Aus Federal Police confirm its officers trained 20 Burmese police in in­telligence gathering; Aidwatch seeks halt to co-operation

The Australian Federal Police confirmed three of its officers trained 20 Burmese police in in­telligence gathering, as the inter­national group Aidwatch warned that such co-operation should be curtailed amid the brutal sup­pression of democracy activists, wrote Craig Skehan in The Sydney Morning Herald (5/10/2007, p.6).

On day to review Federal Bill that gives powers to summons people without documenting reasons, force evidence, and create retrospective criminal sanction

The Law Council of Australia and the Democrats accused the Government of trying to rush through Amendments to the Australian Crime Commission Bill “The bill will abrogate a fundamental human right not to be subject to retrospective criminal sanction,” said Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja.

Echoes of Eisenhower in new ’security-industrial complex’: weak Western leaders fuelling paranoia

Commentators have ascribed the chaotically belligerent aftermath of 11 Sep­tember to weak Western leaders crav­ing popularity in the glamour of war, wrote Simon Jenkins in The Sydney Morning Herald (20/9/2007, p.13).

Real Canadians have touch of protest madness themselves – three Canuck police go undercover at Quebec demo in face masks and camouflage gear, one clutching a large rock in his hand

The Chaser boys’ journey towards Bush’s hotel came as a hoot of larrikin delight, and a reminder that humour can puncture the most bloated and pompous subject, according to national affairs editor Tony Wright in The Age (8/9/2007, p.3).

Nuclear power the only form of electricity production that in itself poses a threat to international peace, domestic security and individual liberties

Nuclear power was the only form of electricity production that in itself posed a threat to international peace and domestic security, and consequence of its dangers and of the secrecy that inevitably surrounds it because of its connections with nuclear weapons, the only form of electricity production that in itself poses a threat to individual liberties argued the Oxford Research Group report: “Too Hot to Handle?; The Future of Civil Nuclear Power but Frank Barnaby and James Kemp, with a Foreword by David Howarth MP, UK Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy Spokesperson.

Media seen as a nuisance: entrenched anti-disclosure culture in government, courts issue more than a thousand suppression orders

At the commonwealth level, News Limited was still smarting from its costly two-year battle between The Australian and the Treasurer, Peter Costello, for the release of details of the effect on taxpayers of bracket creep, and the first home buyers scheme, according to News Limited’s chief executive John Hartigan reported The Australian (8/9/2007, p. 27).

Climage change to induce insurgencies, genocide, guerrilla attacks, gang warfare and global terrorism,

In the future, that battlefield was likely to be complex and hazardous, according to Thomas Homer-Dixon in The Courier Mail (24/8/2007, p.31). Climate change would help produce the kind of military challenges that were difficult for today’s conventional forces to handle: insurgencies, genocide, guerrilla attacks, gang warfare and global terrorism.

Electricity as a weapon in an unwinnable war: Sri Lanka orders blackouts, to deny Tigers visibility: home generators essential Colombo white-ware

With Lankans in front of TVs, gripped by their cricketing heroes jousting with Gilchrist in the cricket world cup final they would lose in Barbados, the Tigers’ jerry-built “air force” staged a raid on the capital. The Government ordered the power supply cut, to deny the Tigers visibility. But Lankans have long known that the Ceylon Electricity Board cannot service the national grid, so home generators are de rigueur.

Security in United States now so onerous wealthy Australian business owners fly to US on commercial aircraft and then charter private jets

The 91-year-old Whitlam reportedly refused to fly during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation meetings this month because of the inconvenience of extra security screening procedures, according to Ann-Maree Moodie in The Australian Financial Review (20/9/2007, p.8).

Locals see British forces as ‘defeated’ in Basra, not ‘withdrawing’, says ICG Iraq analysis

Britain had 45,000 troops in Iraq during the invasion and a peak of 18,000 in the occupation, reported The Australian (4/9/2007, p.13).

Aus legal duty of confidentiality extends to those who “happen to come across” information

In Australia, the law relating to confidential information became well-established over the past 40 years, and it was now settled that a legal duty of confidence was not limited to a person who received information confidentially, reported The Courier Mail (4/9/2007, p.18).