Cancer

My neighbour (friend) has got cancer. This is not something new. He was diagnosed three years ago. Since then he has had his voice box removed and parts of his colon. He has had several sessions of chemical therapy but now is house bound having to feed himself through a tube directly into the stomach. All this sounds really grim. But he has a great sense of humour. He fires off witticism after witticism via SMS; is an avid film buff (watched on some very impressive systems); dabbles on the internet; does all his own cleaning and makes desks and cupboards with expert craftsmanship. It has always been a pleasure and inspiration to be with him.
That is until two weeks ago. Suddenly everything changed. His humour disappeared. He became sullen, depressed, inactive, aggressive (all of the things I would have been had it been me with his illness!). He doe not want to see me, or anyone else. My feelings (which are, of course, of little importance in the scheme of things) are utterly confused. I want to help, but am turned away. I know there is little I can do. This makes for an awful reversal of the subject of concern. I am concerned, without having to emphasise too much, about his condition, but now I also think about what is going on inside me.

We are all weak in our ways.

No arms for Libyan rebels

"No arms for Libyan rebels", says Liam Fox. Who is he kidding? From day one, the USA have been making plans to supply the rebels: "The option of providing military assistance is on the table because no options have been removed from the table," White House spokesman Jay Carney said (Reuters March 5th). David Cameron on February 28th in the House of Commons suggested, "the British government would consider arming the opposition". These sort of signals made by countries that rely so much on making money from their arms industries do not go without a scurrying army of entrepreneurs packing their bags, portfolios and samples bent for the nearest airport.. The logistics for this little business venture were probably in place days before the first aircraft began enforcing the no-fly zone. The only reason I can see for Fox parading his views on the BBC is to ensure that Germany and Turkey fall in line with all the other NATO lands to run this war (I choose my words). As soon as this command structure is established, then watch out.

There are big bucks to be made.

Revenge

Revenge will be a motivation for Gadaffi says justice secretary Kenneth Clarke. And he is right. Revenge for destroying the Gadaffi regime's air force - although supported by UN resolution 1973, with which Gadaffi refuses to comply; revenge for pounding the Gadaffi regime's land army - although supported by UN resolution 1973, with which Gadaffi refuses to comply; revenge for a naval embargo on the Gadaffi regime - although supported by UN resolution 1973, with which Gadaffi refuses to comply. On the other hand is there not an element of revenge in our actions? Revenge for the many deaths caused by Irish terrorists supported by Gadaffi's regime; revenge for the murder of policewoman Yvonne Fletcher; revenge for the deaths of 270 people at Lockerbie? Yes and No. Revenge perhaps, but there is a greater need, that of justice and the protection of the innocent citizens of Libya.

And securing our oil interests.

"..additional measures..."

So NATO are the bosses. Who cares? Well the politicians in the USA seem to be deeply concerned about almost washing their hands. Some anti-USA half-brains might be fooled into thinking that Uncle Sam has now gone fishing. But on the whole the command structure is a realistic depiction of what it must be if this whole operation is to retain some element of morality. To the man or woman on the ground the only thing that really matters is the UN resolution being fulfilled. Are the citizens of Libya being protected? The imprecise answer to this question is the most problematic consequence of the last weeks activity. A consequence that is leading towards an inevitability, for these reasons: 1. It is impossible to protect civilians in a built up area from the air alone; 2. Contingents of marines are on-board ships in the Mediterranean; 3. Ban Ki Moon has warned of "additional measure" that "may" be taken by the UN against the Qadaffi regime.

Troops will be on the ground very soon.

Big Job

Today has been a glorious day. The weather was exceptional. The dog woke me early and as a result I did my spring cleaning. This all sounds very domesticated until perhaps I ought to explain: the kitchen had several days washing up to do; there were signs of rotting food behind the waste disposal; the living room resembled a library after a bomb had exploded; hidden beneath piles of dirty clothing was a bedroom floor, and, perhaps in some peoples eyes, the worst of all, there were dog hairs EVERYWHERE. Even the bathroom had the look and feel of a football stadium urinal - uggh!
But wonders can be done with tidying up, vacuuming and mopping everywhere with hot soapy stinky water. I feel almost reborn again.
Now all I have to do is sort out, sweep clean and wash up my insides and I'll be ready for Easter.
Big job though.

Slip sliding away

So Turkey, that bastion of democracy and human rights in the region, feels unable to support NATO action in Libya. I wonder why? Could this be the reason?
"Trade volume between Turkey and Libya climbed to 2.2 billion USD in 2009. The amount of projects Turkish contractors have undertaken in Libya since 2007 has exceeded 15 billion USD.
Turkey is expected to boost its not only commercial relations and contracting services, but also increase its investments, technical consultancy, tourism, energy and industry with Libya.
Turkish and Libyan governments support establishment of joint ventures. Moreover, foreign trade, investment and contracting working groups, set up between the two countries, are expected to hold meetings soon." (from:http://www.libyaonline.com/).

Filthy favours, the credit card and the horse's head would seem to be in action here.

"...to take all necessary measures..."

So the smart-suited ladies and gentlemen of the British Parliament have debated and the correct moral tone has been found to justify "action" in Libya. The brave men and women of the armed forces resplendent in their uniforms have begun on our behalf the raids and patrolling. Dressing down for the occasion - but still looking good - journalists report their sanitised version of events, fuelled by the propaganda gushing from all sides (not the least coming via the Internet and mobile phones - facilitators of this Revolution). Meanwhile the tyrant calls in his foul favours; gives offers people cannot refuse... and somewhere slouching in the desert or the back streets of Tripoli are a gang, not of Stallone lookalikes dressed in black with passports in their bags, but of hardened veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan. Dirty and dishevelled, Arab speakers with green bandannas, patiently waiting for that moment when they will cut off the Godfather’s head and send it to the fishes.
War (action) is a very, very dirty business.