04:32 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001
Tactics have to be called into question - even if the strategy is right.
[by Beth]

04:30 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001
Surprise, surprise. The Taleban are tougher than we realised. I've been saying this all along. They're used to this kind of thing, peeps. They know what they're doing.
[by Beth]

04:28 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001
Family history of breast cancer may have no bearing on whether you will develop the disease.
[by Beth]

04:24 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001
Hard hitting questions about the military conflict. They need answers.
[by Beth]

04:17 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001
I wish I hadn't bothered reading the news updates. Nothing particular, but it just somehow seems worse today.
[by Beth]

04:09 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001
Been starting to clean up my journal archives. Which is why I've not really posted today. I'll put up a couple of news articles, and then I'm off for the weekend.

Anyone who's got the URL for the non-linked part of my site - it's fixed. Anyone who doesn't have it and wants to - email me, or get over to my site and join my notify list. Anyone who wants to sign my guestbook over the weekend, feel free.... noone's signed for over a week and it's feeling neglected.
[by Beth]

02:02 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2001
This is just freaky.
[by Beth]

02:11 p.m., Thursday, October 25, 2001
Blair thinks that bin Laden will be killed in action, but Donald Rumsfeld (the US defence secretary) thinks maybe he'll be able to set up somewhere else. Which is just as bad, frankly. He's also said once more that neutralising the al-Qaida network is not the sole purpose of the US's 'war on terrorism'.

The aim is laudable, but I doubt that the methods are going to be any better.

And world leaders do not agree on whether some members of the Taleban should be allowed to be part of the administration once the attacks are over.
[by Beth]

12:23 p.m., Thursday, October 25, 2001
I hope that, as this article suggests, Israel and Palestine can find hope in the sudden turn of events in Northern Ireland.

I don't expect that it will happen, but I can hope....
[by Beth]

12:17 p.m., Thursday, October 25, 2001
I suppose that this is a start. The UN has persuaded the US to contain its bombing until a 'transitional authority' can be set up. This would be a 'one-year, UN-supervised interim administration made up of 12 Afghan ministers who would hold a rotating, figurehead presidency for one month each. The Afghan epresentation would reflect the country's ethnic composition, a controversial issue in itself.'

I just hope that women will be given an equal representation in this administration, not just all the different ethnic groups.
[by Beth]

12:07 p.m., Thursday, October 25, 2001
Hey, guess what? The Pentagon is surprised at how well the Taleban is holding together.

'Earlier, the Pentagon admitted it was taken aback by the tenacity of the Taleban as the US-led bombing campaign continued into its third week.

'"I'm a bit surprised at how doggedly they're hanging on to power," said Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem.

'"They have proven to be tough warriors."'

Errrr - yes. Don't forget, they've had practise at this. The Soviets fought in Afghanistan for 10 years, so they're used to fighting. They know the territory, they know how to use it to their advantage. And the civilian population is too scared and demoralised to try and help drive them out. Anyway, what's the point - from their point of view - if they're just going to be replaced by the Northern Alliance, say, or similarly oppresive segments of Afghan society?
[by Beth]

12:04 p.m., Thursday, October 25, 2001
An opinion article about the peace process in Northern Ireland now that the IRA has put some of its weapons beyond use.

As it points out - the destruction of some guns and explosives isn't going to erase centuries of hatred. But it's the best start we're going to get for a while.
[by Beth]

11:56 a.m., Thursday, October 25, 2001
This is why I'm against this war. Because there are always going to be civilian casualties, and I don't think that can ever be justified. The aid effort is in danger of falling part. And even Tony Blair has hinted now that he expects Osama bin Laden to be killed in the military action, that he doesn't expect that he'll ever be brought to trial. And I'm convinced that this is wrong, that we have to bring him to trial and make the world see that we're being fair, that we're doing this right. That we have to make sure that we don't martyr him.
[by Beth]

04:34 p.m., Wednesday, October 24, 2001
I intend to contribute to Kristi's zine as soon as I have a spare minute! (Incidentally, she's back at her domain and looking gorgeous - go visit!) So are you going to write something for her too?
[by Beth]

04:28 p.m., Wednesday, October 24, 2001
How fucking ridiculous is this? Woolworths are stocking female Santa Claus outfits, because otherwise they're scared they'll be prosecuted by the EU - 'According to clause 3.5 of the EU’s Gender legislation, the “elimination of existing cultural prejudices and social stereotypes is paramount for the establishment of gender equality.”', and the shop thinks that 'this means that products which reinforce gender stereotypes or are seen as derogatory to one sex cannot be sold'.

Well I think that the sexualisation of the female outfits reinforce gender stereotypes and are derogatory to the female sex.

It makes me sick.
[by Beth]

04:24 p.m., Wednesday, October 24, 2001
Cannabis is to be reclassified in the UK.

Hoo-fucking- raar. It's about time. Although it will remain an offence to buy the stuff.
[by Beth]

04:18 p.m., Wednesday, October 24, 2001
The IRA are decommissioning their weapons.

I don't feel well today, so I'll let the story speak for itself, save to say: we made mistakes. and the police shot innocent people. and there's still an ultimate lack of respect and understanding and PEACE in Northern Ireland.

But this has been achieved by talking. And bargaining. And reasoning. And the terrorists realising that they can't get away with killing anyone any more.

NOT BY BOMBING THEIR WEAPONS DUMPS, THEIR HOUSES, THEIR FAMILIES......
[by Beth]

03:59 p.m., Wednesday, October 24, 2001
I will be wearing a white poppy for Remembrance Day. Because I appreciate what the people who give up their lives for us do, but I don't think that they should ever have to do that. Noone should be called on to make that sacrifice and leave their loved ones alone, without a friend, a relative, a husband, a father (or mother)....

I am for peace. Always will be.
[by Beth]

05:13 p.m., Tuesday, October 23, 2001
This article about the government whips is good, too.
[by Beth]

04:56 p.m., Tuesday, October 23, 2001
I hope that the rebel Labour MP accused of being tantamount to a Nazi sympathiser does vote against the Government and with his conscience today. I'm far more in favour of the rebel MPs' ideas of dealing with things.

Another good article from the Times.
[by Beth]

10:45 a.m., Tuesday, October 23, 2001
The new place to be? It's the topics blog, for sure.
[by Beth]

04:51 p.m., Monday, October 22, 2001
Oh. And apparently, war is not a moral issue, not a matter of conscience.

Apparently, people like me, who think that we are going about this THE WRONG WAY, who think that this is all wrong, are like those who appeased the Nazis in 1938.

'Labour's backbench critics of the bombing of Afghanistan warned last night of hardening opposition to the military action after ministers compared outspoken anti-war MPs to appeasers of the Nazis.

'The armed forces minister Adam Ingram likened the terrorist "evil that is stalking the world" to Nazism and fascism, and suggested anti-war voices were giving terrorists "succour and support".

'Mr Ingram issued his condemnation after Paul Marsden, the Labour MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, published his account of a fierce dressing-down he received from the government chief whip, Hilary Armstrong, for his opposition to the military campaign.'

You trust our politicians? Read this and think again.
[by Beth]

04:47 p.m., Monday, October 22, 2001
The facts behind the military situation.
[by Beth]

04:42 p.m., Monday, October 22, 2001
Looks like the Taleban are running scared. They're executing their own soldiers on suspicion of being spies.
[by Beth]

04:32 p.m., Monday, October 22, 2001
Ramadan starts on 17 November, and it looks like we're about to send in ground troops. Yeah, Osama and the Taleban aren't known for their strict following of the laws of Islam, but God, what about the rest of the country? I can't believe we're doing this.

And just to make things even better, after Bush implying las week that he wants the Northern Alliance to storm in and do his dirty work for him (the Northern Alliance are known for being about as bad as the Taleban in their treatment of women and extreme form of Islam), the Russians have now come out and actually said it. That's just fan-fucking-tastic.
[by Beth]

04:29 p.m., Monday, October 22, 2001
I don't agree with everything Jack Straw, the UK foreign secretary said today, but at least our politicians are starting to take responsibility for letting ourselves get into this mess.
[by Beth]