Showing posts with label terrorism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label terrorism. Show all posts

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Key 9/11 suspect 'admits guilt'



Far be it from me to cast doubt over a secret trial behind closed doors in the worlds most notorious illegal prison, but it seems amazing to me that, far from the eyes of the worlds media (and, one might say, witnesses) the US appears to have found the man responsible for every terrorist attack. Ever.

"I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z," said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a partial transcript from a closed-door hearing.

He also plotted to attack Big Ben, Heathrow, Canary Wharf, Israel, the Panama Canal, Library Tower Los Angeles, Sears Tower Chicago and the Empire State Building, as well as planned to assassinate the Pope and Bill Clinton. He also confessed to being Osama Bin Ladens right hand man, as well as being responsible for 9/11, the Bali bombings, a Kenyan bombing, the World Trade Center in 1993 and even being the mastermind behind the failed shoe bomber Richard Reid.

This may be true. I don't know. He might be very guilty indeed. I have no way of knowing. Then again, neither does anybody else. Including the media. All we know is what the US government have told us... and forgive me for struggling with the concept that in secret detention and in an illegal trial, without a judge or jury, this man has willingly confessed to every loose end and unfinished investigation. "Here's the bad guy, folks, and it turns out he did it all. And he confessed, but we can't possibly let you hear that confession because it might release sensitive information - like how we probably tortured and cohersed him into confessing in the first place."

Job done. Bad guy found. America prevails. And we didn't even have to understand the issues. Aren't confessions great?

Monday, January 15, 2007

Spain's PM admits Eta 'mistake'

Spain's prime minister says he made a "clear mistake" by being too optimistic about the prospect of peace talks with the Basque separatist group Eta.

Full story at BBC News.

I'm just happy to hear a world leader admitting they made a mistake. It makes such a change from the usual denials, rewriting of history, moving of goalposts and out and out lying they usually come up with.

Speaking of denials, rewriting of history, moving of goalposts and out and out lying I also applaud the efforts of "130 international charities, churches and NGOs (that) have written to the prime minister to demand he re-open the Serious Fraud Office investigation into the UK's arms deals with Saudi Arabia."

Full story on the Guardian News Blog.