Angolan Wren Smuggled Cocaine into the UK Aboard Royal Navy Ship

Several newspaper failed to mention that the Royal Navy member arrested and charged for smuggling £5 million worth of cocaine into Britain aboard an active warship was an Angolan national - to my knowledge, only The Sun revealed this initially.

Is this relevant? Well, as the Armed Forces increasingly look to recruit abroad, it is almost a certainty standards will slip, and why shouldn't they?

Why should foreign nationals, especially those that don't even share the Queen as Head of State, be loyal to this country or its interests?

Another factor is that this is the kind of thing that happens when top brass only care about diversity targets and how colourful the place looks - rather than recruiting on ability, competence and quality alone.

The full story:

A Royal Navy Wren has been charged with drug-smuggling after bags of cocaine worth around £5million were allegedly found in her quarters.

Teresa Mato, 36, was arrested on board the HMS Manchester as it docked in Plymouth on its return from an anti-narcotics training operation in South America.

The Wren - a former refugee from Angola in South Africa - was arrested after customs officers searched her locker and allegedly found 12kg of cocaine sewn in packages into vests and around rucksacks.

The drugs haul would have a street value of £5million once it was 'cut' or bulked out with additives.

Bags of cocaine worth £5m were found on board Royal Navy warship HMS Manchester

Matos did not enter a plea as she spoke via video link from Eastwood Park Prison in Gloucester to Plymouth Magistrates Court.

Reporting restrictions were lifted today at the beginning of a committal hearing.

The court heard Matos, who came to the UK five years ago, joined the Navy in 2007 and had an 'unblemished record'.

She had spent the last seven months at sea on the HMS Manchester, which stopped off in the Falklands, South Georgia and Rio de Janeiro, before cruising to Colombia's Caribbean coast for drug interdiction training.

The investigation has been handed to the Serious Organised Crime Agency, which arrested three civilians from the London area on Wednesday, August 12, in connection with the find.

A spokesman said: 'Following a search aboard HMS Manchester, a junior rating was discovered to be in possession of suspected quantity of Class A drugs.

'She was arrested by Royal Navy police on August 10 and handed over to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in Plymouth during a planned anchorage.

'The junior rating and the three men were charged with the importation of controlled drugs.'

'This is a quantity indicative of a large criminal enterprise involving many, many people.

'This is a large amount of drugs and, if found guilty, the defendant will face a very lengthy prison sentence.

'Taking into account HMS Manchester visited Colombia during its last voyage before entering Plymouth, it seems this is part of an international drug smuggling operation.

'Mobile phone records will need to be checked, e-mails will need to be trawled through, and the drugs also need to be tested for their purity before we know the true scale of this.'

The SOCA spokeswoman confirmed that three men appeared in court in Portsmouth last week and were remanded in custody.

A Royal Navy spokeswoman added: 'The Ministry of Defence will co-operate fully with any investigation that involves service personnel.

'The Royal Navy demands the highest standard of conduct from our personnel and anyone who falls short of that is dealt with robustly.'

Mato's Commanding Officer, Commander Paul Beattie, said: 'We return to the UK having made a significant contribution to the security of the Falkland Islands and the counter-narcotics effort in the Caribbean and Atlantic Oceans.

'Our periods in South America have served to develop familiarity, trust and co-operation with a number of pivotal, regional allies and have established the foundation for future engagement with the Columbian and Peruvian Navies.

'My ship's company return to the UK proud of a job well done and looking forward to a period of maintenance and recuperation.'

Mato will next appear at Plymouth Magistrates Court on September 15.

A job well done. Nelson must be turning in his grave.

A Tribute to a Hero

Today it was announced that Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and one of only two surviving British veterans of the First World War, as well as the only surviving founder-member of the Royal Air Force, died aged 113.



Here is an overview of Henry's life which was published in The Daily Telegraph, including the war memories which still haunted him:

He was haunted by a nightmare memory of falling into a trench on the Western Front.

With a clear mind, even as he reached his 113th birthday, he could recall the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, the Wright brothers' first flight two years later and seeing WG Grace bat sometime between 1903 and 1906, though he could not remember how many runs Grace scored.

His experience of the trenches came was when he was looking for the remains of aircraft that had been shot down.

"We were moving forward at night," he would recall. "I was very apprehensive. It was dark. One of those nights you got where the night time seems to surround you. There were booby traps everywhere."

Suddenly his foothold gave way: "I fell into a shell hole. It was full of arms, legs, ears, dead rats – a lot of dead, rotten flesh. I was up to my armpits in water. I can't describe the smell flesh and mud mixed up together.

"I turned to my left, and that's what saved me. It got shallower to the left, and I was able to lift myself out of the water. I lay there in the dark, not daring to move, cold and with my uniform stinking. I was frightened. I was scared. I was so relieved when it finally got light and I could move."

Despite such a gruesome experience, Allingham counted himself fortunate: "I think I had an angel hanging over my shoulders. I still do, I hope."

Henry Allingham was born on June 6 1896 in Clapham, South London. His father died when he was 14 months old, and his mother and grandparents brought him up.

He attended the London County Council School in South Lambert Road, which he left to become a trainee surgical instrument-maker at St Bartholomew's Hospital. However, the work was uninteresting, and he soon moved to a coachbuilder specialising in car bodies for Foden and Scammel.

Allingham tried to enlist on August 3 1914. But when he turned up at the Royal Engineers' recruiting office in Piccadilly, desperate to be a dispatch rider, he found 200 other men in a queue in front of him. Even though he had his own Triumph motorbike, he was told there was no chance.

His mother's illness persuaded to him to stay at home for a few more months, but after she died, he saw a plane over Chingford, and thought: "That's for me".

Joining the Royal Naval Air Service, he was rated Mechanic First Class on September 21 1915, and sent to Sheerness to complete his training with 14 other recruits, who included two Australians, a New Zealander and an American.

Stationed for two years at Great Yarmouth, Allingham maintained seaplanes, but frequently cadged rides in aircraft, occasionally sitting in the navigator's seat on fights over the North Sea.

Later, at Bacton, Norfolk, he lit flares to make landing strips for night fighters which were hunting German airships. Among the pilots whom Allingham remembered with great affection were Lieutenant Egbert Cadbury, DSC, DFC, and his commanding officers

Lieutenant-Commander Wyndor de Courcy Ireland and Lieutenant-Commander Douglas "Snakey" Oliver.

He recalled watching Oliver win the DSO in June 1916 for his single-handed attack on German cruisers which were shelling Great Yarmouth; on another occasion, he helped Christopher Wood tie himself into a BE2c so that he could loop the first loop.

Allingham was disappointed when King George V, on a visit to the station, spoke to several sailors but never got to him in the line.

He undertook several patrols in seaplane tenders which each carried a Tabloid, a small aircraft Tommy Sopwith had designed to win the Schneider trophy race in 1914. In naval service, the Tabloid had a detachable rear fuselage which Allingham had to assemble before hoisting out the aircraft on a derrick for take-off.

On patrols Allingham preferred the paddle steamer Brocklesbury which had better accommodation than the trawlers, where the bunks were in the fish-hold. On May 31 1916, he was in the armed trawler Kingfisher, whose seaplane was shadowing the German High Seas Fleet.

His memories were of British Dreadnoughts steaming past with their huge bow-waves, followed by the whole fleet, line astern. The shells from the Germans came straight for the ship, but they bounced right over the top "like ducks-and-drakes."

Allingham was not aware that he had taken part in an epic sea battle until Kingfisher returned to Great Yarmouth, where he heard the vicar offer a prayer of thanks for the "great victory of Jutland".

In June 1917 he helped form 12 Naval Air Squadron, flying Sopwith Pups, Triplanes and Camels, and was sent to France as reinforcements for the Western Front. 12 NAS was a training squadron, based at Petit Synthe, which in November became involved in operations over Passchendaele, the third major offensive of Ypres. He remembered "dotting around places like Hellfire Corner, Plugstreet [Ploegstert] and Pop [Poperinghe] looking for the remains of aircraft that had been shot down."

It was on one of these visits to the trenches that he fell into a shell hole at night.

Transferring to the RAF when it was formed on April 1 1918, Allingham was demobilised in 1919, and then went to work for Ford until his retirement. During the Second World War, this was a reserved occupation.

He tried to forget his wartime memories, never going to reunions or joining old comrades' associations until 2003, when he was asked to lead the parade at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph.

As a concession to his age he was allowed to ride down Whitehall in an open-top 1911 Austin car at the head of the former servicemen and women who marched silently past the monument to the Glorious Dead. He was awarded the French Legion d'Honneur to add to his 1918 Victory and 1914-1918 campaign medals.

Wearing what had become his trademark crimson bow tie the following year, Allingham was applauded by the crowd as he insisted on standing to place a wreath, with only a little help from his escort.

He also crossed the Channel for the first time in 85 years to unveil a memorial to those who fell on the 90th anniversary of the war that was supposed to end all wars.

"I never went back," he said. "I wanted to forget it. I did forget. But, of course, there are some things you can never forget. The veterans' association asked me if I would go back. I didn't want to show any disrespect to my old pals. I had to go for them." He was presented with a gold medal and the freedom of St Omer.

Henry Allingham outlived his wife Dorothy, a nurse whom he met while he was in hospital with a cracked rib at Yarmmouth during the first war and their two daughters; his grandchildren tried to persuade him to move to United States, but he insisted on remaining in his flat overlooking the front at Eastbourne, saying "I love England".

He would attribute his longevity to "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women" then add that there had only been one woman for him – his beloved wife, who died in 1970.

The BBC presents a short tribute to his life in pictures here.

Mr Allingham was much celebrated during his later years, and rightly so.

With his passing, however, we should not forget the sacrifices that people of his generation made for us and this country. When he was asked how he'd like to be remembered his reply was:

"I don't. I want to be forgotten. Remember the others."

What he meant was that we should remember all of those who never came back - those who couldn't dream of seeing their 21st birthdays, never mind reaching 100.

In that sentiment, he reveals just what was so humbling about him. He represents everything which was once great about this country.

Rest in peace, Henry.

Royal Navy Captures Somali Pirates

Somali pirates spotted in the Gulf of Aden were chased down by HMS Portland, using its Lynx helicopter and inflatable launches.

The pirates surrendered in the face of superior firepower from Royal Marines. They were found to have barrels of fuel, grappling hooks, ladders, rocket propelled grenades and machine guns.

The pirates were taken aboard HMS Portland whilst one of their boats was sunk - but because they were not caught red-handed attacking a ship they were released in their remaining boat, minus all their weapons.

Commander Tim Henry said: 'HMS Portland has once again demonstrated the coalition and Royal Navy's commitment to keeping the sea lanes open and making this key waterway safe for international trade.'

Er, yeah. Shame you can't just make them walk the plank like in the old days though.

Still, the pictures are worth seeing:

The Muslim Council of Britain

In light of the statement which the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) issued yesterday calling Britain's treatment of 11 Pakistani terror suspects 'dishonourable', I thought it might be interesting to examine this group in a little more detail.

What is this organisation's agenda, and is it honourable?

On 25th March the Mail reported that Communities Secretary Hazel Blears had severed ties with the Muslim Council of Britain after its deputy leader made comments supporting violence against the Royal Navy if it should be involved in patrolling the coastline of Gaza to prevent arms smuggling. Dr Daud Abdullah also signed a public declaration of support for Hamas:

He was one of 90 Muslim leaders around the globe who signed the controversial 'Istanbul declaration'.

It said: 'The obligation of the Islamic Nation [is] to regard the sending of foreign warships into Muslim waters, claiming to control the borders and prevent the smuggling of arms to Gaza, as a declaration of war, a new occupation, sinful aggression. This must be rejected and fought by all means and ways.'

"The obligation of the Islamic Nation to regard everyone standing with the Zionist entity, whether countries, institutions or individuals, as providing a substantial contribution to the crimes and brutality of this entity; the position towards him is the same as towards this usurping entity."

It is understood that Abdullah was repeatedly called upon to distance himself and the organisation from these remarks. He chose instead to launch a lawsuit, accusing Blears of 'crude bullying', and insisting that the document he signed does not call for attacks on Jews or any Western military forces.

He has demanded a 'substantial' payout from the government if it wishes to avoid court. All legal costs and any damages awarded will, naturally, by picked up by the taxpayer.

How did the rest of the MCB react to this furore? Sadly, rather predictably:

The MCB, which has received substantial Whitehall grants, refused to condemn its deputy secretary-general and accused Mrs Blears of 'high-handed and condescending action'.

Of course. So, the battle lines have been drawn, and everyone has made it very clear which side they stand on - as if we didn't already know.

In defence of Hazel Blears, Hamas is a terrorist organisation whose founding charter calls for the destruction of Israel, and she is right to be concerned by Abdullah's endorsement and deny the MCB public funds.

To give you some idea of the toxicity of the waste in which we are currently wading, no less a paragon of virtue than Yvonne Ridley stepped forward to defend Abdullah. This is the same Yvonne Ridley who put the lack of WiFi service, internet cafes and the low tolerance of the regimes in North Africa down to 'Zionist influences'.

Here is what Ridley wrote in an imaginary letter to Blears:

“I have just come from Gaza - a place from where you could learn a great deal about community initiatives. A place where the democratically elected government would be swept into power if there was a snap election tomorrow.

“I, like millions of ordinary people across the world support the Palestinian peoples’ right to vote for whoever they want in their elections therefore I support their right to vote for Hamas.

“Having seen what Hamas has achieved on the ground, I have no qualms in signing any document which supports Hamas.

“And believing fully in international law, I support their right in defending themselves against attacks - the fourth largest army in the world which is tooled up by the British Government has no qualms about killing and maiming the women and children of Gaza.

“What I do not support Hazel are the evil actions of Gaza’s neighbours Israel who deployed banned weapons in Gaza on a civilian population during a 22-day war. We now know,20from the mouths of the soldiers who served in the Israeli military, what most of us already suspected, that war crimes have been committed.

“Hazel, do you really endorse, support and give your unconditional loyalty to a country which deploys its weapons on women and children? Do you really support Israel’s bombing of UN buildings, mosques and schools in the war?

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I will resist the temptation to write to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown urging him to sack Hazel Blears for her unconditional support of the Israeli child killers and war criminals.

But what I will do is recommend that he invites the Mayor of Gaza, Rafiq Mikki, to London to tell us exactly how he has brought crime down in Gaza 80% since Hamas took over in The Strip? How recycling in Gaza, where nothing is wasted because of the medieval siege, has turned the city into a world-beater in environmental terms.

There are no unruly, drunken kids hanging around street corners in Gaza and the only ASBO that should be issued is on the obnoxious neighbours in Israel.

Well, that's quite an endorsement - after reading that diatribe, who could doubt that Dr Abdullah is as pure as the driven snow? Can't say much about the company he keeps though...

Of course, Blears isn't allowed to tell the MCB who they can and can't employ - despite the fact they have received hundreds of thousands of pounds of public money. What is OK, however, is for Muslims to tell the government exactly who can and who can't enter this country.

Just some of their funding arrangements are as follows:

The Charity Commission records show that the Charitable Foundation received an income of £139,391 for the year 2006-2007; but that the accounts for this period are overdue as at September 2008.
The MCB has applied and gained finance for projects devoted to the development of Muslim communities in Britain. [12] The MCB received £150,000 of public money from the Government for a number of specific projects. These were: the MCB leadership development programme; the MCB leadership mentoring programme; MCB direct, a web portal for information on Islam and Muslims; a British citizenship programme, and the British Muslim Equality Programme. .[13]
In 2006 the MCB won a grant of £300,000 from the UK Department for International Development (DFID). According to a DFID press release, projects will include (subject to final arrangements) producing teaching materials for Muslim schools and madrasahs and a website focusing on work to reduce poverty and links between Muslim communities in the UK and those in Nigeria, Bangladesh and India.[14]

But then, the MCB has always been a controversial organisation. Between 2001 and 2007 it refused to send representatives to Holocaust Memorial Day events 'in protest at the ongoing genocide of Muslims'. It called for the day to be replaced by 'Genocide Memorial Day', but balked at the idea of the Armenian Genocide being included in the commemorations.

When it voted to end the boycott, one leading British Muslim said:

Anas al-Tikriti: "rather than a mere remembrance of victims of one of the most heinous crimes in history", Holocaust Memorial Day has "become a political event" which "glorifies the state of Israel, turning a collective blind eye to the immeasurable suffering of Palestinians at the hands of Israelis every single day."[26]

The organisation was also prominent in urging the UK government to pass 'religious defamation' laws, and also to get a clause banning 'the glorification of terror' taken out of the Terrorism Act. they insisted that such a clause 'unfairly targeted Muslims and stifled legitimate debate'.

They have been responsible for several controversial campaigns; 'Islam is Peace' was an advertising campaign which aimed to "break down barriers of suspicion and division, challenge stereotypes, combat prejudice, and offer an opportunity for strengthening the values of respect, tolerance and peaceful co-existence."[6]

They also ran a 'books for schools' campaign, with the stated aim of providing 'high quality Islamic resources for mainstream primary schools'.[7] and a 'Mosque 100' campaign which aims to build more mosques in areas with high Muslim populations, and maintain existing ones properly.

During the Jyllands-Posten Mohammed cartoons crisis, the MCB issued the following statement: "the emergence of an increasingly xenophobic tone being adopted towards Muslims in parts of the Western media" and argued that: "We should not allow our valued freedoms in Europe to be abused by those deliberately seeking to provoke hatred and division between communities".

Perhaps unsurprisingly, they have urged the British government to sever ties with Israel and take a 'neutral' position in the Israeli-Arab conflict:

On 3 March 2008, the MCB criticised the Foreign Secretary David Milliband's response to Israel's killing of over 100 Palestinians in Gaza as "blatantly one-sided", and said: "If we are serious about wanting peace, we must act as honest brokers, not partisan bystanders."[22]

The journalist Melanie Phillips criticised the MCB, calling it "an extremist body, much influenced by the work of the Islamist ideologue Syed al Maududi".

As an umbrella movement for many other Muslim organisations, she argued that many of these were more extreme, and that the MCB's appearance of moderation was a pretence. She also attacked a "cheerful" remark by Bari where he stated that the aims of the MCB were the Islamisation of Britain, and arranged marriages for all.[27]

I think that before the MCB is allowed to give any more lectures on honour, everything presented here should be made known to the wider public.

These people are extremists in suits (exactly the same phrase they use about the BNP), and it is time this became more widely known. This organisation is trying to transform Britain and its values through stealth, and we, the ordinary people of Britain, are expected to pay for the privilege.

As the MCB is now trying to find 'the Muslim leaders of tomorrow', the question must be asked: Are they fit for purpose? Do we want younger Muslims with aspirations drinking from this poisoned well - is it simply naive to feel it could be otherwise?

They should certainly receive no more public funding, and I hope any sane judge will throw Abdullah's lawsuit in the dustbin where it belongs.

Drive to Recruit More Muslims to British Armed Forces

Here's a very interesting and disturbing story which I found via Vlad Tepes:

Guardian Post. U.K.
Defence minister urges more British Muslims to join armed forces:

The defence minister, Bob Ainsworth, has appealed to British Muslims to join the armed forces, saying that it was “vitally important that our army, navy and air force are reflective of the hugely diverse society in which we live”.

In an address last night to the Armed Forces Muslim Conference, Ainsworth said the services were a “fundamental and very positive part of British society, and that they need to be a positive part of Muslim society as well”, the Ministry of Defence said today.

His address follows last month’s Royal Anglian Regiment homecoming in Luton at which a group of Muslims protested, prompting angry scenes involving some of those who had been welcoming the return of the troops.

Ainsworth described the protests as acts of extremism which was the “true enemy of our society”.

The minister said that “there is an enemy within, but it isn’t the Muslim community in this country, it is extremism in any and all of its forms”. He went on to say that “it is people who are not prepared to participate in the conversation, who are not prepared to try to change people’s lives, not prepared to use politics, logic, engagement to discuss the wars, but would rather shout abuse, threaten people and at their extreme kill people”.

Political opinion and respect for service of the state needed to be clearly distinguished in the Muslim community, he said. He did not think there needed to be “conflict between being a British Muslim and a serviceman or woman”.

Ainsworth said that from what he knew of the Muslim community in Coventry North East, his parliamentary constituency, “the values that they hold are exactly the same values espoused in the military; duty, sacrifice, serving other people” adding that “there ought to be easy passage into the armed forces for Muslims”.

Imam Asim Hafiz, the Muslim Chaplain to the armed forces, also spoke at the conference. According to the MoD, he said: “It is great that the work and contribution of Muslim service personnel inside and outside the armed forces is being recognised. It is possible to be a British Muslim and to serve our country in the armed forces, and the people here today are testament to that”.

There are about 390 Muslims serving across the armed forces. The first Muslim Civilian Chaplain to the armed forces was appointed in 2005.

My first reaction is that the purpose of the Army is to protect this country and defend its people and values, not be some bizarre social engineering programme.

However, there are potentially slightly more dangerous consequences to this move - what about infiltration and sabotage?

Taking Muslim recruits on their own individual merits is one thing, but a drive of this nature generally leads to lax standards and letting anyone with the right name through then moving Heaven and earth so they pass the course and the targets are met.

Perhaps this story from merely a month ago puts such a notion into perspective:

BRITISH troops in Afghanistan are being killed by Muslim fanatics from the UK who have joined forces with the Taliban.

The radicals have linked up with ­insurgents in Helmand where thousands of British ­troops are fighting on the frontline of the war against terror. Only yesterday it claimed four more soldiers’ lives.

Last week on a visit to Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary David Miliband was shown Taliban bombs containing British-made components. They had either been sent from Britain or brought from the UK by a home-grown recruit.

­Tal­­i­ban fighters with Yorkshire and West Midlands accents have also been heard talking in intercepted communications, according to a security agency briefing. Radicalised young British-born Muslims are known to have been going to Iraq and Afghanistan as “seemingly committed jihadists” to join the insurgencies.

One analyst said British soldiers were ­effectively in a “surreal civil war” being fought thousands of miles from home.

The evidence for British jihadists in Afghanistan is based on radio eavesdropping by British forces, both by troops on the ground and on RAF Nimrods above the war zone.

One senior military source said: “We have been hearing a lot more Punjabi, Urdu and Kashmiri Urdu rather than just Pashtu, so there appears to be more men from other parts of Pakistan fighting with the Taliban than just the Pashtuns who have tribal ­allegiances with the Afghan Pashtuns.

“It is this second group, the Urdu, Punjabi speakers etc, who fall back into English in, for example, Brummie accents. You get the impression that they have been told not to talk in English but sometimes simply can’t help it.”

The former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Brigadier Ed Butler, said: “There are British passport holders who live in the UK who are being found in places such as Kandahar.

“There is a link between Kandahar and urban conurbations in the UK. This is something the military understands but the British public does not.”

Last night Tory MP and former infantry officer Patrick Mercer, chairman of the ­Commons counter terrorism sub committee, said: “I am aware from the troops I have ­spoken to that there are British-born insurgents working and fighting with the Taliban."

What better way for a Jihadist to make his mark than to join up then plant a bomb on a transport plane, or start shooting in the main camp when everyone is relaxed and off guard?

It simply does not bear thinking about, but it proves one thing; the government cares far more about appearing tolerant and making sure everyone else is than it does the lives of British soldiers.

When the Strands of History Come Together

Glancing at Wikipedia's 'on this day' section, I notice four events occurred which at first seem quite separate from each other, but actually have a strong relationship if not to each other, then to the modern world.

On 23rd March 1775 Patrick Henry made his "Give me liberty or give me death," speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses. This speech is credited with convincing said house to commit troops to the American Revolution.

On 23rd March 1933 the German Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, which effectively gave Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers over Germany by ensuring any decisions he made could bypass the Reichstag.

On 23rd March 1940 the Muslim League drafted the Lahore Resolution, calling for greater autonomy in British India.

On 23rd March 2007 Iranian Revolutionary Guards captured 15 Royal Navy personnel and imprisoned them for 12 days.

All of these events still seem relevant when you look at current affairs. In the first we see a patriot lamenting the state of his nation and the treatment of his countrymen by what he sees as a tyrannical force completely out of touch with the populace and its customs - Geert Wilders, anyone?

The analogy is far from perfect and obviously they have some completely different goals, but the similarity is there - both free-born men who wish to decide their own fate, not be at the behest of outside forces or traitors in their own land.

As for the Enabling Act in 1933 - there are many chilling similarities between this law and the Civil Contingencies Act of 2004, a New Labour nonsense foisted on the British people for use in an 'emergency'. We also have the Terrorism Act and the ID Cards Act.

The political Left spend much time discussing the rise of the 'far-Right' and how Europe should have learned its lessons from fascism the first time around, but another thing people should have learned is giving the government, any government, unlimited power is a terrible and potentially tragic error.

Even if one see the current British Government as benign, which I do not, there is no telling what the government of tomorrow will be like. The Civil Contingencies Act basically allows the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to bypass Parliament on a range of issues, temporarily suspending any Act of Parliament but the Human Rights Act 1998 (naturally, the least useful piece of legislation must remain).

This includes suspending the right to trial by jury, and taking on powers nominally reserved for the Sovereign such as suspending Parliament or even suspending elections. It also includes all of our ancient freedoms and liberties, generally found in the Habeas Corpus Act 1679 and the Bill of Rights 1689. Of course, these are the rights which our soldiers are dying to spread to far-off deserts.

As for the other two events - to me they encompass the idea that nearly 70 years apart, Muslims are still trying to blackmail the West to get their way through violence.

Of course, the British and the Hindus and Sikhs were far from blameless during the partition of India, but the demands made by the Muslim League are largely responsible for the ongoing insurgency in Kashmir, and the belief of many Pakistanis that more of India belongs to them than is contained within Pakistan's borders (that and, of course, India's large Muslim population).

Perhaps not explicitly, but like all ideas of Islamic supremacy masquerading as civil rights, it's there in the background.

That leads us neatly on to the incident in 2007. At that point, we were probably almost at war with Iran due to groups they backed, armed and funded being responsible for many British deaths in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

However, they had to add insult to injury - from Wikipedia:

Iranian military personnel seized 15 Royal Navy personnel during 2007 and held them for 12 days. On 23 March 2007, 15 British Royal Navy personnel, from HMS Cornwall, were surrounded by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and were subsequently detained off the Iraq-Iran coast. In the course of events, the British forces claimed that the boat was in Iraqi waters, but the Iranian side insisted that they were in Iran's territorial waters. A year later a British investigation report[1] was released which stated that the area in which the incident took place was not covered by any formal agreement between Iran and Iraq.[2][3] The 15 personnel were released on 4 April 2007.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unexpectedly announced the release of the captives halfway through a long press conference on the afternoon of 4 April 2007.[99][100]

"On the occasion of the birthday of the great prophet, and for the occasion of the passing of Christ, I say the Islamic Republic government and the Iranian people — with all powers and legal right to put the soldiers on trial — forgave those 15. This pardon is a gift to the British people."[20] When returned to the UK the group claimed to have been put under "constant psychological pressure" from the Iranian authorities.[21] In addition, British equipment including secure voice communication kit and navigational hardware has not been reported as being returned.

Ahmadinejad reiterated the statement that Iranian waters had been breached, and he praised the border guards who detained the British personnel. Abolqassem Amangah, commander of Iran's southwestern Maritime Border Patrol Guard was awarded the third degree medal of bravery for stopping the sailors. Ahmadinejad also criticized the British government for sending the mother of a child to the battlefield, and asked the government "not to prosecute them for their confessions." The release was announced after the British government supposedly sent a letter of apology to the Iranian government, accepting the breaching of their border, the illegal insertion of military units in Iran and the promise that Iranian territory would never be violated again. However, the British government denies that such a letter exists, and says that the release was performed without any agreement from both sides.[101]

After the conference, the Britons met Ahmadinejad outside the presidential palace, where they reportedly showed their appreciation for their release.[70][102] Later Tony Blair said he was glad and stated that he "bears Iranian people no ill will."[103] They were released on 5 April 2007.[104] Whilst in Iran one of the sailors stated that when interviewed by British media at home, he would say nothing different than comments he has made in Iran about being well treated by the authorities. "I would not say anything different to here and I will be completely truthful. I will definitely promote Iran actually; there is a lot of ignorance in the UK about Iran and the people".[105]

The release was presented to suggest that it was an Easter "gift" to the British people; to this end the captives were not released to British consular officials but placed directly aboard British Airways flight BA6634 (flown by franchisee British Mediterranean Airways using Airbus A321 G-MEDL), a direct flight to the UK, on the morning of 5 April 2007,[106] landing at about 12 noon local time.[107] They were given gifts of CDs, Persian candies, pistachio nuts, books, vases and handicrafts by the Iranians. After a briefing on board at London Heathrow, the press were allowed a short photographic opportunity, before the personnel were flown directly to Royal Marines Base Chivenor in north Devon by two Royal Navy Westland Sea King helicopters for medical checkups, a full debriefing and meeting with their families.[107]'

An extraordinary incident, a classic example of Islamist attempts to blackmail free nations. However, I don't fee our own version of the Enabling Act did anything to prevent this, and it won't the next time it happens, even if it occurs on our own soil.

It will just gradually erode the differences between free countries and those that aren't lucky enough to be free.

On balance, I think this is one of the many, many reasons why I prefer Geert Wilders to George Galloway.