Tuesday, December 27, 2011

WATCHING YOU...WATCHING ME: #Qorvis #BellPottinger : #Oslo Freedom Forum

Maryam al-Khawaja took the stage at the Oslo Freedom Forum last Tuesday and stunned the audience with her experiences of government violence in the Kingdom of Bahrain. She described the killing of student protestors, the torture of democracy advocates, and how human rights defenders are "disappeared." Maryam also detailed how troops from a neighboring dictatorship, Saudi Arabia, rushed into Bahrain to prop up the crown prince's regime.


Ali Abdulemam, a renowned Bahraini blogger, was also invited to the Oslo Freedom Forum. Ali was imprisoned by his government in September 2010 for "spreading false information." After being released on February 23, he enthusiastically accepted his speaking invitation and plans were made for his travel. And then he disappeared. No one has seen or heard from him since March 18...

More - 

WATCHING YOU...WATCHING ME: #Qorvis #BellPottinger : #Oslo Freedom Forum:

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Monday, December 05, 2011

News International Bought Off Everyone.

From
http://newsallianceuk.wordpress.com/

In the fierce heat of the Hackgate firestorm in July this year, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg took to Sky News to air his views on News International.

His most damning statement was “The Leveson Inquiry should investigate senior British Intelligence officers on the payroll of News International.” It was a devastating revelation.

The Oxbridge criminals and Eton mafia who run MI5 and MI6 had not seen it coming, just like 7/7, and it blew up in their faces. Behind the scenes, MI5 Director General Jonathan Evans pulled strings to ensure Clegg did not drop the bombshell again.

The spooks were deeply rattled. Exposure means the end of milking the taxpayer dry. And the thought of a criminal investigation into their innumerable crimes, too much to contemplate.

They did not need to worry. MI5 have primacy over the police and the plods would do as ordered and turn blind eyes. Special Branch units would ensure blind obedience and any dissident would be persuaded otherwise.

The main problem was Nick Clegg. Would he keep stumb?

Since his petulant ‘outburst’ on Sky News in July in the eye of the storm, Clegg has kept his mouth shut on the foregoing. No more allegations of corruption or treason inside MI5 and MI6.

The Oxbridge crooks must have hoped no one noticed what Clegg said but I was on the matter immediately. I spread the good news through Facebook and Twitter. The damage was done.

Of course, the spooks have been trying to silence me for several years and have not succeeded just yet. Perhaps a prosecution for Income Tax evasion, their usual dirty trick, would do the job? Not convinced? I am assured it is already in the pipeline…

Which begs the question why anyone would want to pay ‘taxes’ to finance an organised criminal gang?

And Clegg of course has kept his big mouth shut since July. Having asked him to explain his statement several times, Clegg has ignored the questions and tried to pretend his ‘outburst’ never happened.

Poor Clegg must bitterly regret speaking the truth because politicians rarely do and dropping the spooks in the stinking cesspit that is Hackgate, is intolerable for the rotten Establishment.

Judge Leveson refuses to ‘investigate’ the allegation by Clegg and will not allow the issue to be dealt with even in camera. Another tame little judge…

The ‘crusading’ clowns at The Guardian, apparently a ‘moral’ newspaper, refuse to touch the matter in its entirety. As usual, the puppet media are running scared of the spooks who know all their sordid secrets.

Have the spooks got away with selling State ‘secrets’ to News International for large sums of cash? For the time being certainly but “events dear boy, events” will intervene in due course and then the whole house of cards will come crashing down.

As for Nick Clegg, he’s a spineless, self-interested MP, who jumped in at the deep end and found he couldn’t swim with the big fish.

The “senior British Intelligence officers on the payroll of News International” however, will come to regret the day they sold their souls to the Murdoch mafia.

Nick Clegg of course is busy trying to get to grips with the unwritten articles of the Omerta….

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Monday, November 28, 2011

Flashback: Could El-Baradei have halted the Iraq invasion?

 

Latent indications of remorse suggest there is more to the role of some in paving the way for the invasion of Iraq than at first meets the eye, writes Abdallah El-Ashaal.

In the second week of August, Mohamed El-Baradei announced that he regreted his silence over the US invasion of Iraq. Although it is perhaps odd that the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should make such an admission at this time, it will be useful to register a couple of observations on this quite serious matter for future reference. 

First, El-Baradei along with at least all of the permanent members of the Security Council knew that Washington was determined to invade Iraq and that it was searching for any evidence or circumstances to support this resolve. The practical beginning for the invasion plan was Security Council Resolution 1441 of 2002 calling for inspections of Iraq for nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. That same year, just as the Arab Peace Initiative was announced from Beirut, Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon set about quashing the second Palestinian Intifada. Also in that year, in October, US Congress passed a bill that effectively obliged the US administration to recognise Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel. So everyone knew what was in Washington’s mind at the time and that it saw the passage of the inspections resolution as the first step towards the acquisition of international cover for its plans. Nothing could underscore this point more than the remark by then French foreign minister Dominique de Villepin in the Security Council that the resolution did not give Washington licence to invade Iraq.

In spite of the fact — or perhaps because of the fact — that the Bush administration was so clearly chomping at the bit to launch an invasion and grasping for the said resolution, in accordance with which the UN inspections team would be authorised to inspect every inch of Iraqi territory, and would sniff out the evidence it needed, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan affirmed that the resolution would give a new impetus to the quest for a peaceful solution to the Iraqi question in an increasingly perilous world. At the time that the resolution was still under debate, he said that the resolution offered a model of the type of multilateral diplomacy that served the cause of peace and security, he stressed and he urged the Iraqi leadership to seize the opportunity to end the isolation and suffering of the Iraqi people. He simultaneously cautioned Iraq against the folly of not cooperating with the plea to disarm peacefully and warned that if Iraq continued in its defiance the Security Council would have to assume its enforcing responsibilities. At this point, the French foreign minister insisted the resolution be worded in such a way as not to sanction the immediate recourse to force. Indeed, it was reformulated so as to require a second resolution that could, if need be, authorise the use of force based on the findings submitted to the Security Council by the inspections team.

China and Russia, for their part, insisted that the issuance of a second resolution on Iraq must be contingent upon proof of Iraqi violations as explicitly stated in the findings submitted by the UN inspections team. At this point, US Secretary of State General Colin Powell, who would subsequently express deep remorse over the part he played in this drama, opened the door to his country circumventing UN restrictions. He said that the resolution could not prevent any member from acting in self-defence against Iraq or to compel Iraq to implement UN resolutions intended to protect international peace and security. Powell thus stated that while the Security Council resolution may not give anyone a licence to use force it could not prevent anyone from using force. Perhaps it was such brazenness that prompted Kofi Annan to give voice to his conscience and publicly declare, after the invasion, yet despite of Washington’s threat to expose the part his son played in the Oil-for-Food programme, that the US had used illegal force against Iraq.

The foregoing account has but one implication: everyone colluded in the invasion of Iraq. It was as though this invasion was the prerequisite for the prevalence of world peace. Meanwhile, the Arabs colluded by silence, which stemmed from the failure to draw the line between, on the one hand, their exasperation with the Saddam regime and frustration at their inability to restrain it and bring it back to its senses and, on the other, the future and wellbeing of a great people. This silence too helped clear the way for disaster.

My second observation is that by 5 February 2003, when the Security Council was discussing the report submitted by UNMOVIC, the UN inspections team, the US had already amassed its forces to the accompaniment of intensive diplomatic manoeuvres and a massive propaganda campaign. After the Security Council concluded its session that day with the finding that the inspection team had so far found no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, Mohamed El-Baradei reiterated the belief of his predecessor — and the chief of UNMOVIC — that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and that the assumption that such weapons existed in that country was groundless.

Shortly after Resolution 1441 was passed in 2002, El-Baradei published an article in Al-Hayat stating that Iraq had to abide by the provisions of the resolution because this would deprive Washington of the pretext for invading it. The article meshed with an international and Arab campaign that attempted to drive home the same message. Two days later, an article of mine appeared in Al-Hayat beneath the headline “After the inspections what comes next?” Contrary to the general tide, I held that the inspections resolution was part of the process of preparing the groundwork for the invasion and that to promote it was to collude in the act of invasion. Why, after that famous Security Council session of 5 February, did El-Baradei threaten to resign if Washington went ahead and invaded Iraq? He had just submitted a report refuting the existence of weapons of mass destruction, and thus had acted totally within his jurisdiction and in accordance with his duties. But to resign? After all, it was obvious that his presence or absence as IAEA chief would have no impact on a decision that had been taken years earlier. The threat could only have meant one thing: El-Baradei had given something of crucial importance to making the invasion possible. Subsequent reports indicated that El-Baradei’s report had reassured Washington that the invasion would be safe. Some went so far as to state that El-Baradei’s team had placed identifying marks on strategic targets and helped recruit agents on the ground to facilitate the invasion.

Between that day in 2003 when he threatened to resign and his proclamation of remorse in 2009 is a minefield. It is not enough for El-Baradei to apologise for his role, over which speculation and conjecture are now more rife than ever. He must clear his conscience and record for history exactly what part he played in the invasion and destruction of a great nation and the tragedy of a people who still have no clear sight of a brighter future. As he is summoning up his reminiscences, we would also hope that El-Baradei would clarify the circumstances surrounding how he and the IAEA were jointly awarded a special Nobel Peace Prize, given the modest and, indeed, negative record of that agency in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

While he is at it, could he also please explain why the US nominated him as IAEA chief over the Egyptian nominee for that post at the time?

Source: http://uruknet.info/?p=m83429

Flashback: Could El-Baradei have halted the Iraq invasion?

What Information Was in Daniel Morgan's Notes Providing Motive to Kill?

On March 10, 1987 Daniel Morgan and Jonathan Rees, business partners with Southern Investigations, met for a beer at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, in a southeast district of London. After meeting with Rees, with two packets of crisps in hand for his children, someone killed the private investigator right there in the parking lot of the Golden Lion. The means of death, apparently, four blows with a Chinese-made axe, by a very strong assailant.

But why, you might ask, am I dwelling on a 24 year old homicide that occurred in London, England? To start with, I watched CNN reporter Atika Shubert's feature on Daniel Morgan's case this morning, and realized this shady event from 1987 ties in with the News of the World 'hacking scandal' that boiled to the surface, earlier this year. One can go back to that time and trace a continuous stream (no breaks whatsoever) of corruption, intrigue, and even murder most foul!

daniel morgan golden lion pub

Its one rocky road you'll travel if you dare to follow the rickety path of investigations and murky news stream regarding Daniel Morgan's case, where he seems to have uncovered some touchy information that someone didn't want him to expose. And I must add, attempting to understand how the English judicial system works (or its dysfunction) is an arduous task for a bumpkin such as I, fairing from the rowdy Heartland of Texas!

What I mean, I think, is it appears to be very hard to get a conviction that will stick in court. Thus, the main suspects (Sid Fillery, Jonathan Rees, Glen Vian, Garry Vian and two other Metropolitan police officers) are still walking around free. To avoid confusion, you may want to keep a timeline of developments handy. The Guardian published such a timeline on March 11, 2011, (Daniel Morgan axe murder case: timeline), which I'll link for your convenience at the end of my piece.

Let's see, it looks like five different investigations were conducted, and quite a bit of progress was made in digging out what happened to Daniel Morgan back in 1987, and more important, why it happened. The most important clue I can recognize (with a mere cursory probe), is that it appears some notes of Daniel's were stolen from his trousers. Witnesses saw him taking these notes, I will say, when having a beer with Jonathan Rees. A confirmation of the exact context of his note-taking cannot be obtained at this time.

daniel morgan

My primary source for the suspicious circumstances surrounding Daniel Morgan's actual death is a Sun article (Detective held over axe murder), dated April 21, 2008. Surely I'll link this one for you also. There are more specific details in The Sun piece that are anchored in the provenance of continual intrigue and corruption (from 1987-2011), where the Metropolitan police are paid off by the press and, maybe, by drug dealers as well.

For example, we learn in the article that Glen Vian may have been the strongman who wielded the axe in the backlot of a quaint, cozy little London pub. One contradictory item I just noticed, when looking at a different source (the Wikipedia entry for Daniel Morgan), is that this source says his Rolex watch had been stolen, while The Sun article says it had not been stolen.

This is a fairly large discrepancy, but I'm going to favor what The Sun said, until I can find a third, possibly more reliable source. We know that Daniel had 1,170 pounds on him still, so robbery can be ruled out as the motive. It's the notes the killers needed, not the watch or the money. Oh, many of Morgan's vital files were missing from his workplace at Southern Investigations. Wonder who took them?

Detective held over axe murder | The Sun |News

Daniel Morgan axe murder case: timeline | UK news | The Guardian

John Kays identifies timeless remnants from our past that will endure, or be admired by future generations.


 

https://web.archive.org/web/20111127073341/https://newsblaze.com/story/20111125074504kays.nb/topstory.html

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Support Bradley Manning.



GOVERMENT TERRORISM: #Iran : #TAPI Pipeline Project Leaves Iran Out In ...

Once the pipeline is up and running, it could allow Pakistan to receive over 10 billion cubic metres of gas a year. DESIGN: FAIZAN DAWOOD

Of all the potential solutions to Pakistan’s power crisis, importing gas through the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistani-India (TAPI) pipeline project may be the most realistic. Turkmenistan has one of the largest gas reserves in the world and is looking to move away from dependency on Russia and the former Soviet states for its economic health.

With a willing buyer and an eager seller, the TAPI pipeline, first proposed in the 1990s, should have become reality by now. Still, the two countries finally reached a breakthrough after signing a Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement, which should make the pipeline operational by 2016. Once the pipeline is up and running, it could allow Pakistan to receive over 10 billion cubic metres of gas a year. For a country that is suffering an acute energy crisis, this is a necessity rather than a luxury.

Despite the signing of this agreement, many of the problems that have plagued the project still exist, security being a major one. Among the routes the pipeline will run through are Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan and Quetta in Pakistan. That would make the pipeline a tempting target not just for Taliban rebels but also for Baloch separatists. It is unlikely that foolproof security could be ensured for the pipeline in these areas, a concern that India has already raised.

Keeping this in mind, Pakistan should not solely commit to the TAPI pipeline and needs to keep looking at alternatives, like the gas pipeline from Iran that would bypass Afghanistan.

The main obstacle to the Iranian pipeline is US intransigence

 — the Americans have been pressuring the Pakistani government to abandon it.

 On this occasion, though, the pressure should be ignored.

Whether it’s from Turkmenistan or Iran, Pakistan desperately needs a steady supply of energy.

That concern must come before all other considerations.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th,  2011.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/292256/tapi-pipeline-project/

The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: HACKGATE day 120: The McCanns spokesman, Andy Coul...

The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: HACKGATE day 120: The McCanns spokesman, Andy Coul...: Does PR spokesman Clarence Mitchell know more than he’s letting on? The Slog finds himself a tad mystified this morning. Puzzle One: the ...

James Murdoch departures 'may herald his exit from papers' | Business

James Murdoch has dramatically quit as director of the companies that publish the Sun, The Times and the Sunday Times and analysts said he could soon sever all ties with the troubled newspaper group.

The surprise move, which has seen Rupert Murdoch's son resign a string of directorships at News International, also raises questions about parent company News Corporation's commitment to its newspapers.

Companies House filings show James Murdoch has stepped down from the boards of both News Group Newspapers Limited - publisher of the Sun - and Times Newspapers Limited, which operates The Times and Sunday Times. NGN used to operate the News of the World and remains embroiled in legal action over phone hacking. NI insisted that James Murdoch was not walking away from the UK newspaper arm.

A spokesman said: "James Murdoch doesn't step back from NI. He remains chairman." He is also still a director of key holding company NI Group Limited and of Times Newspapers Holdings - the editorial board set up in 1981 to ensure the independence of the paper when Rupert Murdoch bought it.

However, those close to Murdoch say he now has a more hands-off role.

Claire Enders, analyst at Enders Analysis, said: "It may well be there's no further good from having James Murdoch as chairman of News International. "It's been clearly flagged up by John Whittingdale that the Culture, Media and Sport select committee is not satisfied by the explanations of James Murdoch even though they don't think he's been mendacious."

The departures come as James Murdoch faces calls to quit as chairman of BSkyB at next week's AGM. His decision means no member of the Murdoch family now sits on the boards of the flagship UK papers. Rupert Murdoch used to be a director of NGN and TNL but stepped down after his son took over as NI executive chairman in 2007. James Murdoch has also quit at least one other subsidiary, News International Holdings.

Tom Mockridge, former boss of Sky Italia who replaced Rebekah Brooks as NI chief executive in July, has taken over from him at NGN and TNL.

Enders said Murdoch still faces intense pressure as the police investigate hacking at the News of the World. "He can step down from all these positions but he won't stop any of the other issues surrounding his stewardship," she said.

Enders dismissed talk News Corp would sell the UK papers.

 https://web.archive.org/web/20120202183413/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-business/article-24013220-james-murdoch-quits-the-boards-of-sun-and-times.do



Sunday, November 20, 2011

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Yoga Breathing (Pranayama) - What is Yoga Breathing?

Yoga breathing, or Pranayama, is the science of breath control. It consists of series of exercises especially intended to meet the body's needs and keep it in vibrant health. Pranayama comes from the following words: 
  • Prana - "life force" or "life energy"
  • Yama - "discipline" or "control"
  • Ayama - "expansion", "non-restraint", or "extension"
Thus, Pranayama means "breathing techniques" or "breath control". Ideally, this practice of opening up the inner life force is not merely to take healthy deep breaths. It is intended for yoga practitioners to help and prepare them in their Meditation process.

In our respiration process, we breathe in or inhale oxygen into our body, going through our body systems in a form of energy to charge our different body parts. Then we exhale carbon dioxide and take away all toxic wastes from our body. Through the practice of Pranayama, the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide is attained. Absorbing prana through breath control links our body, mind, and spirit.

But life is full of stress. Because of the daily work, family, or financial pressures, we tend to ignore our breathing. Thus, it tends to be fast and shallow. The use of only a fraction of your lungs results to lack of oxygen and may lead to different complications. Heart diseases, sleep disorders, and fatigue are some of the effects of oxygen starvation. Therefore, the negative energy of being restless and troublesome leads to lesser prana inside the body. By practicing deep and systematic breathing through Pranayama, we reenergize our body.

These are the four stages of Pranayama:

  • Arambha - the commencement stage wherein the person's interest in Pranayama is awakened
  • Ghata - the stage where the three sariras merge to envelope the soul. The three sariras are gross, subtle, and causal.
  • Parichay- the stage where the yogi experiences the knowledge of Pranayama
  • Nispatti- the stage where the yogi goes beyond his physical body, and unites with the supreme

Benefits of Pranayama

Breathing is a normal part of our life, though we fail to pay attention to it. It is an autonomic function of the body that we perform even without concentrating on it. Why then do we have to learn yoga breathing? Here are some reasons why Pranayama is important:

  • Pranayama teaches us the proper way to breathe. We became used to breathing from our chest, using only a fraction of the lungs, not knowing that this unhealthy and unnatural way of inhaling may lead to several complications. With yoga breathing, we increase the capacity of our lungs, bringing more oxygen supply to the body to function well. We learn how to breathe slowly and deeply - the right way.
  • Pranayama reduces the toxins and body wastes from within our body. It prevents one from acquiring diseases.
  • Pranayama helps in one's digestion. With the proper way of breathing, one's metabolism and health condition will start to improve.
  • Pranayama develops our concentration and focus. It fights away stress and relaxes the body. Controlling one's breathing also results to serenity and peace of mind.
  • Pranayama offers a better self-control. Through concentration, one can better handle temper and reactions. Mind can function clearly, avoiding arguments and wrong decisions. Moreover, self-control also involves control over one's physical body.
  • Pranayama leads to spiritual journey through a relaxed body and mind.

However, Pranayama should not be forced and done without proper preparation, or it may lead to nervous breakdowns. It is part of a process in yoga. Breath control is a spiritual practice of cleansing the mind and body which should be done appropriately and with proper guidance and preparation.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Afghanistan War: £622M Defrauded From Bank Of Kabul

 Afghan officials will decide whether to push forward with prosecutions or to let those responsible for the fraud walk free in return for help in securing the rest of the cash, according to western officials.


The attorney-general’s office in Kabul says it has so far completed investigations into 19 individuals, but only nine have been charged.


In private, western officials are sceptical about the willingness of the Afghan government to prosecute shareholders and executives because of their political connections.


Officials say the bank’s former chairman, Sherkhan Farnood, a word-class poker player, could dish the dirt on senior government officials if he were ever taken to court. Farnood and his deputy, Khalilullah Frozi, were arrested in July. Both men were released on the condition that they help the government recover the missing funds.


At the meeting of Afghan officials and donor countries, a Kroll official said the men were “being very co-operative in assisting with the collection of the bad loans”.


The International Monetary Fund last month renewed its credit programme to Afghanistan, which it had suspended 13 months earlier because of the Kabul Bank crisis and the lack of oversight of Afghanistan’s banking system. Britain and other donors had also withheld aid, which is used to pay the salaries of teachers, health workers and government employees. Full details documented here.

Afghanistan War: £622M Defrauded From Bank Of Kabul

My brother Daniel: Thoughts on Leveson and events in 1998

Next week Leveson will be hearing witnesses. Of these, I will be particularly interested in hearing Steven Nott, Ian Hurst and Jacqui Hames.

Steven is the guy who accidentally discovered how to hack voicemails, warned the police, customs, MI5 and the newspapers, but was completely ignored by all of them for years. Ian Hurst is the former army intelligence officer whose computer was hacked for NoW and Jacqui Hames is the wife of David Cook, the officer in charge of the fourth and fifth investigations into Daniel's murder.

In June 2002, Jacqui Hames and David Cook took part in a Crimewatch appeal for witnesses that could help solve Daniel's murder. The police were particularly interested in a woman who came forward after the first Crimewatch appeal in May 1987. The woman had told police that she'd overheard a group of men in a pub, The Harp in West Croydon, plotting to murder Daniel...

More - 

My brother Daniel: Thoughts on Leveson and events in 1998:

Monday, November 14, 2011

Thursday, November 10, 2011

James Murdoch Does Not Lie.

He chooses his words very carefully.

"I have no specific recollection of that."
Murdoch repeated the li(n)e several times, during the inquiry today.

Not a lie.
But, most definitely, not the truth.

Fredrik Walløe: EDL threatens Occupy LSX

The EDL has made what looks like an official threat against Occupy LSX. The camp has been given until 12 am Friday to disband, but CxF (Combined Ex Forces) members are on site now and others are on their way. EDL News reported that 12am might mean midnight. The Occupy London camp and The Metropolitan Police are said to be aware of the threats. 

Occupy Newcastle came under attack less than two weeks ago by 20-30 EDL/SDL/NF members who threw a brick(s) and held down protesters while beating them.

The 'English Defence League EDL' group was asked for a comment, but has not responded at time of writing.



EDL threatens Occupy LSX

Picture of to CxF members taken near the camp.

Comments made below picture



Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Chemtrails and Weather Derivatives :

In his paper ‘Why in the World Are They Spraying?‘, journalist Michael Murphy floats the idea that chemtrails are sprayed in order to manipulate the weather derivatives market.

He posted the story right here on TheIntelHub.com on Oct. 11, 2011.  It ran alongside my article ‘Chemtrails Exposed‘.

He may not be too far off the mark as my humble investigation leads me to many questionable situations, strange bedfellows and none other than those legends of corruption and waste, Enron. The thoroughly disgraced and vilified corporation was one of the founders of the market.

Would you put it past Enron?

Overview:

Weather derivatives are financial instruments (options, futures and options on futures) everyone can buy that either pay off or don’t pay off according to recorded atmospheric conditions such as temperature and rainfall.  These instruments are mostly traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).  They are also traded on smaller Over the Counter (OTC) markets.

Atmospheric conditions are recorded and published by authorized organizations.

Although they are available for frost, snowfall, rain, wind speed, and many others, the most common type of weather derivative by far is based on temperature.  According to industry experts, temperature based weather derivatives account for 75-99% of all weather derivatives sold.

This is how temperature based weather derivatives work.  Indices take a location’s daily average temperature, then a number is determined by how much that day’s average temperature deviates from 65 degrees Fahrenheit (or 18 degrees Celsius outside the U.S.).

The number deduced determines the derivative’s value and is usually aggregated over a period of weeks, months or seasons.  Other indices simply aggregate average daily temperatures.  In short, the day’s average temperature determines the derivative’s value.

You can bet that temperatures will be above or below the long term daily average for a particular date or group of dates.

The first weather derivative transactions were conducted over the counter in 1997 between Willis Group Holdings, Koch Industries, Pxre Reinsurance Company and Enron.  These transactions followed the deregulation of the energy market in the U.S.

The weather derivatives market was greatly expanded in 1999 when weather derivatives began trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

The Weather Risk Management Association (WRMA) was founded in 1999 as well and is the leading industry association.

The founding members were: Aquila Power Company, Castlebridge Partners, Enron Capital and Trade Associates, Koch Industries, Southern Company Energy Marketing, and Swiss RE New Markets.

This year (2011), the WRMA released the results of a survey which pegs the current global weather derivatives market value at about $12 billion.

USA reported in it’s article ‘Weather Derivatives Becoming Hot Commodities’ that the largest broker of weather derivatives in the world is TFS Energy.

A man named Kendall Johnson, who is described as one of the industry’s most powerful professionals, states, “Businesses in the U.S., Japan, London and Amsterdam are the most frequent users of weather risk management, though companies in emerging markets like India are beginning to trade weather derivatives.”

Other big corporate players include: British Gas, Hess Energy, ABN Amro, Merrill Lynch, AXA Re, Swiss Re, Koch Energy, RenRe Energy, Nephila Capital, Munich Re, Speedwell Weather Derivatives, Vyapar Capital Market Partners, Galileo Weather Risk Management, PCE Investors / Cumulus, EDF Trading Limited, Risk Solutions International, E.ON Energy Trading, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company and Endurance Reinsurance Corporation of America.

As you can see, re-insurers are some of the biggest market players.  Geoffrey Considine, Ph.D. (a high profile weather derivatives industry insider) writes in his paper ‘Introduction to Weather Derivatives’, “There are a number of drivers behind the growth of the weather derivative market.  Primary among these is the convergence of capital markets with insurance markets.”

Swiss Re is a name that comes up repeatedly and just happens to be the insurer of the World Trade towers at the time of the 9/11 attacks.  But, I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.  Nothing to see here… move along.

Enron:

By all accounts, Enron concieved and initiated the weather derivatives market.

According to ‘Weather Derivatives’ by authors from the London School of Economics, the Swiss Finance Institute and the University of Geneva, “…electronic trading platforms have always played an important role in the development of the market, especially Enron’s platform in the early days.”

Enron initiated the weather derivatives market in Europe as well.  According to ‘Weather, Finance and Meteorology – forecasting and derivatives’ by Samuel Randalls, “In the UK, the first weather derivative deal was sold by Enron to Scottish Hydropower who, at that time, 1998, were taking part in a government pilot scheme for the privatization and deregulation of energy markets.”

In regards to Enron’s weather derivatives division known as ‘Enron Weather’, one of the co-authors of the book ‘Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room’, Bethany McLean wrote me that, “A guy named John Sherriff was pretty instrumental in starting it, but the woman who ran the business, whose name was Lynda Clemmons, ended up leaving for a reinsurer – can’t remember the name of it – long before Enron’s bankruptcy.”

Lynda Clemmons now works as an advisor at Vyapar Capital Market Partners; a big weather derivatives player.  John Sherriff is now the owner of Lake Tahoe Financial.

Market Participants:

The energy sector is the biggest buyer of weather derivatives because energy companies’ bottom lines and cash flows are largely affected by temperature fluctuations.  This is why temperature based weather derivatives are the most prevalent.

Energy companies produce more power and thus increase cash flows when the weather gets either hot or cold because people use more air conditioning when it is hot and more heat when it is cold.

The weather derivatives market was created with the energy sector in mind.  As we have seen, the market was founded by big energy players, most notably Enron.  According to a Chicago Mercantile Exchange brochure, the 65 degree baseline selected for determining daily index values was chosen by the energy industry.

The terms used to describe index values are Heating Degree Days (HDD) and Cooling Degree Days (CDD).  Heating Degree Days refer to the number of degrees Fahrenheit above 65 the average temperature of a Winter’s day is.  Cooling Degree Days refer to the number of degrees Fahrenheit below 65 degrees a Summer’s day is.

It is this way because 65 degrees is about the temperature where if it is warmer than that, people use more air conditioning and if it is cooler than that, people tend to use more heating.

Industry publications claim substantial non-financial or non-energy sector participation in the weather derivatives market.  Of businesses outside the finance or energy sectors, my investigation revealed very little participation.  It is unrealistic that, especially in the tough economy we’ve been having lately, an organizer of an outdoor event, let’s say, would first of all even be aware of weather derivatives, much less use the time, energy, expertise and money to buy such things.

Businesses outside of finance and energy usually use more traditional forms of insurance or hedge with commodities contracts.  Weather derivatives are almost entirely an energy and finance sector market.  There is hardly any retail investor activity here.

Industry publications also often claim that weather derivatives are used by energy companies only as hedges against unforeseen demand lapses.  If a particular Winter is too warm, for example, an energy company would not make as much money selling fuel as they would in an abnormally cold Winter.  But, the reasoning goes, if they have purchased a hedge in the form of weather derivatives, they can make up those losses.

I assert that weather derivatives are traded like any other Wall Street market.  To make a buck, they are traded any way possible.  Enron, the founder of the market is famous for their trading desk which specialized in arbitrage.

The Bloomberg article ‘Hedge Funds Pluck Money From Air in $19 Billion Weather Gamble’ had it right.  Nowhere in this article will you see any mention of non-financial or energy sector participation.

In fact, industry professionals are quoted as saying they are, “…using weather as market intelligence.”  And that their business is, “…like playing poker.”

Because both weather derivatives and energy futures rise and fall depending upon temperature, the two markets are related.  It is reasonable to assume that weather derivatives are traded in conjunction with energy futures.

Conclusions:

Are weather derivatives the reason chemtrails are sprayed?  I don’t know.  It’s very plausible.  I believe I have provided here a great circumstantial case.  The errant, singular chemtrail doesn’t support the ‘weather derivative market as a cause’ thesis because a lone chemtrail would not have a significant impact on temperature or any other atmospheric condition.

It might be done as a psychological operation.  But, when downtown Phoenix is gridded with chemtrails on an otherwise clear day, producing a haze which is totally foreign to that climate, temperature (which drives weather derivative and energy markets) is probably effected significantly.

Does anybody out there know of a study showing how much influence stratospheric aerosols have on temperature?  After a Google search, I couldn’t find one.  Although, I did see some stuff that seemed to suggest that aerosols can move temperature 2 degrees F or more.

Weather derivatives by themselves are big money gambles.  They may be valuable enough to make it worth putting planes up in the sky spraying stuff.  If you divide last year’s total market value ($12 billion) by the number of traded contracts (466,000), you get the average contract value which is $25,321.

A matter of a few degrees on a given day or group of days could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The current weather derivatives market may not be big enough to support all chemtrail activity, but if you factor in the related multi-trillion dollar energy futures markets and energy company revenues, I don’t have much doubt that there is enough to support it.

The fact that chemtrails are sprayed over mostly urban areas makes sense if one of the desired effects is manipulated power usage.  More people and therefore more power consumers affected per square mile means a more efficient operation.

The weather derivatives market and probably other opportunities were made possible by deregulation of the energy market.  Enron founded the weather derivatives market.  Was the Department of Energy in bed with Enron?  I wouldn’t doubt it.

The fact that Enron founded the market is very dubious.  This is a company whose accounting firm, Arthur Andersen, shredded more than a ton of their documents in one day as Enron’s chairman Ken Lay told everybody everything was fine.

When Enron CEO Lou Pai’s wife found out about his stripper girlfriend complete with his love child, she divorced him.  Enron’s bankruptcy resulted in at least 33 criminal charges against employees and executives.  People suffered under high power costs inflated by Enron.  W

hen Enron and their cronies intentionally disrupted power service as they were known to do, people were injured and died.  Who knows how many bodies they left?  These guys were not playing patty cakes.  These guys ARE the Nazi party.  Have you ever heard of something called ‘Operation Paperclip’?

If you like being ripped-off, beaten and murdered, you’ll love these guys.  Personally, I’m not into that.  I wouldn’t put anything past Enron.

Notes:

-’Weather Products; Managing global weather exposures. Growing opportunities. Reducing Risks’ Chicago Mercantile Exchange brochure 2009
‘Hedge Funds Pluck Money From Air in $19 Billion Weather Gamble’ by Peter Robison, Bloomberg Aug 1, 2007
‘Weather Derivatives Instruments and Pricing Issues’ by Financial Engineering Associates 2000
‘Weather Derivatives’ by Pauline Barrieu & Olivier Scaillet, London School of Economics, Swiss Finance Institute and University of Geneva 2008
‘Want a Weather Forecast? Ask Wall Street’ by Alice Gomstyn, Rich Blake and Dalia Fahmy ABC News 2010
‘Weather derivatives becoming hot commodities’ USA today 2008
‘Firing Up the Market for Weather Contracts’ by Antoine Gara, Bloomberg Businessweek 2011
‘OTC weather risk market grows 30% to $2.4bn’ by Charlotte Dudley, EnvironmentalFinance.com 2011
-’Introduction to Weather Derivatives’ by Geoffrey Considine, Ph.D.
‘Weather, Finance and Meteorology- forecasting and derivatives’ by Samuel Randalls School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham

WEBSITES:

wrma.org
cmegroup.com/trading/weather


Wednesday, November 02, 2011

The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: #PhoneHacking :Anatomy of a cover-up – what QC's a...

The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: #PhoneHacking :Anatomy of a cover-up – what QC's a...: Analysis: Publication of warning to NI bosses tells the story of how secret payoff evolved James Murdoch testifying to the Commons cult...

The Iraq war, the war logs, and accountability - a retrospective

Late this week, President Obama announced that US troops would be withdrawn from Iraq before the end of 2011.  To date, no US official has been held accountable for US policies leading to abuse in Iraq, or for the lies which started the war.  Despite the decreasing US presence in Iraq, the country has been permanently affected, and questions about accountability remain.

On 22 October 2010, WikiLeaks’ Iraq War Logs release triggered calls for accountability by UN officials, human rights organizations, and individuals worldwide.  One year later, we are looking back on the possible impact that the Iraq war logs may have on legal investigations into abuse, torture, and injustices carried out during the war.  We also look at the possible scope of the immediate and long-term impact on possible future accountability for human rights abuses committed by the US, it’s coalition partners, and the Iraqi government.

The Iraq war, the war logs, and accountability

Part I: Iraq War Logs initial reactions following the release – On 22 October 2010, WikiLeaks and its media partners The Guardian, the New York Times, Der Spiegel, Al Jazeera, and Le Monde began publishing articles based on an archive of 400,000 U.S. Army field reports from Iraq, followed by coverage from WikiLeaks partners The Independent, BBC Radio, Channel 4, SVT, and the Associated Press, and many other outlets.  In this article, we look at the reactions from human rights groups and veterans groups in the US, UN officials remarks and reactions, and their (still unanswered) calls for accountability.

Part II: The Iraq war logs and ongoing legal cases in the US – Despite US claims that the war logs contained “no new details” and general reluctance to launch investigations, the War Logs may contain information which is relevant to a number of ongoing legal cases in the US.  We take a look at cases against Blackwater and Donald Rumsfeld, what the war logs tell us about those cases, and prospects for accountability.

Part III: Investigation and in-depth analysis in the UK -  In this article, we take a look at ongoing public inquiries in the UK, the Ministry of Defense’s Iraq Historic Allegations Team investigation of troop abuses in Iraq, as well as Iraq casualty studies by Iraq Body Count and other academic studies and their policy implications.

Part IV: The Iraq war logs – Denmark, Sweden, and Norway – The Iraq War Logs showed that Denmark had taken more prisoners than previously disclosed, many whom ended up being tortured. While neither Sweden nor Norway has had a troop presence in Iraq, the war logs showed that weapons made in both countries have been the cause of much death in the country, in violation of arms exports regulations.

Note: The above articles are by no means comprehensive in scope; in particular we make little or no mention of many countries in the “coalition of the willing,” who contributed a great deal to the war and are mentioned numerous times in the War Logs. We welcome additional discussion and comments.

The Iraq war logs – a milestone in journalism

In May 2011, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism won the Digital Media Prize for its dedicated site to the Iraq War Logs as part of the 2011 Amnesty Media Awards. The awards honor “excellence in human rights reporting and acknowledge journalism’s significant contribution to the public’s awareness and understanding of human rights issues.” In addition, WikiLeaks has won numerous awards for press freedom and journalism since the release of the Iraq War Logs, including the Martha Gelhorn journalism prize and the José Couso award for Press Freedom.


Monday, October 31, 2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

WATCHING YOU...WATCHING ME: WHO ORDERED THE MURDER OF DAVID KELLY? TONY BLAIR?...

Part one of two
 

( This first part lays out the case from the evidence presented in the Hutton inquiry why the death of Dr. David Kelly was not by suicide. Part two will show the reasons, in this writer's opinion, Dr. Kelly was killed.)
On Thursday, July 17th sometime between 3 and 3:30pm, Dr. David Kelly started out on his usual afternoon walk. About 18 hours later, searchers found his body, left wrist slit, in a secluded lane on Harrowdown Hill.  Kelly, the U.K.'s premier microbiologist, was in the center of a political maelstrom having been identified as the "leak" in information about the "dossier" Prime Minister Tony Blair had used to justify the war against Iraq.

While the Hutton inquiry appears set to declare Kelly's death a suicide and the national media are already treating it as a given, there are numerous red flags raised in the testimony and evidence at the inquiry itself.
 
Kelly's body was likely moved from where he died to the site where two search volunteers with a search dog found it. The body was propped up against a tree according to the testimony of both volunteers. The volunteers reported the find to police headquarters, Thames Valley Police (TVP) and then left the scene. On their way back to their car, they met three "police" officers, one of them named Detective Constable Graham Peter Coe.  
 
Coe and his men were alone at the site for 25-30 minutes before the first police actually assigned to search the area arrived (Police Constables Sawyer and Franklin) and took charge of the scene from Coe. They found the body flat on its back a short distance from the tree, as did all subsequent witnesses.
 
A logical explanation is that Dr. Kelly died at a different site and the body was transported to the place it was found. This is buttressed by the medical findings of livor mortis (post mortem lividity), which indicates that Kelly died on his back, or at least was moved to that position shortly after his death. Propping the body against the tree was a mistake that had to be rectified.
 
The search dog and its handler must have interrupted whoever was assigned to go back and move the body to its back before it was done. After the volunteers left the scene the body was moved to its back while DC Coe was at the scene.
 
Five witnesses said in their testimony that two men accompanied Coe. Yet, in his testimony, Coe maintained there was only one other beside himself. He was not questioned about the discrepancy.
 
Researchers, including this writer, assume the presence of the "third man" could not be satisfactorily explained and so was being denied.
 
Additionally, Coe's explanation of why he was in the area is unsubstantiated. To the contrary, when PC Franklin was asked if Coe was part of the search team he responded, "No. He was at the scene. I had no idea what he was doing there or why he was there. He was just at the scene when PC Sawyer and I arrived."
 
Franklin was responsible for coordinating the search with the chief investigating officer and then turning it over to Sawyer to assemble the search team and take them to the assigned area. They were just starting to leave the station (about 9am on the 18th) to be the first search team on the ground (excepting the volunteers with the search dog) when they got word the body had been found.

A second red flag is the nature of the wounds on Kelly's wrist. Dr. Nicholas Hunt, who performed the autopsy, testified there were several superficial "scratches" or cuts on the wrist and one deep wound that severed the ulnar artery but not the radial artery.
 
The fact that the ulnar artery was severed, but not the radial artery, strongly suggests that the knife wound was inflicted drawing the blade from the inside of the wrist (the little finger side closest to the body) to the outside where the radial artery is located much closer to the surface of the skin than is the ulnar artery. For those familiar with first aid, the radial artery is the one used to determine the pulse rate. 

More - 
https://watchingyouwatchingyme-steelmagnolia.blogspot.com/2010/12/who-ordered-murder-of-david-kelly-tony.html?spref=bl

Capitalism Isn't Working

The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: #Hackgate #Foxgate #Werrity : Implications !

The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: #Hackgate #Foxgate #Werrity : Implications !: Follow On Twitter.... Eglantine99 Jill Please Read (then think about the implications) # Foxgate # Hackgate MI6 spoke to Adam Werritt...

Monday, October 17, 2011

Piers Morgan Isn’t Sleeping Well

Of course, Morgan is now the host of Piers Morgan Tonight, the nightly hourlong show that replaced Larry King Live on CNN in January, and in some ways is further from Murdoch’s reach than he’s ever been. Though a notorious tabloid editor in England for more than a decade—first at NotW, then at the Daily Mirror—until recently Morgan was a relative unknown on these shores. He was familiar chiefly to reality-TV aficionados, as the chain-mail-wearing, ­Omarosa-thrashing winner of Celebrity Apprentice and as a panelist on America’s Got Talent, where for all six seasons he has been the buzzer-happy hanging judge at ease crushing the dreams of angel-faced 6-year-olds. To those who knew him only as a pantomime villain, or not at all, it seemed inexplicable when he was handed Larry King’s nine-o’clock hour on CNN, one of the fattest plums in cable news. It was as if 60 Minutes had hired Gordon Ramsay as its newest correspondent...

More - 

Piers Morgan Isn’t Sleeping Well


The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: #Hackgate : #PI Used Conman To Snoop For Wealthy C...

The MURDOCH Empire and its Nest of VIPERS: #Hackgate : #PI Used Conman To Snoop For Wealthy C...: A private investigator commissioned a conman to use the "dark arts" to extract illegal data – including bank transactions, mobile-phone reco...

Monday, October 10, 2011


LiveLeak.com - Paul Burrell targeted by News of the World phone hacking

On 5 October 2011 it was revealed that Paul Burrell's phone was hacked by the defunct News of the World in the Hackgate scandal that has ripped through News Corporation

In March 2008, shortly before the end of the Princess Diana Inquest in London, Simon Tomlin spoke to Dan Evans of the NOTW who was preparing a hitpiece on Paul Burrell. Did Dan Evans authorise the use of phone hacking against Paul Burrell in March 2008? Simon addressed the subject again when he spoke to Rob Jobson of the NOTW in July 2008 after the newspaper had ravaged Burrell over allegations he slept with Princess Diana...

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

Watch Live - 50,000 Gathered In NYC Poised To Clash With Police In the "Occupy Wall Street" Protests

View The Latest Updates – Riot Police Gather In Masses To Disperse Defiant Protestors
I just received a call telling me a stand-off between the police and 50,000 protestors who have gathered in New York City is poised to occur. The caller has informed NYC police have ordered the protestors to disperse by 10:00 PM and the protestors are stating they will refuse to follow the order.

As with the ongoing anti-banker protests in Greece, Spain and in fact throughout Europe, the protests here in the U.S. will be largely or entirely ignored by the corporate / M$M media. We now have the masses gathering against the Wall Street Bankers. In fact, the word around the rumor mill, is protestors are planning to divert rallies planned this fall in Washington D.C, and other major cities, to join forces against the bankers on their home turf.

Earlier the Examiner reported:

More - 

https://web.archive.org/web/20120127014158/http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/09/17/watch-live-50000-gathered-in-nyc-poised-to-clash-with-police-in-the-occupy-wall-street-protests-68661/


Monday, October 03, 2011

One Happy Banking Family.

The Rothschild-Owned Central Banks of the World

Afghanistan: Bank of Afghanistan
Albania: Bank of Albania
Algeria: Bank of Algeria
Argentina: Central Bank of Argentina
Armenia: Central Bank of Armenia
Aruba: Central Bank of Aruba
Australia: Reserve Bank of Australia
Austria: Austrian National Bank
Azerbaijan: Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic
Bahamas: Central Bank of The Bahamas
Bahrain: Central Bank of Bahrain
Bangladesh: Bangladesh Bank
Barbados: Central Bank of Barbados
Belarus: National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
Belgium: National Bank of Belgium
Belize: Central Bank of Belize
Benin: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Bermuda: Bermuda Monetary Authority
Bhutan: Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan
Bolivia: Central Bank of Bolivia
Bosnia: Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana: Bank of Botswana
Brazil: Central Bank of Brazil
Bulgaria: Bulgarian National Bank
Burkina Faso: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Burundi: Bank of the Republic of Burundi
Cambodia: National Bank of Cambodia
Cameroon: Bank of Central African States
Canada: Bank of Canada - Banque du Canada
Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Monetary Authority
Central African Republic: Bank of Central African States
Chad: Bank of Central African States
Chile: Central Bank of Chile
China: The People’s Bank of China
Colombia: Bank of the Republic
Comoros: Central Bank of Comoros
Congo: Bank of Central African States
Costa Rica: Central Bank of Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Croatia: Croatian National Bank
Cuba: Central Bank of Cuba
Cyprus: Central Bank of Cyprus
Czech Republic: Czech National Bank
Denmark: National Bank of Denmark
Dominican Republic: Central Bank of the Dominican Republic
East Caribbean area: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Ecuador: Central Bank of Ecuador
Egypt: Central Bank of Egypt
El Salvador: Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea: Bank of Central African States
Estonia: Bank of Estonia
Ethiopia: National Bank of Ethiopia
European Union: European Central Bank
Fiji: Reserve Bank of Fiji
Finland: Bank of Finland
France: Bank of France
Gabon: Bank of Central African States
The Gambia: Central Bank of The Gambia
Georgia: National Bank of Georgia
Germany: Deutsche Bundesbank
Ghana: Bank of Ghana
Greece: Bank of Greece
Guatemala: Bank of Guatemala
Guinea Bissau: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Guyana: Bank of Guyana
Haiti: Central Bank of Haiti
Honduras: Central Bank of Honduras
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Hungary: Magyar Nemzeti Bank
Iceland: Central Bank of Iceland
India: Reserve Bank of India
Indonesia: Bank Indonesia
Iran: The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iraq: Central Bank of Iraq
Ireland: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland
Israel: Bank of Israel
Italy: Bank of Italy
Jamaica: Bank of Jamaica
Japan: Bank of Japan
Jordan: Central Bank of Jordan
Kazakhstan: National Bank of Kazakhstan
Kenya: Central Bank of Kenya
Korea: Bank of Korea
Kuwait: Central Bank of Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan: National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
Latvia: Bank of Latvia
Lebanon: Central Bank of Lebanon
Lesotho: Central Bank of Lesotho
Libya: Central Bank of Libya
Lithuania: Bank of Lithuania
Luxembourg: Central Bank of Luxembourg
Macao: Monetary Authority of Macao
Macedonia: National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
Madagascar: Central Bank of Madagascar
Malawi: Reserve Bank of Malawi
Malaysia: Central Bank of Malaysia
Mali: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Malta: Central Bank of Malta
Mauritius: Bank of Mauritius
Mexico: Bank of Mexico
Moldova: National Bank of Moldova
Mongolia: Bank of Mongolia
Montenegro: Central Bank of Montenegro
Morocco: Bank of Morocco
Mozambique: Bank of Mozambique
Namibia: Bank of Namibia
Nepal: Central Bank of Nepal
Netherlands: Netherlands Bank
Netherlands Antilles: Bank of the Netherlands Antilles
New Zealand: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Nicaragua: Central Bank of Nicaragua
Niger: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Nigeria: Central Bank of Nigeria
Norway: Central Bank of Norway
Oman: Central Bank of Oman
Pakistan: State Bank of Pakistan
Papua New Guinea: Bank of Papua New Guinea
Paraguay: Central Bank of Paraguay
Peru: Central Reserve Bank of Peru
Philippines: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Poland: National Bank of Poland
Portugal: Bank of Portugal
Qatar: Qatar Central Bank
Romania: National Bank of Romania
Russia: Central Bank of Russia
Rwanda: National Bank of Rwanda
San Marino: Central Bank of the Republic of San Marino
Samoa: Central Bank of Samoa
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency
Senegal: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Serbia: National Bank of Serbia
Seychelles: Central Bank of Seychelles
Sierra Leone: Bank of Sierra Leone
Singapore: Monetary Authority of Singapore
Slovakia: National Bank of Slovakia
Slovenia: Bank of Slovenia
Solomon Islands: Central Bank of Solomon Islands
South Africa: South African Reserve Bank
Spain: Bank of Spain
Sri Lanka: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Sudan: Bank of Sudan
Surinam: Central Bank of Suriname
Swaziland: The Central Bank of Swaziland
Sweden: Sveriges Riksbank
Switzerland: Swiss National Bank
Tajikistan: National Bank of Tajikistan
Tanzania: Bank of Tanzania
Thailand: Bank of Thailand
Togo: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Tonga: National Reserve Bank of Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago: Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia: Central Bank of Tunisia
Turkey: Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey
Uganda: Bank of Uganda
Ukraine: National Bank of Ukraine
United Arab Emirates: Central Bank of United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom: Bank of England
United States: The Dirty Nasty Stinky Fed, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Uruguay: Central Bank of Uruguay
Vanuatu: Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
Venezuela: Central Bank of Venezuela
Vietnam: The State Bank of Vietnam
Yemen: Central Bank of Yemen
Zambia: Bank of Zambia
Zimbabwe: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Phone hacking: Neville Thurlbeck vows to fight dismissal 'to the end'

 Mr Thurlbeck, who was arrested in April by Scotland Yard detectives investigating phone hacking at the now-defunct Sunday tabloid, was fired earlier this month.

In a strongly-worded statement he vowed to fight his unfair dismissal claim against publishers News International ''to the end''.

Mr Thurlbeck's alleged role in the phone hacking scandal has been closely scrutinised after details emerged of an email sent in June 2005 which was headed "for Neville" and contained transcripts of illegally intercepted voicemail messages.

The email, which surfaced in April 2008, seemed to contradict News International's previous stance that hacking was confined to a single "rogue reporter".

Mr Thurlbeck, 49, alleged today that his former employers withheld the reason for his dismissal from him for nearly a month.
Related Articles

    Phone hacking: Neville Thurlbeck statement in full 30 Sep 2011

    Former NOTW reporter takes News International to tribunal 28 Sep 2011

    Phone hacking scandal: as it happened 6 September 06 Sep 2011

    Phone hacking: 11 million News International emails handed to police 29 Sep 2011

    Murdoch could be questioned in US over phone hacking scandal 23 Sep 2011

He said he found out why he was sacked from Scotland Yard, but for legal reasons did not reveal any details.

In a statement issued by his law firm, DWF, he continued: "I took no part in the matter which has led to my dismissal after 21 years of service.

"I say this most emphatically and with certainty and confidence that the allegation which led to my dismissal will eventually be shown to be false.

"And those responsible for the action, for which I have been unfairly dismissed, will eventually be revealed."

Mr Thurlbeck has lodged employment tribunal papers against his former employers. A hearing in his case planned to take place at the East London Tribunal Service today was adjourned.

The journalist said News International accepted he was not responsible for the matter that led to his dismissal, and alleged there was "no valid or reliable evidence" to support their "sudden volte face".

Speaking out for the first time since his name was linked to the phone-hacking scandal through the "for Neville" email, he added: "At the length, truth will out. I await that time with patience, but with a determination to fight my case to the end."

Mr Thurlbeck also criticised News International for briefing the press about him and called on the publisher to "abandon the unseemly practice of whispering behind the back of a loyal and long-serving former employee".

"There is much I could have said publicly to the detriment of News International but so far, have chosen not to do so," he said.

"Therefore, let us all retain a dignified silence until we meet face to face in a public tribunal where the issues can be rigorously examined and fairness can eventually prevail."

News International said in a statement: "News International is not able to comment on circumstances regarding any individual.

"As we have said previously, News International continues to co-operate fully with the Metropolitan Police Service in its investigations into phone hacking and police payments to ensure that those responsible for criminal acts are brought to justice." 

 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8798950/Phone-hacking-Neville-Thurlbeck-vows-to-fight-dismissal-to-the-end.html#.TomCuPMEYdk.blogger

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Commons security fears after thieves raid Keith Vaz office | News

A house of Commons security row has erupted after a spate of burglaries on the eve of President Obama's state visit to Parliament, the Evening Standard has learned.

In the latest breach, the high-profile chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, returned to his office last night to find his researcher's computer and an iPad had been
stolen.

Former minister Mr Vaz, who heads backbench inquiries into policing and security, is one of Westminster's most senior figures and privy to highly sensitive information.

However, thieves strolled into his private office while he was at a Commons reception, even though it is in a corridor reserved for senior MPs.

The MP in the next door office lost a laptop at the same time and has previously had his passport stolen from his desk. However, there were no video cameras in the area to record who might have been responsible.

One MP said: "If thieves can take away a laptop with nobody noticing, they could also plant a package. Clearly security needs to be tightened up."

Mr Vaz confirmed his office was entered while he was attending an awards ceremony between 7pm and 10pm.

"There is quite rightly a large police operation taking place outside the building for the protection of President Obama," he said. "The worry is that if thieves can operate within the building, then outsiders may be able to compromise the security operation."

The Commons is protected by airport-style security screening at all its entrances. However, there have been a series of lapses where protesters have got in.

Insiders say that MPs themselves have resisted having video cameras installed because they want to protect their privacy. But now some are calling for a rethink.


Monday, September 26, 2011


How much are lawyers profiting from the public purse?

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Met Police rejects FOI request about payments to Carter Ruck
September 26th, 2011 | by Jamie Thunder | Published in All Stories, Open Society

How much are lawyers profiting from the public purse? We aren’t allowed to know.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has rejected a Freedom of Information request asking for details of payments to legal firm Carter Ruck for work for the former Assistant Commissioner, John Yates, who resigned earlier this year after the service was criticised over its investigation into phone hacking.

In July, author Richard Wilson asked for details of all payments made by the MPS to Carter Ruck, a well-known company that specialises in libel actions, since 2005. He asked for details of the services any payments were for, and how much each payment was.

He also requested confirmation of whether the MPS had covered the costs of Carter Ruck’s work for John Yates. Complaints on Yates’ behalf had been made to news organisations over their reporting of his role in the phone-hacking investigation.

An excuse
The Freedom of Information Act requires public bodies to respond to requests within 20 working days. But on the day this deadline passed, the MPS said it would need another two weeks to give an answer because it had moved offices.

When it eventually replied, it confirmed it had paid Carter Ruck for Yates. But details of other work and costs incurred were not released, as this was deemed to be ‘personal information’.

Personal information is exempt under s.40 of the Freedom of Information Act. Yet it is difficult to see how amounts paid for pieces of work could constitute personal information; the request was for details of payments to a company, not an individual. If the exemption was used because it was for work done on behalf of an individual – John Yates – it is even harder to see how it is appropriate as Yates didn’t pay the costs himself.

Although the Freedom of Information Act wasn’t able to uncover how much was paid to Carter-Ruck to handle Yates’ complaints, the Independent reports today that the firm received over £7,000 for the case. Why such ‘personal information’ was able to be publicly revealed to the Metropolitan Police Authority and the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee but not to a member of the public is unclear.

The payment of Yates’ costs also raises questions. The MPS’ response said payments for legal advice were only made ‘for cases which have the potential to bring the organisation as a whole into disrepute’. But if the complaints brought the MPS into disrepute, why were they sent on Yates’ behalf rather than the MPS’?

Internal review
Not satisfied with the response, Richard Wilson asked for an internal review. There’s no time limit for a review set out in the Freedom of Information Act, but the Information Commissioner’s Office says that public bodies should try to complete reviews in 20 working days.

Two weeks after asking for a review, he received an acknowledgement. Last Friday, another two weeks after that, the MPS told him there had been a delay and that the review would be completed by October 20. It gave no reason for this, and a complaint is being made to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

It’s now been over two months since the original request was made, and will be another month before the outcome of the internal review is known. There have been repeated delays, sometimes without any explanation, and a seemingly strange interpretation of ‘personal information’ used to justify withholding information.

The Freedom of Information Act is supposed to open up public bodies. But as this case shows, access to information can still be denied and delayed.

The original request and correspondence is on WhatDoTheyKnow here.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Hackergate - Phone Hacking Scandal - I tried to WARN the public about the serious security risks at Vodafone and the authorities ignored me.

For years I thought it was my fault the newspapers knew about phone hacking and for years I've carried a heavy guilt and yes, I was very naive. 

I don't know when it all started but one thing I do know is....I tried to stop it when many other's didn't want it exposing.

To get an idea what I was up against please follow the links below and read my witness statement submitted to Lord Justice Leveson in 2011 or follow the story below for a more detailed description


Full transcript. http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Transcript-of-Morning-Hearing-6-December-2011.pdf

Witness statement. http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Witness-Statement-of-Steven-Nott.pdf

LORD JUSTICE LEVESON:
 "Thank you, Mr Nott.  It's quite clear  this was a problem you identified in the late 1990s and it's now come home for us all to think about."


This video of Piers Morgan shows him insulting my character on the 20th December 2011, when he gave his testimony. He was responsible for the Daily Mirror as Editor and had no obvious control over what his staff were doing or he knew phone hacking was going on. Piers Morgan denies this. Lying or not, I know he's definitely very rude.



I have had a few mentions at the Leveson Inquiry and will be adding them all to this site in due course. That will be when the Inquiry has completed and LJ Leveson has made recomendations to the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

Vodafone appeared at the Leveson inquiry along with other network operators and the video link to that morning's testimony is below where you can hear Mark Hughes,  Head of Security at Vodafone saying "they don't know why they didn't do anything" after my warnings 13 years ago.
http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/hearing/2012-02-02am/


A more detailed look at what I got my self into ...... 

My name is Steven Nott, I am a 44 year old family man and delivery driver. Below is an article from the South Wales Argus dated 13th October 1999 which shows how I tried to raise the alarm to the British authorites about the possible interception of voicemail otherwise known as phone hacking. The article came out after a long campaign to make everyone aware of the insecure Voicemail system on the Vodafone Recall service. Because of Vodafone's lack of care towards customer safety, I took my story to the Daily Mirror, when Piers Morgan was Editor, to name and shame them.

Things didn't go quite to plan because The Daily Mirror, after much excitement, decided not to print the story even though they said it was going to be the biggest that decade. I then went to their rival newspaper The Sun, in Wapping at the News International HQ and asked for help to expose Vodafone and also The Daily Mirror. It was a catastrophic decision to show the newspapers about phone hacking but the public needed warning.

I informed New Scotland Yard, Security Services, Home Office, The DTI and my MP about my concerns and never had any help from them. What was I supposed to do ?. This was all in 1999 and my full story is documented below. Please bear in mind when reading this, I was trying to raise the alarm to the serious implications about voicemail interception back then and if Vodafone hadn't tried to wriggle out of it saying 'change your PIN' every time, then perhaps we wouldn't be where we are today. What would you do if you discovered a security risk that was a national threat ? I had to do something. It was my civic duty.

 

 

Mobile Minus : Sales boss reveals security problem.

By Rob Skellon 

A Cwmbran sales manager says he has discovered a major security problem with one of the country's largest mobile phone networks.Horrified Vodafone subscriber Steve Nott, 32, found the ANYONE can access his answer phone service and listen to his private messages....helped by the giant network's own operators. He explained " Some time ago, the Vodafone network went down because of a technical fault. I had some important messages coming in, so I rang Vodafone to access them. "I was asked by an operator if I had programmed a PIN number into my answer service. When I said hadn't, I was told it didn't matter, that I all I had to do was key in the default number. "I followed the instructions and was able to hear my messages. It was easy and had taken just seconds." Mr Nott added " Afterwards I thought that anyone with my phone number could get into my messages just as easily as I had."Mr Nott, whose marketing work in London is so sensitive that he doesn't want his full Cwmbran address to be published, complained to Vodafone bosses. The angry marketing man even contacted the British Intelligence Service Mi5. He said: "Vodafone has millions of users, and many of them will be MPs and High ranking government officials, people with highly sensitive information at thier fingertips.

"I thought it important that the intelligence service should know about this. Unauthorised accessing of someone's message service is on par with tampering with their mail". The Argus put Mr Nott's claims to the test and by following his instructions we were able to access a Vodafone user's personal message service. In this case, it was with the subscriber's permission. But it proved the point. Anyone can do it. A Vodafone spokesman also conceded it was possible. 

But he added: "Subscriber's have the facility to change the default number and set up their own PIN number.

"If they don't, I suppose they are risking the security of their message service".



As the events unfolded....

  1. I discovered a risk in Vodafone Recall Service ( voicemail ) in early 1999.

  2. I attempted to get Vodafone to change their system because the security implications were enormous.

  3. Because Vodafone didn't see the risk I called The Daily Mirror and was put through to a Oonagh Blackman and explained the story and the problem I had with Vodafone and explained the serious implications of voicemail interception.  I gave her the instructions over the phone, how to access Vodafone's Recall service using the default PIN.

  4. Oonagh Blackman from the Daily Mirror saw the potential for a big story and followed up with investigations by telling me they were accessing the voicemail of publicly profiled people and then calling them afterwards explaining how they'd accessed their voicemail and wanted to know what they thought, so they could run the story with lots of mobile user reaction. I was told by Oonagh, because of the amount of telephone numbers they had, it was a massive task and was taking longer than expected. I was told everyone in the office was on the story and were ringing everyone.

  5. After 12 days, Oonagh Blackman, said the The Daily Mirror wasn't interested anymore. I couldn't understand why seeing as I was told that most of the newsdesks resources were being used to cover the story. We had an argument over the issue of not going to print. A payment of £100 was sent to me for the story which was never published. I received remmitance advice with the cheque dated 30th September 1999, titled 'Mobile Phone Scandal'. See below for scanned image of invoice.

  6. I went to The Sun newspaper in Wapping and met with Paul Crosbie Consumer affairs. Told him the issue, and told him about the Daily Mirror. Paul Crosbie said they would go to print as it was a big story and couldn't believe The Daily Mirror hadn't run with it. Nothing was ever published.

  7. I called and wrote to New Scotland Yard expressing my concerns and telling them I may have inadvertently giving 2 tabloids an easy way to get news scoops. I never had a reply.

  8. I called and wrote to the DTI in Victoria and the Home Office explaining the same. No replies.

  9. I started to call every National newspaper to explain what I had done. No stories printed. Until May 2000 Mail on Sunday. See below. 

  10. I called The BBC and they got me on Radio 5 to talk about the security issue with Vodafone. Mike Caldwell from Vodafone was the spokesperson from Vodafone's Newbury HQ. It was was Fi Glovers show and aired on 22nd October 1999 at approx 1345 hrs and the interviewer was Adam Kirtley.

  11. Vodafone didn't want a fuss - They were going through a takeover at the time with Mannessman, the German Mobile group. I guess any bad press at the time wouldn't have been good for the deal.

  12. BBC also filmed me in their Blue Peter garden for when the news broke as they said there's no way it would be kept quiet. Too important. Nothing happened after that. I kept in touch with Nicola Carslaw at the BBC for some weeks afterwards.

  13. I called ITN spoke to Chris Choi, who was very excited. A news crew was sent to film me at my house. Chris Choi said it could possibly be in the evening news that day. Nothing happened. Called Chris Choi, he wasn't interested anymore.

  14. The South Wales Argus ran a story about me and what I'd discovered. This was October 13th 1999. They ran a story based on the security loophole at vodafone. Article above.

  15. I called my MP Paul Murphy. He didn't want to know and said it had nothing to do with him. This was in early 2000.

  16. I wrote to the DTI again for fear that the The Daily Mirror who had problems with insider trader dealing with James Hipwell and Anil Bhoyrul ( The City Slickers story ) I thought there could be a link with share trading and the phone hacking method. This has not been proved.

  17. In 2005/6 two people were arrested and imprisoned , Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman. I thought that was the end of it and decided not to get back involved for fear of another breakdown.

  18. In late 2010 problems in the news again with News of the World and Andy Coulson and newspapers and TV companies saying phone hacking started in 2005 etc. I decided to call Operation Weeting and explain the information and evidence I had.

  19. I proceded to call newspapers etc and tell them my story. None of them seemed interested even though phone hacking was becoming the top news agenda quite often.

  20. I then started to call solicitors of those people apparently been phonehacked so they could know about my efforts to raise the alarm in 1999.

  21. I was invited down to Mayfair in London and made a statement to a solicitor for one of the civil cases sueing Newsgroup newspapers ( Murdoch ) and Glenn Mulcaire. George Galloway was the civil case who recently won settlement from news group newspapers.

  22. Operation Weeting interviewed me on 18th July 2011. I told them my story. Operation Weeting explained my information may be important in the investigation.

  23. Because the newspapers weren't interested but social media were, I set up a website/blog in mid July 2011. I had a lot of interest on twitter but also a lot of non believers.

  24. Lord Justice Leveson asked people to come forward before 31st August 2011 on national television.So I emailed them with my information. This was for the public inquiry due to start in september 2011.

  25. I have had various online publicity from the BBC news website www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14431473 , Daily Mail Online  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2023125/Phone-hacking-scandals-fault-Steve-Nott-told-Sun-Mirror-access-voicemails.html?ito=feeds-newsxml , The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/aug/07/phone-hacking-daily-mirror, The Independent 

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/this-scandal-is-all-my-fault-says-salesman-2332669.html and Private Eye magazine. Thanks to them my story has finally received widespread global interest.

  26. I then found more information in my attic, ie Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd remittance advice and contact names and numbers for the 2 tabloid contacts Paul Crosbie and Oonagh Blackman. Paul Crosbie has confirmed my meeting with him however I am unable to contact Oonagh Blackman from The Daily Mirror.

  27. I have sent these extra details on to Operation Weeting to help them further in their investigation. 

  28. I have been in touch with many people involved in the phone hacking scandal including Chris Bryant MP, Tom Watson MP, Therese Coffey MP, Rt Hon Lord Prescott,l Alastair Campbell and countless other people in the public eye.


  29. I appeared at Leveson Inquiry 6th December 2011 at 10am and finally got someone to listen.

My story in much more detail :  

In 1998 I worked as a Salesman for a  food manufacturer that delivered it's products all over the UK and my main target area was central London and the city. I was very productive and had a lot of success with the company and on a daily basis received up to 10 new orders per day from customers I'd previously seen. These orders needed to be progressed quickly, phoned in to the office, and delivered to the customer within a 3 day turn around so it was imperative I got the orders in on time each day.

During early 1999 the Vodafone network had a problem and 'went down' for a few hours. I was driving along the M4 at the time and couldn't get a signal as there was no network available.After the situation hadn't changed for some hours, I stopped at a service station and decided to make a call to the Network operator Vodafone. I explained my circumstances and the need to get to my voicemail asap to further my customers' orders. They explained to me that it wasn't a problem and explained to me that I could access my voicemail messages from any other phone, landline or mobile. They explained to me that once you've called your own mobile number, once you hear. " Please leave a message after the tone", the operator said to press 9 and then key in my PIN number. I said the PIN number for my phone, and she said "No ,you have a PIN number for your voicemail and as you don't know about it then your's will still be the default 3333" Ok. I said to the operator, that it all seems a bit 'easy' to access and mentioned the fact that I could do it with anyones phone then. She said " yes i could, but I wasn't supposed to" and that's only if the PIN number was set on default.

At the time, it was not common knowledge to anyone about PIN numbers for voicemails. Most people then didn't have a clue. As long as the mobile phone you were calling was switched off or 'busy' then you would be able to access email immediately. If you pestered the person with enough calls, they would switch it off anyway so making the hacking so easy.

Ok, so you've heard it all before, voicemail phone hacking news stories going on for some years now and still currently causing a nuisance to celebrities and politicians alike and now Scotland Yard are having to backtrack and invest more time into something that seems like it won't go away.
 I was gobsmacked by the way, that it was so easy to be able to do this and spent the next couple of months having fun and games with my mates phones, work colleagues phones and so on. Yes, I was hacking phones too ... but not for the reasons the press were.

I realised that this issue of easily being able to intercept voicemail, change welcome greetings, delete messages and change the voicemail PIN was too serious to play about with and decided to make some noise about the risks to National Security I'd stumbled across. 

I called Vodafone and told them of my worry. They weren't helpful. I called them on various occasions explaining my concerns and still no joy. Vodafone told me each time, that the instructions for the voicemail PIN security number were in the handbook that came with each phone. I could not find any handbook anywhere that this was the case. All of the instruction manuals for Vodafone mobiles had the basics but nothing about voicemail security and changing a default number. ( I have recently asked them for more information relating to this matter for the year 1999 ). The mobiles that we were using in our company were all company phones and there were loads of them. The phones were just handed out and used and often moved from one person to another as staff started and left the company. I made a point of investigating what Vodafone had told me at the time and found out that no-one knew about voicemail PIN security because no-one had a handbook or instruction manual that explained this.

Now I was chomping at the bit and decided that I wasn't getting anywhere with Vodafone and took matters into my own hands and changed my plan of action. I wasn't going to let this go. Just to note, Vodafone were in the process of a takeover bid with Mannessmann, the german mobile giant. I don't think they wanted anyone causing a fuss. I was also speaking to the Orange press office at the time regarding voicemail interception and ruled them out of the security issue.  

I made a list of how it could affect the public and also the security implications on important people ie the Royals, Politicians etc. The fact that people could be tracked by monitoring their movements through listening to their messages. Not only could you intercept voicemail in the UK from any mobile network or landline, it didn't have to be from this country. In fact, it could be done in any other country providing the mobile number was on the Vodafone network because Orange had a completely more secure system.

I was in London and made a phone call to the Daily Mirror and was put through to the newsdesk. I explained to a lady at the newsdesk that I had a story. This lady called herself Oonagh Blackman. She was very interested and after giving her the instructions to listen into voicemails she said it's possibly going to be one of the biggest stories that decade and would make front page and couldn't believe how easy it was to do and the fact that nobody knew about it. She said they were going to try it out for themselves and see how it all works. I called Oonagh Blackman, at the Daily Mirror a few times and she kept saying they were working on it and to be patient as it was going to be a massive story. They told me that they had 'everybody' onto it as they had a massive bank of phone numbers and were ringing everyone to get their reactions that their mobile's voicemail had been tampered with. They said it was a massive story and was taking a long time to get through the numbers. I had almost daily contact with Oonagh Blackman at the Daily Mirror's newsdesk. Blackman, at the time, was Piers Morgan's Special projects Editor and went on to become Deputy Whitehall Editor and eventuaklly Political Editor for the Mirror.

Twelve days went by, still waiting for front page headlines as promised, I rang Oonagh Blackman up and she said they weren't interested anymore. I was amazed, one minute, massive news story promises and excitement then 'nothing'. We had an argument over the phone and was threatened by Oonagh Blackman, with lawyers and court action because I had accused her and The Daily Mirror of using the voicemail  interception method for themselves. 

The smoking gun : Daily Mirror remmitance advice 'Mobile Phone Scandal' 

Piers Morgan said " £100 for the biggest story of the decade, sounds pretty cheap to me" See video below

It didn't take me long to realise 'What I had done ?' I couldn't believe I was so stupid to tell a national newspaper how to get hot news for free just by hacking into someones phone. I was on a campaign to raise public awareness and it was backfiring.

I then contacted Paul Crosbie - Consumer Affairs correspondent at The Sun newspaper and explained to him about the story but didn't tell him how to do it. He was very curious and called me in for an appointment in Wapping, News International.

I met Paul there and explained to him the whole story and the fact that I had told the Mirror newspaper and he was astonished with the whole thing. firstly, he was gobsmacked and very excited at how it could be done and also shocked that the Daily Mirror had the information from me 12 days earlier and said "I can't believe the Mirror would keep something so quiet being such a massive story of national importance".
 Paul asked me to demonstrate how anyone's voicemail system was accessed and called some colleagues in the office, asked them to not answer the next call so I could call them and show him.

Paul Crosbie explained to me that it was a great story and thanked me for coming to see him and expect the story to be in the paper within 48 hours on the front page. He said I was going to be a public hero because of the risk to National Security which I had brought to the media's attention.
 Guess what.....no news story, not a dickie bird. I couldn't get hold of Paul Crosbie again after the first meeting.

I've had communication with Paul Crosbie recently and he says I never spoke to him again after that but he was always available. Maybe, I was just unlucky at the time and just couldn't catch him in. I only tried a few times as I thought to myself at the time....'Oh no, what had I done.....I've told another newspaper now and I was making it worse'. Paul Crosbie confirms everything in my story and agrees that something should have been done about the problem and that he'd never heard of 'voicemail hacking' before.

Bear in mind during all of this I had a very busy day job to do and was trying relentlessly to think of ways of making the public aware. I started to spread the word. I knew that the information I had important and took it upon myself to make sure everyone knew

I contacted as many newspapers as possible informing them of the problem and hoping that one of them would do something with the story. This never happened. ( The Daily Mail did run an article about listening to voicemail in May 2000  - it was covered well and had input from David Blunkett MP,Tessa Jowell MP and Gerald Kaufman MP

I called Security Services. They thanked me for the information. I never heard from then since. I spoke to New Scotland Yard and also wrote them a detailed letter explaining my issues, my findings and the problem that was a National Security risk. I never had a reply from them. I wrote to the DTI in Victoria. I never received a reply. (I wrote to the DTI again some years later when there was news about two city traders from the Daily Mirror were involved in some fraudulent activity.)

I was on a campaign to undo what I hade done. I was on a mission to head up a public awareness campaign and even moreso now seeing as I'd told two newspapers how to intercept voicemail on anyone's mobile phone.

I then contacted the BBC. I was invited into an interview, was filmed on Percy Throwers bench in the Blue Peter Garden and also ended up on Radio5 Live on a Friday afternoon with a communications spokesperson from Vodafone in Newbury.The radio show aired at approx 1345 hrs october 22nd 1999 and the presenter was Adam Kirtley. Vodafone's Mike Caldwell, in the interview, said they didn't know why I was making such a fuss as it never has and never will cause a problem. How wrong could they have been ? The transcript is available from the radio show on request.

I also spoke to Chris Choi from ITN and he was very excited also about the implications and massive security flaw. I had an ITN newscrew at my house the same day and was filmed in my back garden about the story. Chris Choi said it was going to be breaking headlines. Guess what.....nothing happened. No broadcast, nothing.

I also got into trouble from work as I contacted 'David Ford' who was CEO of Gardner Merchant at the time. I had his details because the company I worked for had recently entertained him on a specail sports day out at the Cardiff Millenium Stadium in one of those corporate boxes. I rang him to tell him that there could be a security flaw within his company regarding mobile phones and just wanted him to be aware.

I was pulling my hair out with frustration. Everyone I spoke, everywhere I went, I got the same reaction, yes, good story, we'll run with it. So everyday I was expecting to see the news break into the public domain. Everyday I waited for this for nearly months and months.

My last resort was to contact The South Wales Argus, my local newspaper. I called them and  had a half page spread about Vodafone security and voicemail interception. This was 13th October 1999 and is shown further at the top of the page. This was some time after I first discovered the security risk that my local paper got involved and ran a story. I had a massive sigh of relief when this came out because I thought I was literally 'going mad'.

At the time, I was working full time as a sales rep for a local food company and was getting deeply engrossed in trying to 'save the world' and eventually it took it's toll and ended up having a breakdown. Ok, perhaps not a good idea to bring all of this back up again, but life goes on, we grow stronger and we get older and wiser. My father also died in April 2000, I lost my driving licence due to speeding, I lost my job and my £15000 sales bonus which I'd already earned but my bosses wouldn't pay and everything I think, finally made me 'breakdown'.

I do think that with everything happening all at once caused me to have that breakdown. I didn't even fight my employer for my sales bonus come April 2000 because I didn't have it in me to take part in another battle. I just couldn't do it, I was worn out. In fact due to the stress I was suffering from and taking my dying father's advice, I consulted my doctor and a psychiatrist. Here below, is a diagnosis of my mental state at the time and take note of the 'delusional beliefs' remarks. Basically, the psychiatrist didn't believe a word of what I'd got myself involved in. 


I always wanted the public to know from the very outset, I tried my hardest to get the press to take the story and failed. I'm now making it my mission to make sure everyone knows that I tried and nobody helped apart from the BBC. What the others did with the information beggars belief. Nobody seems to be interested how it all started. We will never know, but one thing I'm sure of, I did tried to stop it.

What worries me most now, is that whilst the newsflash broke about 911 and the towers being hit by planes and had not yet collapsed.....how many journalists or private investigators/reporters thought..... 'I can hack into their voicemail and see what messages are being left'. It wouldn't have been difficult, in fact would have taken seconds. All you would need to know, would be the names of the companies in the two buildings, and some members of staff and their numbers.They may have already had that sort of information at their fingertips anyway by then.

Also, Vodafone are a big problem in all of this as they didn't, and wouldnt change their voicemail systems from default until 2003.

More - 
https://web.archive.org/web/20130318175639/http://hackergate.co.uk/