If agents of the American government break the laws in a foreign country, especially one with a long standing democratic tradition and open court system, should they be held liable for their actions? Should the US have faith in the court systems of these countries and allow them to have a free and fair trial? Or should the US presume to be the ultimate authority and shield these agents from the laws of democratic, allied states?

It would seem that the US government has no faith in the democratic institutions of its allies and will not permit the accused to be extradited to stand trial.

Why? Why? Why? Are these the actions of a free state with respect for law and its fellow free and democratic nations?

I say it is not and it is a disgrace. (And completely predictable.)

Is it just my imagination or does this sort of thing seem to happen a lot more frequently in red (Republican) as opposed to blue (Democratic) states? You know those states that ostensibly full of people who believe that "every life is sacred".

Jerry Falwell is now telling us that global warming is "Satan's attempt to redirect the church's primary focus". I mean Satan comes from Hell. Hell is hot. Ergo...

Oh, for fuck's sake, what was I thinking? This doesn't make any bloody sense even if we consider the source.

First I found out that all those years of revolting breath, which may or may not have an unfavourable effect on my sex life, may have been in vain with the news that garlic doesn't lower cholesterol and I am disturbed to find out that my vitamin supplements may be subtracting rather than adding years to my life.

At my age I think it just best that I sit down a while.

American law enforcement officers are poised to fly half way around the world to help the Philippine government solve the current wave of political killings that is currently sweeping the country. Let's hope that the FBI doesn't have to send anyone who is working on their own forty year old backlog of unsolved political killings.

It seems to me that sometime ago Iran and Syria agreed to meet with Iraq to discuss issues of security in the reason. At the time I recall US officials muttering under their breath suggesting that the Iraqis shouldn't be talking to its neighbours. Now Big Brother Sam wants to come to the party. Don't the Americans listen to their own Vice President and understand that this will only embolden the enemy?

I guess McDonalds Corporation is going to have to take down any royal warrants they might have for supplying the Windsors with transfats or tasteless burgers now that the heir to the throne, none other than the Prince of Wales, has come and said that Bic Macs should be banned.

I knew that there had to be an upside to having a royal family.

From the AP story about the bomb at the base in Afghanistan visited by the undead US Vice President "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney:

Might it not been appropriate to alter the syntax a wee bit so that the headline would read

Just a thought.

A car bomb has blown up in Ramadi today. The car was parked next to football pitch and at least 18 kids between the ages of 10 and 15 were killed.

A commissioner for the city of Largo FL, one Mary Black, has introduced a resolution calling for the sacking of the city's manager, Steve Stanton. The commission is to consider the resolution at a special session this evening.

What's all the rush all about you ask. Well last week Mr. Stanton announced that he was planning to have a sex change. Mr. Stanton, who is a married father, has said he wishes to retain his position and has received support from the mayor among others.

That noted haven of enlightenment, the Disney Corporation, has taken steps to sue the city of Anaheim for daring to have the temerity to push forward with a plan that would put low cost housing into what it terms "the resort zone". According to Rob Doughty, a spokesman for Disneyland Resort:

And you wouldn't want to let poor people near a "golden egg" because gold is valuable and poor people either ruin or steal valuable stuff. Right Rob?

*Not in My Backyard

The Bush administration has, via the Food and Drug Administration, quietly cut the financing of the Women's Health Office within the FDA by about 30%. Last year's budget had asked for 4 million USD, which was granted. However the FDA has decided to withhold 1.2 million USD of that which effectively means that the department will more or less shut down for the rest of the year. Could this be payback for the office's position, counter to that of the administration as a whole, in the Plan B contraceptive controversy? One wonders.

(He's also unemployed - snigger, snigger.) The US Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by a Utah polygamist (any relation to Milt Romney?) on the basis of the court's 2003 gay rights ruling in Lawrence v. Texas. In his dissent in that case Justice Adolph Scalia argued that the majority opinion in Lawrence v. Texas would lead to successful challenges against laws forbidding polygamy, bestiality et al.

Too bad Antonio (Justice Scalia's real name - the Adolph thing was just my way of poking fun at him)! I'm sure you were looking forward to getting another wife, or a dog, or whatever.

Ergo, in line with White House thinking, things are getting better in Afghanistan, or at least they will soon. The Afghans are suffering from a growing lack of security, a dysfunctional justice system and a provision of basic services such as electricity and water is at best remaining flat and probably declining. It is clear that the people themselves perceive their situation as growing worse and, after all, perception is reality.

If you believe the politicians, especially those associated with the Republican Party, the US economy is just a steamroller that is driving poverty to the dim outer reaches and making more and more Americans wealthy. The problem with this is that, on the fact of it, it just doesn't seem to be true. I have long described America, for friends and colleagues here in Europe (just the UK is part of Europe - just don't tell UKIP) that America has become a first world nation and a third world nation sharing the same real estate.

Now a study of US census data by McClatchy Newspapers shows that nearly 16 million Americans, over 5% of the population, are living in "deep or severe poverty". I guess those tax cuts didn't really help now did they?

Five years ago the United States Government closed down the nation's largest Muslim charity, Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, because, it alleged, that the group was funding terrorism. Now evidence has come to light, from the government's own documents, that some of the evidence against the foundation may have been fabricated.

Surely not! Not Bush&Co! They would never lie to us (unless it was for our own good of course).

Just to show that there often is a meaningful difference between Britain and the United States and it is a difference for the better as far as UK residents are concerned I want all of you Americans to sit back and imagine that the US Secretary of Education comes out, in public, and makes a statement to the effect that marriage is not a requirement for the raising of children.

You're right. It can't happen there but it can happen here. In the words of Education Secretary Alan Johnson:

According to the US Center for Science in the Public Interest chain restaurants in the states are acting irresponsibly in making portions ever larger and filled with calories and fat. The Center is calling for legislation requiring all chain restaurants to display nutritional information, including calorie count, on their menus. They even found one burger, at an unnamed chain but you know who you are, called a "Colossal Burger" which contained 1,940 calories (only slightly less then the entire recommended daily amount for a woman) and 141 grams of fat.

I know that when I go out to eat when I am in the states and I am forced to eat at one of these places I generally have only a starter for my entire meal. Even that is often too large a portion for a sensible meal.

There seems to be little tolerance among the pro-gun community for anyone who challenges the accepted orthodoxy in any way. This lack of acceptance extends to those who have spent most of their lives amongst the gun and hunting communities. So when renowned outdoor writer Jim Zumbo happened to say on his blog at Outdoor Life Magazine that he did not believe that assault rifles, such as AK-47s, had any place has weapons of choice for hunters the rabid dogs were unleashed. The revered National Rifle Association even went so far as to issue a news release announcing that its publications arm had "suspended its professional ties with Mr. Zumbo". Mr. Zumbo has also had to resign his position at Outdoor Life.

These zealots, who have done Zumbo such a disservice, are acting as though gun ownership were a religion. In a way I reckon they're right.

Some experts testify that the treatment that José Padilla has received at the hands of the American government, treatment that would certainly seem to border on the inhumane if not illegal, has made him unfit to stand trial. One expert testified that the former gang member has "strong indication of cognitive impairment" and there is a 98% certainty that he has received injuries to the brain.

Other sources, however, couldn't disagree more.

The decision will probably hinge on the testimony, if allowed, of his jailers as to the actual treatment received.

Taking advantage of the curious mistrial that they were given in their first attempt to try Lt. Ehren Watada Army prosecutors have decided to refile charges in the case and try Lt. Watada again. I wish him well.

The International Court of Justice, attempting to be Solomon, found that the massacre of Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995 was indeed an act of genocide but that Serbia was not guilty of the crime but could have prevented it.

Please explain.

If you are worried that the costs that defending himself against a multitude of charges of fraud and financial malfeasance could force Baron Black of Crossharbour (aka Lord Black aka Conrad Black) to give up his extravagant lifestyle I urge you to go immediately to www.supportlordblack.com and surrender some of your hard earned money.

Do not pass Go. Do not collect 200 quid.

"We can't kill our way out of this problem." So saith a senior British official in describing the tactical changes planned by British forces in Afghanistan. In order to undermine recent gains by forces of the former Afghan government the British plan to engage with average Afghanis, who they believe do not support the Taliban, in an effort to encourage them to quit fighting, rejoin their tribes and take advantage of human rights laws and increasing government presence.

The British are also concerned that plans to by the Americans to attempt to eradicate the opium crop will drive impoverished farmers without alternate sources of income back into Taliban hands.

...where most of the 11 September hijackers came from and where a great deal, if not the majority, of funding for al Qaeda and related groups comes from four French nationals were killed in a terrorist shooting in the desert Kingdom yesterday.

It is too bad Prince Bandar isn't still the Saudi ambassador to the United States or he could pop round to the White House this evening and discuss the matter with the Decider (TM) whilst they have a private smoke on the balcony. Perhaps they could work out the schedule for the invasion at the same time.

The family of Thomas J. Watson Jr. the founder of International Business Machines, is trying to have the adoption of the lesbian former lover of one of Mr. Watson's children dissolved in order to prevent her from gaining access to a trust fund set up for Watson's grandchildren.

I'm not sure it matters what their motivation is. It is clear that these are just unpleasant people. I wonder if they are Christians in good standing or not.

Murders in Philadelphia are already well ahead of last year's pace, a pace which was considered a crisis. Most of the sixty murders so far this year did indeed involve guns but it is important to remember that it wasn't the guns that shot bullets into these people killing them it was the people that were attached to the guns that shot bullets into these people killing them.

Got it?

Murders in Philadelphia are already well ahead of last year's pace, a pace which was considered a crisis. Most of the sixty murders so far this year did indeed involve guns but it is important to remember that it wasn't the guns that shot bullets into these people killing them it was the people that were attached to the guns that shot bullets into these people killing them.

Got it?

Maybe there is a clinic somewhere where Republican Presidential hopeful Milt Romney can get cured of the polygamous habits of his not too distant ancestors. If not it could prove somewhat of a problem for the former Massachusetts Governor who seems to have more that legally permitted number of great-grandmas as one of his great-grandfathers had at least five wives simultaneously.

It must make Xmas shopping that extra bit more difficult.

Have you ever wondered about some of those off site airport parking services? You know the ones I mean. They meet you when you arrive at the airport and drive your car off to some secure remote site where it remains until they bring you car back to meet you upon your return.

Or not as the case may be. The company in question, Pink Meet and Greet, "blamed problems on individual members of staff" and said that "it was no longer trading".

Have you ever been driving down the road having just lit a fag, happily puffing away only to see a petrol station ahead and realise that you are almost out of fuel? Don't you hate to waste that brand new cigarette by extinguishing it before filling up? Well according to the boffins at the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms you really don't have to. According to them, after extensive research they found that it is virtually impossible to light petrol with a cigarette despite what we see in Hollywood films. (Warning: actually lighting a fag at the pump might not be such a good idea however.)

And, in case you missed it, you needn't worry about your mobile phone either. Rumours that mobiles would ignite the fuel were also a myth just like global warming.

The national organisation of the sorority Delta Zeta was concerned about the chapter at De Pauw University. They didn't seem to meet the high standards they set for themselves. What did they do about it? They sacked all of the fat women, all of the plain women and all the ethnic women leaving behind a perfectly homogeneous collection of attractive, slim white women.

Well done ladies! Perhaps you should change your name to Phi Beta Barbie.

16 year old Josie Grove, whose request to have no more cancer treatment caused some controversy, has died at home surrounded by her family. Josie had fought leukaemia for over two years. May she rest in peace.

As if it isn't already difficult enough to get a black cab in London the city's mayor (not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of the City of London) "Red" Ken Livingstone has promised to reduce London's CO2 emissions by 60% by 2025.

His full report (PDF) is to be found here.

One of the reasons I am quite happy not to live in America is that I generally only have to expose myself to the better bits of American television. (Not having satellite or cable I don't have to expose myself to Faux News.) Therefore I only get exposed to annoying little cretins like John Stossel. He you can listen to him, on the Glenn Beck show, letting us know that even if there is global warming it probably is a good thing.

He must watch Jerry Falwell religiously.

I don't know why so many Christian Evangelists seem to be upset about the new documentary by James Cameron that purports to unearth the tomb of Jesus and his family. Some two decades ago I made a couple of business trips to Israel and made a trip to some of the so called holy sites. Everywhere you go there is a church which claims to contain the actual site of the crucifixion (the supposed actual place is marked with a round, silver ring) or that claim to house the place of Jesus's birth. Why can't they just build a church on top of the tomb and draw in the simple-minded? It could be a nice little earner.

I suppose that what they are really upset about is that Cameron asserts that Jesus's body is in the tomb which would mean that the alleged son of God did not literally rise from the dead. Do you think that they have ever heard of metaphor?

It must say something about the state of a country if, when the head of state is taken ill, he is flown for treatment in another country. I guess he can count himself lucky he didn't end up at Walter Reed.

Did you know that Mr. Sulu, or at least George Takei the actor who played him, was gay? I didn't. And it turns out it has a thing or two to say about Tim Hardaway.

The American economic model is the great success story of the modern world, right? So how come one in six American families must rely on programmes designed to aid the poor to get by? I'm just asking.

The Bush extended family is a large one and there are lots of young men and women of an age at which they could be serving the American people in the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. The putative head of the extend family, the Decider (TM) himself, is always going on about what a fine career choice the military is.

So why, I ask myself, is it that there are no Bush extended family members who have made this excellent career choice and are proudly defending their country? Anyone?

Dear Reverend Falwell,

I see that you have decided that you are a scientific expert and have been kind enough to inform us that global warming is a myth, that it isn't happening and that it is not based on facts. To use your words "global warming, at least as we think we know it, does not exist".

In that case I have decided to anoint myself as a Biblical expert and I am willing to trade you myth for myth. (Hey - I have at least read the book though admittedly in translation.) I say that the world was not created in seven days around six thousand years ago. That the biblical creation story is just a myth.

Go ahead Reverend. Your turn!

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yank in London

The Tyneside mother of an eight year old boy who weighs 14 stone (89 kilos / 196 pounds) has been required to appear before a child protection conference tomorrow and it is possible that he could be taken into care. He has already lost a stone and half since Xmas.

I would certainly hope that it doesn't come to the last resort of removing the child from the family but clearly something has to be done for this kid or he isn't going to live very long. If all other measures fail then I guess there is no alternative but surely there must be something that can be done. The mother indicates that he won't eat anything but processed foods ("Connor had a mouthful of apple once and he didn't like it") and I'm sure we all know kids whose diets are troublesome but even if he only eats rubbish he surely is getting way too much of it.

There are certain to be those who will say that the mother's rights are being infringed but surely the interests of the lad must come first mustn't they?

TThe American military mental health system is in extremely grave condition according to a study released by the American Psychological Association. At a time when one in ten of all soldiers would be defined as having a mental disorder the service is short nearly half of the psychologists it requires and there are many other shortcomings as well.

Of course if I pour through the detail of the Pentagon's record budget request I am sure that I will find that these shortcomings have already been addressed and that the spending isn't all on toys.

The ever controversial head of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, gave his last major speech in Detroit yesterday bidding farewell to the faithful and saying that followers of the worlds major religions are "far removed from the prophets we all claim", which is hard to argue with, and saying that the Decider (TM) should be impeached for his "wicked policies", which is also hard to argue with.

Happy trails Louis.

The English Rugby Union side played at Croke Park in Dublin, site of the Bloody Sunday massacre of Gaelic football fans by the British Army, for the first time at the weekend. The Irish fans greeted "God Save the Queen" with respect (there was a protest outside the ground) and then the Irish team kicked some English arse!

Well done lads.

President Bush is going to "send a message" to Pakistan's President Pervez "The General" Musharraf and threaten to cut US aid unless he gets tough on terror.

No mention of cutting US aid because he's a fucking military dictator he overthrew a legitimately elected civilian government. What ever happened to the "Freedom Agenda" anyway?

This is my favourite time of year. Today is mild but the wind is blustery. The daffodils are blooming, trees are beginning to flower and difference in the amount of daylight is noticeable almost day by day. By Friday there will be fifteen more minutes of daylight, if not sunshine, than there will be today.

The UK has been brokering deals with several countries that have significant issues with the adherence to human rights standards in order that the British government may deport failed asylum seekers after getting assurances from these governments that the returned individuals will not be tortured or otherwise mistreated. Great idea right? Except perhaps if the selfsame governments had their fingers crossed when they made their promises. These two Algerians agreed to drop their appeal against their deportation from the UK after receiving assurances from the Algerian government that they would not be tried upon their return. They were deported from the UK to Algeria and guess what. They are going to be tried.

Meanwhile across the great water a Canadian court has ruled that the process by which Mohamed Harkat, an Ottawa resident, was found to be a member of al Qaeda was "fundamentally unjust". This finding will undoubtedly put on hold his scheduled deportation to Algeria, a country from which he fled as a political refugee in 1990. He blames an informer-for-profit or possibly the Algerian government for the evidence given to the Canadian security authorities.

What impact, if any, will the situation of the UK deportees to Algeria have on the news this morning that the UK can deport radical Islamic cleric Abu Qatada to Jordan under a regime whereby Jordan vows that he will not be mistreated. I have no doubts that Qatada is a bad, and possibly evil, human being. However the quality of his humanity does not diminish it and he, like all of the rest of us, should have the right not to be tortured. To disregard his rights, as much as some of us may wish to, lessens us all.

The branch of Bromley Express Dry Cleaners at Plaistow Lane lists on its front the various non-cleaning related services it offers. These include things you would expect such as "alterations", "tailoring", "zips replaced" et al. However I am not at all sure what they are hinting at by offering the service "Selves Altered". Is this more private competition in the mental health sector for the NHS to worry about?

Where would we be without Seymour Hersh, eh? Is anyone else as devoted to the hard graft of real journalism as he is? His must read piece in the current edition of New Yorker about American plans re Iran is sobering. Is the US using Saudi funds, and perhaps other funds diverted from the accounting mess that is Iraq, to finance black operations in Iran and Lebanon? Are "American interests" being diverted to a larger war in the Islamic world between Sunni and Sh'ia?

Read it and find out.

For the next twelve months Inis Mor has earned the right to call itself Craggy Island, the spiritual home of Father Ted, after winning the innaguaral Craggy Cup yesterday by a score of 2-0.

All I have to say to that is "Feck! Drink! Girls!"

It's a shame that Strom Thurmond is dead because based on these recent revelations he probably would want Al Sharpton to call him "Massa".

Meet Chan Chi a 107 year old citizen of Hong Kong. He still enjoys the occasional fag but he attributes his long life, in part, to the fact that he has been celibate for the past 70 or so years. Not worth the price in my estimation.

George Bush continues to pursue an ever more imperial Presidency and I think I speak for most people when I say that there is increasing concern over his intentions re Iran. There must be concern that even if Congress explicitly bars him from taking military action such is his hubris that he will attempt to proceed in any case. Should that come to pass then the only thing that stands between the American people and dictatorship may be the honour of those senior members of the military who would refuse his orders and resign. Should it come to that one thinks that anyone who follows in their footsteps would not dare to proceed with the Boy King's madness.

At least that is what one hopes.

Speaking in Australia, whilst standing on his head to avoid that upside down feeling, US Vice President "I'm a Big" Dick Cheney has said that the US is open to military action against Iran.

I am but one of 300 million voices, a registered voter, an American and, despite what you believe in your darkest of hearts, a patriot. My voice says: :"No. We, the American people, are not open to more violence, more bloodshed and more tragedy for millions of people in the name of your neo-colonialist mission. 300 million times no!"

Welcome to the Clericus Cup, a football tournament put together by the Holy See and featuring teams of seminarians ands priests. Instead of yellow or red cards for fouls the players are given blue cards and then have to spend five minutes on the bench and presumably have to say twenty Ave Maria's.

In other football news we expect results from the Craggy Cup to be coming in shortly!

A group of right wing Christian leaders are feeling lost and abandoned as they search through the 2008 Presidential field looking for someone to support. They feel marginalised and are afraid that they will be left without a viable candidate.

Well guess what. I am not sympathetic. I have been a left wing American all of my life and I have never, I repeat never, had the opportunity to support a viable candidate. Welcome to politics on the margins my friends. I hope you don't mind keeping me company for a while.

The right wing of the New Labour party, proudly led by Prime Minister Tony "Big Tone" Blair, want to take a leaf out of Bush 41's failed play book and make a big push to promote family values and financially aid married couples with children at the expense of unmarried ones. Other members of the party, led by Education Secretary Alan Johnson, disagree. Is a quicky divorce in the offing?

Once again we are treated to the real hard news. This from ABC: "White House Warns Against Iraq Pullout". Because we all know what happens when you pull out. You just can't make a baby that way.

The Freeway Blogger is ready for the next war.

I especially like the "now we'll have to shop even harder" one. In fact, I'm still chuckling away.

US Homeland Security Secretary Michael "The Scream" Chertoff has taken steps that will endanger the Homeland by ruling that children will not require passports in order to travel to Canada.

Why doesn't he just tell Barack Obama, ooops, sorry, Osama bin Laden, to dress his storm troopers up as innocent American kids? Why do members of the Republic Party hate America so?

Here in Old Blighty we have been promised an inquiry into the illegal invasion of Iraq by the leader of the Commons Jack Straw. When will we have this inquiry you may ask. "In due course" says the Rt. Hon. Mr. Straw which I presume to mean "after Tony's out of the line of fire".

Back in the Fifties conservatives saw Commies under every bad today they see "liberal bias" in every nook and corner of the known universe (note: the known universe is only 6000 years old).

In order to combat the lefties that are somehow behind the controls of Wikipedia some complete moron has decided that there was an overpowering need for a, get ready for it, Conservapedia. But won't this have a right wing bias which some enterprising soul will need to balance out by founding the Farleftapedia (TM)?

Maybe in his battle to defeat the "terraists" George W. Bush will be sucked into