Biological Weapons In Iraq

When one thinks of biological weapons one thinks of germs and viruses, and perhaps cattle mutilations and black helicopters,but not man-eating badgers.

Clearly the British army has to do more to win the hearts and minds of folks in Basra.

It's one of the more extraordinary statements issued by those chaps in the British Army.

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area," said British military spokesman Major Mike Shearer.

To make it crystal, another spokesman added: "We have not released giant badgers in Basra and nor have we been collecting eggs and releasing serpents into the Shatt al-Arab river."

Rumours abound among people in the southern Iraqi city that British troops based in the area since 2003 introduced bear-like beasts, with large fangs and claws and a penchant for human flesh, to sow panic.

But despite the fantastic rumours spreading through Basra about the origins of the animals, they have been identified by local vets as the honey badger.

Mushtaq Abdul-Mahdi, director of Basra's veterinary hospital, has inspected the corpses of several dead badgers and has tried to reassure his fellow citizens that the badgers are not a new post-war arrival in the region.

"These animals appeared before the fall of the regime in 1986. They are known as Al-Ghirayri and locally as Al-Girta," he said. "Talk that this animal was brought by the British forces is incorrect and unscientific."

The honey badger, or ratel, is known as a brave predator capable of killing a cobra. It weighs up to 14 kilos and is not known to kill humans and drag them away to its lair.

This reminds me of the Frank Zappa album Weasels Ripped My Flesh.

After all the Badger is a member of the same family as the weasel .

And speaking of weasels, Prince Harry who was supposed to go to Basra is currently stationed at one of NATO's leading Biological Chemical Warfare Research stations; Suffield Base in Medicine Hat.

See:

Iraqi Ghost Dance

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politics, military, NATO, peacekeeping,

Best Kept Secret In The UK

As if we didn't know......Brown to launch succession bid But wait it gets better; UK's Brown vows to give power to the people Which should mean once elected he will not serve. Of course as Heir Apparent that ain't too likely. Unless he loses the General Election. Which given his personality could be very likely.

Britain's leader-in-waiting Gordon Brown pledged on Friday to put "citizens in control" and end personality-driven politics if he was elected to take over from his charismatic predecessor Tony Blair.

Launching his campaign to become leader of the ruling Labour party, Brown said his government would be a servant of the state, not handing down edicts from on high. It would listen to voters and not be afraid to admit mistakes and change course.

"I do not believe politics is about celebrity," finance minister Brown said. "I have never believed that presentation can be a substitute for policy.

That's because he has no personality and what he lacks in charisma he makes up for with policy.

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Gay Marriage and Adoption

Diogenes Borealis, a Blogging Tory, has an excellent Libertarian, yes libertarian, post on the controversy over gay rights in Britain and Canada. In which he correctly points out the difference between public services, and publicly funded organizations and those of privately funded organizations. Gay marriage & adoption - some libertarian thoughts

Which reminded me of the Delwin Vriend affair in Alberta, where the Christian Reform Church Kings University College, fired him because he was gay. Kings College accepted public funding for students and state accreditation as a post secondary institution. Despite their claims that they were a 'private' institution,and claiming they were firing him for religious reasons.
Can't have it both ways as Diogenes points out.

And of course it should never have gone to the Supreme Court, because it was a violation of his rights, and the Alberta Government failed to represent those rights (his case was against the Government not the College), but Social Conservatives are NOT libertarians.


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