Norman Kember, former hostage, interviewed on BBC Radio 4: “They were brave, but I disagree with their profession… It’s ironic isn’t it?: You go as a peace activist and you’re rescued by the SAS.“
Read More16Apr06 — 8
Terrorism
13Apr06 — 3
The Euston Manifesto
Today, 13Apr06, we—bloggers, academics, campaigners, writers, scientists, journalists, citizens—launch the Euston Manifesto. With this document we hope to publicly assert our progressive, democratic, egalitarian, internationalist principles in the face of recent attacks upon them from the Right and, to our dismay, the Left. Many of us are of the Left, but we come from across […]
Read More12Apr06 — 1
I Almost Drowned In My Bath…
…when I heard this evening’s BBC Radio 4 news describe the September 11 attacks on New York as a “terrorist outrage”. Did anyone else catch that or were the vapours rising from my Matey causing me to hallucinate?
Read More01Apr06 — 2
No Joke
After a hard day’s coding [yeah, you thought I’d put that crap behind me too], there’s nothing like settling down in front of your monitor to watch the latest movie trailers online. The one(s) for Basic Instinct in particular is/are gloriously bad. I was going to write a few paragraphs marvelling at David Morrissey’s ability […]
Read More29Mar06 — 11
What A Pair Of Johnnies
My favourite quotes from this evening’s Front Row on BBC Radio 4: War artist John Keane asked if he might be romanticising the terrorists responsible for the Beslan school massacre: “I’m interested ultimately in what motivates people to kill people for political ends, for better or worse. And really the reason is: Everyone is a […]
Read More26Mar06 — 0
For The Record
Some freaky blog technology glitch has resulted in a link back to PooterGeek being posted underneath a review of The Road To Guantánamo on a site calling itself “The Movies Blog“. Worse: the text of the link is the heading of a post of mine where I enthused about a trailer for Team America: World […]
Read More24Mar06 — 1
As Cunning As A Fox Whose Name Is “Cunning”
I yield to no one in my admiration of Her Majesty’s Special Forces—except perhaps Michael Portillo—but there’s one detail in the Guardian‘s account of the casualty-free rescue of three hostages in Iraq yesterday that gives me pause: As SAS troopers prepared to raid a house in one of the most dangerous parts of Baghdad in […]
Read More06Mar06 — 3
PooterGeek’s In-Depth Oscar Night Analysis
On the one hand, thousands of religious loons want you dead; on the other hand is Padma Lakshmi: Salman “you’d look smug too” Rushdie and Padma Lakshmi Meanwhile, WTF?: Helena “I am hoping the giant spider on my head will distract you from my dress” Bonham Carter [stolen from MSN]
Read More20Feb06 — 0
Serious ‘Blogging
Nothing much from me, but you should read every last one of these posts from Norm today.
Read More13Feb06 — 17
A Question For Owners Of Television Sets
Every time I see a photograph of Abu Hamza that includes his torso, it looks like he’s got an iPod Mini hanging round his neck. What is it?
Read More12Feb06 — 5
Explosives Experts
Brighton city centre, one block from the sea front: I am walking along the street on my way to deliver some film to a developing lab when I notice that two police have been called to deal with an abandoned suitcase. It has been left flat on its side in the middle of the pavement […]
Read More08Feb06 — 9
Comic Booked
Yes, even Hello! magazine would have difficulty finding his good side, but you have got to admire the Beeb’s front-page photo of Abu Hamza: This time you may have triumphed, Captain Britain, but I shall RETURN! Muaha-ha ha-ha ha HA HA HA!
Read More14Dec05 — 1
I’m Condi. Fly Me.
Hi! Welcome to the CIA Airlines check-in desk. Could I ask you to itemize your hand luggage as you place it on the belt, sir? Er, one holdall of shoes, running gear, and toiletries; one suitcase of casual clothes; one suit carrier containing three identical black suits and ties with matching Ray-Bans; one attaché case […]
Read More12Nov05 — 0
Easy, Tiger
One of the extracts from novelist John Fowles’ diaries in the Guardian today neatly sums up the attitude of a certain kind of educated observer to the War On Terror: Rushdie fuss. Eliz in a paranoiac state, that I might support him. This is a clear moral choice. From what I have heard of him, […]
Read More05Nov05 — 3
One Use For A Dead Cat
Your meagre anecdotes insult Bast, Perfumed Protector, Cat Goddess. The one you call “Little Mo” has paid the ultimate price for your failure to show sufficient respect. Until all households of the Infidel West are part of the Catiphate our martyrdom operations will continue. Until the sacred lands of the desert again flow with milk […]
Read More21Sep05 — 3
Carry On Up The Khawr Abd Allah
[BASRA. Outside a terrorist hideout, two undercover SAS men wait for their final instructions from their Mahdi Army handler. They are sitting in a Morris Minor dressed in Lawrence of Arabia costumes and wearing blackface. One is wrapped in a girdle of fake sticks of dynamite, stamped with the legend “ACME”.] FIRST SAS MAN: Durqa […]
Read More05Sep05 — 27
With Apologies To Monty Python
[Dull bell tolls. Ominous music plays. A young man dressed in black, carrying a rucksack and wearing a baseball cap approaches the entrance of a charming extended split-level end-of-terrace in Crouch End. He knocks heavily at the door.] CHARLIE: [answering the door]: Yes? Oh. Right. Have you brought a takeaway? Sorry about that. I should […]
Read More01Sep05 — 5
Gunmen Are From Mars
Reading the extract from the Evening Standard article that Norm quoted today, I was distracted by the phrase “a self-help guide for would-be terrorists”. Huh? What’s it called? Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway? I’m OK, You’re Kuffar? Who Moved My Caliph?
Read More05Aug05 — 1
Nice Fisking, Shame About The Title
I think I’d have enjoyed this article rather more if it had been called “The Rhetoric of the Stupid“, rather than “The Rhetoric of the Left”, but you can’t have everything. No one who has any time for the views of a bunch of Jew-hating, wife-beating, Muslim-killing, gay-hanging, Koran-thumping mass-murderers is any kind of man […]
Read More04Aug05 — 0
Latest Jihadist Nutjob Home Video: BBC Edit
Mick Hartley does the necessary.
Read More04Aug05 — 0
War, Pestilence, Famine, Death, and Tiffany
As Claire put it when emailing me this link, “Has The Onion started writing everyone’s headlines?”: “Sudan situation ‘totally bad’“
Read More01Aug05 — 2
BBC Calls Spade “Spade”
BBC Radio 1’s news—normally pitched at the educationally subnormal—referred to Osama bin Laden as a “terrorist” this morning.
Read More26Jul05 — 2
Clarifications
My last post was provoked by the continuing gloatiness of Australia’s cricket fans and it linked to a normblog post that looked suspiciously like an example of such behaviour. Truth was he was just being sarky so I’ve changed the link. My apologies to Norm, who isn’t a bad loser—though I very much hope that […]
Read More24Jul05 — 0
All-Purpose Apology
Lately I have promised various people various things, including a hugely superfluous full-length post on PooterGeek about the recent British bombings. I must apologise to those I have so far disappointed. Tony Blair in particular keeps phoning me, hoping that I will be able to provide him with some choice phrases. Sorry, Tone. I have […]
Read More24Jul05 — 3
Looking, But Not Seeing
One of the witnesses to the police shooting of the suspected bomber on Friday saw wires sticking out of the man’s coat. Everyone saw “New York” on an alleged bomber’s sweatshirt.
Read More23Jul05 — 12
Could Be Worse
My Auntie Clarina in Sierra Leone is worried that, living in Cambridge and visiting London as I do from time to time, I might be in danger.
Read More21Jul05 — 3
Worrying News
Latest.
Read More19Jul05 — 1
Erm…
Over at Norm’s place Alan Johnson asks why the Labour Party has not been opposing terrorism more overtly. I can’t believe Alan hasn’t had the Bateman-esque experience of, say, commenting favourably on George Bush’s foreign policy in the company of Labour activists. If he hasn’t, thoughtful James Hamilton has some answers.
Read More19Jul05 — 0
OK!
Oliver Kamm has been back for a while and has been on fine form since his return. PooterGeek’s Paris correspondent should check out his latest about the Socialist Workers’ Party and the PKK. Immediately after the recent atrocity in Turkey Claire memorably asked in an email, “What do you promise [a Marxist-Leninist suicide bomber]? 72 […]
Read More17Jul05 — 21
Normal Service Resumed
On Tuesday evening I was pleasantly surprised (as were a couple of commenters) by RESPECT candidate Salma Yaqoob’s responses in a BBC Radio 4 interview about the London bombers. Given enough rope by “Mad Dog” Milne of The Guardian‘s opinion pages, however, she happily climbed the scaffold: “This cycle of violence has to be broken. […]
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