Unearthed secret correspondence in Tripoli between the Gaddafi regime and western spy networks reveal how US, British and other governments collaborated with the Libyan dictator in the 'rendition' (ie kidnapping) and torture of alleged terrorist suspects.

Ironically, one victim of this process Abdel-Hakim Belhaj, is now the top military organiser for the National Transitional Council, whom the western powers are supporting as part of their strategy for regime change in the country.

The close collaboration between Gaddafi's regime and the west took place during the period of George Bush's presidency and Tony Blair's premiership when the Libyan dictatorship was being rehabilitated internationally by them.

This collaboration continued right up to the uprising in Libya in February this year.

Jesus of Wapping

News that a white-robed Tony Blair participated in a baptism at the exact spot on the river Jordan where Jesus was supposedly baptised further adds to his messianic reputation. Blair once claimed that god wanted him to invade Iraq!

The fact that it was Rupert Murdoch's children and he was becoming their godfather shows just how close Blair has come to this mortal enemy of the working class.

Murdoch's son James recently turned down a £6 million bonus from News International, in view of the legal investigation into phone hacking and his role in trying to cover it up. Hang on though, like every lie that's printed in Murdoch's papers this needs closer examination. In fact he said that it may be appropriate for the remuneration committee to consider paying the bonus at a later date!

Maybe he should get it in tobacco as the smart money is on James taking the fall for the phone hacking scandal and going to prison.

Ken Douglas

Costly wars

The living standards of workers and the jobless in the USA are being hammered as Congress embarks on savage federal spending cuts to plug the government's multi-trillion dollar deficit. The deficit is the result of bailing out corporations and financial institutions during the recession and giving huge tax breaks and economic stimulus measures to the rich and corporations.

Another source of the debt is waste and fraud by US defence contractors who have made a fortune during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

According to a US government commission an astonishing $60 billion has been lost in fraud and mismanagement in the last decade by defence companies. At least $31 billion was lost through mismanagement - the equivalent of $12 million since the invasion of Afghanistan by US-led forces in 2001.

The biggest contractor KBR earned $40.8 billion, 'winning' a $36.3 billion army logistics contract as the sole provider. KBR was a subsidiary of Halliburton whose chief executive was none other than Dick Cheney, US vice-president under George W Bush.

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