Guardian reader fought year-long freedom of information battle to disclose contents of report so critical it was kept under wraps Britain’s military machine was ill-prepared for the Iraq invasion, failed to prepare for counterinsurgency warfare and was slow to adapt to situations it did not foresee, according to a damning internal Ministry of Defence report. “The MoD is good at identifying lessons, but less good at learning them,” it says. “In comparison with the US, the UK military was complacent and slow in recognising and adapting to changing circumstances.” Moreover, the government failed to provide a coherent defence or explanation of what it calls “an unpopular war”, with potential damaging impact on the reputation of Britain’s armed forces. The report, by Lieutenant General Chris Brown, was commissioned by defence chiefs but is so critical that it was suppressed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock (now Lord) Stirrup, the former chief of defence staff. It has been released, with many redactions and after months of argument, under the Freedom of Information Act, nearly a year after a reader, Michael Bimmler, heard about it in the Guardian. Military personnel who bore the brunt of the failures of top policy-makers in the Foreign Office and Department for International Development – as well as the MoD – were furious that Brown’s report was being suppressed. Assumptions within the MoD that the armed forces should train and equip simply for high intensity conflict and then quickly adapt for “peace support” were discredited in Iraq, Brown says. Such an expectation “proved illusory”… “very significantly, we were not prepared for counterinsurgency”. The report adds: “A widespread sense that Operation Telic [the UK name given to the invasion of Iraq] was a temporary distraction from normal defence business was reinforced by a mistaken belief that the campaign would be short-lived and compounded by the limited engagement of other [Whitehall] departments.” While it criticises the MoD for being “slow to adapt”, the report notes that the invasion and its aftermath “highlighted the paucity of training in cross-Whitehall teamwork at ministerial level”. The absence of any British strategy for Iraq undermined its ability to provide support for the emerging Iraqi government and was compounded by a “paucity of military Arabic speakers” forcing commanders at all levels to rely on contracted interpreters. It would have been better for British troops to have bought off-the-shelf and more reliable US communications equipment rather than British kit, Brown’s report says. Shortages of up-to-date equipment meant service personnel had to “revert to obsolete equipment in training”. The report continues: “Inevitably, given the timescales of defence procurement, the majority of the equipment used in the initial stages [of the Iraq invasion] stemmed from the cold war. An exception was the RAF “whose involvement in continuous operations in the region since 1990 had at least ensured that the majority of their equipment was not climatically suitable and interoperable with the US”. Furthermore, the report says – referring to “an unpopular war” – that “no serious attempt appears to have been made to forge a convincing coalition-wide strategic narrative”. It warns: “The planning of strategic communications must address what it means to fight an unpopular war and what additional effort is required to compensate for this. It is crucial that an unpopular war does not undermine support for other operations, or indeed for the UK military’s wider reputation.” Military Defence policy Iraq Richard Norton-Taylor guardian.co.uk
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Japanese nuclear power plant operator hopes to prevent explosive buildup of hydrogen gas Japan has begun pumping nitrogen gas into a crippled nuclear reactor, refocusing the fight on preventing an explosive buildup of hydrogen gas at Fukushima Daiichi power plant. Workers started injecting nitrogen into the containment vessel of reactor No 1 on Wednesday last night, after a morning breakthrough in stopping highly radioactive water leaking into the sea at another reactor in the six-reactor complex. “It is necessary to inject nitrogen gas into the containment vessel and eliminate the potential for a hydrogen explosion,” an official of plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) told a news briefing. The possibility of another hydrogen explosion like those that ripped through reactors 1 and 3 early in the crisis, spreading high levels of radiation into the air, was “extremely low” he said. But Tepco suspected that the outside casing of the reactor vessel was damaged, said the official. “Under these conditions, if we continue cooling the reactors with water, the hydrogen leaking from the reactor vessel to the containment vessel could accumulate and could reach a point where it could explode,” he added. Although engineers succeeded after days of desperate efforts to plug the leak at reactor No 2, they still need to pump 11.5m litres of contaminated water back into the ocean because they have run out of storage space at the facility. The water was used to cool overheated fuel rods. Nuclear experts said the damaged reactors were far from being under control almost a month after they were hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. The growing concerns of nearby South Korea and China about radioactive fallout from Japan were underscored when China’s health ministry reported trace amounts of radioactive iodine in spinach in three Chinese provinces. The two western neighbours of Japan have reportedly complained that they have not been fully informed about Tepco’s plans to release radioactive water into the Pacific. “We are instructing the trade and foreign ministries to work better together so that detailed explanations are supplied, especially to neighbouring countries,” chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference. Experts insisted the low-level radioactive water to be pumped into the ocean posed no health hazard to people. “The original amount of radioactivity is very low, and when you dilute this with a huge body of water, the final levels will be even lower than legal limits,” said Pradip Deb, senior lecturer in medical radiations at the school of medical sciences, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Japan disaster Japan Natural disasters and extreme weather Nuclear power guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Libyan rebels are none too pleased with NATO, complaining that Moammar Gadhafi is advancing because of the alliance’s inaction. And the harsh words didn’t stop there. Rebel leader Abdel Fattah Younes griped that it takes hours for NATO to respond to what’s happening on the battlefield, and said that they…
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Fox News and Glenn Beck announced Wednesday that Beck will “transition off of his daily program” later this year. In a joint news release, Fox News and Mercury Radio Arts, Beck’s production company, said that they will “work together to develop and produce a variety of television projects for air on the Fox News Channel as well as content for other platforms including Fox News’ digital properties.” Beck, the statement said, would “transition off of his daily program, the third highest rated in all of cable news, later this year.” It is not clear what the programs will be, or how many of them there will be. Both Beck and Fox News have been publicly hinting that a split could be forthcoming. One month ago, the New York Times reported that Fox News was “contemplating life without” Beck. Later that month, Beck told his radio listeners that, no matter what happened, they would “continue to find each other.” The announcement ends months of speculation about whether or not Beck would continue his Fox News show when his contract was up in December. Beck has drawn high ratings and huge attention to his time slot and to the channel, but he also became a lightning rod, drawing frequent and furious criticism for some of his statements and causing widely-reported tension behind the scenes at the network. Over 300 advertisers also stopped airing their commercials on Fox News during Beck’s hour. Still, Beck’s television show allowed him to increase his profile substantially. More than many other television hosts, Beck has a very large media empire of his own to fall back on. His radio show is the third-highest rated in the country, he has written many best-selling books, and has a large and devoted fan base. Joel Cheatwood, a senior Fox News executive who Beck hired away to his own company, will serve as the main liaison between the two networks. A source at Fox News told the Huffington Post in March that Mercury was playing a “dangerous game” by allegedly leaking the news of the hire to the media. The full release appears below: NEW YORK– FOX News and Mercury Radio Arts, Glenn Beck’s production company, are proud to announce that they will work together to develop and produce a variety of television projects for air on the FOX News Channel (FNC) as well as content for other platforms including FOX News’ digital properties. Glenn intends to transition off of his daily program, the third highest rated in all of cable news, later this year. Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO of FOX News said, “Glenn Beck is a powerful communicator, a creative entrepreneur and a true success by anybody’s standards. I look forward to continuing to work with him.” Glenn Beck said, “I truly believe that America owes a lot to Roger Ailes and FOX News. I cannot repay Roger for the lessons I’ve learned and will continue to learn from him and I look forward to starting this new phase of our partnership.” Joel Cheatwood, SVP/Development at FOX News, will be joining Mercury Radio Arts effective April 24, 2011. Part of his role as EVP will be to manage the partnership and serve as a liaison with FOX News. Ailes said, “Joel is a good friend and one of the most talented and creative executives in the business. Over the past four years I have consistently valued his input and advice and that will not stop as we work with him in his new role.” “Glenn Beck” is consistently the third highest rated program on cable news. For the 27 months that “Glenn Beck” has aired on FOX News, the program has averaged more than 2.2 million total viewers and 563,000 viewers 25-54 years old, numbers normally associated with shows airing in primetime, not at 5pm. “Glenn Beck” has dominated all of its cable news competitors since launch.
Continue reading …In pictures uncovered by journalists in Zawiyah, the dead prisoners of Moammar Gadhafi’s forces are shown naked or clad only in underwear, hands bound, backs scarred. Other pictures depict ominous scenes: Puddles of blood, a saw. The pictures were discovered in a burned-out police station, where one worker pointed to…
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New vid for Gang Gang Dance’s incredible new single “Mindkilla,” directed by Shoji Goto. GGD’s… Read more » Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : gorilla vs. bear Discovery Date : 05/04/2011 18:05 Number of articles : 5
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• Bash F5 or use or auto-refresher for the latest updates • Send your chit-chat to paul.doyle@guardian.co.uk • Follow Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk here 30 min: Nice play by Torres! Folowed by rubbish play by Torres! First he tricked his way cannily past Rafael and offloaded to Zhirkov, then he took the Russian’s return pass on his chest 10 yards from goal … and volleyed the ball backwards to safety. 28 min: Many feared United would be overpowered in midfield (er, I may even have indicated such myself) but the opposite has been true: Chelsea have looked jaded from the start … 26 min: It’s all too frantic from Chelsea. They lack cohesion and creativity. United look comfortable. GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 United (Rooney 24′) That’s a marvellous goal! Carrick picked out Giggs with a raking pass out to the left and the Welshman eliminated Bosingwa with a wonderful first touch before pulling the ball smartly back for Rooney, whose low sidefooter from 10 yards bounced in off the butt of the post. You have to say that’s magnificent. 21 min: Like Torres virtually every time he has got the ball so far, Rooney has just squandered a potential chance with a goofy first-touch. Far too many elementary errors in this dull fare so far. 19 min: A decent move by Chelsea! It culiminated in Ramires feeding Drogba, who had peeled away to the right-hand side of the box before blasting a ferocious shot at goal. Van der Sar tips over acrobatically. 18 min: Like a skunk in the throes of child-birth, Torres is having a stinker. 17 min: Torres and Cole get in a dither on the left, allowing United to nick the ball and hurtle forward. The visitors are starting to look the more coherent side … 15 min: After a bright spell of possession by United, Evra wins a corner. Giggs delivers an out-swinger, Drogba wafts to the edge of the box, where Park seizes upon it and drives for goal. It deflects off Bosingwa and out for another corner. 13 min: Decent play by Carrick to track back and dispossess Drogba. So far the midfielder has belied those pre-match fears about his softness. 11 min: It’s high-energy stuff so far but mostly predictable and imprecise. A good avert for not letting English teams play each other in Europe … 9 min: Bosingwa’s speed and attacking intent is causing United plenty of bother down the right, but most of the Portuguese’s crosses have been wayward so far, which has reprieved United. 7 min: Evra dozily gives the ball away to Torres, who sprints down the left but decides against taking on the covering Carrick, and instead sends a tame shot into Van der Sar’s arms from 20 yards. 5 min: Drogba unleashes what may very well be the worst shot of his career. The ball lands among the United fans, who don’t bother to try to contain their laughter. 4 min: Giggs lumps it long towards Hernandez. Terry heads it easily clear. United are going to have to come up with something better than that if they’re to grab an away goal. 2 min: Bosingwa skins Park down the right and flips a fine cross towards the near post. Torres is poised to meet it but Ferdinand intervenes with a superb tackle to divert it away. United then tip down the other hand but their progress is halted by a late tackle from Essien on Rooney. 1 min: Vidic perpetrates his first foul on Torres after 37 seconds. More will surely follow. How many will the bull-runner tolerate? 1 min: United kick-oof and immediately launch it towards Valencia on the right. Cole wins the aerial duel. 7:42pm: “I’m sure I am one among many United fans who are pleased to see Nani on the bench tonight after his recent comments on lack of freedom,” squelches Michael Hardiman. “I’ve seen all united’s games and he has plenty of freedom. Fergie is making sure his flat track bullies, Nani and Berbatov, are going to be up for it v. Fulham on Saturday, arguably a more important game given the fact that 19 league tites puts us at the top of the heap. He really is a master.” 7:38pm: The teams are in the tunnel. All of them silent and stony-faced. 7:35pm: “Tough one this,” spurts Grame Neill. “Who do I want to lose more? Chelsea, with the preening tedious macho humbug of England’s Brave John Terry and his one man mission to personify testosterone? Or United, starring the preening tedious macho humbug of self appointed Big Man Wayne Rooney and his big box of sweary tricks?” Preamble: [Adopt Barry Davies-esque tone] Look at those teams … just look at those teams! Manchester United have conceded fewer goals than any of the teams remaining in the tournament but Chelsea know they are defensively dodgy nonetheless and may go for the jugular tonight: Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba start together and attempting to contain them will be Nemanja Vidic – who has frequently seemed overwhelmed in recent weeks, including when he was sent off on his last visit to Stamford Bridge – and Rio Ferdinand, who may or may not be fit but, either way, is a safer option than Jonny Evans; whether Chris Smalling would have been a better inclusion, on the other hand, remains to be seen – then again, given Torres’s tendency to float like a butterfly and sting like a former frontman of The Police (every little thing he does is pap), perhaps United are confident they can survive whatever the hosts can hurl at them and perhaps plunder a goal on the counter, especially with Chelsea shorn of the magnificently-coiffed David Luiz? Mandatory deployment of the one sentence that can be uttered before every single football match at any level without the slighest fear of contradiction: Midfield is going to be a key battleground here. The TV folks are predicting that Park will be stationed on the left but he will surely spent a lot of his time in-field, otherwise Carrick and Giggs, haradly a dynami duo, will certainly be overrun by Essien, Lampard and Ramires (who continually cuts in from the right). Teams: Chelsea: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Lampard, Essien, Zhirkov; Drogba, Torres Subs: Turnbull, Benayoun, Mikel, Malouda, Ferreira, Kalou, Anelka United: Van der Sar; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Giggs, Carrick, Park; Hernandez, Rooney Subs: Kuszczak, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans, Gibson Referee: Alberto Mallenco (Spain … in fact, he’s from Pamplona, so, in the event of him making a bad decision, feel free to accuse him of being full of bull) Champions League Chelsea Manchester United Paul Doyle guardian.co.uk
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Libyan leader condemns Nato action and says his opponents are al-Qaida members in three-page letter to US president Muammar Gaddafi has appealed directly to Barack Obama to halt what the Libyan leader called “an unjust war”. In a rambling three-page letter obtained by the Associated Press, Gaddafi implored Obama to stop the Nato-led air campaign, which he called an “unjust war against a small people of a developing country”, and wished the president luck in next year’s election. “You are a man who has enough courage to annul a wrong and mistaken action,” Gaddafi wrote in the letter, which was sent to the US state department and forwarded to the White House. “I am sure that you are able to shoulder the responsibility for that.” The letter continued: “To serving world peace … friendship between our peoples … and for the sake of economic, and security cooperation against terror, you are in a position to keep Nato off the Libyan affair for good.” The White House press secretary Jay Carney confirmed that a letter from Gaddafi had been received – and appeared to dismiss the Libyan’s appeal for a ceasefire. “The conditions the president laid out are clear,” Carney told reporters who were travelling with Obama to New York. Addressing Obama as “our son” and “excellency”, Gaddafi said his country had been hurt more “morally” than “physically” by the Nato campaign and that a democratic society could not be built through missiles and aircraft. He also repeated his claim that his foes, particularly those now in control of the city of Benghazi, are members of al-Qaida. Gaddafi said his country had already been unfairly subjected to US and international sanctions, and in 1986 to “a direct military armed aggression” ordered by Ronald Reagan, who called the leader the “Mad Dog of the Middle East”. Although he listed a litany of complaints, Gaddafi said he bore no ill will toward Obama. “We have been hurt more morally [than] physically because of what had happened against us in both deeds and words by you,” he wrote. “Despite all this you will always remain our son whatever happened. We still pray that you continue to be president of the USA. We Endeavour and hope that you will gain victory in the new election campaign.” The letter, dated 5 April 2011 in Tripoli, is signed “Mu’aumer Qaddaffi, Leader of the Revolution”. Muammar Gaddafi Libya Middle East Nato Arab and Middle East unrest United States Barack Obama Obama administration US politics guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Fermilab may have found a brand new elementary particle. The Illinois lab will today announce a strange blip in its data that could represent either a new, unexpected form of the fabled Higgs boson particle, or some entirely new force of nature, the New York Times reports. “Nobody knows what…
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If you can bear it (or even care) Westboro is tweeting out the link to the below video in which they mock the NOH8 campaign. (Twitter is all they have these days as all of Westboro’s sites remain hacked.) Lots of NSFW language from God’s Most Holy Family. Subscribe to Joe.My.God. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Joe. My. God. Discovery Date : 06/04/2011 06:43 Number of articles : 5
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