[spectre] News from Scotland

[Chris Byrne]

The targets get broader.

You may have seen all of this, if so please ignore. If not, read on.

Speculation in the media about Iraq and Syria being involved in 'supporting
terrorism'. RAF Tornados and troop transports fly out to the Gulf today,
Royal Navy warships navigate the Suez Canal for pre-planned 'military
exercises' off Oman which according to reports last week, were originally
scheduled for October. Apparently this is the largest naval deployment
since Thatcher's Falklands War in 1982.

An MOD spokesman 'refused to discuss' reports in two Sunday papers that SAS
forces were fired upon near Kabul.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1559000/1559084.stm

If you want to read briefings on the thinking behind this mission creep
from 'intelligence sources', the links below should prove interesting:

http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/fr/fr010919_1_n.shtml

http://www.stratfor.com/home/0109202000.htm

The BBC also reports that the UK government is considering the introduction
of compulsory identity cards for citizens. This may seem nothing new to
residents of European states who have had these for years. However the UK
has also invested huge amounts in the last decade on CCTV cameras in urban
centres and other forms of surveillance. Couple this with recently enhanced
anti-terrorist and internet surveillance legislation, and the predictions
of Noam Chomsky and others on the emergence of the Security State seem to
find realisation here.

Chris