Hoo Farm is open!

Another Sunday adventure! First I have to take them to the shops to buy stuff for sandwiches, we finally arrive and the first thing Esme asks is if she can play on the playthings, now! As we drive in she spots the trampolines and swings, it's on her mind for the rest of the day.

We get the tickets and some animal feed and set off for the sheep. It's lambing season, we don't see any births but plenty of lambs to stroke and go 'ahaa' over. Bradley's not worried about the sheep eating out of his hand, but Esme's not keen at all. "Can we go on the play things now?" She says, for the hundredth time. We make our way there pretty quickly, pausing only to let Bradley catch up.

The trampolines are great fun, if only Bradley can stand up before someone else starts jumping. Soon, we're joined by bigger kids and Esme too cannot stand up. We make two trips to the trampolines, and I tyake Esme's shoes off countless times, as she's off, then wants to go back on, when the bigger kids move away.

We also make two trips to the sand pits. This is better for me, I can just sit down and watch, though I get bored. Esme's trip on the pony goes very smoothly. Bradley would have gone on too, but for, "me bigger." He feels he's too young to ride horses.

BBC: Iraq war sparks wireless row

" A band of US politicians are angered over plans to build a communication system in post-war Iraq based upon European wireless standards."

They're not happy that France and Germany will benefit. Still, isn't this a bit early?

Wired 3.01: The Wired Scared Shitlist

TIMES SQUARE A-BOMBED

President Dole Appeals for Calm, Declares National Emergency, 5 million dead, 10 million injured. Damage is estimated at $3 trillion. 'Our worst nightmare has been realized.'

Washington -- The President declared a national emergency Tuesday morning after a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb exploded in the heart of Manhattan, transforming Times Square into a yawning crater approximately 500 feet in diameter and 100 feet deep...

I remember reading this edition of Wired. This was from the magazine in Jan 1995, it was a suitcase bomb. There was a B+W photo with it, full page. An aerial view of the city with a huge hole. I stared at it for ages. Has anybody got a copy of it?

This picture is of Baghdad March 27 2003. It was us or them, it always has been. This was to be a generational war, bin Laden was just one of many who've come out of the woodwork. There are many more names, now they're stiring up resentment as agent provocateurs in 'the arab street' fired by the Muslim mullers. Much better to get this sorted out rather than in 10 years when they have the ability to knock out New York, or release disease in Birmingham, UK.

Bin Laden screwed up. If he'd have kept quiet for several more years, he could have done this. And more.

DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism Security

I've followed DEBKAfile for over a year. A lot of the background is very detailed, some of the predictions are a little off, but on the whole I trust them, at least with the stuff I blog.

Israel elevates first-aid Magen David alert for possible chemical attack.
They're getting jumpy, and have been for some time, but this is an increase on that.
US defense secretary warns Syrian action in sending military equipment to Iraq is seen as hostile act and Syria may be viewed as combatant. Rumsfeld also warns Iran against interfering in war in Iraq.
Syria, one of the 'Axis of Evil,' though he's the most Westernised, Assad's rule is closer to the religious fanatices than you'd imagine. With a chemical and bio plan of their own. It's thought that Hezbollah has chemical shells but Israeli's nukes, and the will to use them, scare the shit out them. But if they can get one in, they surely would.
DEBKAfile reports from US intelligence sources that Iraq has moved chemical and biological weapons to within missile-striking distance of Israel in western Iraq despite US-UK presence in region. Some of the WMD was taken out of hiding-places in Syria.
It's been thought for sometime, that those transportable chemical factories and weapons, have been taken over borders, both Syria and Iran when the weapons inspectors were about to come in. Of course, Syria and Iran's Government, would have denied it.
Thursday several hundred Lebanese Hizballah headed across Syrian-Iraqi border to join Syrian-sponsored Palestinian volunteer movement for Saddam's army.
This ties in with the story they reported and I blogged a few days ago about the Syrian bus bombed by US F-15.
DEBKAfile military sources: US forces approaching Baghdad face WMD threat once across Tigris River -- Saddam's signal to loose chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons.
I have no idea why DEBKAfile keeps going on about Iraqi nukes. Maybe they mean dirty bombs?

Telewest's blueyonder nears 300,000 subscriber mark

"The cable company indicated that 31,000 of its 297,000 high-speed internet subscribers were on a 1Mbp/s service. In addition Telewest still has 280,000 dial-up internet customers. The 1,500 places on the 2Mb blueyonder pilot scheme were snapped up by the company's 1Mb customers within just 12 hours, Telewest said."

Two Megs? Damn, nobody told me about that!

The Register had the story yesterday: "Telewest is considering an increase in the number of people it will take on its 2Mb broadband trial after all 1,500 places were snapped up in just a few hours. "

Gary Hart launched a weblog

"From time to time, I'll post my thoughts on current policy matters, as well as share some stories about where I'm traveling and the people I'm meeting. I'll also ask some of my friends to share their thoughts as well. I cannot promise to be as skillful at this as many of those who have made the blogger universe such an important part of the internet. However, I'm committed to using the Internet as a vital tool to engage people on critical policy matters and the future of our country."

Hart joins Howard Dean as the only other 2004 presidential hopeful with a weblog. [Via and discussed here: MetaFilter]

The US is going weblog crazy.

InfoWorld: Publishing a project Weblog

Jon Udell: "There's a subject near and dear to my heart! A couple of years ago I predicted that Weblogs would emerge within the enterprise as a great way to manage project communication. I'm even more bullish on the concept today."

Ha'aretz: Dozens of volunteers crossing Syrian border into

"Syria is granting free passage across its border with Iraq to volunteers who wish to join the fight against the U.S. and British forces, primarily Palestinians from the refugee camps in Lebanon.

This has given rise to the theory that the U.S.-fired missile that struck a Syrian bus traveling in Iraq was an intentional attack on a busload of such volunteers. The bus left Damascus on Sunday and was hit by the missile some 50 kilometers inside Iraqi territory"

This rumour about the bus is spreading. It started off in The DebkaFile's report of the 25th. It may not be a rumour of course.

I get the feeling that Syria will be next of the US's list.

smh.com.au: Saddam's 'Dr Germ' seen at meeting, says US

"Ammash and al-Hindawi are among Iraq's top weapons scientists. Others include Amir al-Saadi, a chief chemical weapons researcher, and Dr Rihab Taha, a woman who was dubbed "Dr Germ" by inspectors.

The officials did not know whether to place any significance on Ammash's appearance in the video. Qusay Hussein, Saddam's younger son and probable successor, also appeared on the recording."

Saddam appears to be in a deep bunker, but this morning the US dropped bunker busting bombs on Baghdad.

The Scotsman: Mr Esser, 45, of Munich, whose grandmother built the bunker which protected Hitler from attacks added: "If they want to get at Saddam, they would have to level the palace completely, and get rid of the debris. Then they would need to hit the site with their 80-kilo Tomahawks 16 times at the same spot to get through. ThatÕs 16 times."

The Iraqi leader is protected by 9ft-thick walls designed to withstand a Hiroshima type nuclear explosion. The command room contains secure communications equipment, allowing access to strategic military information. And an escape tunnel under the Tigris river is protected by three-ton doors.

smh.com.au: Evidence found of plan to use chemical weapons

"But Hans Blix, the chief UN weapons inspector, said in New York today that he doubts the Iraqi regime would use any banned weapons in the current fighting because to do so would cause Saddam great damage in the battle for world opinion. I didn't think they would do it because, first of all, the world would say that they were liars," Blix said. "The scepticism about the armed conflict would give way to one of greater understanding.""

Hoon's been saying that they've found documents, no other information. This is on top of the chemical weapons protection suits, found at a hospital and in an oil field, and Iraqi prisoners taking protection pills.

Quick post

I've a meeting in Stourport, West Midlands, UK tomorrow afternoon. The aerial view reminds me of the maps they've been showing on TV of an Iraqi town. The brown bits in this pic are not desert, though.
[Update: meeting postponed till next Friday.]

Reuters: Warblogs in the news

"War-themed blogs, appearing on sites such as www.blogsofwar.com and www.sgtstryker.com, have become a popular alternative news source since fighting broke out in Iraq a week ago, sometimes beating newspapers and television with war developments"

CNN: Marines discover Iraqi 9/11 mural

"U.S. Marines searching Iraqi military headquarters in this southern city that was the site of intensive fighting came across a mural depicting a plane crashing into a building complex resembling New York's twin towers. The plane's logo and coloring resembled that of Iraqi Airlines."

The Clash: Safe European Home

Another song that goes through my mind at the moment. Is it so safe? (The song's about the yardies in Jamaica giving Strummer and his public school chums a tough time.) And the martian reference, which I forgot, doesn't the IraqI war coverage look like the set of a B movie martian film?

Quick post

Busy old day today, been to Dudley most of morning - finishing up at Telewest. Now, gotta clean! Amanda and the kids are back, from a week away at her mum's, and in a few minutes! Gotta ditch the chicken bones, throw out the pizza boxes, do the dishes and generally deodorise the place. Gets smelly when you're working 18 hours a day and not showering.

Be good to see the kids again, I've missed them.

IMRA: Friday Sermon on Palestinian Authority Television

""Oh, people of Palestine, Oh, people of Iraq. The Crusader, Zionist America has started an attack against our Iraq, the Iraq of Islam and Arabism, the Iraq of civilization and history. It opened a Crusader Zionist war against Iraq. If Iraq is defeated, if the nation [of Islam] is defeated in Iraq - this will be our last breath of life... "

It gets worse! This is the stuff that sends shivers down my spine. It's being taught in every school in every Arab country.

"America will be destroyed, Allah willing, and Palestine, Iraq, and the Middle East will become a cemetery for oppressors..."

Watch and read such gems of thought: The "Life Is Sweet" Show: With the Family of Said Al-Khotari, the Suicide Bomber Who Blew Himself Up Outside the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv, and Other Guests. From April 24, 2002 (Aired from Jordan). Such TV shows remind me of cosy Sunday evenings when I was a teenager, watching Songs of Praise, wishing there was something else on. Now with 100 channels on my TV, I still don't see the world for what it is. Lucky, I have the internet? Or, better I didn't know?

It is these teachings that we must stop or else this war on terrorism will never stop.

For days I've been humming to myself this song Killing an Arab by the Cure from 1979. I have no idea of the motives of the writer at that time, I guess there's some dichotomy. But this religious shit is getting to me.

Quick post

Looks like I was wrong this morning, Al Jazeera is suffering a denial of service attack.

Good news for a change: Uprising reported in Basra and Support for war surges. Better we see the other side too: Europeans flock to al-Jazeera

Web Logs: Troops' War Stories In Real Time. Some blogs from soldiers at the front line.

Quick post

How allies are winning on ground, Iraqis on TV: Things don't seem to be going well again this morning. Over my morning coffee I watch the 24 hour news stations, read the usual pages on the net.

Right now, I'm watching a news conference from the Iraqi Information Ministry. Saddam always said that he wasn't worried about the empty areas, our pundits always feared a guerilla urban campaign, and this looks as it will happen. Tanks, bombs are all useless fighting around schools and hospitals. And the TV is talking about the red line Saddam has run around Baghdad, cross this and WMD will be used. Tommy Franks said the Iraqi high command was no longer 'robust,' well it doesn't look that way.

The US will probably hold out for a few weeks outside Baghdad while they await more supplies and reserves. The 4th Armoured Division passed through the Suez Canal Monday on its way to the Gulf. To shorten its journey, the divisionÕs troops will probably disembark at Saudi Red Sea ports and cut through east into Iraq. The 173th Airborne Brigade based in Italy, counterpart of the 82nd Airborne Division, has received orders to move out to northern Iraq.

The US are trying to get the journalists out of Baghdad already, they know that the West will not stomach the horrors of an urban campaign. And it looks as though that's the way Iraq is fighting in Basra and the other villages. No wonder there hasn't been the scenes from WWII liberated France that we were all hoping for. The Iraqis have not yet met the victors, they have the 30-40,000 Fedayeen who may kill their families spying on the ordinary Iraqi as well as terrorising the ordinary soldier. Just like the SS in WWII.

Now, at last al Jazeera has an English version of their website. Their traffic is going to rocket and I'm getting time out errors from the server.

Quick post

Hundreds of US Apache and Black Hawks went into battle Sunday night against T-72 tanks of Republican Guards of Medina Division 2nd Armored Brigade at al Kut south of Baghdad. Helicopters encountered heavy ground fire.

American troops were within 20 miles of more than 30,000 Republican Guards.

The attack could go on for days. And this is where, if he's to use them at all, he'll use his WMD. Then pull into Baghdad for street to street fighting.

CBS: Search For Chemical Weapons

"Army doctors who treated some Iraqi prisoners of war, believed to be some high-ranking Iraqi officials, found Cipro pills among the Iraqis"

Article also, details of how the US army is able to 'sniff' out poisons from 2-3 miles away. This is the real reason we're at war with Iraq.

Outside this munitions depot, Axelrod watched American Foxes, armored vehicles with the latest in chemical detection equipment, mechanically sniffing in the area around this munitions depot.

Standing at about two to three miles away, the Foxes could get initial readings from sensors that can read up to five kilometers, or a little more than three miles, away.

albawaba.com: Banks ordered to transfer $1.74 billion frozen Iraqi funds to US account

"Switzerland's leading financial institution UBS will comply with an American request to transfer million-dollar Iraqi funds, frozen under the UN sanctions imposed after the 1991 Gulf War, to a US treasury fund. The bank spokesperson who confirmed the decision refrained from specifying the exact sum involved. "

This is new to me, I wonder about the source though, let's see if anybody else picks up the story in the next few days.

newsobserver: Russian military firm denies technicians are aiding Iraq

""They came some 15 times, held negotiations, promised to transfer funds, but they left and we never saw them again. They didn't buy anything," said Antonov. I told the Americans and our presidential administration that probably Iraq made these jammers itself or with the help of Yugoslavia," Antonov said."

It seems that these devices are cheap, commercially available and relatively easy to build. They could be responsible for sending some of the missiles off course into Iran and even Turkey. Though the Washington Post is reporting that the US has "credible evidence" that Russian companies supplied these GPS blocking systems to Iraq before the start of the war.

Still in the psychological war: Globe and Mail: "a special U.S. military unit took over the radio frequency used by Iraqi state radio. The stronger U.S. signal, broadcast from a plane flying over Baghdad, overwhelmed the Iraqi transmission equipment, allowing Washington to broadcast warnings in Arabic that Iraqis who fight U.S. forces will be destroyed."

Where is Raed ?

"Yesterday many leaflets were dropped on Baghdad, while going around in the streets I got lucky, I have two.

And we have had another email attack... Three of them are to army personnel and two to the general public in those they gave us the radio frequencies we are supposed to listen to. They are calling it "information Radio"."

The blogger from Iraq is back. She talks about the bad reception the US is getting in some of the southern towns, and wonders that it'll be much worse in Baghdad.

Guardian: Compulsory broadband access mooted for new homes

"All new homes will be fitted with the infrastructure for broadband access, under a government proposal aimed at boosting the public's use of the internet."

Cable internet? All they're talking about is an empty pipe from the house to the pavement. And if the area isn't cabled, it won't make much difference. Such regulation has been in the US and Korea for years.

Guardian: Canadians fear a US backlash after declining to join the coalition backing war in Iraq

"However, Canada's refusal to stand by the US has been noted, by politicians and ordinary citizens alike, and Canadians fear that they will pay an economic price for not going to war, either in trade disputes or tighter border controls."

There's a couple of ships hanging about the Gulf, a few Canadian officers, but publicly their not in the coalition, but still trying to hedge bets.

BBC: Saddam addresses nation - excerpts

"O brothers, you know that our country's policy is to avoid evil, but when evil comes to us using the logic of treachery and destruction, there must be a stand of faith and jihad that honours those who adopt it and pleases God Almighty."

Arabic, translated directly, always sounds baroque and over theatrical. But this stuff really makes him sound like a space alien. As though he was from a different planet from us. Further driving a gulf between 'us' and 'them.'

Washington Post: 'Webloggers,' Signing On as War Correspondents (washingtonpost.com)

"The result is idiosyncratic, passionate and often profane, with the sort of intimacy and attitude that are all but impossible in newspapers and on television.

Many of these so-called Weblogs eliminate the middleman -- the news outlets whose reach was once needed for a broad audience -- and allow participants to have their say, typos and all, without being run through the media's Cuisinart."

Blogging in the war news. If only there were more bloggers from Iraq, I just can't find enough. Each soldier should have been given a mobile phone/camera and a weblog that they could post to. Then the rawness of war would be open to all.

ABCNEWS.com: 'Liberated' Iraqis Question U.S. Motives

"In part, much of their discontent stems from the unknown. In speaking with them, the newly-liberated Iraqis ask the same questions that seem to nag many outside Iraq.

Why are you here in this country? Are you trying to take over? Are you going to take our country forever? Are the Israelis coming next? Are you here to steal our oil? When are you going to get out? "

I think they'll come over in time. They're suspicious, and with good reason, knowing their history.

Late, late night, burning midnight oil, must have been after 5:30am before I went to bed. Tarting up this website and watching 24 hour news on cable. Suffering this morning. More coffee please!

Got bank, dentist and doctor to see today, too.

ToT :: renewal time (blog from Sept 2001)

"Watch the marketers start to notice the interest taken in personal websites and try to adapt their marketing plans to accommodate and co-opt them for their own means. Reading the Cybersaps business plan is particularly telling"

Pilots captured in Baghdad

Rumsfield confirms that one plane is missing. Al-Jazeera is saying that two pilots have been captured.

I've been watching horrific film from BBC of hundreds of Iraqis on the banks of the River Tigris, searching through the reeds, firing into the reeds, setting fire to the reeds, little motor boats buzzing the banks, people line the bridges, the whole area is surrounded by sometimes dancing and chanting Iraqis.

At first the BBC were saying that it may just be a hoax, or false alarm. Somebody, somewhere saw a blue and green parachute, but no eye witness could be found. That the smallest rumour could bring out crowds like this. Now, it looks as though there was a downed craft and indeed pilots were captured.

(Update: this story looks like bollux right now. At least no pilots have been captured, though the Iraqis were certainly looking.) The Telegraph has more.

The Observer: Robin Cook, 'We are risking a gulf between the West and the Islamic world'

In his first interview since he resigned, he says the US is a "hyper-power." First time that I've heard this term. The rest of the interview is the usual stuff.

Telegraph: I was a naive fool to be a human shield for Saddam

He changed his mind after hearing of Saddam's horrors.

Washington Post: Al Qaeda Near Biological, Chemical Arms Production

"Most of the new information comes from handwritten documents and computer hard drives seized during the March 1 capture of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Significantly, one official noted, Mohammed was arrested at a Rawalpindi, Pakistan, home owned by Abdul Quddoos Khan, a bacteriologist with access to production materials and facilities who has since disappeared."

He's been spilling the beans about this only in the past few days. Still a bit crude, and looks as though they didn't need Iraq, just bought anthrax stuff over the counter.

Sky News: US: Attack from within

"Sky correspondent Stuart Ramsay, "Talking to other soldiers, it could be that he was disgruntled. They said he had been acting 'weird' for days. They were concerned about his behaviour and were not going to send him up to the front when the soldiers were going to be deployed.""

Yahoo! News: U.S.: No Sign of Iraq Bio-Weapons Yet

Debkafile is reporting that WMD are around Baghdad and up near Syria, if not in Syria:

"The Iraqi ruler has massed around Baghdad--not only his crack fighting divisions and most loyal suicide units, but also his missiles and weapons of mass destruction, including possibly radiological devices. If he sees Baghdad's outer defenses crumbling, he is liable to deploy those weapons in a last stand. The Americans may well retaliate with nuclear devices of their own, tactical or bombs, a decision the US President will be called upon to make."

Guardian: Missing ITN crew may have come under 'friendly fire'

"US army General Guy Shields, director of the coalition press information centre in Kuwait, "We have had phone calls from journalists who have called the press desk while under fire screaming for help.""

FOXNews.com: As many as three U.S. missiles

" aimed at targets in Iraq may have landed in Iran, two officials at the Pentagon said Saturday."

blogfc.com: football website hosting and community

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We provide the web hosting and technical support. You make the website about your team that you've always wanted to."

From $7.00 a month. I told you all it was a good idea.

Still recovering after a 5 hour road trip from Amanda's mum's in Warminster.

It took 2 hours and 15 minutes to get down there on Thursday night - 150 miles door-to-door, with Esme chattering about anything and everything. She was particularly fascinated by the motorway names, and when we would get on/off each one. M54, M6, M5, M4 then to Bath and then Warminster. "Are we still on the number 5?" I think she must have asked that maybe a hundred times, I know it's a long motorway, but still.

She finally joined Bradley in the land of nod and only woke again when we arrived, but only briefly. Bradley, however, was full of beans and dead excited about being at Nanny's. He kept it up for a couple of hours, playing with his bubbles, running into rooms and mostly, sitting on my lap, "daddy's boy."

After finally sorting out the insurance for the Renault 5 I leave at 12.15pm on Friday. I'm doing 80-85mph up the motorway, as I was on the way down. Hit West Bromwich and crunch. I'm stuck in traffic for three frigging hours. Finally, I see the accident, a lorry has spilt it's load of wire thingies. Just before the M5 splits to go south or north on the M6--three lanes down to one. And arrive at home at 5.05pm.

HERBIE DOUGAL: THE BLOG PARTY

"I really don't think it's funny. I'm not supposed to ever be the victim. Women really are very complicated indeed. Why can't they just be normal like men?

Well, it's back to work in the office. I asked my secretary to print out one of my Word documents, but she had a bit of trouble doing that."

I must start reading this guys Aston Villa blog more. Very fuuuunnnny.

Pravda.RU MURDERERS!!

"Speaking of 'targets', Rumsfeld, like his master George Bush, proves that he has the same lizard-like cold blood as he showed to the world that he too has no regard whatsoever for the value of human life."

Russia seems a bit against the war ";->"

WorldNetDaily: Iraqi terrorists head to U.S. via Mexico?

"According to Fox, the Iraqi suspects may have "toxic materials" requiring temperature controls. A Homeland Security official involved with border security said that toxic chemicals requiring temperature control could mean either biological or even radiological materials."

Gulf Daily News: New UN vote on Iraq is opposed by France

"French President Jacques Chirac said yesterday that France would not support a new United Nations resolution that would allow the US and Britain to administer postwar Iraq.

Speaking at a European Union summit, Chirac said he would "not accept" a resolution that "would legitimise the military intervention (and) would give the belligerents the powers to administer Iraq. That would justify the war after the event," Chirac said."

I thought France would want to get the UN to run Iraq, they may then have a chance to reclaim some oil contracts, loans etc..

Guardian: War-driven rally pushes up stocks for seventh day

""People are loving the pictures of the man with the white flag," said Freddie Tulloch of financial bookmaker IG Index. "The war has been hanging over this market for so long.""

For weeks before the war I have heard business friends wishing that the US would route around the UN, "just get on with it, nobody's doing anything till this war's over." Looks like they were right.

"At the special summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, originally called to discuss progress on economic reform, European commission President Romano Prodi warned that the war could undermine the confidence of households and investors, crucial to a revival in the euro zone's flagging economy."

A lot is riding on a fast clean war.

More: Dow posts largest weekly gain in 20 years: "Each wave of allied bombing in Iraq, shown constantly on television, seemed to stoke a fever of buying that pushed the stock market higher."

CNN censors reporter Kevin Sites' weblog from Iraq

"Kevin Sites has been ordered by CNN to cease weblogging until further notice, and has also added a disclaimer to his website.
"Note: Kevin Sites is a CNN correspondent, but this is a personal website not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by CNN. "