US London Embassy to cost $1bn 24, February 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in American ME Relations.Tags: Batteresa, Grovesnor Square, London US Embassy, New US Embassy London, US embassy, US Iraq Embassy
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Plans have finally been announced for America’s new embassy in South West London in an area currently famous for an old coal-fired power station and for its gay clubs. The huge new project is expected to be the most expensive Embassy ever constructed, surpassing even the new behemoth Embassy in Iraq at around $1billion. As the picture illustrates, the Embassy will be surrounded by a moat for extra protection.
The desire to leave its current plush location in Mayfair comes after local residents bitterly complained that new security measures since 9/11 made their houses and properties more vulnerable.
I make two quick predictions. Firstly, that the costs will sail majestically over the $1billion mark. Secondly, that the moat will become something of a magnet for anti-US/capitalism/Iraq/Afghanistan/Bush/Monsanto/Walmart/McDonalds hippies that currently picket Grosvenor Square. At least this way they’ll get a wash.
Son of Hamas founder an Israeli spy for 10 years 24, February 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in American ME Relations, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.Tags: Hamas, Hamas founder, Hassan Yassin, Hassan Yassin's son, Israeli agent, Israeli intelligence, Mosab Hassan Yousef, Shin Bet
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Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas’ revered co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef, has revealed himself as a spy for Israel’s domestic intelligence service Shin Bet. For more than 10 years Yousef helped Israeli authorities prevent dozens of suicide attacks and reported key intelligence to Israel “on an almost daily basis from 1996 onwards.”
The Times of London continues and describes his pivotal role in arresting some of Israel’s most wanted such as Marwan Barghouti, his invaluable insight into the organization and his role in literally tracking down a suicide bomber in 2007. Yousef is revealing all these fascinating details in his book Son of Hamas, much to the displeasure of Shin Bet who are worried that it will reveal too many of their procedures and methods.
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