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Leaked documents reveal No 10 cover-up over Iraq invasion

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Richard Norton-Taylor - Nov. 23 - • Inquiry to hear how Blair hid true intentions for war • Military ?ill-prepared? for aftermath of invasion Military commanders are expected to tell the inquiry into the Iraq war, which opens on Tuesday, that the invasion was ill-conceived and that preparations were sabotaged by Tony Blair?s government?s attempts to mislead the public. They were so shocked by the lack of preparation for the aftermath of the invasion that they believe members of the British and US governments at the time could be prosecuted for war crimes by breaching the duty outlined in the Geneva convention to safeguard civilians in a conflict, the Guardian has been told. The lengths the Blair government took to conceal the invasion plan and the extent of military commanders? anger at what they call the government?s "appalling" failures emerged as Sir John Chilcot, the inquiry?s chairman, promised to produce a "full and insightful" account of how Britain was drawn into the conflict. Fresh evidence has emerged ...

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Sarah Palin's Going Rogue going great guns at the tills

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Alison Flood - Nov. 23 (Other) - Former vice-presidential candidate?s memoir racks up 300,000 sales on its first day in shops Sarah Palin's memoir, Going Rogue, has become one of the bestselling non-fiction books in history after it sold 300,000 copies in its first day on sale. Palin's publisher HarperCollins told American press that Going Rogue has proved so popular it has been forced to print an extra 300,000 books after an initial print run of 1.5m, with about 300,000 sold on 17 November – its day of publication – alone. Going Rogue is currently sitting at the top of Amazon.com?s bestseller list, ahead of Stephenie Meyer, Dan Brown and Stephen King. Palin's first-day sales are behind Bill Clinton?s, whose 2004 memoir My Life sold 400,000 in its first 24 hours, but ahead of Hillary Clinton's, whose autobiography Living History broke records when it was published in 2003, selling 200,000 copies on publication day. The figures are nonetheless a long way behind fiction sales

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Is the meaning of hajj being lost?

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Syed Neaz Ahmad - Nov. 22 (Opinion) - Hajj is meant to bring Muslims together in brotherhood. But in 2009, more than ever, security is getting in the way "The hajj is one of the great cultural and spiritual events on earth, but one which most of us know far less about than we do about things that happen in outer space and under the sea", says Taran Davies co-producer of Journey to Mecca a new Imax film about the hajj. The hajj, of course, is nothing new. Muslims have been performing this once in a lifetime act of worship for 1430 years. The institution is as old as the Ka?bah itself which according to traditions was established some 4000 years ago in the barren lands of central Arabia. The ceremony is commemorative of Prophet Abraham?s acts of devotion. However, over the centuries perceptions and expectations have changed. This change presents new challenges every year. What with the threat of security, accidents, fire and terrorists, the House of Saud finds every hajj season a bit unnerving and it is not surprising that – ...

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working-women-husbands-housework

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Amelia Hill - Nov. 22 (News Report) - If there is one thing on which many working mothers agree, it is that their partners do not pull their weight on the domestic front. But research to be published this week reveals that men are being unfairly accused and working women are advancing the

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Court rejects David Miliband bid to suppress CIA evidence

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Richard Norton-Taylor - Nov. 20 (News) - • Sixth damning ruling in Binyam Mohamed case • Foreign secretary?s claims of security risk dismissed The high court today flatly rejected claims by David Miliband, the foreign secretary, that releasing evidence of the CIA?s inhuman and unlawful treatment of UK resident Binyam Mohamed would harm Britain?s relations with the US by giving away intelligence secrets. Evidence that the foreign secretary also wants to suppress is believed to reveal what British intelligence officers knew about Mohamed?s treatment. Mohamed, 31, an Ethiopian, says he was tortured in Pakistan, Morocco, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay. In the sixth in a string of damning rulings, the high court accused Miliband of wanting to suppress information about CIA activities even though details had already been disclosed by the Obama administration. Dismissing Miliband?s claims, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones insisted they were not trying to give away "American secrets". They said: "Of itself, the treatment ...

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Copenhagen summit: Change we can't yet believe in

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - Nov. 16 (Editorial) - Confirming yesterday what had already been apparent for some months, Barack Obama and other leaders yesterday said that time had run out to secure a legally binding climate deal at Copenhagen. They said the 22 remaining days were just too few in number to secure binding emissions targets and overcome the divisions between the developed and developing world. This could be viewed as a realistic assessment. Mr Obama said that we must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The British government's view is also optimistic. As long as political targets and outline commitments are agreed at Copenhagen, why should it matter that a few more months are taken to thrash out the details, if the end result is a package that is workable and enforceable? Rather a good package later than a weak package now. After all, the same thing happened to the Montreal protocol on CFCs, which took a year to harden up but remains the best of its kind.

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One month of Twitter hell

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:05:16 -0800

The Guardian - Nov. 16 - All November, Ian Martin will be following the BNP, led by Nick Griffin, on Twitter. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA WIRE Most Twitter users love the site for its friendly, like-minded sense of community. Ian Martin, writer and "swearing consultant" on

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US supreme court rejects bid against Washington Redskins NFL team

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Daniel Nasaw - Nov. 16 (News) - American Indian activists have called the team's mascot offensive and derogatory

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Texas accounts for half of executions in US – but now has doubts over death row

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:19:24 -0800

The Guardian - Nov. 15 - Even in Texas they are having their doubts. The state that executes more people than any other by far – it will account for half the prisoners sent to the death chamber in the US this year – is seeing its once rock-solid faith in capital punishment

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The country doesn't want to be led by someone it pities

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Andrew Rawnsley - Nov. 15 (Opinion) - It's now got this bad for Gordon Brown: his enemies are feeling sorry for him. For the first time since he arrived in Number 10, he is the object of pity. Since his premiership started to unravel, a process of attrition that began when he flunked

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Huge rise in birth defects in Falluja

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Martin Chulov - Nov. 14 (News) - Iraqi former battle zone sees abnormal clusters of infant tumours and deformities Doctors in Iraq's war-ravaged enclave of Falluja are dealing with up to 15 times as many chronic deformities in infants and a spike in early life cancers that may be linked to toxic materials left over from the fighting. The extraordinary rise in birth defects has crystallised over recent months as specialists working in Falluja?s over-stretched health system have started compiling detailed clinical records of all babies born. Neurologists and obstetricians in the city interviewed by the Guardian say the rise in birth defects – which include a baby born with two heads, babies with multiple tumours, and others with nervous system problems - are unprecedented ...

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Gordon Brown and Afghanistan: The hardest call of all

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - Nov. 11 (Opinion) - Gordon Brown can be blamed for many things about the way he has run the war in Afghanistan: not having a proper strategy, failing to communicate, failing to earn the respect of his senior generals or to anticipate a critical demand for helicopters or vehicles. But what he should not be attacked for is trying to talk honestly and honourably to Jacqui Janes, whose 20-year old son James was killed fighting in Helmand. Encounters between prime ministers and voters can be pivotal. No one will forget the encounter between Diana Gould and Margaret Thatcher over which way the Belgrano was sailing when it was sunk by a British submarine. Nor when Sharron Storer nobbled Tony Blair about cancer services during an election. But this was not one of those ...

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US pressure distorted oil figures, says whistleblower

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Terry Macalister - Nov. 10 (News) - The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying. The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves. The allegations raise serious questions about the accuracy of the organisation?s latest World Energy Outlook on oil demand and supply to be published tomorrow – which is used by the British and many other governments to ...

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The missing link in the climate change debate

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Adam Corner - Nov. 09 (Opinion) - From 10:10 to the government's Act On CO2 campaign, it is now widely accepted that tackling climate change will require tackling behaviour change too. But until now, a key piece has been missing from the puzzle – psychology. The study of human behaviour has been conspicuous by its absence from the climate change debate.

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Fort Hood gunman shouted 'Allahu Akbar' as he opened fire

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Ewen MacAskill - Nov. 06 (News Report) - A US army psychiatrist about to be deployed to Afghanistan allegedly shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest", as he opened fire at a military base in Texas, killing 13 people and wounding 28. The gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, shouted the Arabic phrase just before he began his shooting spree at Fort Hood military installation yesterday, according to the base commander, Lieutenant General Robert Cone.

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Hopes fading for Copenhagen climate change treaty

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Allegra Stratton - Nov. 05 (News Report) - Political agreement rather than full treaty is now goal of the meeting, says global warming minister Hopes that a full, legally binding treaty on tackling climate change would be signed at next month?s Copenhagen summit are fading, Ed Miliband acknowledged today. The climate change secretary indicated that a political agreement, with a timetable setting out the path to a full international treaty, was now set to be the major goal for the meeting. He told MPs the government would have preferred a full treaty but any deal that does emerge from the talks must contain detailed commitments. African nations walked out of the latest round of UN climate change talks in Barcelona this week in a protest calling for deeper cuts in greenhouse gas ...

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The iconoclastic wisdom of David Nutt

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Dorothy Rowe - Nov. 03 (Opinion) - In the late 19th century the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin described depression as a long-term illness that returned frequently and would become chronic – a definition that was accepted by British psychiatrists. And when the first antidepressants were created in the 60s, psychiatrists were delighted that they now had what seemed to be a cure for depression. However, it soon became clear to depressed people – and to many of us working in the psychiatric system – that antidepressants did not prevent recurrence and chronicity. Psychiatrists did not wish to admit this, because the only other treatment that we had for depression was ECT (electroconvulsive therapy). The pharmaceutical companies then advised psychiatrists to prescribe antidepressants as prophylactics that would stop the person getting depressed again. The DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Revision Fourth Edition) contains the diagnosis "Major Depressive Disorder in Full Remission". Once depressed, always depressed, no matter how well you feel.

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Climate Change Deniers Are Not Skeptics - They're Suckers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By George Monbiot - Nov. 03 (Opinion) - My fiercest opponents on global warming tend to be in their 60s and 70s. This offers a fascinating, if chilling, insight into human psychology There is no point in denying it: we're losing. Climate change denial is spreading like a contagious disease. It exists in a sphere that cannot be reached by evidence or reasoned argument; any attempt to draw attention to scientific findings is greeted with furious invective. This sphere is expanding with astonishing speed. A survey last month by the Pew Research Centre suggests that the proportion of Americans who believe there is solid evidence that the world has been warming over the last few decades has fallen from 71% to 57% in just 18 months.

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On the importance (or not) of off-year elections

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Michael Tomasky - Nov. 03 (News Analysis) - In general, I think political journalists wildly over-conclude based on Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial results every time they happen. Consider. In 2001, Virginians elected Democrat Mark Warner. New Jerseyans elected Democrat Jim McGreevey. Warner won by a comfortable margin of five points, while McGreevey stomped his GOP opponent by nearly 15 points.

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Karzai declared winner of Afghan presidential election

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The Guardian - By Jon Boone, Mark Tran - Nov. 02 (News Report) - Afghan officials today declared Hamid Karzai the winner of the country's disputed presidential poll after cancelling a planned runoff election. The announcement came after Karzai's main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, dropped out of the race on the grounds that the vote would not be free or fair.

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'Rendition' jet seen in Birmingham

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Guardian - By Robert Booth - Nov. 01 (News) - An American plane named in an inquiry by the European parliament into alleged CIA torture flights landed at Birmingham airport last month and was met by British special forces helicopters. Plane spotters said the Gulfstream jet touched down from an

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Memo reveals commander's fears

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Guardian - By David Batty - Oct. 31 (News Report) - The most senior British soldier to die in Afghanistan foreshadowed his own death by warning that a shortage of helicopters was endangering troops. Less than a month before he was killed by a roadside bomb, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe told his superiors that soldiers would die because they were being forced to take more trips by road.

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Cluster bomb trade funded by world's biggest banks

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Guardian - By Nick Mathiason - Oct. 29 (News) - The deadly trade in cluster bombs is funded by the world's biggest banks who have loaned or arranged finance worth $20bn (£12.5bn) to firms producing the controversial weapons, despite growing international efforts to ban them.

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Happy birthday, Ahmadinejad

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Guardian - By Meir Javedanfar - Oct. 28 (Opinion) - You have come a long way in 53 years, Mr President. But your increasingly autocratic rule is driving Iran into the ground Dear Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, I write this message on the anniversary of your birth, which took place 53 years ago today. You have come a long way since 1956 when your family moved from your birthplace, the sleepy village of Aradan , to Tehran. You were only one year old at that time. Your family, much like many others moving from small villages to the capital city in Iran, had dreams of success for their children. They sacrificed their familiar surroundings and proximity to relatives for a new yet strange place, so that their children could have better opportunities than they did. Your meteoric rise in politics over the ...

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Wildlife under threat from drug cartels

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Guardian - By Jamie Doward - Oct. 25 (News Report) - Colombia, one of the largest environmental hubs in the planet, with a territory of more than 1 million square kilometres, has been warning about the dangers of "ecocide" caused by the country's drug cartels for several years. As one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, it is home to 50,000 plant species and 18% of the world's bird species. But now it is attempting to make children aware that the threats facing its rainforests are a global issue that will have an impact on climatic stability.

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