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| Newsletter | January 2002 |
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We got it wrong big time. We gave the wrong date for the mass demo in Kingston timed to coincide with the planning meeting in Kingston to decide incineration in Surrey. Unfortunately our info is only as good as our sources and we were given duff info. We did know when we mailed out a second copy of the newsletter a week later, but as we had not verified that with the organisers we let it stand as it was with no correction. Let that serve as a warning. Always check our diary dates with the organisers.
In our review of The Constant Gardener by John le Carre in BVEJ newsletter #0011 April 2001 we got the author of one book wrong and failed to give full details for the books. Both are recommended. The Constant Gardener is now available as paperback.
Iain Banks, The Business, Little, Brown and Company, 1999
Gerald James, In the Public Interest, Warner Books, 1996
A virus, or to be more correct a worm, was released into the wild on Saturday 24 November 2001. By the following Tuesday it was quite widespread. We have not dissected the worm and analysed its entrails but we can give some idea of its design by observation of its behaviour.
Receipt of the worm can easily be identified, until variants appear, by the receipt of a zero content e-mail with two attachments, one of zero bytes the other exactly 40k. The attachments containing the worm will be of the following format
name.doc.scr
where name is random. Do not open the attachment. If you do your machine is likely to crash (whether design flaw or intentionally is not known) and the worm will spread.
Outlook Express is targeted. Which also due to a Microshit security flaw is likely to automatically open any attachment. The worm looks in your in folder and mails out to the sender. The recipient is more likely to trust the e-mail as it has originated from a known source.
HotMail scans any attachments in situ using McAfee before downloading. Late Tuesday afternoon it did not detect any problems.
PC-cillin was able to detect the worm by Tuesday. We would also recommend F-Prot. We would not touch Norton with a bargepole. PC-cillin was downloadable from the Halifax web site.
A virus scanner is only as good as its latest database.
As a security measure delete any incoming e-mail of 40k.
They are virtually seeking to monopolise all names and words with prefix Mc or Mac. -- Justice David Neuberger
It's lucky they sell only fucking hamburgers. -- Dave Morris, McLibel co-defendant
The McLibel case is taught in all business schools as the classic case of how not to go about it. McDonald's took on London Greenpeace for handing out a leaflet which simply told what is common knowledge, that McDonald's are crap food joints, that serve crap food, with poor working conditions for their staff. McDonald's served libel writs and lost big time. In losing they generated millions of dollars of bad publicity for themselves and exposed to a much wider audience just how bad McDonald's are.
Prior to the McDonald's libel action London Greenpeace had handed out a few hundred leaflets and were on the point of winding down the campaign. By the time the court case had finished, the longest running trial in English legal history, several million leaflets had been distributed around the world. The offending leaflet is available on the McSpotlight website in pdf format and can be printed off for local distribution. Helen Steel and Dave Morris have never paid the costs awarded against them to McDonald's and made clear their intent that they never intend to. On the last day of the trial Dave Morris walked out of court to be met by enthusiastic supporters and a throng of press with 'does anyone want a leaflet?'
Once a bully always a bully. McDonald's clearly learnt nothing from their bruising encounter with Helen Steel and Dave Morris, the McLibel co-defendants. For the last nine years McDonald's have been bullying a small Farnborough restaurateur, the proprietor of Wings Chinese restaurant on Alexandra Road in North Camp, Farnborough. The heinous crime of Frank Yuen, proprietor of the small family business was that he had opened a handful of Chinese takeaways, one in Wimbledon called McChina, then a couple of years later two more, a McChina Wok Away in Camberley and a McChina Wok Away in Farnborough. According to good old Ronald McDonald his trademark had been infringed, customers may become confused.
It is difficult to see how customer confusion arises as one serves food, and we are not thinking of McDonald's. McChina serves quality Chinese food freshly prepared on the premises, McDonald's serves junk food. In the McLibel trial McDonald's own barrister was forced to admit that McDonald's serves 'junk food'.
McDonald's provided the court with evidence to 'prove' their claim of 'customer confusion'. As with the McLibel case all they seemed to do was strengthen their opponent's hand.
McDonald's referred to a customer survey carried out on their behalf. The key question was: 'What would be your immediate reactions or first thoughts on hearing that a restaurant had recently opened in your area called McCHINA?'
3% sounded like a McDonald's restaurant 5% thought it was connected to McDonald's restaurants 1% thought it was part of the McDonald's chain 1% thought it was a Chinese McDonald's
The survey didn't take place outside a McChina (which bears no resemblance to see if confusion arose).
A second bit of evidence was that the Camberley McDonald's had had two telephone calls from confused customers.
If McDonald's was going to sue, surely another McBurger chain, all of which are clones of each other. McChina made no attempt to imitate a McDonald's, indeed they would be insulted to be confused with McDonald's. McDonald's evidence, far from proving 'customer confusion', seemed to prove the exact opposite. Every town has a McDonald's, often more than one, thus an extremely biased survey. Hardly also a ringing endorsement of McDonald's massive multimillion pound advertising budget (£30.8 in 1995 on a £684.3 turnover). In the McLibel trial McDonald's were forced to admit that if it wasn't for their massive advertising few people would eat at McDonald's as there would be no reason to eat at McDonald's.
As the judge pointed out the survey proved nothing as there will always be a small percentage of the population who will be confused no matter what they are asked.
After nine years of being bullied and terrorised by McDonald's Mr Yuen has won a stunning victory in the High Court. Mr Justice David Neuberger, and no we are not making up the name, ruled that the McChina name would not deceive or cause any confusion among customers. He also ruled that Ronald McDonald had no right to the prefix Mc and told the court: 'This is supported by the fact that there is no similarity between China on the one hand and, on the other hand Donald.'
According to Mr Yuen's solicitor he is the first person in Europe to break Roland's stranglehold on the Mc trademark.
Mr Yuen has achieved his fifteen minutes of fame. He has had media interest from as far afield as CNN, Hong Kong and China.
Mr Yuen is not the only person to suffer from playground bully Ronald McDonald. Apart from years of harassing anyone of Scottish decent who dares to put their own family name across their own food shop or restaurant, McDonald's have also sued McAllan's sausage stand in Denmark, the Scottish-themed sandwich shop McMunchies in Buckinghamshire, gone after Elizabeth McCaughey's McCoffee shop in San Francisco Bay Area and waged a twenty-six-year battle against a man called Ronald McDonald whose McDonald's Family Restaurant in a tiny town in Illinois has been around since 1956.
Not a good year for McDonald's - they have been prosecuted in Camberley for the worst case in the country of child exploitation (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001), been awarded the Mouldy Pork Pie Award by the BBC Radio 4 Food Programme (BVEJ newsletter #0014 July 2001), seen their profits fall (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001), been forced to face closure of their food outlets due to falling profits and falling customer demand (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001), and are facing consumer resistance to their E.coli burgers in Argentina.
Jose Bove and Francois Dufour, The World is Not for Sale, Verso, 2001
Naomi Klein, No Logo, Flamingo, 2000
Stephen Lloyd, Where there's Mc there's brass: McChina wins verdict over McDonald's, Farnborough News, 30 November 2001
Richard Milton, Bad Company: Behind the Corporate Mask, House of Stratus, 2001
Keith Parkins, McChina v McDonald's, UK Indymedia, 4 December 2001
Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation: What the All-American Meal is Doing to the World, Allen Lane/The Penguin Press, 2001
John Vidal, McLibel: Burger Culture on Trial, The New Press, 1997
Robin Young, Chinese nugget beats big Mac, The Times, 28 November 2001
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
Balfour Beattie's withdrawal has vindicated what we at the Campaign have been saying all along: that the Ilisu Dam would be a human rights, environmental and cultural disaster. -- Kerim Yildiz
As we reported last month Balfour Beastie has been forced to pull out of the Ilisu Dam consortium, taking their Italiana partner with them (BVEJ newsletter #0019 December 2001). The Turks now admit that unless they can find replacement contractors the project is unlikely to go ahead. But, although it is not very likely, as the rules currently stand there is nothing to stop another company stepping into Balfour Beasties place and requesting funding from ECGD. The way forward must therefore be to make such funding politically unacceptable.
Other projects within the region include: Yusefeli Dam to be built by a consortium including Amec partly financed by £68 million credit from ECGD (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001), BP-promoted Baku-Ceyan oil and gas pipeline which will cut through Turkish occupied Kurdistan (see Oil and the Caspian Region in this issue).
Ilisu Dam campaign wish to follow up their stunning success by widening the campaign to include similar projects. They can only do so with your help.
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
Last November, opponents of the new Said Business School in Oxford hung a large banner from the roof, proclaiming that the school was 'Built With Blood Money', due to a £20 million donation towards the school from businessman Wafic Said, best known for his role as broker in the Al-Yamamah arms deal. Passers-by were leafletted, and the banner stayed up until a police climbing team were called in to remove it and its accompanying climber. Later in the day, coinciding with a reception to open the school, over a hundred local people came to remind Wafic Said that he may have been able to buy himself an Oxford college, but he cannot buy himself a good reputation. Said is able to exercise considerable influence over the business school, choosing half of the trustees himself. The protesters were herded into a pen, under conditions of the draconian Section 14, and one protester who wandered away from the area holding out leaflets for anyone interested was arrested!
Protest is nothing new for the Oxford Business School - it has been opposed at every stage of its development by a plethora of different groups, ranging from those opposed to the arms trade, through those against the corporate takeover of education, to those interested in exposing government sleaze. The site on which the building now stands was the site of a five month protest camp in 1998, which attempted to prevent the dismantling of the former railway station, a Grade II* listed building, and the destruction of nearby trees to build a six-lane traffic junction.
The story of the business school has been one of buying approval from start to finish. Oxford University's 'Ethics Committee' decided to accept the money from Said, but drafted in Thatcher's ex-Press Secretary Bernhard Ingham to tutor Said in answering the inevitable media questions which would follow. Over 10,000 people signed a petition objecting to the development, but a public enquiry was never called, unusual in a case involving a listed building. A leaked government memo reveals that Downing Street exerted pressure for planning permission to be rushed through. No satisfactory reasons have been given, and it is believed that the now-disgraced Keith Vaz also blocked an inquiry which could have exposed his involvement. Even English Heritage, which had previously been fighting to save the LMS railway station, dropped their objections after Said gave them £25,000. English Heritage claim there are no links between the two events, whilst Said claims he has always supported the organisation, yet he has never given them a donation before or since.
Wafic Said is a businessman of Syrian origin, who was a key broker of the Al-Yamamah arms deals in which Britain sold weaponry to the oppressive Saudi government during the 1980s. The deal was the biggest known arms sale ever, and according to an award-winning Dispatches television documentary, it included fighter planes, as well as electro-shock batons which are used to torture political dissidents.
Anther key player in the Al-Yamamah arms deal was the Wafic Said business associate Saudi Middle East financier and arms dealer Akhram Ojjeh. The French were so desperate for the deal that they awarded Akhram Ojjeh the Legion d'Honneur. Akhram Ojjeh is one of the people behind TAG.
Wafic Said acted as a broker for BAe (as it was then now BAE Systems) on the Al-Yamamah arms deal. Massive kick backs are known to have taken place, something BAe has never publicly denied. BAE Systems, together with arms promoter SBAC, are the major backers of TAG.
Said K Aburish, The House of Saud, Bloomsbury Paperbacks, 1995
Pippa Gallop, Oxford Business School funded by arms broker, Corporate Watch newsletter, November-December 2001
Gerald James, In the Public Interest, Warner Books, 1996
When it is drawn up between the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor and developers.
The legal agreement drawn up between Rushmoor and TAG is a worthless bit of paper, but maybe even worse there is no attempt by Rushmoor to enforce it. TAG have been working at night in clear breach of their planning consent. Since the summer it has been hell for local residents. Rushmoor does nothing.
Key Property Investments (the Arab owners of Farnborough town centre) are not permitted to carry out any development work on a Sunday. When it looked as though they were intending to start demolition work on the old Post Office site they received a warning letter from Rushmoor of the planning conditions. KPI still managed to start on a Sunday, a flagrant breech of their planning conditions. Although Keith Holland (Rushmoor Head of Planning) appeared on site and read the riot act there has been no sanction on KPI. The Post Office was known to contain asbestos. No attempt was made to monitor its removal, nor any of the other conditions placed on the demolition.
1. Byers gave the go-ahead to T5 citing its importance to the national economy. In that he echoed the recommendation of the Inspector.
2. Byers has limited flight numbers to 480,000 per annum (there are almost 460,000 at present). This is what the Inspector recommended. Byers told the House of Commons: 'with regard to the limit of 480,000 flight movements, I was very aware of the concern expressed about Terminal 4. Planning conditions were not laid down with regard to the number of flights....it was not part of the planning decision. We are making it a planning condition that there will be a limit of 480,000 flight movements a year. That means that it cannot be changed, even by my successor, unless a fresh planning application is made and new consideration given to the matter.' If this cap was adhered to, there would be no need for a 3rd runway or an end to runway alternation. Byers has left a get-out clause, though - see point 5.
3. Byers announced in his statement to the Commons that 'the noise effects of Terminal 5 will also be limited by a condition restricting the area enclosed by the 57-decibel contour to 145 sq km as from 2016.' Again, this follows the Inspector's recommendation.
4. Note: Because the Inspector has severe doubts that the Leq index as a way of measuring things accurately reflects the noise levels as people experience them, he has imposed not just the condition about the size of the noise contour, but also the one about the number of flights.
This is what he says:
The position is very different with relation to noise. There can be no doubt that aircraft using Heathrow cause substantial disturbance and annoyance over a very wide area. Although the area enclosed by the LAeq 16hour 57dB(A) contour has reduced, this is only part of the story. The very great increase in the number of aircraft has made the noise climate worse for many, particularly in the early morning. Although BAA claims the noise climate will continue to improve, much of this would be due to the phasing out of Concorde. In any event, Terminal 5 would significantly reduce the extent of this improvement and would result in even more aircraft movements....I have come to the firm view that the proposed new terminal would cause substantial harm in noise terms....while the benefits of Terminal 5 would have to be very considerable to outweigh its impact in terms of noise, I do not consider the impact to be so great as to rule it out entirely. Terminal 5 should however be approved only if it is subjected to clear controls that would prevent any increase in the noise impact over and above that which I have taken into account.
The Inspector added: 'unless the controls I have proposed are imposed the impact of Terminal 5 would soon exceed that on which I have based my judgement. It would rapidly become wholly unacceptable whatever benefits it might bring'.
5. The Government is carrying out a new noise study (as announced in Spring 2001). Byers said in his decision letter: 'it is envisaged that the results of this study will help to show whether the Leq index does in fact have the weaknesses suggested by the Inspector. The results would also inform any future consideration of the ATM [number of flights] condition.'
6. Byers refused to rule out a third runway. He told the Commons: 'the third runway will be considered in the context of both the South-East of England study and the Aviation White Paper, which we shall publish next year.' The Inspector had, effectively, come out against a 3rd runway. In the summary of his report he said: 'It was not the role of this inquiry to set out long-term aviation policies for the South-East. I warmly welcome the Government's decision to bring forward such policies ... in the context of the Government's review, it should be assumed that no further major developments would take place at Heathrow after Terminal 5.'
7. On night flights, Byers said: 'I recognise that there is considerable concern about night noise, but I am not legally entitled to change the night noise regime without consultation. I shall consult on extending the night quota period when I next make proposals for the night noise regime for the BAA airports. I have decided that the consultation will take place by 2003 at the latest.'
The current 5 year agreement with the airlines on night flights runs out in 2003.
8. On the night flight court case, Byers told the Commons: 'I am still giving detailed consideration to the European Court decision on the Hatton case. We have three months before a decision has to be taken, and I want to use that time to give a proper consideration to the details in that judgement.'
9. The Inspector said there was a case for re-examining the period covered by the night quota, though he argued that it was largely separate from the issue of whether or not to give planning permission to T5. The Inspector took the view that night flights should, over time, be phased out.
10. The Inspector found the 1992 Sleep Disturbance Study presented to the Inquiry to be limited and Byers accepted this: 'the Secretary of State does not seek to attach greater weight to the Study than that placed by the Inspector.' This was the Study by the much-criticised John Ollerhead that your sleep was not disturbed if you did not go back to sleep again!
11. The Inspector recommended the Heathrow Express and the Piccadilly Line are extended to T5. Byers agreed. But no other new public transport schemes.
12. Inspector recommended 'parking for employees should be more strictly controlled.' Byers reduced provision from 46,000 to 42,000 spaces.
13. Inspector recommended M4 and M25 (around Heathrow) be widened. Byers said no to the M4, but agreed on the M25 widening.
The way forward on T5 is now likely to be a series of legal challenges to the T5 decision.
John Stewart, chair of HACAN, gave a pisspoor performance to the media when the decision was announced. Why we don't know. The way forward is not to threaten the critics but to stand aside to let others do a better job.
HACAN need to get their act together. Their web site is always months out of date. This is to immediately concede an advantage to the opposition. One of the advantages activists have is the ability to get info out quicker than their opponents. The demo in London turned out alright on the day, but only because at the very last minute others stepped into the breach to promote it.
11 September 2001 exposed what everyone inside and outside the industry knew all too well, that it wasn't the great succes it was cracked up to be. Since 11 September 2001 the industry has been in meltdown.
A myth that the industry likes to promote is that it is a wealth generator and job creator.
Within the EU the sector accounts for only 1% of GDP, 0.2% of employment, but externalised costs amount to 4.6% of EU GDP (16.4 billion euros/year) with direct and indirect support and subsidies running at 45 billion euros/year.
Flight movements increased at Frankfurt airport by 77.8%, employment rose by 0.6%.
BAA spin T5 as a massive job creation scheme. Big business is not in the business of job creation, the first thing it does is slash jobs when profits slide, it is in the business of creating profit and grabbing market share. Since 11 September 2001 six thousand people who worked at Heathrow, 10% of the workforce, have lost their jobs.
The predicted growth rate before 11 September was 5% per annum. A figure that is clearly unsustainable even before we take into account greenhouse gases (aviation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases and is exempt from Kyoto). An annual growth rate of 5% would require a new Gatwick every few years in the South East alone. Where are we to put them?
If the industry were to pay its way, which at the moment it clearly does not, we would remove the artificial stimulus that is causing this artificial growth rate.
John Humphrys, Clipping the airlines' wings would do us all a favour, Sunday Times, 25 November 2001
George Monbiot, Airstrip One, The Guardian, 23 November 2001
While US policy-makers certainly do not want to see a hegemonic Russia, the potential costs of such hegemony becomes far greater if Russia is able to dictate the terms of Western access to the world's last known oil and gas reserves. -- Dr Martha Brill, US Central Asia specialist
The sudden capture of Kabul by the Taliban in September 1996 prompted me to try to unravel two unanswered questions ... Were the Americans supporting the Taliban either directly or indirectly through Unocal or their allies Pakistan and Saudi Arabia? And what was prompting this massive polarisation between the USA, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the Taliban on one side and Iran, Russia, the Central Asian states and the anti-Taliban alliance on the other? While some focused on the whether there was a revival of the old CIA-ISI connection from the Afghan jihad era, it became apparent to me the strategy over pipelines had become the driving force behind Washington's interest in the Taliban, which in turn was prompting a counter-reaction from Russia and Iran. -- Ahmed Rashid
The outside interference in in Afghanistan is now all related to the battle for oil and gas pipelines. The fear is that these companies and regional powers are just renting the Taliban for their own purpose. -- Yasushi Akashi, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, January 1997
The players in the game of pipeline politics must remind themselves that peace can bring a pipeline, but a pipeline cannot bring peace. -- Robert Ebel, US foreign affairs analyst, 1997
US policy was to promote the independence of these oil-rich counties, to in essence, break Russia's monopoly control over transportation of oil from that region, and frankly, to promote Western energy security through diversification of supply. -- Sheila Heslin, NSC, 1997
When the Soviet Union collapsed the Central Asian Republics faced two problems. The first was that all their communications pointed to Russia (cf Africa pointing to Europe). The second was that within months their economies had collapsed. Their salvation was seen in oil and gas, the region to become the new Middle East. The only problem was the lack of pipelines to deliver the anticipated wealth.
The oil and gas reserves of the Caspian Region are not as high as hyperbole would suggest but still pretty huge. Greater than the North Sea reserves or those in the US but an order of magnitude less than the Middle East.
The Central Asian Republics wished to reduce their dependence on Russia, plus they had difficulty in being paid for what had already been delivered to the bankrupt former Soviet republics lying to the north.
One route for a pipeline would be through Iran but that was ruled out by the US, which only leaves unstable Afghanistan or a route under the Caspian Sea to Turkey, which would pass through Turkish occupied Kurdistan.
Turkey's wet dream is a Turkish Empire stretching through the Central Asian Republics to the Chinese border. It has been following the US model and providing military training and scholarships as well as pouring aid into the countries. Part of the wooing process, with US backing, would be a pipeline running from Azerbaijan through Georgia and the Caucasus to Turkey, the Baku-Ceyan oil and gas pipeline. Central Asian Republics would be offered spurs running under the Caspian Sea (to avoid Iran). From Turkey the pipeline would run on to Europe. The downside is the cost. Further problems are that it is too long and runs through Turkish occupied Kurdistan. US has attempted to solve the latter problem by pouring massive military aid into Turkey to crush the Kurds.
Oil companies first became seriously interested in the Central Asian Region and the possibility of an oil route through Afghanistan in the 1990s. The first to explore the possibility was Bridas, an Argentinian family owned company who took options in Turkmenistan. Their problem was how to get their oil and gas out of a landlocked country. They proposed an open pipeline through Afghanistan. They then came unstuck through double crossing. Once they had proved the feasibility they were double crossed by Turkmenistan, then by Unocal who they had invited in as a consortium partner.
In the early 90s the US was cool on the Central Asian Republics as they did not wish to upset Russia in its own backyard. The situation changed as Russia fell apart. The situation was also altered by oil lobbying. Under Clinton the oil companies were determining foreign policy in the region.
The prostitutes hired by the players included: Henry Kissinger, Al Hague, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Richard Armitage, John Sununu, Howard Baker, Lawrence Eagleburger.
When the Taliban took Kabul, Unocal and the Clinton administration were among the first to recognise them. A recognition that was withdrawn as swiftly as it had been given.
Unocal is a company that is all too familiar to human rights campaigners and environmentalists. It is not too fussed with whom or how it does business. Unocal were lobbying hard for Taliban recognition. Eventually the Unocal deal fell through. Hard lobbying by environmentalists and feminists made it impossible for the US to recognise the Taliban. Without official recognition Unocal could not unlock World Bank funding.
Unocal were willing to pay the Taliban 15 cents per 1,000 cubic feet of gas transported across their territory. This works out at an annual $105 million for the projected flows. The average income in Afghanistan is $1-3 per month.
In the late 90s legal action was started in California to remove the incorporated status of Unocal for crimes against humanity.
US foreign policy in Afghanistan in the early 90s was determined by withdrawals mirroring the Soviet withdrawal, in the mid-90s by support for the regional aspirations of client states Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and a long-standing US anti-Iranian stance, then it was driven to suit the needs of US oil companies, finally a pullout was forced as the real horror of the Taliban became apparent. Since the 1998 missile strike on Afghanistan the US policy could be crudely described as 'get bin Laden'. Post 11 September 2001, the WTC twin towers destruction has enabled the 'get bin Laden' policy to be pursued with a vengeance, incorporating destroy the Taliban, install a puppet government and negotiate pipeline routes.
Oil from the Caspian Region would place the West in a position of dependency on another volatile unstable region of the world with a commensurate military involvement.
In a recent talk at MIT Noam Chomsky was of the view that oil was not the primary reason for US attacks on Afghanistan because oil was a background issue and nothing had changed. This may be true, but the US saw the attack on the World Trade Center as an opportunity to impose its own government on Afghanistan and to then use it as a route for oil. The irony is that greenhouse limits mean we cannot exploit our existing reserves so why are we tapping into more?
John K Cooley, Unholy Wars: Afghanistan, America and International Terrorism (2nd ed), Pluto Press, 2000
Stephen Kinzer, Caspian Competitors in race for power on a sea of oil, New York Times, 24 January 1999
George Monbiot, America's Pipe Dream: The war against terrorism is a also a struggle for oil and regional control, The Guardian, 23 October 2001
Ahmed Rashid, The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism?, Zed Books, 1994
Ahmed Rashid, The New Great Game: The Battle for Central Asia's Oil, Far Eastern Economic Review, 10 April 1997
Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, Yale University Press, 2000
Antonio Tricarico, The Battle for Caspian Resources, Corporate Watch newsletter, November-December 2001
You all wondered how to recognise a terrorist walking down the street, the ones wearing Balaclavas are easy. Well now George W Bush is giving you a helping hand.
The 125-clause anti-terrorism bill being pushed through in the States, expected to be in effect by Christmas, makes it a terrorist offence to wear face paint.
Brenda Norrell, Anti-terrorism bill makes face paint and masks criminal offenses, 27 November 2001
In his excellent book on Afghanistan and international terrorism John K Cooley writes:
On the receiving end of largesse for Islamists, sent from Saudi Arabia and its Arab Gulf allies, especially the United Arab Emirates, were a number of mosques and Muslim community centers in Europe. These were private and 'charitable' funds. One such center was a big mosque for the Muslim, mainly African community, in Evrey, France. Contributors to the $6 million place of worship, where former Afghan veterans were made especially welcome, included the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, the Saudi financier and arms dealer Akhram Ojeh, Kuwait's Minister of Religious Affairs and the Saudi Ambassador to France. Suspicious French investigators, probing terrorist bombings in France in the mid-1990s, tried to establish connections between this mosque and others to the Islamist militants, especially the Afghan groups. They either didn't find substantiation of their suspicions, or if thy did, did not leak to the French media.
The FBI were told to backoff investigating Saudi terrorist links, did the same happen in France to French investigators?
John K Cooley goes on to say how he was told by a French diplomat that most of the funds collected from Saudi and the Gulf for Islamists in North Africa were channelled through dummy companies in France, Switzerland, the Bahamas and the US. The companies, some legit, others not, tended to be petroleum engineering enterprises or industrial management companies. Many of the companies are controlled by Afghan veterans. French sources also identify other groups owning real estate in the US.
Saudi financier and arms dealer Akhram Ojeh is one of the people behind TAG Aviation, the operators of Farnborough Airport. Akhram Ojeh travels around on a French passport, the finances of TAG are hidden behind offshore companies registered in Switzerland and Luxembourg. Farnborough town centre is controlled by a Kuwaiti finance/real estate company. One of the Kuwaiti directors is also director of a Kuwaiti Islamic bank.
Both John K Cooley and Ahmed Rashid document in some detail the funding and control of the Taliban. The Taliban were created by the Pakistani ISI with the help of the Saudis. Money and logistic support flows in from Saudi Arabia. A key player is Saudi Prince Turki, head of the Saudi Intelligence service.
John K Cooley, Unholy Wars: Afghanistan, America and International Terrorism (2nd ed), Pluto Press, 2000
Ahmed Rashid, Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, Yale University Press, 2000
[BVEJ newsletter #0019 December 2001]
The biotech industry has gone too far, too fast and is now out of control. GMOs have already contaminated wild plants in Mexico. Now Aventis has allowed uncontrolled GM oilseed plants to flower in the UK. It's time the Government said enough is enough and called an immediate halt to this dangerous experiment. It must also prosecute Aventis for breaking the law. -- Pete Riley, FoE GM Campaigner
We have repeatedly drawn attention to oilseed rape 'volunteers', plants that escape from the fields,and the dangers this poses when the volunteers contain modified genes. Take a walk along the North Downs Way during the summer to see for yourselves.
Oilseed rape volunteers, already in flower, have been found at a site used early last year in the Government's GM Farm Scale Evaluations (Witham-on-the-Hill, near Grantham, Lincs, TF 043 173). The biotech company Aventis is legally responsible for ensuring that these GM volunteers do not survive to the flowering stage. If they flower, GM volunteers may contaminate non-GM oil seed rape plants and wild relatives.
FoE has written to the Secretary of State, Margaret Beckett, urging her to order the immediate destruction of the weeds and to prosecute Aventis for breaching their consent to release GMOs. We would go far further. All Aventis trials must be destroyed.
GM maize has been found in southern Mexico even though banned. Either illegal plantings or rogue genes have escaped proving environmentalists worst fears.
Both of these cases are far worse than a case of rogue genes escaping, bad as that may be. Mexico is where maize originated, Europe is where oilseed rape originated. Take a walk along the Cornish South Coast and you will find wild cabbages, the originators of all cabbages. Oilseed rape is a member of the cabbage family.
Reports in the scientific journals Nature and New Scientist show that genetically modified (GM) crops have contaminated all of North America. In Canada where GM oilseed rape has been grown commercially for six years, GM pollen and seed is now so widespread it is difficult to grow conventional or organic strains without them being contaminated. Not only that but also some GM plants are developing into superweeds, as they have acquired resistance to more than one weedkiller by crossing with other GM strains.
The snappily titled Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) (SchNEWS 329) was adopted at the United Nations Food and Agriculture conference at the beginning of November 2001). In theory the agreement should have totally undermined the biotech companies control over genetic resources in food crops, unfortunately it's unlikely to happen. Under international law the terms of new treaties should overrule older ones, this meant this treaty would have trumped the World Trade Organisations (WTO) TRIPs Agreement (SchNEWS 328, BVEJ newsletters passim). But carefully placed wording in PGRFA appears to suggest that the WTO will still be able to continue to be genetic bullies on behalf of the biotech giants.
Pharmacia the American Pharmaceuticals group will in October 2002 sell its share of the biotech firm Monsanto. An industry analyst said, 'If management does not have to give presentations every year on Frankenfoods that can only be a good thing.'
Believe it or not - a protest camp has been granted PLANNING PERMISSION! Highland Council in Scotland gave the Munlochy Vigil permission for two caravans, a yurt and a toilet to remain next to the site of a GM crop they're protesting against until the trial ends next summer. Planning permission was granted because the council believes the protesters to be acting in the interest of the local community. One in the eye for the Scottish Executive who had asked the council to remove the camp.
The biotech industry have out of the goodness of their wallets produced a magazine called Your World to distribute in Scottish schools, and would you believe it the magazine presents a totally distorted view of the issues surrounding GM! A campaign has started to try and stop the booklet being distributed and a counter-guide has been produced called 'Your World or their World
Did you know the distance that food is transported by road increased by 50% in just over twenty years? Or that between a third and 40% of all UK road freight is thanks to food travelling around the country?
These and many more equally depressing facts about our wasteful food distribution system (we will try to bring some more next month) can be found in: Eating Oil: Food supply in a changing climate, a major new report from Sustain and Elm Farm Research Centre (EFRC) which takes a look at how far our food travels to get to our plates. The report also exposes our dependency on imports and on fossil fuels to produce, process, package and distribute the food we eat.
In the Report, Sustain say that the UK's food system had become 'almost completely dependent' on oil, and that internationally, food distribution was a major cause of pollution and climate change. The organisation also criticised this food system because, for the sake of international trade agreements and political commitments, many countries essentially just swap food. For example, in 1997, the UK imported 33 million gallons of milk and exported 71 million gallons, instead of just exporting 38 million. Likewise we exported 195,000 tones of pork while importing 240,000 tonnes and exported 102,000 tonnes of lamb while importing 125,000 tonnes. Call us thick but this sounds like a waste of fuel, time and money. Ah but we forgot, governments and big agribusiness make huge profits through international trade.
By supporting local food suppliers, we can all help to reverse this damaging set of priorities.
Other problems highlighted include loss of nutrients in food, increased incidence and spread of diseases like Foot and Mouth, and major animal welfare problems.
The report's author Andy Jones:
The food system has become almost completely dependent on crude oil. This means that food supplies are vulnerable to increases in petroleum prices or any shortfall in oil supplies, as demonstrated during the fuel protests in the UK in 2000. Food distribution is also a major contributor to climate change and other forms of pollution. The environment and society cannot continue to bear the costs. We need to invest, now, in regional and local food systems combined with fair trade initiatives that will bring about a more secure, sustainable and fair food system.
One way to reduce organic food miles is to increase UK production. The Organic Targets Campaign rally and lobby will take place on 23 January 2002 to encourage government to adopt an organic action plan with a target of 30% agricultural land to be organic by 2010. Another way is to support your local farmers market.
Andy Jones, Eating Oil: Food supply in a changing climate, Sustain and Elm Farm Research Centre, 10 December 2001
The country doesn't belong to the people, it belongs to the puppetmasters of the dictatorship in bed with the United States ... The universal cry in the streets of Argentina, that the country is returned to the people, will never be fulfilled while every politician, policeman and army officer are corrupt to the core and of an immovable tendency to fascism. -- Alexis Daunaravicius, whose family fled Argentina years ago in desperation
It would be tragic, not only for Argentina but for the global economy if it were concluded that Argentina's experience was useless and did not work. -- Domingo Cavallo, Argentinian Finance Minister
We are creating something new. Argentines of all classes are coming together to say enough is enough. The government keeps telling us that there is no alternative to the recession they are imposing to free up money for the servicing of the foreign debt, yet they are doing nothing to stop the rich from taking their money out. -- Victor de Gennaro, protester
We should underscore the concept of 'prosumer' in the Argentinian Global Barter (RGT) Network: it's a word coined by tying together 'producer' and 'consumer', meaning that RGT members are individuals who are producers and consumers at the same time. -- RGT Statement
Argentina is in all but name bankrupt, it owes in excess of $100 billion with not an earthly chance of repayment. A decade or so ago the Mexican economy in similar dire straits was bailed out, in reality it was the banks who had lent to Mexico who were being bailed out. Another example of corporate welfare. For Argentina the IMF is now thinking the unthinkable, to let the country go bust.
Argentina has slavishly followed all of the West's oppressive prescriptions for economic reform, state sell-offs on the cheap to Western interests, price hikes, cut backs on social reforms, and in the process has seen its economy go down the tubes.
Argentina has been in hock to the West since the 1970s. Large parts of the public sector has been sold by IMF diktat at knock down prices. A French company for example picked up chunks of the water system and raised charges in places by 400%. Markets have been deregulated and the workforce made more 'flexible' (meaning you work more hours for less pay with less secure working conditions). Pensions and public salaries have been cut by 13%.
In fact the so called debt has been paid off by the Argentinian people many times over. In a ruling in 1999 a federal judge concluded 'since 1976 our country has been put under the rule of foreign creditors and under the supervision of the IMF by means of a vulgar and offensive economic policy that forced Argentina to go down on its knees in order to benefit national and foreign private firms.'
In then last 30 years the official debt has increased 20-fold whilst living standards for all but the obscenely rich have tumbled. The disease of globalization, inequality, is rife. In the 1970s about half of GNP was paid to workers, now it has fallen to 17%, income has become concentrated in the hands of a tiny elite, associated with multinationals and foreign banks, indigenous industry has been destroyed by a flood of cheap imports, 18% of the workforce is out of work with no hope of finding employment.
A remarkable experiment is now taking place in Argentina, the people have disconnected themselves from the world Western driven monetary economy and gone back, many would say forward, to a barter economy, LETS on a grand scale. And it works, it has proved to be a rip-roaring success, which is more than can be said for the official Argentinian economy.
Bartering in Buenos Aires started in 1995 with just 20 people trading in food, textiles and handcrafts. With the signing up of a dentist the system developed into a goods and services trading scheme, and now every profession, and type of goods is available for barter. By 1999 it was handling the equivalent of $400 million a year with the idea spreading throughout Argentina, and now there are 1200 clubs with over one million people involved.
As the system rapidly grew, and went from cashbooks to computer databases, a system of 'slips' was brought in, and the barter currency was born. Anti-fraud measures were introduced and now the system is kept highly regulated, avoiding the influence of existing power bases in Argentina such as political parties, NGOs or syndicates. Regular weekly meetings of barter clubs bring trust amongst the participants, and exchange across clubs increases diversity of the markets.
What we are seeing is genuine wealth creation. People can use their time productively, be of benefit to the community, and enjoying doing it. At these barter markets people can easily triple their income.
Bruised & Bartered, SchNEWS Issue 319, Friday 24 August 2001
Sue Branford, A Breath of Fresh Aires, The Ecologist, November 2002
[alternative money systems BVEJ newsletter #0004 September 2000; WTO, IMF, globalisation BVEJ newsletters passim]
There has been a growing number of cases of toxic fumes in the cabin believed to be caused by overheated leaking oil. Reported incidents are a minute tip of the known cases.
Pilots become incapacitated and unable to fly the aircraft. Flight attendants suffer drowsiness, headaches and dizzy attacks. Pilots are also suffering long term (chronic) problems causing them to retire early on ill-health.
By products known to be caused are organophosphates and carbon monoxide. Organophosphates are used as biocides and nerve agents.
Many of the incidents are not being reported to the regulatory authorities, even when they are reported to the airlines. One of the incidents of cabin contamination occurred at Farnborough, causing the plane to turn around and land following take-off.
Pilots are most affected as the plane comes into land. Warnings have had to be made to pilots of aircraft that they are coming in too fast, or they have ignored air traffic control.
Aircraft affected include BAe 146, Boeing 755 and Boeing 737. BAe 146 is a 100-seater plane used on short-haul, feeder routes and as a business aircraft. A Boeing Business Jet is a converted Boeing 737.
Boeing admit they have a problem. BAE Systems deny they have a problem.
Arms manufacturers BAE Systems are major backers of TAG Aviation.
File on Four, Radio 4, BBC, Sunday 9 December 2001
Key Properties have fooled the hacks down at the Farnborough Mail/News yet again. For the last four years the News has been reporting on stories that town centre development is about to start. Now we know it is possible to fool all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but this is getting to be ridiculous. [Farnborough Mail Tues 27 November 2001]
The Mail reported that development is starting on the Old Post Office site, that the northern end is to go ahead with JJB Sports moving in.
Urgh, not quite.
Had the scribblers checked they would have discovered that: GOSE has yet to grant the go-ahead to build on the highway, that the northern end has not yet even been placed before a planning meeting. Had the journos troubled to saunter into town they would have found the contractors attempted to start work on a Sunday when they had no planning consent, that when work did start it covered the town in dust. At last count it was Sainsbury's who were earmarked for the fictitious northern end, even though it was news to Sainsbury's.
Rushmoor planning agenda 28 November 2001 ref 01/00377/OUT:
'OUTLINE: Demolition and redevelopment ... at Land at Queensmead, The Mead and Firgrove Court Queensmead Farnborough. This is a major planning application and consultations are still being carried out. There are many issues to assess and therefore it is recommended that consideration of this item be DEFERRED.'
We suggest the scribblers give GOSE a call and actually check what the procedures are for deregulation of the highway, have a chat with a few retailers and see what they think of the mismanagement of the town centre.
It is not for us to promote ourselves but maybe the hopeless local hacks should read BVEJ newsletters to find out what is happening under their noses!
Ten days later the hacks were fooled again. This time the front page story on the front page of the Farnborough News was of a report given to a council committee by Arab mouthpiece Simon Rutter. Rutter was engaged in discussion with a cinema chain (we heard this several months ago, strange how the cinema chains are never named), the plans for the cinema have changed yet again, the number of screens have changed, the bar area is bigger and there is to be an underground car park with a route through to the second car park in the middle of the roundabout. Time scales are once again given for plans that have yet to be approved. [Farnborough News Friday 7 December 2001]
The plans for the cinema are different from that for which planning consent was granted - different number of screens, larger bar area, underground car park. Many years ago, the cinema that used to stand on the land nearby had a scavenger pump in the basement, when the pump failed the first few rows of seats were under water. Has a new planning application been submitted? Is the car park beneath the cinema complex to double as an underground swimming pool?
Were the hacks to read the minutes of the Farnborough Business and Community Panel (which represents neither the local community nor local business) they would find for the most recent meeting (7 November 2001) under matters arising a statement from Simon Rutter (KPI) that he was waiting (from GOSE) 'for the formal closure order for the adjacent highway'. Rutter then goes on to blame GOSE for the delay in processing the application. The delay in fact caused by Rutter failing to make arrangements to meet the objectors as requested by GOSE.
Whilst it easy for us to criticise the helpless hacks for being duped yet again (though we have no sympathy for them failing to check on a few simple facts), when have local retailers troubled themselves to contact either the press or local councillors to correct the nonsense which is coming from Rutter?
There is still time to object to the redevelopment of the northern end of Queensmead. Key points: loss of public space and highway (the highway is to be built on), demolition of houses at Firgrove Court (for a car park). For more information suggest visit the following retailers: Wimpey, Book Boyz, Poppins, Dry Cleaners in The Mead, Annies, Brambles, Fingz Fashion.
Objections to: Keith Holland, Rushmoor Head of Planning.
kholland@rushmoor.gov.uk
Head office for Poppins have been in negotiation for one of the units on the Old Post Office site. The fact that consent for the highway has yet to be granted and that the planning permission granted by Rushmoor is for non-food retail use only is seen as immaterial. Poppins have been assured that the non-food retail consent is not a problem and Key Properties can easily obtain planning consent from Rushmoor!
For months objectors have been trying to obtain a meeting with Simon Rutter (Key Properties) to discuss the old Post Office site. Rutter was asked to find a mutually convenient date and time and then invite all objectors to the meeting. A simple enough task, but one which apparently has proved to be beyond the capability of Rutter. Rutter has also proved incapable of answering objectors' questions. The responses from Rutter appear to come from an inmate of a lunatic asylum. To one objector he wrote that he could not see what the status of Salhia Real Estate had to do with the town centre development. Salhia Real Estate are the Kuwaiti financial backers. Another response was that the Old Post Office site was not part of the town centre redevelopment. To extract even these nonsensical replies took correspondence extending over a period of months. Objectors then tried a different approach. Rutter was given with reasonable notice a set of dates and times, for his convenience days on which he is often in Farnborough. Rutter came back with a different date and time with only a few days notice! With someone as capable as Rutter at the helm it is easy to see why the town centre development has to date been an unmitigated disaster.
One of the replies made by Rutter to objectors was that the Environment Agency had raised no objections. What the Environment Agency actually said was that they had no objections provided that the plans did not involve building over the Merrow Brook. Merrow Brook runs between the Post Office site and the Pizza Hut. The requested stopping up of the highway is to enable the highway to be built upon!
Note: Merrow Brook is also known as Marrow Brook.
Sarah Paxman, Development Planning Officer, Environment Agency, 5 October 2000:
The following condition should be imposed on any planning permission granted:
CONDITION: There shall be no building over the cultivated Marrow Brook main river.
REASON: To ensure access to the watercourse for maintenance and to allow any future replacement/restoration.
Earlier (25 July 2000) Sarah Paxman had written a much stronger objection. There is no real explanation for the change.
The Environment Agency OBJECTS to the proposed development for the following reasons:
REASON: The proposals including development in close proximity to the Marrow Brook. This will prejudice flood defence interests and adversely affect the character of the watercourse, and restrict necessary access to the watercourse for the Environment Agency to carry out its functions.
There is already a problem downstream at Cove Brook of serious risk of flooding. A problem that is being made much worse by TAG sending more water downstream from the airfield.
In her second letter Sarah Paxman specifies that Key Properties have to gain prior written consent from the Environment Agency before the development may proceed. The Water Resources Act 1991 and the Land Drainage Act 1981 are cited. There is no evidence that prior written consent has been obtained.
Sarah Paxman 01276 454300
Key Properties have now requested the stopping up of The Mead. The Mead is the well-frequented highway that runs between Queensmead and Kingsmead. Please lodge objections with Phil Crockford at GOSE.
Government Office for the South East Bridge House 1 Walnut Tree Close Guildford Surrey GU1 4GA tel 01483 882 300 fax 01483 882 339 pcrockford.gose@go-regions.gov.uk www.go-se.gov.uk
Key Properties wish to build on The Mead, hence the requested stopping up order. Buried beneath The Mead, and the reason why it was not built upon in the past, is an historic refuse dump. This was not placed before the planning committee when they were asked to approve outline planning consent to build on The Mead. [Wed 28 November 2001 ref 01/00463/OUT]
Because of its scale, Rushmoor are required to refer the town centre redevelopment to GOSE for approval by the Secretary of State as they have already done for the old Solartron site. It appears they have failed to do so, as the planning section at GOSE know nothing about it.
Local retailers have had their rateable values reduced due to the appalling state of the town centre, a key consideration was the boarding up of the empty shops which makes a bad situation worse (now what have we been saying ...). Rushmoor has been loathe to tell retailers the good news, even more loathe to actually pay any money back. Retailers have been unable to extract any explanation from Rushmoor, other than the chief executive Andrew Lloyd after much delay stating it is too complicated to explain and a ludicrous statement that the state of the town centre was nothing to do with Rushmoor. Rushmoor has only been in private discussion with Key Properties over the last four years and connived and colluded on the destruction of a once thriving town centre. With the backing of the Human Rights group Liberty, a local retailer is now suing Rushmoor for breach of Human Rights for their failure to provide requested information. Liberty see this as an important test case as it could open up local authorities across the country.
The word on the street is that Rushmoor and Key Properties have drawn up a hit list of retailers they wish to see driven out of the town centre. High on the list are independent retailers who have dared challenge what is going on.
ASDA have been displaying their usual community spirit. Residential neighbours have their peace and quiet shattered by 24-hour deliveries. Martin the homeless Big Issue guy often seen in his usual pitch in The Mead has tried several times to sell the Big Issue outside ASDA. Every time he has tried he has been moved on by the ASDA store manager.
How many retailers will be around after Christmas? In the run-up to Christmas few retailers have fared well. What little money there has been around has been creamed off by the so-called craft market and temporary retailers.
As we went to press we learnt that Simon Rutter (KPI) had managed to arrange a meeting with objectors (re stopping up of highway between Pizza Hut and the Old Post Office site). Rutter failed to comprehend that he was required to reach a compromise with the objectors and would not budge an inch. The matter now goes back to GOSE who may decide to call a public inquiry to resolve the matter.
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
In 1917/18 a rail link was built to connect the 'factory' to the main line. Its route curved along an embankment above streams and swamps, giving the by then named 'Establishment' a convenient dumping ground for all its empty tins, scrap metal and unused chemicals. This potentially hazardous practice continued for the next 20 years until the dump extended over many acres and piled up to a 10 ft face. -- Arthur Lunn, local historian
A new ILS has been installed and became operational in November. Aircraft should now come in over Farnborough on a 3.5 degree glide slope. Whether they will keep laterally to the flight path is a mute point.
The new ILS pre-supposes that CAA have granted consent to operate a 1800/2000 metre runway. It also pre-supposes that the 8 August 2001 planning meeting that approved the 1800/2000 metre runway configuration won't be negated by the judicial review lodged in the High Court in London.
We reported last month (BVEJ newsletter #0019 December 2001) that Rushmoor heeding public opinion and fearing further litigation had banned TAG from night working. Unfortunately it is not quite that simple. Rushmoor have agreed to let TAG work some nights to complete their runway work. This not at all satisfactory. Rushmoor are once again trading the interests of the local community for those of TAG. If TAG have work to do it should be carried out in the daytime. If they lose flying time that is their problem not ours. TAG took a commercial decision to develop the airfield, it is TAG who should bear the costs not the local community. The legal agreement between Rushmoor and TAG and the planning consent granted clearly lays out the hours of working. TAG are still working outside of these hours. Please continue lodging complaints with Rushmoor. [see minutes of previous meeting in Rushmoor planning agenda 28 November 2001]
kholland@rushmoor.gov.uk {head of planning}
alloyd@rushmoor.gov.uk {chief executive}
Planning Condition 20: Site Preparation: Site preparation, clearance works, construction works and pile driving within the area covered by the application site shall only take place within the hours of 0730 and 1800 Monday to Friday and 0800 1300 on Saturdays. No works at all shall take place on Sundays or Bank Holidays except with the prior written agreement of the Local Planning Authority.
Overpriced over-the-top package holidays are now available from Farnborough Airport. Even more interesting the organisers of these £10,000 plus holidays tell their punters that they don't have to worry about the hassle of customs as customs have been fixed!!!
During the last century when environmental standards were even more lax than they are today a large amount of rubbish was dumped on the airfield site by the military, this includes swarf from the machine shops and other metal waste and hazardous chemicals including possibly cyanide. This witches brew that has been bubbling away for at least 50 years eventually drains into Cove Brook. [Arthur Lunn, Why Cove Brook is 'Rust Brook', letters, Surrey Hants Star, 6 December 2001]
Last winter Cove Brook was at the top of its banks and there was a serious risk of flooding. The road that runs along the northern perimeter of the airfield was under water last January. The Environment Agency has warned households in the Cove Brook flood plain that they are at risk of flooding. The Environment Agency web site shows the area to be at high flood risk (select 'flood' and type in post code). Last year the municipal golf course at Southwood flooded and was out of use for 5 months. Were the culverts to be blocked where Cove Brook passes under the main railway line it would form a very effective dam, very rapidly flooding the upstream area.
TAG plan extra hard standing for aircraft, more buildings and increased drainage of their site, all of which will increase the rate of run-off into an area at high risk of flooding.
Farnborough College of Technology received a £50,000 'bribe' for the brutal destruction of their trees for flight safeguarding. Where did all the money go? Tidying up of the site after the contractors had finished and the scattering of a few handfuls of grass seed does not amount to £50,000 worth of landscaping no matter how creative the accounting.
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
Yet another Rushmoor cockup. Councillors on the planning committee decided to reject development of the vacated Manor Park site. For once they acted for local residents. Only they could not think of a reason. The buck was passed to Keith Holland Head of Planning and he was told to make up a reason. Not wishing to carry the can Holland wrote to each councillor individually saying he could find no reason. The ball is now back in the court of the councillors.
Meanwhile through their cockup the councillors have opened themselves up to legal action from the developers and the local residents are on a knife edge wandering whether or not the massive development will go ahead.
The developers are wanting to build 150 houses, maybe more on the site. They have accused their opponents of spreading misinformation. Now where have we heard that before? Developers of course never spread misinformation.
The councillors have rejected Tesco expansion plans for Aldershot. Rather late in the day they have recognised the damaging effect of Tesco on the town centre. The time to have said no was at the time the store was granted its original planning permission. Why would anyone go through the hassle of driving into the town centre when they can easily drive in and out of Tesco on the outskirts by a main road?
One day, but we ain't holding our breath, we may get intelligent councillors who act for the local community.
Rugemeleza Nshala, President of the Lawyers' Environmental Action Team (LEAT), a Tanzanian NGO, was arrested on the night of Saturday 25 November 2001. LEAT have been actively investigating the alleged killing of at least 62 gold miners as well as illegal evictions and the destruction of livelihoods at Bulyanhulu Gold Mine in Tanzania in 1996, when the site was cleared of artisanal miners by KMCL (Kahama Mining Corporation Ltd, a subsidiary of Canadian company Sutton Resources, itself owned by Barrick Gold since March 1999). As of the time of writing (mid-December 2001), Rugemeleza was still in jail. He is believed to be facing sedition charges. The police also searched the house of Tendu Lissu, another LEAT worker, who at the time was currently abroad.
The raids follow widespread coverage in the Tanzanian press of LEAT's investigation of the Bulyanhulu case. Monday 19 November 2001, LEAT held a press conference in which it reiterated its call for an international commission of inquiry to investigate the alleged killings at Bulyanhulu.
The alleged killings LEAT have been investigating relate to the forced eviction in August 1996 of as many as 600,000 people - mainly artisanal (small-scale) miners and their families - from the Bulyanhulu area in northern Tanzania claimed by Kahama. LEAT claim they have evidence, including videos and eyewitness testimony, that as many as 58 artisanal miners were buried alive in their pits when earth-moving machinery was sent in to clear the site, and that several more were shot dead on the surface during the clearances. At the time, a court order was in place forbidding the evictions. No compensation or alternative resettlement of the artisanal miners was provided. LEAT say their evidence also suggests that miners were prevented from rescuing their colleagues trapped underground.
A subsequent police investigation was cut short - LEAT argue the police are in any case unfit to investigate the allegations as they are heavily implicated in the alleged killings.
Please contact the Tanzanian High Commissioner in your own country (UK details below):
fax 0207 491 9321 tel 0207 499 8951 e-mail Balozi@tanzania-online.giv.uk Balozi@tanzarep.demon.co.uk
A sample letter can be downloaded from Corporate Watch:
People power has once again won through.
Councillors on the Surrey planning committee voted overwhelmingly to reject the Slyfield Incinerator. The Capel Incinerator has unfortunately been forced through. The councillors had little choice as whatever merits the incinerator may have had (and we are not aware of any) any councillor who voted for the Slyfield Incinerator would have committed political suicide.
Councillors and officials complained of 'bullying' by GAIN. Councilspeak for being forced to act for their electorate as no doubt they would have much preferred the freedom to fall over backwards to satisfy the developers.
A similar victory could have been won against Farnborough Airport if the campaign had not been sabotaged from within.
[BVEJ newsletters passim]
It's official - the residents of Garstang, a small town in Lancashire, are some of the most ethical consumers around. It's the first town in the world to be recognised as a fair trade town by the Fair Trade Foundation. Their produce is marked with a guarantee that people receive a better price for their work. In 1992 there were only 5 places in Garstang that sold fair trade stuff, but after years of campaigning another 8 have also started selling it too. Now seven out of ten local people say they choose to buy it over the usual more exploitative stuff and many only buy local produce (they also have a local produce directory).
To become a fair trade town or city you've got to get the local council to pass a resolution which supports and promotes it, put a sign up declaring it and promise to serve tea and coffee that hasn't ripped people off at meetings. Fair trade products have to be readily available in at least 10 shops (more if you're a city).
The recently opened Triangle, bookshop/teashop in Kingsmead, has made a start in Farnborough selling fairly traded products, but we have a long way to go. Rushmoor will not even enforce a 'clean car' policy for the cars it provides its senior people at our expense. Councillor Nigel Baines (Tory, North Camp) was at last year's Green Day in Aldershot (BVEJ newsletter #0015 August 2001) manning a fair trade stall. Let's see him put his money where his mouth is. For starters the freebies served before, during and after council meetings could all be fairly traded.
There is currently discussion within Rushmoor on having a farmers market in North Camp. The more markets the better, and North Camp is a far superior location than either Aldershot or Farnborough, but this discussion has not involved either the traders in North Camp or the people who live there, and a one off market is a waste of time.
Christmas is a very profitable festive season for Disney, not so for its sweatshop workers.
In China young women are forced to work up to 16 hours a day for as little as 10p per hour. Workers are fined for talking or going to the toilet. What little legislative protection exists is ignored. Company food is like pigswill and dormitories arranged like cages.
In Haiti Disney workers earn around £1-50 for an 8 hour day.
Not quite the family image Disney spends so much money promoting.
Please write a letter of complaint to the grossly overpaid chief executive Michael Eisner (a model letter can be downloaded from Label Behind the Label):
Michael Eisner Walt Disney Comany 500 South Buena Vista St Burbank CA 91521 fax 00 1 818 566 7835
It is impossible to do business in Burma without directly supporting the military in power and its serious violations of human rights. -- Levi Jeans
We have previously raised the involvement of Triumph International (a Swiss based lingerie company) in Burma. Burma is a particularly repressive country even by the standards of repression which are too often the norm. Any company which operates in Burma does so in collaboration with the military regime. If Triumph will not pull out of Burma then Triumph must be put out of business. Triumph supplies major retailers. Are you doing business with Triumph? [BVEJ newsletter #0013 June 2001]
Contact Label Behind the Label for details of companies Triumph supplies.
Labour Behind the Label 38 Exchange Street Norwich NR2 1AX 01603 610993 lbl@gn.apc.org www.labelbehindthelabel.org
Free Trade Zones are areas of a country where a sovereign state gives up its sovereignty for commercial exploitation. These are areas of low tax, non-existent environmental and social regulation, trade unions are usually banned. If tax havens give bolt-holes for capital to hide, FTZs give territory for it to be invested. -- Keith Parkins
Free Trade Zones are areas divorced from normal rules. Sri Lanka is no exception. In breach of its own laws and international labour treaties Sri Lanka is refusing to allow free trade unions to operate in the economic zones. [BVEJ newsletters #0004 September 2000]
Please lodge a complaint with:
Alavi Moulana Minister of Labour Columbo 05 Sri Lanka fax 94 1 588 950
With a copy to the local ILO office in Colombo:
Director ILO Area Office PO Box 1505 Columbo Sri Lanka fax 94 1 588 950
Join Labour Behind the Label. Also whether a member or not, join their urgent action e-mail list.
Naomi Klein, No Logo, Flamingo, 2000
Keith Parkins, Globalisation - the human cost, March 2001
David Ransom, The No-Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade, New Internationalist/Verso, 2001
It would have been difficult to have made it up, belonging somewhere with the Monty Python sketch of the Ministry of Funny Walks. Last month saw the first annual walk for capitalism. Three dozen capitalists, (or two as the police saw it), walked through Westlake Park in Seattle waving signs such as Help a starving child in Africa Give him capitalism, Make Money Not Class War, and Capitalism is more important than democracy - OK, these were held by anti-capitalist protesters, who infiltrated the march.
Tym Parsons, the Seattle coordinator of WalkForCapitalism complained 'We knew they had something in the works. Their aim was to infiltrate our organization and discredit it by way of parody.'
Er, SchNEWS reckons he did a good enough job of that himself, with one passer by commenting 'I find it all very amusing. I don't think I've ever seen a protest for capitalism before. Don't these people already have what they're fighting for?'
The question is why did they choose to celebrate D2 (they've even nicked the names) with something as inefficient, ecologically sustainable and downright un-capitalistic as walking?
SchNEWS reckons they would have also got more people onboard if someone had promised to bung each person who turned up £25 and a packed lunch (well that's the only reason us rent-a-mob lot ever bother turning up to demonstrations).
Forget the Xmas Crackers, have a good laugh, take a look at their website:
A growing number of organisations have adopted meaningless names and to go with them meaningless logos based upon a circle. Private Eye regularly takes the piss out of them. Not to be outdone, FoE have adopted a meaningless circle.
The cost of adopting this meaningless circle, which a kindergarten competition could have thrown up in an afternoon, was £50,000. It should be emphasised that this is not the full cost of adoption and excludes changing stationary, banners etc.
At the Fair Trade Fair in Conway Hall just before Christmas a FoE staffer got quite shitty when questioned about the waste of money with so little to show for it. For her it probably rankles that the money down the drain way exceeds her salary.
The company that was paid for the logo handle PR for BAE Systems.
Next time FoE bleat about lack of money for campaigns remind them of the logo fiasco.
FoE are attempting to board the anti-globalisation, anti-corporate bandwagon before it leaves them trailing far behind. To this end they have launched a corporate villainy web site, but all it does is loop back to the main FoE site. Why bother, there are plenty of excellent corporate crime web sites well worth visiting and the FoE site is not one of them.
The BVFoE winter newsletter claimed the Bonn climate talks as a success. This was news to everyone else as the talks were a bloody disaster and actually legitimised CO2 increases.
Up and down the country FoE and other groups shut down Esso petrol stations at the end of last year. Noticeable by their absence, even though in their diary, was BVFoE. Local activists were told the event had been cancelled by FoE!
FoE recognise that BVFoE is a disaster area. The only reason they have failed to act is that they have even worse groups. The most effective thing BVFoE could do at their January AGM would be to wind themselves up.
Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian, Propaganda and the Public Mind, Pluto Press, 2001
A collection of recent wide-ranging interviews with Chomsky by David Barsamian. One of the most interesting is where Chomsky talks a little about Chomsky the person. At the age of ten or thereabouts he was reading his father's doctoral dissertation on Medieval Hebrew.
Noam Chomsky, 9-11, Open Media/Seven Stories Press, 2001
The obvious person to interview post 11 September was Noam Chomsky, a leading authority on the subject of terrorism, which of course is the one reason why you won't find him in the mainstream media.
9-11 is a collection of interviews with Chomsky which you didn't come across in the mainstream media.
The interview with David Barsamian for KGNU in Boulder, Colorado is rather annoyingly heavily edited, but it is possible to listen to the interview in full on the net.
The vast majority of the interviews are for European Media. Robert Fisk, who writes for the Independent, is often referred to.
A brief list of recommended reading. An appendix lists the recent US proclamation on terrorism.
John Maher and Judy Groves, Introducing Chomsky, Icon Books UK/Totem Books USA, 1997, 1999
But who is this Chomsky anyway? A question which hopefully the authors manage to answer.
The first totally unintelligible 2/3 is Chomsky the linguist. The last 1/3 Chomsky the commentator on American social and foreign policy, which no doubt explains why he is so rarely consulted by the mainstream media, far better to have also-rans who do not challenge the current political orthodoxy.
David Ransom, The No-Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade, New Internationalist/Verso, 2001
Capital and goods can easily flow around the world unimpeded, as can the globalization pirates in and out of Farnborough, but try as a poor Ghanaian cocoa farmer at Gatwick to enter the country to see where chocolate is consumed is to immediately be questioned by a highly suspicious immigration official as to why a poor Ghanaian farmer would wish to visit England.
Contacts list is poor, missing are contacts for organisations campaigning on fair trade such as WDM and War on Want, also missing issue specific organisations such as Banana Link or various sweatshop campaigns. Many useful organisations are mentioned, but again no contact details.
An excellent, very readable guide to fair trade.
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