non-stop television coverage of the earthquake, I learnt about the history of Haiti. It was not a good history lesson. It would seem throughout its existence Haiti has suffered a series of natural calamities. In the process it has sunk even deeper into poverty and deprivation.

Like all places populated by black people, Haiti is poor. As I watched the television images, I felt very sorry for that God forsaken place. Then I was hit by a thunderbolt!
I wondered what if there were no white people.

You see, when the earthquake hit Haiti somebody had to come to its assistance. There had to be a rescue effort. The Haitians who survived of course did their fair bit by digging out their families from the collapsed ramshackle buildings.

But such was the scale of the devastation and the loss of human life that a bigger effort was needed. For that sort of work, you need heavy lifting gear and other sophisticated rescue equipment. I have been following the story of the earthquake keenly. I can attest to the fact that the first people to arrive with sniffer dogs were white crews from all over the world.

The aircraft that set off carrying water and food were from white countries. Not only that, the teams of volunteer doctors seen on television comprised white people from across the world. As the sniffer dogs went into action, the organized rescue teams that carried the stretchers were made up of white people.

It was announced that a mobile hospital was on the way. It was coming from a white country. For all intents and purposes in the aftermath of the earthquake, Haiti was literally swarming with white people. They had all arrived to save the poor blacks. And the locals were so happy to see them. Granted there were teams from the Orient such as the Chinese and Japanese. They too had quickly left their homes and families to go and assist the stricken people of Haiti.
It is obvious to everyone that this was a devastating earthquake and the work to repair Haiti and return it to a modicum of normalcy will take many years. Somebody had to commit funds to this effort. Most of the countries that have committed funds to aid the recovery are white. In fact, it would seem the whites are running the show in Haiti.

What is my point?

My point is that ever since Haiti was hit by the earthquake I haven't seen anyone from Africa, unless the television cameras deliberately ignored them of course. Nor did I see any sniffer dogs from black countries and most importantly, I never saw a single traditional doctor busy divining where to find people buried under the rubble.

Haiti is a land of black people. I would have expected the place to be swarming with black people helping their own. They were nowhere to be seen. I never saw any ships from black countries in the harbour.

As the air traffic descended on the tiny airport, none of the planes was reported as coming from Africa. The blacks were nowhere to be found. They issued tepid statements of condolence to the people of Haiti and a few of the African countries donated small amounts of cash.

Granted that was better than nothing. But I must say I was disappointed. I was sad because the blacks did not behave as I had expected. You see, for far too long black countries have been insolent to the point of being abusive. They have a tendency of insulting the us white men and telling him to keep out of their countries. In fact, black people have the temerity to tell white people they can survive perfectly well on their own.
So I had expected the black countries to be consistent and behave true to form. Why didn’t black countries tell white countries to stay away from Haiti because they were quite capable of leading the rescue effort?

Black countries insult white countries and accuse them of imperialism and neo colonialism. I was extremely disappointed when black countries failed to accuse white people of practicing imperialism and neo colonialism by coming to rescue the blacks of Haiti.

Perhaps they should have been told Haiti has better sniffer dogs that have been taught only to rescue black people. The citizens should have told foreign ships to stay away and their planes not to overfly Haiti because the locals were up to the job with their own ships and aeroplanes.

Perhaps we should have sent in traditional food instead of the strange rations the Haitians are not accustomed to.

I am so disappointed by the black leaders that I hope never to hear them again bleating about how bad white people are. The earthquake in Haiti was the most opportune time to show us decadent whites, once and for all, that we are not needed.

From now onwards, black leaders should shut teh fcuk up and never accuse white people of being bad. Everyone is sick and tired of big words such as imperialism and neo colonialism which are unable to rescue victims of the earthquake.

I hope this is not the last earthquake that hits a black country. I want the next one to specifically hit the residence of Mugabe in Harare. Then we will see if he will abuse the crews from white countries coming to rescue him!

Horace (Jim) Greasley

It has been my priviledge to meet and talk with Horace (Jim) over the last few years and enjoy his very personal, and sometimes harrowing, story. Most importantly for me is the knowledge that my Uncle Ernie (2nd Glocesters) endure the identical treatment and hardships. Sadly, Ernie did not survive, dying in Stalag 7B just two weeks before liberation. He couldn't take any more!

Horace Greasley

Horace Greasley, who died on February 4 aged 91, claimed a record unique among Second World War PoWs – that of escaping from his camp more than 200 times only to creep back into captivity each time.

Greasley confronting Heinrich Himmler (wearing the spectacles) in the PoW camp

The reason for the frequency with which Greasley put his life in danger, he admitted with engaging good humour and frankness, was simple: he had embarked on a romance with a local German girl. Rosa Rauchbach was, if anything, running even greater risks than Greasley.

A translator at the camp where he was imprisoned, she had concealed her Jewish roots from the Nazis. Discovery of their affair would almost certainly have meant doom for them both.

Greasley recounted the almost incredible details of his wartime romance in the book Do The Birds Still Sing In Hell? (2008), which he had been "thinking about and threatening to write" for almost 70 years. But while the book is described as an "autobiographical novel", the story was largely confirmed at his debriefing by MI9 intelligence officers shortly after the war.

Horace Joseph Greasley, nicknamed Jim, was one of twin boys born on Christmas Day 1918 at Ibstock, Leicestershire. He was 20 and working as a young hairdresser when Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia, and the Military Training Act made all men between the ages of 18 and 40 legally liable for call-up. Horace and his twin brother Harold were conscripted in the first draft.

A client whose hair he was cutting offered, when Horace mentioned that he was going into the Army, to get him a job as a fireman, a reserved occupation which would actually pay better than joining the services. Horace Greasley turned the offer down.

But his war proved a short one. After seven weeks' training with the 2nd/5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, he landed in France at the end of the "Phoney War" as one of the British Expeditionary Force; on May 25 1940, during the retreat to Dunkirk, he was taken prisoner at Carvin, south of Lille.

There followed a 10-week forced march across France and Belgium to Holland and a three-day train journey to prison camps in Polish Silesia, then annexed as part of Germany. Many died on the way, and Greasley reckoned himself lucky to have survived.

In the second PoW camp to which he was assigned, near Lamsdorf, he encountered the 17-year-old daughter of the director of the marble quarry to which the camp was attached.

She was working as an interpreter for the Germans, and, emaciated as he was, there was, Greasley said, an undeniable and instant mutual attraction.

Within a few weeks Greasley and Rosa were conducting their affair in broad daylight and virtually under the noses of the German guards – snatching meetings for trysts in the camp workshops and wherever else they could find. But at the end of a year, just as he was realising how much he cared for Rosa, Greasley was transferred to Freiwaldau, an annex of Auschwitz, some 40 miles away.

The only way to carry on the love affair was to break out of his camp. From Silesia, bordered by Germany and German-occupied countries, there was little hope of escaping back to Britain. The nearest neutral country was Sweden, 420 miles to the north. Perhaps for this reason the guards were lax, and the Germans seemed to consider that those trying to escape were effectively attempting suicide.

Greasley reckoned that short absences could be disguised or go unnoticed. Messages between him and Rosa were exchanged via members of outside work parties, who then handed hers on to Greasley, the camp barber, when they came to have their hair cut. When, with the help of friends, he did make it under the wire for an assignation nearby, he would break back into the camp again under cover of darkness to await his next opportunity.

Sometimes, Greasley reckoned, he made the return journey three or more times a week, depending on whether Rosa's duties among various camps brought her to his vicinity. His persistence in their love affair was not the only testimony to his daring. A wartime photograph shows Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, inspecting a prison camp and a shirtless skinny PoW close to the fence confronting him.

The prisoner has been identified as Horace Greasley, who said he did not know who Himmler was at the time, but realised that he was some superior officer. Greasley said that when the photo was taken he was demanding more food for the prisoners, having taken off his shirt to show how thin he was. Rations did not improve as a result.

Rosa repaid his attentions, he said, by providing small food parcels and pieces of equipment for him to take back into the camp, eventually including radio parts which enabled 3,000 prisoners to keep up with the news by listening to the BBC.

Greasley was held prisoner, working for the Germans in quarries and factories, for five years less one day, and was finally liberated on May 24 1945. He still received letters from Rosa after the war's end, and was able to vouch for her when she applied to work as an interpreter for the Americans.

Not long after Greasley got back to Britain, however, he received news that Rosa had died in childbirth, with the infant perishing too. Horace Greasley said he never knew for certain whether or not the child was his.

After demobilisation he returned to Leicestershire, swearing that he would never take orders from anyone again. He ran a hairdressers', a taxi firm and a haulage company in Coalville, where he met his wife, Brenda, at a fancy dress party in 1970. They married in 1975, retiring to the Costa Blanca in Spain in 1988.

Greasley was delighted with the publication of his book and was to have undertaken a return visit to Silesia for a television company this spring, having, he said, been promised the company of "a very attractive 21-year-old female nurse for the entire journey". He died in his sleep before the offer could be made good.

Horace Greasley is survived by his wife and by their son and daughter.