Posts by expatbrit

Saddam's summer friends Feb 6th 2003 | CAIRO
From The Economist print edition

Though the Arab people are still deeply hostile to American policy towards Iraq, their governments are telling them to shut up, and count their winnings

AP

IF THERE is anything in the Middle East mounting faster than the threat of war, it is property prices in Kuwait. More specifically, the price of real estate near the dusty border-crossing into Iraq, where values have doubled and trebled in the past year. Since October alone, Kuwait's stock index has shot up nearly 30%, as businessmen sniff a windfall of opportunities after the smoke has cleared from next door.

With less relish and more resignation, others in the region are also positioning themselves to profit, or at least limit the damage, from an American war on Iraq that is increasingly seen as inevitable. Ghassan Charbel, a columnist in the London-based Arabic daily Al Hayat, sardonically likens this shift, away from talk of how to stop the war to talk about how to gain advantage from it, to guests scrambling for seats at a banquet.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of Turkey's ruling party, has just reserved himself a place, insinuates Mr Charbel, by urging Turkey's parliament to allow American forces into the country. Mr Erdogan's plea marked a dramatic about-face. Dropping his previous opposition to war just before a crucial vote on the troops issue, he cast the blame on Iraqi obstinacy, and gave warning that Turkey's interests would be jeopardised if it did not take part in deciding Iraq's future. Our moral priority is peace, he said, But our political priority is our dear Turkey.

Colin Powell's evidence against Iraq

Feb 6th 2003 Iran, the EU and America

Feb 6th 2003

Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey

Iraq

Al Hayat
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Despite their people's continued and overwhelming hostility to American policy, Arab leaders have taken similar steps to escape injury, and bolster their strained ties with the United States. Recent statements by Egypt's Hosni Mubarak manage to wash his hands of Iraq's fate. It is a point of view echoed by editorials in the same state-controlled Egyptian papers that were recently blasting American belligerence. It is up to the Iraqi leadership, says Mr Mubarak, to protect its people by bowing to international demands. He goes on to assert that his own government has done its best to convince Baghdad of this.

Egypt's president has courted American favour even more boldly by inviting Israel's newly returned prime minister, Ariel Sharon, to come on a visit. The move, unprecedented given Mr Sharon's infamy among Arabs, shocked the Egyptian people. But it may silence the powerful supporters of Israel in Washington who have long sniped at Egypt's coldness towards Israel's hardline government.

Saudi Arabia, shaken by American charges that it nurtures Islamic radicalism, and deeply fearful of increased American punchiness after its presumed victory in Iraq, has taken to proclaiming the need for political reforms both at home and in the region, and has just, for the first time ever, played host to a delegation of human-rights activists. It is also understood to have guaranteed energy supplies to Jordan, should hostilities start, to replace the 90,000 barrels a day of cut-price oil traditionally supplied by Iraq.

For its part, Jordan's government has skilfully adopted the slogan Jordan First to explain its pro-American tilt in the face of strong public resentment. It recently stopped denying that it plans to let American forces use its facilities. American troops are setting up Patriot air-defence batteries, and American special forces have been granted the right to conduct search-and-rescue operations into Iraq from Jordanian territory. And having previously said it would close its borders to Iraqi refugees, Jordan is now preparing camps to receive them.

Egypt has no worries on that score, but has taken steps to blunt the economic impact of war. A plunge in the country's income from tourism, Suez Canal tolls and exports to Iraq is expected to cost it between $6 billion and $8 billion, or nearly 10% of GDP , according to a recent study. Having quietly secured pledges of financial support from the wealthier Arab states, Egypt abruptly floated its currency last week. Not only did this forestall the possibility of a sudden wartime plunge, it fulfilled a long-standing demand by America, which has seen its $2 billion in annual aid eroded by the stalling of Egypt's creaky command economy. A delegation including Mr Mubarak's son, Gamal, sped to Washington to capitalise on the move.

Syria is the only one of Iraq's neighbouring governments to hold out, publicly at least, in defence of Saddam Hussein's right to a fair trial. But this, say ever more cynical analysts, is largely because the country makes a tidy $2m a day or so from smuggling Iraqi oil. Might as well keep it flowing until the last minute. And then, perhaps, like all the other fair-weather friends, Syria will wash its hands.

2

Local lad makes good

by expatbrit in

jw
friends

it's quite amazing the stuff you don't know about the place you grew up.. i just found this rather interesting article on the net about one of the prime movers behind the jamestown settlement.

what caught my eye was that he was native of suffolk in england, my neck o' the woods.

a bit of research reveals him to have lived in a town called bury st. edmunds, not fifteen miles from where i grew up!

expatbrit

It's quite amazing the stuff you don't know about the place you grew up.

I just found this rather interesting article on the net about one of the prime movers behind the Jamestown settlement. What caught my eye was that he was native of Suffolk in England, my neck o' the woods. A bit of research reveals him to have lived in a town called Bury St. Edmunds, not fifteen miles from where I grew up! I must've been to Bury hundreds of times over the years. It has a fine 15th century inn featured in a Dickens novel, the picturesque ruins of a fabulous 12th century abbey, and the smallest pub in Britain (The Nutshell). I thought I knew it pretty well, but never knew until now that a man lived there who the BBC describes as the man without whom the USA would almost certainly have become Spanish.

Expatbrit

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RICHMOND, Va. - Archaeologists believe they may have discovered the skeleton of the man considered the main force behind the first permanent English settlement in America.

The grave's placement inside the 17th-century Jamestown fort, the estimated time frame of the grave and the ceremonial artifacts found with the skeleton suggest it belongs to Capt. Bartholomew Gosnold, said William Kelso, archaeology director of the Richmond-based Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.

"This is just as significant as actually finding the fort," Kelso said. "We're talking about finding one of the Columbus-era type guys."

The association, which began excavating the fort area in 1994, is arranging DNA tests to compare the remains to Gosnold's descendants. Kelso described the skeleton buried alone and found about 2 feet into the ground as "remarkably" well-preserved.

A native of Suffolk, England, Gosnold pushed the English to send out another group of explorers and settlers after the disappearance of the Roanoke colony, in what is now North Carolina's Outer Banks, sometime around 1587.

In 1602 he led an expedition to the Maine and Massachusetts coasts, where he discovered and named Cape Cod, for the fish found there, and Martha's Vineyard, for his infant daughter.

As commander of the "Godspeed" four years later, he was second-in-command in the three-ship fleet that landed the 107 Virginia Company settlers at Jamestown in May of 1607. He helped design the triangular fort where they lived.

Capt. John Smith, credited with leading and ultimately saving the colony, described Gosnold as "the prime mover behind the settlement."

Gosnold died in August, 1607, after three weeks of illness. About two-thirds of the settlers died that summer.

"Had he lived, he would have been the name associated with Jamestown," Kelso said.

Kelso said that between 1607 and 1610 an approximate time frame for the grave about four high-ranking settlers died, leading archeologists to several possible identities of the skeleton.

But Kelso said Gosnold was by far the most important, and he suspects that the grave's placement inside the fort, along with artifacts he declined to detail Monday, support a historical narrative that describes the captain's "honorable" burial for his contributions to the settlement.

16

England 1 Australia 3

by ozziepost in

england's first team are down 2-0 at half time!

now come on you poms, you're playing a team that hasn't had a game for 15 months!!!!!!!!

they got together 3 days ago!

expatbrit

Well something has to be done.

Memo to: George Dubya Bush
From: Your chum Expatbrit
Re.: Australians
Dear Pres:
As an enthusiastic ally in the war against terror I feel impelled to warn you of a new threat. The masterminds behind the Axis of Evil are the Australians, who have just inflicted a wound upon the British people (your only allies left) that will cause pain and terror for years to come. I urge you to use the brave (and entirely undefeated especially in 'Nam) American military to crush these swine in the cause of freedom and justice. They have many weapons of mass destruction (codenamed "dunnies"), and their psychopathic leader goes by the name of "Rolf Harris". Like Osama, he has a beard. What more proof do you need?
Please act now, for truth, justice, and the preservation of the American way of life. God is on your side! By the way, Australia is that big blob on the bottom right of the map. They speak American there, but it sounds funny.
Hope the family are well. Have the girls graduated from AA yet?
Regards,
Expatbrit

16

England 1 Australia 3

by ozziepost in

england's first team are down 2-0 at half time!

now come on you poms, you're playing a team that hasn't had a game for 15 months!!!!!!!!

they got together 3 days ago!

expatbrit

I would just like to make it perfectly clear that I AM CANADIAN!

Go Leafs Go.

Expat~~brit~~

6

England v Australia

by ozziepost in

not long to go now.

who's going to give us the minute by minute update?

like telling us if the socceroos are winning!

expatbrit

I think the Aussies are gonna get Rooneyised!

Expatbrit

23

Judge & Doctors conflict at release of Rapist

by Matty in

judge orders rapist set free d.a., doctors oppose releasing sex predator

phillip matier, andrew ross, chronicle staff writers .

despite objections from the contra costa county district attorney, the state department of mental health and even his own doctors, a 32-year-old rapist under treatment at atascadero state hospital has been ordered released.. cary verse -- a twice-convicted violent sexual offender -- is set to be sprung as early as friday by order of judge john minney of contra costa superior court, perhaps to martinez.

expatbrit

Seven:

Cool! Thanks for the email headsup. Another mail will be winging its way shortly!

Expatbrit

23

Judge & Doctors conflict at release of Rapist

by Matty in

judge orders rapist set free d.a., doctors oppose releasing sex predator

phillip matier, andrew ross, chronicle staff writers .

despite objections from the contra costa county district attorney, the state department of mental health and even his own doctors, a 32-year-old rapist under treatment at atascadero state hospital has been ordered released.. cary verse -- a twice-convicted violent sexual offender -- is set to be sprung as early as friday by order of judge john minney of contra costa superior court, perhaps to martinez.

expatbrit

The predator friendly cult Verse belongs to will send him door to door. What in the hell are they thinking?? It's time for the people to revolt.

What it's time for people to do is contact the media in California and get this pervert on film going to people's doors and cozying up to their kids.

Expatbrit

38

The British, What Do You Reckon?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

come on, we've been talking about canadians so much lately that my ears are freezing up.. what i want to know is, what do you think of us brits?.

do you think that we are cute and cuddly for example?.

or have we all got stiff upper lips?.

expatbrit

You'd think so, but it's been 800 years now. Wanna give it up?

Oh stop moaning. Everyone knows you're really Scottish anyway.

As that marvellous (and memorable) history book 1066 And All That declaims authoritatively:

The Scots (originally Irish, but by now Scotch) were at this time inhabiting Ireland, having driven the Irish (Picts) out of Scotland; while the Picts (originally Scots) were now Irish (living in brackets) and vice versa. It is essential to keep these distinctions clearly in mind (and verce visa).

Expatbrit

Robyn:

Edited by - expatbrit on 11 February 2003 19:34:28

Edited by - expatbrit on 11 February 2003 19:35:19

38

The British, What Do You Reckon?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

come on, we've been talking about canadians so much lately that my ears are freezing up.. what i want to know is, what do you think of us brits?.

do you think that we are cute and cuddly for example?.

or have we all got stiff upper lips?.

expatbrit

From my objective viewpoint I think the British are the master race, chosen by God and destiny to bring enlightenment, commerce, Christianity and civilization to the world

Unfortunately you're not the first Briton to think that. God only knows where they got the idea though

Well, you can only get so much entertainment out of oppressing the Irish...lol

Expatbrit