Saw an advert for Jane's (Defence Weekly) on CNN. Jane's is so called because of some second world war newspaper cartoon and now is the foremost information source on all things military, including esponiage. So I was thinking all that stuff being particularly relevant right now, I'd give it a click.
You have to pay $500 to get the full article although some of the paragraph's were worth quoting - witness...

Saddam Hussein is not Bin Laden. He is a classic dictator, dependent on the apparatus of a state, a disciplined security service and a small clan of his own people, the Takritis, who are despised by most ordinary Iraqis, not to speak of other Arabs in the Middle East. When his regime begins to collapse, he will be finished.

or this...

Nuclear Emergency Search Teams (NEST) are trained to search for, identify, and disarm lost, stolen or improvised nuclear weapons, materials, and threats covertly placed anywhere in the United States, along with various other teams that monitor, address, and analyse possible releases of radioactive material. The Energy Department has seven types of teams that respond to nuclear or radiological incidents, including teams that monitor the atmosphere for radioactivity and a radiological assistance program that works with state and local authorities. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force each have specially trained teams.

You can have a look at the site here


One other thing caught my eye, and that was this Conference.
I don't know whether to praise their calm project management approach to coping with Armageddon, or just think they're all mad, know they're fried when the big bomb goes bang and are of on a big jolly. Why not eh?
Nice hotel, I must say...

posted by Neil at 12:41:00 AM

Been looking at Black Flag T-Shirts on the 'net. God knows why, I haven't even downloaded thier music, but I like their sleeve covers and logo.

DC Hardcore (Exhibit A)

Birthday Blog
Nu Shooz

Thank you!
posted by Neil at 10:35:00 PM

insulting small children can be fun
posted by Neil at 1:54:00 AM

Update: This is all true, but ignores the effort that has to go into manufacturing ICBM's (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) - the only nuclear weapon capable of attacking another continent. Nations that have them have to be capable of producing not missiles but rockets- space rockets, and I don't see much evidence of that from the Iraqis. Setting one up would take at least five years, and is incredibly visible. It's one thing secreting some Uranium underground where missiles can be safely stored, but people tend to notice if you launch a 200ft rocket into the sky, and I wouldn't say they needed a very powerful satellite to do so. This is why I'm sure Saddam Hussein knows how impotent he is. The danger is if he attacks Israel, as he did with scud's in '91. This 'next generation' would be dangerous, although harshly perhaps but nonetheless true, not for us in England.
posted by Neil at 1:20:00 AM