Those coming from Central Asia, Bahrain, Qatar or Saudi Arabia to the Olympics, interested to see what life in a democracy feels like, will find it seems exactly like life at home in their dictatorship. 17,000 soldiers will be glowering over the venues, checking identity documents, stopping and searching. The mlitary will occupy residential buildings, be buzzing overhead, rolling down the streets and patrolling the river. There will be missiles on land, sea and air, though nobody knows what the threat is that this is supposed to counter.
What will make our dictatorship resident visitors feel especially at home is the contempt for the ordinary citizen. Not only will they have the military all over them and be subject to frequent stopping and questioning, they will be expected continually to get out of the way of their betters. Special VIP lanes on the road will allow officials to sweep by, while normal citizens will simply have to sit in gridlock and stew. Who cares? The military will stick missiles on your roof if they wish. What they are going to shoot down, and which bit of London it will land on, is not to be questioned.
Here in Ramsgate we are losing our regular train service to London completely for the duration. All the HS1 trains are being commandeered to run a shuttle service between Ebbsfleet and Stratford. 22 trains a day from Ramsgate are simply cancelled. Slow trains are available, but a journey normally 70 minutes will become – at the fastest possible – 2 hours and 35 minutes. A large number of commuters will simply be unable to get to work anything like on time, and have to spend door to door over seven hours a day in travelling as well as their working day. Nobody was consulted. Quite a few don’t yet know – there has been no determined effort to tell people. Leaflets are available in the ticket office if you ask for one.
But the leaflets might as well just say, “You are fucked, and we don’t care”.
The extra 3,500 military personnel it was today announced will be used at the games cover a shortfall in Group Four personnel. Group Four were providing 4,000 paid staff and 6,000 unpaid volunteers. It is the unpaid volunteer numbers which are short by 3,500.
Most people are not stupid. They may volunteer happily for sport or for charity, but to work for nothing to make tens of millions of pounds of profit for Group Four as it exploits them, plainly does not have universal appeal. Those 2,500 who have volunteered to work for nothing for G4S are the idiots in this story. How gullible can you be?
Bob Russell, MP for Colchester, today in parliament made the excellent point to Teresa May that Group Four (or G4S as they now call themselves) should not be employed because of their role in aiding and abetting Israel’s illegal activities in the West Bank and human rights abuse there. With breathtaking chutzpah Teresa May replied that it was this kind of valuable international experience that made Group Four the right company to provide security for the games.
Which brings me back to my point at the start. Those visiting from oppressive regimes will feel absolutely at home. That is the one and only thing you can trust Teresa May to ensure with grim efficiency.
http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/blog/an-olympic-tax-dodge
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that URL scans well. 😉
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One of them is Ian Horseman Sewell.
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It’s really getting that ‘apocalypse’ feel now. OOh, I can’t wait.
Another figure not making a lot of noise about Iraq lately is Elfyn Llwyd MP – he’s real, not one of the good guys in Lord of the Rings, but the leader of Plaid Cymru. On the 25th January, 2011, in Hansard, he describes being given something embarrassing –
I should mention that about three years ago, some documents were dispatched to my office from an unknown source, bearing a note saying that they were top secret. Some were British in origin; others may well have been from other intelligence sources. They showed that in 2001-02, active discussions were taking place on how to move in against Saddam Hussein using overwhelming military force. The term “regime change” appeared. The documents proved beyond doubt that the UK Government were on course for war even then.
The documents must have been copies of authentic documents, as two senior officers from the Metropolitan police visited me and questioned me and my colleague Adam Price about them. At the time of that visit, the documents were not physically in our possession. I decided to leave them where they were and not disclose them to anyone. I could not tell the police officers who had leaked them, as I simply did not know, and neither did Adam Price.
When the Chilcot inquiry was set up, I decided that I should surrender the documents to the inquiry. I took them to the inquiry’s office in Victoria street and handed them to Mrs Margaret Aldred, the secretary of the inquiry. I said that I had evidence that might be of assistance to the inquiry and asked Mrs Aldred if the inquiry would write to confirm whether I would be called to give evidence. I told her that I had no intention of politicking if I were called. The response was an icy stare and the words “I should jolly well hope not.”
Months went by. I wrote on two or three occasions asking for a response, but no response was forthcoming until last autumn, some nine months later. I concluded that either the secretariat was not very orderly and professional or my letters had not been passed on to the chair of the inquiry, who eventually responded. I had been discreet. As a Member of Parliament for 19 years, I thought that I should have had the courtesy of a reply one way or the other within weeks rather than months.
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The documents exist, they are in Chilcot’s hands, if belatedly, and no further reference seems to have been made to them since.
Llwyd was appointed to the Privy Council in March 2011.
Ideas for the song on a postcard please. It’s now Who’s Sorry Now. Buckles thinks it’s a bit of a joke and ended by saying that they will collect their £57m management fee minus the compo to the police. Guesses if we ever find out if and how much has been paid.
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Q
G4S is bigger than Luxembourg. It has a company flag and a song. Why can’t it provide enough people?
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Buckles says it has been “a huge logistical challenge”. The process has been “back-ended”. Lots of different parts come together at the last minute.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2012/jul/17/g4s-olympic-security-mps-live?newsfeed=true
Thanks for that illuminating piece Komodo. The way he was silenced is so obvious. Also obvious is what flowed from 9/11. What a rotten stinking country we inhabit or rather what rotten stinking people with power are sitting over us.
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You do swear by Almighty God to be a true and faithful Servant unto the Queen’s Majesty, as one of Her Majesty’s Privy Council. You will not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done, or spoken against Her Majesty’s Person, Honour, Crown, or Dignity Royal, but you will lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of your Power, and either cause it to be revealed to Her Majesty Herself, or to such of Her Privy Council as shall advertise Her Majesty of the same. You will, in all things to be moved, treated, and debated in Council, faithfully and truly declare your Mind and Opinion, according to your Heart and Conscience; and will keep secret all Matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council. And if any of the said Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Counsellors, you will not reveal it unto him, but will keep the same until such time as, by the Consent of Her Majesty, or of the Council, Publication shall be made thereof. You will to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance unto the Queen’s Majesty; and will assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to Her Majesty, and annexed to the Crown by Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, against all Foreign Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty. So help you God.[40]
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Privy Counsellors can choose to affirm their allegiance in similar terms if they prefer not to take a religious oath.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privy_Council_of_the_United_Kingdom
Anapa
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At least West tried to “punish” karimov, blocked all relations with him, stopped financial and military aid. Although in my mind it was not due to hundreds of shot dead in Andijan, but due to the event that followed – US military kicked out of K2.
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But as it turned out West’s hands were tied up. With developments in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, US and their NATO allied were forced to get close to karimov again, and by doing so they yet again clearly showed that long term strategy (if it ever was one) is compromised by short term objectives.
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As for karimov, in the last 23 years since his arse is on the throne he demonstrated his excellent skill for survival. Being appointed by Gorbachev, karimov over-lived him and Yeltcin put together and was still president when Putin was in his Prime Ministerial masquerade. By masterly playing each side against each other karimov not only keeping his presidency alive, but also managed to build stable foundation for his daughters and grandchildren.
More cogent insights into the Army p.o.v on all this –
http://www.arrse.co.uk/current-affairs-news-analysis/184647-sports-day-additional-3500-troops-g4s-drops-ball-but-not-bill-3.html
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(ArrsePedia provides explanations of unfamiliar terms.)
. Most horrifying insight : rock (-ape; = RAF Regiment)snipers will be present. Well, I wasn’t planning going anyway…
Yesterday it was Clinton threatening to us ‘all powers available’ to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Now China comes out with this retaliatory statement.
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https://sites.google.com/site/kitkirja/china-threatens-us-with-ww3-over-iran
According to NDTV, a Chinese news station based outside the country, in regard to recent speculation that Iran would be the target of a US-Israeli military assault, Major General Zhang Zhaozhong commented that:
“China will not hesitate to protect Iran even with World War Three.”
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Zhang Zhaozhong’s record looks about as good as Polly Toynbee’s to me:
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2012/06/general-zhangs-kiss-death/
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And the only NDTV I can find is New Delhi TV, which is certainly outside China, but only infinitesimally Chinese.
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This one’s David Icke country, Mary. Check the sources (preferably before making me do it). Who needs WW3 anyway? We’ve got Boris and Gideon and Dave and Theresa….
This mornings news: TSA agents being flown in from America to “assist” in the security shortfall at the Olympics.Now we can all relax!!
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/16/12774422-tsa-agents-to-staff-uk-airports-during-olympics?lite
http://olympicsredflag.blogspot.com.es/2012/06/olympics-filming-and-chatting-to-people.html
Arrested and thrown in jail for filming and chatting to people about the Olympics.
And why would I believe China Digital Times with staff in America and Canada, Komodo?
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http://chinadigitaltimes.net/team/
Hmmmm. The limpics is for wimps.
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WW3 would certainly provide some real competitive sport.
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Anyway, it seems as though this report is many months old and not a retaliation to Clinton’s recent sabre rattling.
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It seems it’s more for Chinese domestic consumption.
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There’s stuff on it here:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkQJ_iEzZEk
@Nuid.
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Never had a TV in Eire.
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Was bemused by most Irish news websites having paywalls back then.
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Was the height of the Celtic tiger, odious young professionals in Rathmines.
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Most of them will have sobered up considerably by now, last time I was there there were Macdonalds ads for supercheap ice creams to cheer up public sector workers who’d had their salaries slashed.
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Amen.
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This blog is my only taste of Olympic fever, seems to be making absolutely zero impact on Taiwan.
The organisation INQUEST on the CPS decision to take no action in the case of the death of Jimmy Mubenga after he had been restrained by three G4S operatives. The inquest will not take place until next year.
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INQUEST, family and solicitor response to CPS decision not to prosecute G4S security guards involved in death of Jimmy Mubenga
Tuesday 17 July 2012
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Makenda Adrienne Kambana, Jimmy Mubenga’s wife said:
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“We are distraught my husband has been taken away from me and my children have lost their father. He was crying for help before he was killed. We can’t understand why the officers and G4S are not answerable to the law as we or any other member of the public would be.”
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Deborah Coles, co-director of INQUEST said:
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“We are extremely disappointed by this decision. Yet again, there is a failure of the state to prosecute following the use of force. This is a shameful decision that flies in the face of the evidence about the dangerous use of force used against people being forcibly removed and the knowledge base that existed within G4S and the Home Office about the dangers of restraint techniques. It once again raises concerns about the quality of the investigations into deaths following the use of force by state agents and the decision-making process of the CPS.”
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“The impetus now must be for a far reaching, effective and prompt inquest, with the full involvement of his family. There must be full, open and public scrutiny of all the events that led to his death at the hands of private G4S security guards.”
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Mark Scott of Bhatt Murphy the family’s solicitor said:
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“The family are devastated that the circumstances of Mr Mubenga’s death and the people restraining him will not be called to explain their actions in criminal proceedingsA prosecution for a crime which arises for example from the circumstances of a death.. The DPP’s decision not to prosecute is deeply troubling. The evidence is that Mr Mubenga died after crying for help whilst under restraint. This is not capable of being determined behind closed doors without a full examination of the witnesses and the medical evidence. It is a surprise and shock that the DPP has not learned the lessons of earlier decisions and still sees fit to act as judge and jury rather than allowing the normal path of criminal justice to be followed.”
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Ends
Notes to editors:
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1. Jimmy Mubenga died whilst being restrained during a removal from the UK on 12 October 2010. He was being escorted by three private security guards working for Group 4 Services (G4S) contracted by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
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A full briefing on his death is available here
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http://www.inquest.org.uk/
2dozen FBI agents sent to London for Olympics security: http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/lost-london-us-athletes-hour-bus-ride-16792259 :
“Yesterday it was Clinton threatening to us ‘all powers available’ to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Now China comes out with this retaliatory statement.”
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The comments on the associated video suggest that this story is 8 or 9 months old.
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I’ll see if I can check …
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Yes, here it is from PressTV in Dec 2011.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/213760.html
“They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly” is tacked on to so many reports quoting the US admin lately, it’s almost a mantra. (Which doesn’t mean the FBI are NOT sending agents, I’m just sayin’)
“Most of them will have sobered up considerably by now” — Kingfelix
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Yes indeed. They will have been the ones taking 100% mortgages, putting decking and BBQs in the back garden (in Ireland!) of their “duplexes” and installing “wet rooms” to beat the band. Now their properties have fallen to half their value, and half of them are out of work. But they are by no means in the majority. Many people, including my husband and myself, didn’t change our lifestyle in any way at all during the famous “tiger” and still have had chunks taken off our pension so that Ireland can pay out to the French and German banks who took a gamble on the tiger and lost. Normal punters make a bet and when they lose, they lose. But not the banks.
Dan Glazebrook gives a very measured and intelligent interpretation on the build up in the Middle East and particularly how the west is using monarchical dictatorships to shift the blame onto Iran. It is marvellous that I have not seen this independent analyst on UK television! He says God speed the day when Iran gets nuclear weapons because it’s the only thing that will stop this new imperialism (I paraphrase)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pccrEYSMJ_0
“Only inanities and mindless chit chat are obviously allowed on Twitter.”
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Obviously. Which is why Medialens and Paul Krugman and George Galloway and the BBC and New York Times and Susan Rice and Reuters etc etc etc are all there. They must spend the day nattering about Justin Bieber.
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Actually, it appears the suspension might have been automated. And it’s not permanent. Gabriele has the option to go back right now, but has declined. “I didn’t even consider to follow the instructions. I’m ‘happy’ with my Twitter account to stay suspended indefiniteley.”
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1342525411.html
[sic]
Actually, it appears the suspension might have been automated. And it’s not permanent. Gabriele has the option to go back right now, but has declined. “I didn’t even consider to follow the instructions. I’m ‘happy’ with my Twitter account to stay suspended indefiniteley.”
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far simpler to create a new account … the automated suspension system is being abused .. try tweeting @jihadwatchrs and youll be suspended if youre not islamophobic enough … they just use their followers to get you banned with mass reporting
lysias,
This is yet another attempt in extra judicial kidnap and detention, with the aim of torturing and extracting phoney confessions out of the perceived villains/tayyrrroorrrits. The question remains how many athletes or coaches will not be going back after the oly impics (not to infringe the copy rights issues etc.)
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Otherwise what the fuck has any FBI personnel got anything to do with the oly impics, unless not enough tickets have been allocated to the relevant free-loaders to feed at the troughs whilst pretending to be spectatating the proceedings.
What a stupid title to this post – all it really demonstrates that writer knows nothing about what a martial state or if he does he prefers to take cheap shots at his own country and people. Believe me if the UK was a martial state, then the state would have got the IP numbers of most commenters here and thrown them in a cell or worse a long time ago. Don’t believe me go and ask you pal Assad – whose current barbarity makes G4S a complete and utter piffling irrelvance.
Perhaps those with a few remaining brain cells might realise that the heightened security might just be linked to the antics of your islamofacist friends and their penchant for making political points by blowing up buses and trains and flying aircraft into buildings. And all those nasty British politicians are spoiling things for you all by not allowing them a free run. Perhaps some of you should go and read Orwell’s Lion and the Unicorn to see what he thought of the national self loathing of some who purported to be on the Left – clearly not very much has changed.
Anon – in narrow terms, you’d be right to criticise someone who described the UK as having ‘martial law’ – as you point out, other states are much worse. But, given that it is obviously overstated for effect, I don’t believe you took it at face value, and – you’ll not be surprised – neither does anyone else. But the points in the article are I think, nevertheless, made in good faith: the Olympics are over-corporatised, are a shambles in terms of organisation, and bring out the worst of our increasingly authoritarian state. Missiles on rooftops was a real surprise to me, in terms of its militarisation, and I’m a good deal to the left of Craig.
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It isn’t at all helpful to describe Craig – or anyone here – as “pals” of Assad. It’s openly spiteful as well as untrue, and turns people off whatever input you are making. If you were to read past posts here, you’ll find a *lot* of criticism from Craig for Hamas, Syria, Iran, etc – often more than the traditional left is comfortable with. But that is probably because Craig declares himself a liberal rather than of the Left, and so his views are often quite different to regular commenters here. So, your criticism appears to be misinformed, as well as mean-spirited.
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Your recommendation to read the Lion And The Unicorn is a good one, though perhaps not made with the greatest of kindness. It is however an excellent read. I wonder if I can make a recommendation to you? It is called How To Win, released by No2ID many years ago (http://www.no2id.net/downloads/print/NO2ID_How_to_WIN_text.pdf). It contains points about how to persuade people of a particular perspective. It may not be Orwell, but this too is excellent. I’d particularly comment the points from page 5:
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Tip #1: Stay Calm
Tip #2: No Judgemental Language
Tip #3: Listen to the Other Person and Respect Their Viewpoint
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Good advice for all debates, I think!
Anon, this is a sophisticated police state. The state has a huge arsenal to deploy against little subversive commentators. Try actually ‘doing’ something and they’ll have you behind bars quicker than you can say ‘God save the Queen’. http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/9770834.LEYTON__Olympic_protester_s_ASBO_extended_by_two_years/
“Don’t believe me go and ask you pal Assad – whose current barbarity makes G4S a complete and utter piffling irrelvance.”
In the UK the ruling coalition received 21.1% of the vote and enjoys popular support of just 10% (it’s probably lower but they are too embarrassed to admit it). Mr Assad however had his plans for constitutional reform supported by nearly 90% of voters and enjoys a popularity rating (according to Western pollsters) of around 60% – something Western politicians can only dream of.
Also, it was not that long ago that Emanuel Goldstein, er sorry, I meant Assad, was marching into Iraq alongside the US/UK invaders and torturing their prisoners. Of course that was not barbaric was it? You doosh.
Tip#4: Call them a doosh.
Orwell was so right.
Yes indeed, Jon
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Excellent advice.
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I think your, “How to Win” ought to read in conjunction with this manual on the tactics employed by neocon and hasbara trolls etc:
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http://pastebin.com/irj4Fyd5
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A jolly good read.
Anon,
Sound practice to remain anonymous,the kind of unconscious drivel you have published indeed requires total distancing from by any means, included the choice of moniker. The whiff of tribal outburst could perhaps be indicative of a certain calibre of operative that normally gets the order of the boot around this neck of the woods.
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So far as Assad is concerned, why don’t you go there and help the rest of the black water mercenaries come the FSA to fight the despotic regime that enjoys more popularity among Syrians than the muppets set up as political leaders in this joint?
Anon,
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I thought for one moment you were David Horowitz until I realised he would have mentioned a keffiyah is a symbol of terrorism.
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I guess it was just a windup?