This is a follow-up story to the arrest of a group of 5 youths from North Virginia in Pakistan. Allegedly they were recruited via the Internet.

Washington Post article on Ruili on the China-Burma/Myanmar border. Allegedly, the traffic is two way.

Washington Post article on the implementation of Obama’s strategy for Afghanistan, which it says is being interpreted differently by civilian and military personnel. If true, it reads like a recipe for disaster. The problem is that the US military has a long tradition of ignoring the civilian politicians…and of maverick generals. Worth pinning on the … CIVILIAN, MILITARY PLANNERS HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON NEW APPROACH TO AFGHANISTAN

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary wrote it, so it’s a serious critique. Ive chosen the Times rather than the Guardian, because the Guardian is usually critical of the police. Note that at the end of the article the Times continues the Tory attack on ACPO. Guardian defends the right to demonstrate. Times and Telegraph attack … POLICE PROTEST TRAINING IN CHAOS, REPORT FINDS

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary wrote it, so it’s a serious critique. Ive chosen the Times rather than the Guardian, because the Guardian is usually critical of the police. Note that at the end of the article the Times continues the Tory attack on ACPO. Guardian defends the right to demonstrate. Times and Telegraph attack … POLICE PROTEST TRAINING IN CHAOS, REPORT FINDS

A rare example of the Swiss demanding to know something in order to prosecute someone.My French is inadequate, but if the French dont tell them, they [the Swiss} wil discontinue their [a]greed cooperation against tax fraud. This is aimed at Herve Falciani who is a whistleblower who left France with the details of many tax … LA FRANCE VA REMETTRE LES FICHIERS VOLES A HSBC A LA JUSTICE SUISSE

Intriguing story. Americans pretending to be FARC [so that proves theyre drug smugglers] approach three guys from Mali, who are suuposed to be associates [whatever that means] of al Qaeda’s Northern African branch [whatever that is] [and which will be used to prove that al Qaeda smuggles drugs]. Its a good one. None of it … US ARRESTS THREE AFRICANS IN “AL QAEDA COCAINE STING”

Nice piece in the FT on the role of the silovki under Putin and Medvedev. Turns out to be based on an article in post-Soviet Affairs: “Putin’s Militocracy”, by Olga Kryshtanovskaya and Stephen White. Post-Soviet Affairs 2003, 19, 4

Interesting that this is in the Financial Times, so it must be a business matter. Private security running cells at demonstrations and also getting into investigation work. ACPO untroubled…well, theyre looking for retirement jobs themselves arent they? Lots of retired officers getting into the sector…Could it be that theyre retiring too early???

Some interesting comments on the state the Commissioner found the organisation in when he took over. Radio interview for the Today programme.