Conspiracies diversion

[Guest]

Here's an unusual turn of events ...

Sweden has cancelled an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on accusations of rape and molestation. The Swedish Prosecution Authority website said the chief prosecutor had come to the decision that Mr Assange was not suspected of rape but did not give any further explanation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11049316

[Tapiola]

Here's an unusual turn of events ...

Sweden has cancelled an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on accusations of rape and molestation. The Swedish Prosecution Authority website said the chief prosecutor had come to the decision that Mr Assange was not suspected of rape but did not give any further explanation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11049316

I had to do a double take on this story earlier, ams. It's dated 21 August 2010 What is going on?

[Pabmusic]

I had to do a double take on this story earlier, ams. It's dated 21 August 2010 What is going on?

The Swedes issued an arrest warrant on 20 August 2010, but withdrew it the next day. The complainants used an appeal process (something they must have in Sweden; we don't) and a new arrest warrant was issued on September 1st. Here's a timeline: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11949341

[Tapiola]

The Swedes issued an arrest warrant on 20 August 2010, but withdrew it the next day. The complainants used an appeal process (something they must have in Sweden; we don't) and a new arrest warrant was issued on September 1st. Here's a timeline: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11949341

Cheers Pab I'd just wondered why it was top of the most read on the BBC website today.

[french frank]

Cheers Pab I'd just wondered why it was top of the most read on the BBC website today.

It's usually people messing about! By accessing the story over and over again they can bring it back into circulation. I was caught by it too, just seeing the headline.

[Pabmusic]

Cheers Pab I'd just wondered why it was top of the most read on the BBC website today.

Nothing better to do, I suppose.

[Lateralthinking1]

Detailed information in the Guardian about the al-hilli murders in the French Alps -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/07/french-alps-shootings-some-theories

Here's the BBC version which ignores the 'interesting' nature of one of the victim's work and suggestions by some that his house was under police surveillance from 2003, preferring instead to refer to the new possibility that there was a domestic dispute -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19514794

Until this year, I had hardly ever heard the words 'Iraq' and 'Sweden' mentioned in the same sentence. Now it has happened three times. First, in relation to Julian Assange. Secondly in relation to allegations by Wikileaks about the Swedish government's involvement in the Iraq War. And thirdly, that allegedly the eldest victim of this tragic family from Iraq was of Swedish origin.

[vinteuil]

Until this year, I had hardly ever heard the words 'Iraq' and 'Sweden' mentioned in the same sentence. Now it has happened three times. First, in relation to Julian Assange. Secondly in relation to allegations by Wikileaks about the Swedish government's involvement in the Iraq War. And thirdly, that allegedly the eldest victim of this tragic family from Iraq was of Swedish origin.

... and what conspiratorial construction are you trying to make here???

[Lateralthinking1]

... and what conspiratorial construction are you trying to make here???

I am not making any specifically.

But it isn't a huge surprise to me that a question of conspiratorial construction has quickly emerged.

[vinteuil]

But it isn't a huge surprise to me that a question of conspiratorial construction has quickly emerged.

... a depressing morning, reading the literally hundreds of absurd conspiracy theories already flourishing on the readers' comments of le Monde and le Figaro.

I hope we can remain above such rubbish here

[Lateralthinking1]

... a depressing morning, reading the literally hundreds of absurd conspiracy theories already flourishing on the readers' comments of le Monde and le Figaro.

I hope we can remain above such rubbish here

I don't think there is sufficient evidence to discount most ideas in the papers about this matter as absurd. The police wouldn't do so. I simply note that Saad al-hilli at one time worked for Surrey Satellites. That has stated publicly it is closely involved with Galileo, the satellite navigation system currently being built by the EU and the European Space Agency. He also worked more recently on the technology for Airbus. And - this could very easily be a coincidence - the campsite was also close to CERN.

[vinteuil]

I don't think there is sufficient evidence to discount most ideas in the papers about this matter as absurd. The police wouldn't do so. I simply note that Saad al-hilli worked for Surrey Satellites. That has stated publicly it is closely involved with Galileo, the satellite navigation system currently being built by the EU and the European Space Agency. The campsite was also close to CERN.

... so you do propose starting on conspiracy theories

[Lateralthinking1]

... so you do propose starting on conspiracy theories

No not really. I have no theory on how or all of these components may or may not fit together. But if you were to ask me whether I was surprised to hear that the family didn't own a restaurant or work in Tescos, no I wasn't. And had I been asked to guess the working background of Saad al-hilli, the pen picture I would have presented wouldn't have been at all bad in terms of accuracy.

Incidentally, if the campsite was close to CERN, it was even closer to the Palais des Nations, the UN's European HQ.

[Anna]

... so you do propose starting on conspiracy theories

Oh, I love a good conspiracy theory ......... but, my main thought at the moment after seeing the news is that little 4 year old, left frozen under her dead mother's legs and her sister, in a medically induced coma with a fractured skull. Those poor traumatised little girls, but in the meantime, I hope this doesn't turn into a typical Daily Wail thread blaming the father because he was an Iraqi.

[Lateralthinking1]

Oh, I love a good conspiracy theory ......... but, my main thought at the moment after seeing the news is that little 4 year old, left frozen under her dead mother's legs and her sister, in a medically induced coma with a fractured skull. Those poor traumatised little girls, but in the meantime, I hope this doesn't turn into a typical Daily Wail thread blaming the father because he was an Iraqi.

I hope they make as good a recovery as is possible.

I don't know what the Mail's line is on the matter, if they have a line, but there is no blame on my part. Even if he was under surveillance in 2003, nine years is a long time. Clearly, he was permitted at the very least to have technological inputs into Airbus and hence to know that aircraft intimately. You or I would need a pass to have a sightseeing tour of an airport. I doubt that we would even be able to get into the reception of Airbus in Toulouse. So one can look at this from several angles.