London cops using Israeli methods

"The man shot dead in south London on Friday is not connected to attempted terror attacks on the capital, said police. The statement came as it emerged that police have been given secret new shoot-to-kill guidelines in recent weeks ...

"The guidelines were secretly developed in consultation with police forces including Israel, Russia and the US."
FT.com

Blair's bombs
John Pilger: "In all the coverage of the bombing of London, a truth has struggled to be heard. With honourable exceptions, it has been said guardedly, apologetically. Occasionally, a member of the public has broken the silence, as an east Londoner did when he walked in front of a CNN camera crew and reporter in mid-platitude. 'Iraq!' he said. 'We invaded Iraq and what did we expect? Go on, say it.'

"Alex Salmond tried to say it on Today on Radio 4. He was told he was speaking 'in poor taste . . . before the bodies are even buried'. George Galloway was lectured on Newsnight (BBC2) that he was being 'crass'. The inimitable Ken Livingstone contradicted his previous statement, which was that the invasion of Iraq would come home to London. With the exception of Galloway, not one so-called anti-war MP spoke out in clear, unequivocal English. The warmongers were allowed to fix the boundaries of public debate; one of the more idiotic, in the Guardian, called Blair 'the world's leading statesman'.

"And yet, like the man who interrupted CNN, people understand and know why, just as the majority of Britons oppose the war and believe Blair is a liar. This frightens the political elite. At a large media party I attended, many of the important guests uttered 'Iraq' and 'Blair' as a kind of catharsis for that which they dared not say professionally and publicly. "The bombs of 7 July were Blair's bombs ... "
Source: New Statesman

(Noth items: thanks Nora, from Extra-Extra)