RICH Armitage, the US Deputy Secretary of State, is the most self-confident, straight-shooting voice of the Bush administration.
The US and Australia are united by the twin links of "perspective and action" – a willingness not just to acknowledge a common problem but also to do something about it.

"Australian security authorities are aware of reports that al-Qaeda has considered starting bushfires in the US as a form of terrorist attack,"

k - so this whole british/russiian missile thing:
1. the deal was being tracked for 20 months or 5 months
2. the buyer was pretending to be a muslim terrorist (now from somalia)
3. the timing re kelly/911 reports is sus
4. george is at the ranch
5. george sed 'this shows that we are doing a good job, but we have to keep on our toes'
6. an 'un-named briton'
7. there are thousands of the launchers available
8. the arrested man was 'not a well-known arms trader'
9. the air force one thing which was repeatedly reported, despite havign no apparent source, and being denied immediately
10. 'at no stage were terrorists involved' - repeat after me
11. the arrests were made in 'an area noted for jewellery stores' - gems traders see, bad people, and foreingers at that
12. 'several U.S. law enforcement officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.' - why are these people all anonymous?
13. too much detail, people! what are u trying to prove? 'Large scratches on the door apparently showed where police had forced the lock, and the door had been secured again with two large padlocks. '





of the six countries bordering Iraq, only Kuwait will have an army smaller than the one planned for Baghdad (15,400). On the other hand, Iran has some 520,000 people under arms (and may soon have nukes); Turkey has 515,000 (and a full-blown NATO arsenal); Syria has 319,000 (and chemical and biological weapons); Saudi Arabia has 200,000 (including its National Guard), and even little Jordan has 100,000. Not to mention nearby Israel, which has 161,000 soldiers on active duty, an enormous technological edge and, oh, yes, absolutely does have nuclear weapons.

The identity of the arms dealer and the charges against him were not disclosed by the authorities, who acted on the basis of sealed arrest and search warrants.

Representative Steve Israel, a New York Democrat, said the case "is just the latest indication of the gravity of this threat to the safety of air travelers." Mr. Israel is sponsoring a bill that would require that the antimissile equipment be placed in all 6,800 existing passenger planes in the United States.

According to the BBC, the arms dealer had put out feelers to buy the missile in Russia, while The New York Times reported that he boasted to contacts in the US that he could source weapons from Russia.
The middle-aged Londoner, named by the BBC as Hekmat Lakhani, was kept under surveillance as the sting operation – which at no stage involved any terrorists – unfolded.

Hemant Lakhani, 68, a Briton described as a "significant international arms dealer,"
"The terrorists who have threatened America lost an ally in their attempts to kill our citizens," U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie (*wot the fukk does that mean?)

According to an FBI affidavit filed to support the charges, Lakhani also asked for a commitment from the Russian "suppliers" — actually undercover Russian agents — for 50 more missiles to be sent to the United States by Aug. 30 and also said he was interested in purchasing a ton of C-4 plastic explosive. (yeah rite - 5 months to get one, and we want another 50 in 2 weeks. please)

Abraham, Christie said, accepted an initial $30,000 down payment on behalf of Lakhani, and presumably got it overseas to accounts controlled by Lakhani, while Hameed was only recently brought into the plot to help launder the expected $500,000 down payment for 50 missiles. (hmm - nice bulk discount)

"(Lakhani) on many occasions referred to Americans as bastards (and) Osama bin laden as a hero who had done something right and set the Americans straight," (see - he doesnt like us, he is evil)

BBC correspondent Tom Mangold said the man bought one for $85,000 by corrupt middle management at a Russian factory and was promised another 50.

The man is an established arms dealer, thought to be a middle aged man of Indian origin, who lives in London.

googling (excl 'news') "Hemant Lakhani" - provides one reference to an architect, and one to some guy who sells fridges. MSNBC says 'Lakhani, also known as Hemad Lakhani' - although googling that name didnt throw up a single response - even without using quotes! the last name by itself throws up a 18,000 responses - but the whole name, without quotes, gives not a single response - either he has been google-washed or he got invented... i cant find a single reference on other search engines - the guy didnt exist

in order to launder a $500,000 down payment on an additional 50 missiles that undercover agents sought from Lakhani, after one missile was shipped at a cost of $86,000.

the probe began in December 2001, when a "cooperating witness" under federal law enforcement control began talking to Lakhani about obtaining anti-aircraft guns and missiles. / Lakhani confirmed he would work with the witness and offered as many as 200 missiles.

Chechen rebels have used shoulder-fired Igla missiles against Russian military aircraft.

the fbi release: "This investigation shows that all agencies of the federal government and our international allies will work together tirelessly to keep innocent people safe," said Ashcroft. "America is vigilant against danger. Justice will be done."
"contact between Lakhani and the cooperating witness began in December 2001, with most of the conversations spoken in Urdu or Hindi. The following month, after the cooperating witness said he wanted to purchase one surface-to-air missile initially and more to follow" (ok, so 20 months ago he wanted one, and now he wants 50 in 2 weeks)
"Among the more than 150 other audio- or video-taped conversations during the investigation, Lakhani allegedly spoke approvingly of Usama bin Laden, saying bin Laden "straightened them all out" and "did a good thing." And, in a another conversation, Lakhani was recorded saying, "The Americans are bastards."" (hmm - thats pretty incriminating)
" In more recorded conversations during August 2002, Lakhani allegedly said the supplier was concerned that the deal for just one missile was "too risky," and that he had committed to the supplier that there would be a purchase of at least an additional 20 missiles."
"on or about July 12, 2003, Lakhani traveled to Moscow to meet with the suppliers In subsequent meetings, Lakhani allegedly discussed payment arrangements and his desire to arrange a deal for the purchase of an additional 50 surface-to-air missiles." (20 50 500? who cares?)

US officials are pleased that Russia - despite misgivings over the invasion of Iraq - is still on board with the US war on terror.

The undercover agents had also promised to give Lakhani a $500,000 down payment for the purchase of 50 more of the same missiles, with the total deal valued at $5 million, Christie said.

Hemant Lakhani, identified as a well-known British arms dealer of Indian origin. Meanwhile in London, police said they searched two sites at the request of US authorities in the sting operation. No arrests were made, and officials declined to say where they were carried out. (hmm - another journo saw the scratches on the door! it mite be a timing issue)

When I asked at Walter Reed why in my son-in-law's attack near Kirkuk on July 9 did the Army Public Affairs officer say no one was seriously hurt – I was told it would not be good for the President. My son-in-law was then in very serious condition

Arnold Schwarzenegger, labeled by polls the early leader in California's recall election, did not vote in five of the past 11 statewide elections

The vast majority of the Iraqi people will vote for leaders who support the following four positions:
1. vehemently against privatization of the Iraqi economy, especially the oil industry;
2. extremely anti-Kuwaiti;
3. extremely anti-Israeli; and
4. absolutely against the American occupation.

Halliburton has accomplished more in Afghanistan and Iraq than Bush's "dead or alive" doctrine.

"I sat and listened to the State of the Union speech when Bush mentioned 9/11 12 or 13 times," she said. "At the same time, we were having trouble getting funding for the independent commission."
"I think it's disgusting the independent commission is doing the most important work for this nation and it's not even reported in the New York Times or on the nightly news. I've been scheduled to go on Meet the Press and Hardball so many times and I'm always canceled.

"The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war," John F. Kennedy promised in a galaxy far, far away.

Condi admitted that Bush was warned about potentially imminent hijackings, the source of the 9/11 attacks. That is the bottom line, period.

Karl Rove knew that sooner or later, people with brains (which is to say people other than mainstream news reporters) were going to start catching on to the transparent lies of the White House about how George W. Bush dropped the ball in preventing 9/11, so he had Tom Ridge and John Ashcroft unleash a barrage of terrorist alerts in the spring of 2002.
Then they sent Laura Bush up to NYC to bemoan that she didn't understand why everyone was so scared.

june 9 03 "So you just got to figure that any day now, Karl Rove is going to roll out some grand distraction.... / Karl will come up with something spectacular enough to get the media and the wimpy Democratic Congressional leadership off the scent of the truth about the lies that led this country into the Iraq war. "