In Restrepo and in his photography, Tim Hetherington put himself in harm’s way to help convey the realities of a warzone The question of the exact cause, and exact number, of non-combatant casualties in Libya has been put into sharp focus. One of the latest civilian victims is the award-winning photojournalist and Oscar-nominated film-maker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in Misrata just after tweeting that the attacks on the city were coming from Muammar Gaddafi and not Nato . With Sebastian Junger he created the extraordinarily powerful documentary Restrepo , about a US platoon’s mission to build and defend a forward outpost in the terrifyingly dangerous Korengal valley in Afghanistan. The outpost was named after an army medic, Juan Restrepo – killed on the first day of their tour of duty. Hetherington and Junger show how this naming was an act of defiance as well as remembrance – a way in which a bunch of very scared young men could impose their identities on an alien, hostile landscape. It was also a way of containing and controlling their fear of death. Hetherington’s own terrible fate shows that the fear and danger with which his film was saturated was not a Hollywood device or a journalist’s macho rhetoric. They were actually present. Hetherington began his career as a stills photographer – though he and Junger appear genuinely to have shared the filming and directing responsibilities on Restrepo. It was an inspired collaboration, but Junger must surely have relied greatly on Hetherington’s razor-sharp visual sense. The images in Restrepo are viscerally powerful. There’s an incredible moment when the film, having shown us these soldiers getting aboard a helicopter, switches to their point-of-view as they look down into the valley from hundreds of metres above. It is a moment of pure vertigo: you can feel your heart plunge into your boots. When these men were under fire, Hetherington was under fire, too, and arguably in more danger: he was armed only with a camera. But perhaps the film’s most extraordinary scene was one that was (ostensibly) calm. One of the soldiers is being interviewed afterwards about his experiences. Mid-sentence, he stops; he can’t carry on. It is not simply that he is emotional – he is in the middle of a flashback, actually caught on camera remembering horrifying events he had clearly suppressed until that moment. To understand the realities of a warzone, to transmit those realities back to us, Hetherington put himself in harm’s way: a brilliant journalist and a courageous, radical film-maker. Documentary Tim Hetherington War reporting Journalist safety Photography Libya Afghanistan United States Middle East Peter Bradshaw guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …In Restrepo and in his photography, Tim Hetherington put himself in harm’s way to help convey the realities of a warzone The question of the exact cause, and exact number, of non-combatant casualties in Libya has been put into sharp focus. One of the latest civilian victims is the award-winning photojournalist and Oscar-nominated film-maker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in Misrata just after tweeting that the attacks on the city were coming from Muammar Gaddafi and not Nato . With Sebastian Junger he created the extraordinarily powerful documentary Restrepo , about a US platoon’s mission to build and defend a forward outpost in the terrifyingly dangerous Korengal valley in Afghanistan. The outpost was named after an army medic, Juan Restrepo – killed on the first day of their tour of duty. Hetherington and Junger show how this naming was an act of defiance as well as remembrance – a way in which a bunch of very scared young men could impose their identities on an alien, hostile landscape. It was also a way of containing and controlling their fear of death. Hetherington’s own terrible fate shows that the fear and danger with which his film was saturated was not a Hollywood device or a journalist’s macho rhetoric. They were actually present. Hetherington began his career as a stills photographer – though he and Junger appear genuinely to have shared the filming and directing responsibilities on Restrepo. It was an inspired collaboration, but Junger must surely have relied greatly on Hetherington’s razor-sharp visual sense. The images in Restrepo are viscerally powerful. There’s an incredible moment when the film, having shown us these soldiers getting aboard a helicopter, switches to their point-of-view as they look down into the valley from hundreds of metres above. It is a moment of pure vertigo: you can feel your heart plunge into your boots. When these men were under fire, Hetherington was under fire, too, and arguably in more danger: he was armed only with a camera. But perhaps the film’s most extraordinary scene was one that was (ostensibly) calm. One of the soldiers is being interviewed afterwards about his experiences. Mid-sentence, he stops; he can’t carry on. It is not simply that he is emotional – he is in the middle of a flashback, actually caught on camera remembering horrifying events he had clearly suppressed until that moment. To understand the realities of a warzone, to transmit those realities back to us, Hetherington put himself in harm’s way: a brilliant journalist and a courageous, radical film-maker. Documentary Tim Hetherington War reporting Journalist safety Photography Libya Afghanistan United States Middle East Peter Bradshaw guardian.co.uk
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Six Greek citizens are suing a German magazine for its assertion that their country tricked its way into the eurozone Insulted Greeks are suing a German magazine over a cover story showing the Greek goddess Aphrodite sticking up her middle finger and an article which called them the “cheats in the Euro family”. Six Greek citizens are taking action against journalists working for the weekly German magazine Focus , including the magazine’s then editor-in-chief and publisher, Helmut Markwort. “Will the Greeks make off with our money?” the magazine asked on its front cover last February. Tapping into growing German fears of a Greek bailout at the height of the financial crisis, the article depicted a country swamped in debt which had cheated its way into the eurozone. More than a year after the article appeared, a state prosecutor in Athens is now investigating the magazine for libel and insult, according to the German newspaper, Handelsblatt. “It was a legitimate, satirical commentary,” said Markwort. In fact, he said, he was playing them at their own game. “After all, the Greeks invented satire.” But the arguments made then still ring true today, according to Markwort. “The Greeks tricked us. Their problems haven’t gone away,” he said. “Quite the opposite. The government lied, but instead of getting angry with their government, they’re getting angry with us.” When the magazine hit the newsstands, it triggered an extended slanging match between the German and Greek tabloids. Eleftheros Typos, an Athens daily, responded by printing a doctored photograph of the statue atop Berlin’s victory column holding a swastika and warning of financial nazism in Europe. The media brawl also had diplomatic consequences when the president of the Greek parliament summoned the German ambassador to complain about the media coverage. Although Focus employees say they have not been charged, a freelance journalist has received a court summons, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. Markwort is not sure he would appear in an Athens court. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Greek culture,” he said. “I learned ancient Greek for years at school. I’d go there on holiday, but I don’t want to end up in jail. I don’t trust the Greek justice system.” Greece Germany Euro Europe Magazines Financial crisis Global recession guardian.co.uk
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Prime minister ‘uneasy’ over superinjunctions and judges’ role after high court prevents identification of sex scandal footballer The prime minister has waded into the debate on the use of superinjunctions by the rich and famous to avoid allegations of scandal, declaring that parliament and not the courts should decide where the right to privacy begins. David Cameron said the development of a privacy law by judges based on European regulations made him feel “a little uneasy”. His comments, made while touring a car factory in Luton, follow judgments in the high court this week that prevent the identification of a married Premier League footballer and someone who works in the entertainment industry, both of whom are said to have had extramarital affairs. Cameron said: “I think there is a question here about privacy and the way our system works. “What’s happening here is that the judges are using the European convention on human rights to deliver a sort of privacy law without parliament saying so. “… We do need to have a proper sit back and think: is this right, is this the right thing to happen? “The judges are creating a sort of privacy law, whereas what ought to happen in a parliamentary democracy is parliament – which you elect and put there – should decide how much protection do we want for individuals and how much freedom of the press and the rest of it. So I am a little uneasy about what is happening.” He added: “It might be odd to hear it, but I don’t really have the answer to this one, I need to do some more thinking about it. It is an odd situation if the judges are making the law rather than parliament.” Although superinjunctions refer strictly only to legal orders whose existence cannot even be reported, the term has been used more loosely to describe injunctions aimed at suppressing the identification of individuals who claim they are entitled to anonymity under “the right to respect for private and family life” incorporated in Article 8 of the European convention on human rights . There is disagreement within the legal profession about whether there has been a significant increase in such injunctions, which have been granted in the past to victims of blackmail or, for example, in the case of the killers of James Bulger amid fears they would be at risk if identified. Mark Stobbs, the Law Society’s director of legal policy, said: “This is a new development and it is something which needs to be watched very closely. “There is a huge debate between the right to privacy and the right to public knowledge. “We support open justice and transparency as a basic principle, but there must be occasional cases where there is a public interest in privacy. You might get it sometimes in the context of terrorist trials where there are real national security implications.” But Cameron Doley , of the law firm Carter Ruck, which has obtained privacy orders for clients, doubted there had been an increase in their frequency over recent years. “The newspapers have decided that the way to change policy is to shout about it from the rooftops,” he told The Guardian. “There’s a lot to be said for a reasoned debate about it that won’t be one-sided. But judges will still have to interpret the Human Rights Act.” One of the problems, he added, was that people comment about cases in which they had not seen the evidence while the most widely-reported cases were those where the courts ruled there was insufficient justification for maintaining an injunction – such as the one involving the England football captain, John Terry. “The rich and famous can’t pay their way out of scandal. These things are high risk,” he said. “It’s not just the rich and famous and the law shouldn’t be for the rich and famous. “The protection of privacy is perhaps more important to genuinely private people. None of us, unless we are in the courts, see the evidence.” Privacy & the media Media law National newspapers Newspapers TV news UK civil liberties David Cameron James Bulger murder Owen Bowcott guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Human rights groups urging travelers to avoid mainland China because of the suppression of dissidents have now issued special alerts for certain areas. The Hong Kong-based groups issued the highest level of alert for Beijing and Shanghai, warning that the cities have seen the largest number of repressive incidents since…
Continue reading …Look out, Michael Jackson. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev cut some moves to … wait for it … American Boy at a party, and his, er, performance has drawn thousands of gawkers to the YouTube vid of his public dance debut, reports RIA Novosti . Medvedev swirls, steps and grinds to the lyrics sung…
Continue reading …A pilot declared an emergency ahead of landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport yesterday because an “unidentifiable substance” had been found on board, reports WRAL . The plane was directed to an isolated area upon landing and a hazmat crew was sent in to examine the substance, which turned out to be…
Continue reading …Charlie Sheen may have alienated his “truther” fans , but it looks like he’ll be able to replace them with birthers. Politics was on the agenda when Sheen’s “Violent Torpedo of Truth” tour hit Washington DC this week and the actor got plenty of cheers when he raised the birth certificate…
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British Army engineer argues huge carbon and cost savings could be achieved if military adopted green technologies In an era when budgetary cutbacks are leading governments to seriously reassess their military spending, you might imagine that the bean-counters had quickly identified improving fuel efficiency as a key area where savings might be achieved. The fact that so many modern wars seem to include access to oil reserves as a motivating factor should also act to sharpen their attention, too. But, according to a British Army engineer writing in the latest edition of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Journal, the UK’s current government is ignoring the potential benefits – in cutting both costs and carbon emissions – of developing more fuel-efficient military technologies. Staff Sergeant Graham Thornton, who is currently attached to 3 Yorks Regiment as a fitter section artificer and is a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , argues that the Ministry of Defence should be looking at how the “civil domain” is starting to embrace “hybrid/green technologies” to reduce fuel use. The changing nature of warfare also demands a rethink on fuel use, he says: Recent warfare has seen highly mobile land battles that utilised a large amount of equipment and a considerable amount of fuel to maintain manoeuvre. This placed a high demand on the logistical chains and stretched resources, sometimes to breaking point. A standard 2:21 Battle Group consists of 120 A vehicles and 96 B Vehicles, and can hold up to 12,000 litres of fuel in their tanks. This alone, when burnt, can produce over 31 tonnes of CO2. Furthermore, the amount of fuel that is stored in varying quantities throughout the entire supply chain places a large burden on lift assets and also requires a considerable amount of real estate on the battlefield. Modern warfare is more asymmetric and therefore sees less movement of land equipment. Subsequently a greater use of air equipments (both manned and unmanned) is being seen. The idea of hybrid tanks roaming the battlefields of the future is one suggestion put forward by Thornton. He notes that the UK defence firm QinetiQ is already working on an electric drive transmission called the E-X-Drive . But far more radical is the idea of a “wireless charge system” to power vehicles and equipment and, thereby, reduce the use of heavy batteries, which are, he says, becoming a growing burden on a military increasingly reliant on electricity as a power source, as opposed to diesel. One area where this could prove most practicable is the use of unmanned drones: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV) are most at risk during takeoff and landing, where a skilled operator is needed to land them safely. As the main power plants are turbo-fan propulsion (as used in the BAE Systems Taranis) and also conventional combustion plants (Hermes 450 uses a Wankel engine) they require refuelling and this is done on the ground. Some UAV/UCAV are fitted with batteries and these require charging or the use of a combustion engine to provide charge which increases the weight and limits the capability of the UAV/UCAV. Some trials have commenced with solar-powered UAV/UCAV and ‘Lighter than Air’ (LTA), but these technologies are bulky, expensive and fragile with a minimal payload and limited operation envelope. The use of batteries with a wireless charge system could be the answer. A Laser Charge system would enable long-term sorties to be flown and the only required downtime would be for the essential maintenance. A laser transmitter converts the power from the primary source (generator, battery or AC source) into a monochromatic beam of light. This is then collected by a specialist photovoltaic (PV) cell on the UAV/ UCAV and then converted to power as is conventional for the PV cell. This technology can be used to provide the electrical power to charge the batteries and if the receiver is replaced with a suitable alternative the laser can be used to provide power to provide heat to air and thus create thrust for an engine. This technology can be used to provide power for static Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions (quadricopters and similar), multi-mission flights or unlimited patrolling. The only limit is the charge capability, the UAV/UCAV could return to a base location for charging meaning a lighter storage system is needed or for longer missions larger batteries could be used. The technology could be used in conjunction with a portable AC generator on a vehicle that sets up a mobile charging station. The potential for this technology to provide power, via satellite or mirrors, to outlying posts and patrol bases can be seen. Generators can use a substantial amount of fuel and local power options could be intermittent at best. The power offered by this could be used at certain times to charge large capacity batteries which in turn would provide power for the electronic equipment. There could also be scope for soldiers on the ground to use this technology in a similar manner to the UAV/ UCAV and have lighter/less batteries. Some immediate questions spring to mind. First, would this improved fuel efficiency really lead to a reduction in military spending? Or would it, according to Jevons paradox , just end up increasing the amount of unmanned drones used in warfare? Second, are the fuel savings really so great? The diagram used (above) by Thornton as an example for a drone describes a 4,000W input producing DC power equal to 1,000W. Is a generator on the ground used to power such a laser more efficient than a conventionally powered drone when you factor in this transmission loss ? A Seattle-based company called LaserMotive is very active in this technology, but it doesn’t seem to stress fuel savings as a key advantage of ” power beaming “, rather that it is far less costly than conventional ways of distributing electricity, namely, down copper wires. (I have asked LaserMotive to provide its thoughts on this point. When it responds, I will post below.) Thornton appears downbeat that this technology will get support from the current government due to the defence industry being “reluctant in the current financial climate to risk disfavour associated with fighting for the funding to introduce greener technologies”. I suspect he is probably right. But, in future years, it is highly likely that military technologies will be developed that help to reduce the carbon “bootprint” of armies, as well as, ultimately, our own civilian carbon footprint. This might not sit well with those environmentalists who are instinctively repulsed by the ” military industrial complex “, but history teaches us that many technological advances have been born under the shadow of war. Power-beaming might end up being one of them. Energy efficiency Leo Hickman guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …British Army engineer argues huge carbon and cost savings could be achieved if military adopted green technologies In an era when budgetary cutbacks are leading governments to seriously reassess their military spending, you might imagine that the bean-counters had quickly identified improving fuel efficiency as a key area where savings might be achieved. The fact that so many modern wars seem to include access to oil reserves as a motivating factor should also act to sharpen their attention, too. But, according to a British Army engineer writing in the latest edition of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Journal, the UK’s current government is ignoring the potential benefits – in cutting both costs and carbon emissions – of developing more fuel-efficient military technologies. Staff Sergeant Graham Thornton, who is currently attached to 3 Yorks Regiment as a fitter section artificer and is a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers , argues that the Ministry of Defence should be looking at how the “civil domain” is starting to embrace “hybrid/green technologies” to reduce fuel use. The changing nature of warfare also demands a rethink on fuel use, he says: Recent warfare has seen highly mobile land battles that utilised a large amount of equipment and a considerable amount of fuel to maintain manoeuvre. This placed a high demand on the logistical chains and stretched resources, sometimes to breaking point. A standard 2:21 Battle Group consists of 120 A vehicles and 96 B Vehicles, and can hold up to 12,000 litres of fuel in their tanks. This alone, when burnt, can produce over 31 tonnes of CO2. Furthermore, the amount of fuel that is stored in varying quantities throughout the entire supply chain places a large burden on lift assets and also requires a considerable amount of real estate on the battlefield. Modern warfare is more asymmetric and therefore sees less movement of land equipment. Subsequently a greater use of air equipments (both manned and unmanned) is being seen. The idea of hybrid tanks roaming the battlefields of the future is one suggestion put forward by Thornton. He notes that the UK defence firm QinetiQ is already working on an electric drive transmission called the E-X-Drive . But far more radical is the idea of a “wireless charge system” to power vehicles and equipment and, thereby, reduce the use of heavy batteries, which are, he says, becoming a growing burden on a military increasingly reliant on electricity as a power source, as opposed to diesel. One area where this could prove most practicable is the use of unmanned drones: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV) are most at risk during takeoff and landing, where a skilled operator is needed to land them safely. As the main power plants are turbo-fan propulsion (as used in the BAE Systems Taranis) and also conventional combustion plants (Hermes 450 uses a Wankel engine) they require refuelling and this is done on the ground. Some UAV/UCAV are fitted with batteries and these require charging or the use of a combustion engine to provide charge which increases the weight and limits the capability of the UAV/UCAV. Some trials have commenced with solar-powered UAV/UCAV and ‘Lighter than Air’ (LTA), but these technologies are bulky, expensive and fragile with a minimal payload and limited operation envelope. The use of batteries with a wireless charge system could be the answer. A Laser Charge system would enable long-term sorties to be flown and the only required downtime would be for the essential maintenance. A laser transmitter converts the power from the primary source (generator, battery or AC source) into a monochromatic beam of light. This is then collected by a specialist photovoltaic (PV) cell on the UAV/ UCAV and then converted to power as is conventional for the PV cell. This technology can be used to provide the electrical power to charge the batteries and if the receiver is replaced with a suitable alternative the laser can be used to provide power to provide heat to air and thus create thrust for an engine. This technology can be used to provide power for static Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions (quadricopters and similar), multi-mission flights or unlimited patrolling. The only limit is the charge capability, the UAV/UCAV could return to a base location for charging meaning a lighter storage system is needed or for longer missions larger batteries could be used. The technology could be used in conjunction with a portable AC generator on a vehicle that sets up a mobile charging station. The potential for this technology to provide power, via satellite or mirrors, to outlying posts and patrol bases can be seen. Generators can use a substantial amount of fuel and local power options could be intermittent at best. The power offered by this could be used at certain times to charge large capacity batteries which in turn would provide power for the electronic equipment. There could also be scope for soldiers on the ground to use this technology in a similar manner to the UAV/ UCAV and have lighter/less batteries. Some immediate questions spring to mind. First, would this improved fuel efficiency really lead to a reduction in military spending? Or would it, according to Jevons paradox , just end up increasing the amount of unmanned drones used in warfare? Second, are the fuel savings really so great? The diagram used (above) by Thornton as an example for a drone describes a 4,000W input producing DC power equal to 1,000W. Is a generator on the ground used to power such a laser more efficient than a conventionally powered drone when you factor in this transmission loss ? A Seattle-based company called LaserMotive is very active in this technology, but it doesn’t seem to stress fuel savings as a key advantage of ” power beaming “, rather that it is far less costly than conventional ways of distributing electricity, namely, down copper wires. (I have asked LaserMotive to provide its thoughts on this point. When it responds, I will post below.) Thornton appears downbeat that this technology will get support from the current government due to the defence industry being “reluctant in the current financial climate to risk disfavour associated with fighting for the funding to introduce greener technologies”. I suspect he is probably right. But, in future years, it is highly likely that military technologies will be developed that help to reduce the carbon “bootprint” of armies, as well as, ultimately, our own civilian carbon footprint. This might not sit well with those environmentalists who are instinctively repulsed by the ” military industrial complex “, but history teaches us that many technological advances have been born under the shadow of war. Power-beaming might end up being one of them. Energy efficiency Leo Hickman guardian.co.uk
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