Mo Nooz

What's happening in this dull, dull world? The government have been warned by the United Nations (wotchit sunshine) about its restrictive attitude toward freedom of expression. Maybe this means Gordon Brown's accounts will be frozen and Jack Straw placed under house arrest? Perhaps this is a pointless waste of paper? It certainly doesn't seem to tell us more than we already know.

The government's use of the Official Secrets Act to prevent issues of public interest being published is also condemned in an intervention from the UN which warns that public servants are being gagged even where national security is not at risk.

Ben Griffin and Craig Murray for example...

Terrorism Act 2006 provisions covering encouragement of terrorism are too broad and vague, and should be amended so that their application does not lead to "a disproportionate interference with freedom of expression...

"In particular, a person can commit the offence even when he or she did not intend members of the public to be directly or indirectly encouraged by his or her statement to commit acts of terrorism, but where his or her statement was understood by some members of the public as encouragement to commit such acts," concluded the committee..."

Yeah... um, what else? Well, it seems Spanish athletes are utter morons.

Also, Basra is so bracing. I'm not going to argue with Major General Barney White-Spunner (who seems to be an estate agent in his spare time) but British troops were always likely to be pulled out in 2009. The British government has always stood as close as it could to the American government, especially when it comes to war. In 2009 the new president will be charged with getting troops out of Iraq. Unless something dramatic happens (either way) the British army will follow. The trick, for the government and the establishment, is to make it look like they're leaving of their own free will (it's getting late... the tube'll be shut soon... the babysitter'll be wondering where we are... I don't want to take a taxi).