22. september 2003

Debunking Michael Meacher's 9/11 crackpot conspiracy theories Earlier this month, Michael Meacher, British Member of Parliament and until recently environment minister in Tony Blair's government, added a lot of credibility to conspiracy theories about the 9/11-01 terrorist attacks on the USA. He argued that the Bush government and the neocons deliberately allowed these attacks to happen as an excuse for starting a global war on terror, in reality just a grab for oil. Over a few days, I posted a number of detailed rebuttals and debunkings of Michael Meacher's absurd, monstrous and factually dishonest claims. I have added a collection of my blog postings on the subject, in chronological order from first to last, to my stories or articles section. 10:54:01 PM    comment []  trackback []

Terror threat: Information against panic and scams More criticism is heaped on the public relations work of the "duct and cover" Department of Homeland security, as a large panel of scientists and doctors issues its recommendations to the public. People should be less concerned with esoteric threats of dirty bombs, water poisoning and chemical weapons and more about the crude car and truck bombs that are al-Qaeda's preferred terror weapon. Bioterrorism oversight expert Dr Henry Miller of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University said unsophisticated means of attack still presented the greatest threat. "Many dreaded scenarios are technologically very difficult to achieve," Miller said. "I think the likeliest mode of attack is likely to be a relatively simple one." To secure undergrounds car parks in buildings, if possible abandon underground parking altogether, is more important than building duct tape and getting gas masks. Misinformation and the resulting panic in an attack from a radiological device, or "dirty bomb," was more dangerous than exposure itself, council members said. Dr Andrew Karam, a radiation expert at the University of Rochester, New York, said people were mistaken if they believed they needed a lot of background information to understand the effects of radiation exposure. "If we have a dirty bomb attack in the United States, I would be willing to bet that the death toll from ignorance will be greater than the death toll from the attack itself," Karam said. "It's more dangerous to get into a car and drive away than it is to go inside and to shelter yourself from the radioactivity." The experts also chided businesses for marketing "scam" devices to a concerned public, like radiation or chemical weapons detection kits, and also argued parachutes for people working in tall buildings was unnecessary and dangerous. 9:55:06 PM    comment []  trackback []

Dean wants to ride his bicycle... In an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Howard Dean explains why he changed his religious affiliation from Episcopalian to Congregationalist: "Because I had a big fight with a local Episcopal church about 25 years ago over the bike path. . . . We were trying to get the bike path built. They had control of a mile and a half of railroad bed, and they decided they would pursue a property right suit to refuse to allow the bike path to be developed." Don't mess with this man's bike paths. 6:25:17 PM    comment []  trackback []

— Saddam offers desperate deal to Americans The Sunday Mirror claims that Saddam Hussein, feeling he can can trust fewer and fewer people, are trying desperately to strike a deal with the US forces. The Iraqi dictator is demanding safe passage to the former Soviet republic of Belarus. In exchange, he has vowed to provide information on weapons of mass destruction and disclose bank accounts where he siphoned off tens of millions of dollars in plundered cash. However, president Bush is insisting there is no deal with the dictator, but keeps the channels of communication open to close in on Saddam. The newspaper relies on a "senior Iraqi official" for this story. He maintained that Saddam had decided to seek a deal "because he is desperate, trapped and finding fewer and fewer people willing to give him shelter." He added: "He resorts to arriving with a posse of armed men, and forcing them to give him hospitality. When he leaves the frightened 'hosts' are told they'll be killed if they say a word." It is believed the US authorities will simply string Saddam along, aiming to track the go-betweens until they know exactly where to find the rogue leader. It must be noted that the Mirror is not typically the most reliable newspaper in the world. 6:08:52 PM    comment []  trackback []

Short comment Idiots. 2:57:00 AM    comment []  trackback []

Job opportunity Slate runs a funny tongue-in-cheek job ad. Do you want to be boss of the New York Stock Exchange? Salary: Don't ask. Far less than you deserve, and far, far less than your predecessor. It's windy at the top. 2:52:15 AM    comment []  trackback []

© Copyright 2003 Jan Haugland. Last update: 01.10.2003; 02:25:08.