From the Mouths Of The Masters- AWDs

"In December 2003, Australia announced its decision to participate in the U.S. Missile Defense program. Subsequently, the U.S. and Australia signed in July 2004, a Framework Memorandum of Understanding on Missile Defense Cooperation, and a Research & Development MoU was signed in October 2005. Three specific cooperative projects -- involving the Over-the-Horizon Radar, modeling and simulation, and fusion and tracking technologies -- are currently under discussion. On August 16, 2005, Canberra announced it had chosen the U.S. firm Gibbs and Cox as the preferred designer for their navy's air warfare destroyers worth up to $6Billion Australian Dollars. Three vessels are currently funded, with the first scheduled to be operational in 2013. Each will be equipped with AEGIS sensors and will be interoperable with the military forces of the United States and with those of other future coalition partners. Although Australia may not currently see a ballistic missile threat to its territory, its purpose for pursuing bilateral U.S.-Australia Missile Defense cooperation is based on maintaining a close alliance relationship with the United States and providing Australian industry with an opportunity for industrial cooperation and technology transfer."

- Paula A. DeSutter, Assistant Secretary for Verification, Compliance, and Implementation
Remarks at the National Defense University Foundation Congressional Breakfast Seminar Series
Washington, DC
April 4, 2006

[As prepared]

Available here
http://www.state.gov/t/vci/rls/rm/64126.htm

Abracadabra.... Halliburton's Vanishing Act

The Howard Cabinet's disappearing trick with the WorkChoices name is nothing compared with Halliburton's handling of KBR. After years of accusations of international political interference, bribery and overcharging, Cheney's Crew have finally moved the "iffy stuff" into one basket and gotten rid of it. Now they're talking up how well the scam worked.

Overcharging in the Balkans, political kickbacks in South Australia, ripping off defence forces in Iraq and all suchlike are now regarded as Not Halliburton's Problem. "It wasn't us, it was them!" cry Hal chiefs as they refuse to discuss KBR business.

In Australia, by the way, the name change when from Kinhill Australia to Halliburton Australia to Halliburton/KBR Australia to KBR Australia. See how different they are? Don't forget we're dealing with a wholly US owned subsidiary here... the Australia bit is just more window dressing.

The problem is that most of the share- split was by name only. If you had a Halliburton share your could swap it with a KBR share, or vice versa. After that the CEO's simply started to say "no comment" when being asked about each other, and that was supposedly that.

Then Halliburton packed its bags and moved from Texas to the Middle East, believing itself untarnished by the scandals it had committed there.

"Things are calming down as they should," Halliburton Chief Operating Officer Andy Lane, told Reuters on Thursday. "Most of the war protesters are totally about the Iraq issue and KBR's involvement there. So when you look at Halliburton going forward, we're just a pure energy services business.

The UK Government wasn't convinced. KBR were in charged of the British dockyard that catered for their Trident nuclear-defence submarine system, and the Brits asked for the split to be postphoned while a check if the "new" KBR could do the job. Halliburton stuck two fingers in the air and split the shares. The UK kicked them out of the dockyard.

It's lucky for them that they aren't running the dockyard in Adelaide under their own name. Here they simply had their (Halliburton) Global Vice President for Infrastucture resign and take up a "new" job... running the dockyard where the AWD warships will be built. No muss, no fuss, as they say in Texas. I wonder, if like Cheney, Andrew Fletcher is receiving "deferred payments" from his "former employer" while undertaking the "new role" ?

In the same way that our Prime Minister appears to believe that changing a name will take away the public's perception of a local problem, Halliburton expect to be excused for past crimes by shuffling names.

It's an interesting gamble given that in the US, UK and Australia it is the name of Halliburton that is associated with the wrongdoings. They're trying a similar trick to get out of trouble from trading with Iran.

An attempted rewriting of history is underway. Keep your eyes open.

Is PNAC Dying?

Looking back ten years to the signatories of the Project For A New American Century's Statement Of Principles, it looks as if the members of the cabal are dropping like flies. Rumsfeld was hit by a pre-election propaganda mutiny, "Scooter" Libby fell on his own sword to protect fellow signatory and boss Dick Cheney, whose political lifespan diminishes daily within a cloud of Halliburton-based war profiteering accusations. Now it looks like Paul Wolfowitz, the Iraq War instigator who now heads the World Bank appears to be facing the guillotine for stuffing wads of cash into the mattress of his lady-love.

Here's part of what they all signed:

We aim to make the case and rally support for American global leadership....

Of course, the United States must be prudent in how it exercises its power. But we cannot safely avoid the responsibilities of global leadership or the costs that are associated with its exercise. America has a vital role in maintaining peace and security in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. If we we shirk our responsibilities, we invite challenges to our fundamental interests. The history of the 20th century should have taught us that it is important to shape circumstances before crises emerge, and to meet threats before they become dire. The history of this century should have taught us to embrace the cause of American leadership.

Underneath the names shold have been written "PS and we need to steal everyone's energy resources.

The text is a set of overly-flowery words to justify global domination, but they seemed to make more sense after the Twin Towers fell and the War on Terror was launched. Going for the Caspian oil and Kazakhstan uranium was made much easier by getting NATO troops into Afghanistan. Iraq was attacked. Iran will be. Australia didn't need to be.

I can't help but wonder if the PNAC leaders aren't disappearing before their eyes because they consider their objectives to have become self-perpetuating... mission accomplished?

I hope we've woken up to them in time.

Out Of Body Excursions- Coming To A Theatre Near You?

Five minutes before "going under" for an op last year I learned that statistically every anaesthetist is sued once in seven years. I must learn easier research methods. Anyway, I was watching a piece on ABC's Catalyst tonight about a machine that would make the doctors aware if a patient woke on the table. This is the kind of person, I guess, that after the initial trauma subsided would probably be interested in talking to a lawyer.

It turned me back to my grandmother's tonsilectomy, which was back in the days when the procedure was carried out with scissors and catching-net and without anaesthetic. Nanna simply slipped out of her body and floated up to the roof, from where she watched the job being done. Then she slipped back in. It is the only "psychic" experience she ever mentioned occurring to her.

No drugs, no pain. Surely if such a technigque was developed it might change the face of modern medicinal method. I might even stop surgeons playing Kate Bush CDs while they're carving you up.