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NEWS ... GLOBAL NEWS ... HYPNOSIS HELPS BALDNESS? billion dollars a year for security research. THE UK TERROR PLOT: ypnotherapy may enhance the mental —_It recommended the EU match this level of WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON? well-being of patients with alopecia _ funding to ensure a "level playing field". Hue had the highest security areata and it may improve clinical The European Commission obliged with a clearances, having done a huge outcome, according to Dr Ria Willemsen "preparatory" budget for security research amount of professional intelligence and colleagues of the Free University in in 2004-06, with the full ESRP to begin in —_ analysis and having been inside the spin Brussels. Alopecia areata is an auto- 2007, and created the European Security machine, I believe this is the true story on immune disease characterised by sudden, Research Advisory Board to oversee the __ the so-called bomb plot... recurrent hair loss in round spots from the program. This makes the GoP permanent None of the alleged terrorists had made scalp or any part of the body that has hair. and gives profit-making corporations an a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Willemsen's team explored hypnosis as _ official status in the EU, shaping not just | Many did not even have a passport, which a treatment for 21 individuals with security research but security policy. given the efficiency of the UK Passport extensive hair loss on 30 per cent or more Myriad local and global surveillance | Agency would mean they couldn't be a of their scalp that had lasted for at least systems; the introduction of biometric _ plane bomber for quite some time... three months. These patients, all of whom _ identifiers; RFID, electronic tagging and What is more, many of those arrested previously failed to respond to treatment _ satellite monitoring; "less-lethal weapons"; had been under surveillance for over a with steroids, were followed for anywhere paramilitary equipment for public order = year—like thousands of other British from six months to six years. and crisis management; the militarisation Muslims... Nothing from that surveillance After treatment with a minimum of just — of border controls...technological advances __ had indicated the need for early arrests. three to four sessions of hypnotherapy, 12 in law enforcement are often welcomed Then an interrogation in Pakistan atients experienced hair growth on at uncritically, but rarely are these _ revealed the details of this amazing plot to least 75 per cent of their scalp, and nine of technologies neutral in either application blow up multiple planes—which, rather these 12 experienced total hair growth, __ or effect. extraordinarily, had not turned up in a year Willemsen and colleagues reported. Military organisations dominate research of surveillance. Of course, the None of the patients noted any negative and development in these areas under the _ interrogators of the Pakistani dictator have side effects due to the hypnotherapy. Yet, banner of "dual-use" technology, avoiding their ways of making people sing like five study participants experienced a _ both the constraints and controversies of | canaries. As I witnessed in Uzbekistan, significant relapse during the follow-up the arms trade. Tomorrow's technologies you can get the most extraordinary eriod. of control quickly become today's political information this way. Trouble is, it always (Source: Sydney Morning Herald, August imperative; contentious policies appear __ tends to give the interrogators all they 28, 2006, http://www.smh.com.au) increasingly irresistible. might want, and more, in a desperate effort Ane 6 fav ta ontt billion dollars a year for security research. It recommended the EU match this level of funding to ensure a "level playing field". The European Commission obliged with a "preparatory" budget for security research in 2004-06, with the full ESRP to begin in 2007, and created the European Security Research Advisory Board to oversee the program. This makes the GoP permanent and gives profit-making corporations an official status in the EU, shaping not just security research but security policy. Myriad local and global surveillance systems; the introduction of biometric identifiers; RFID, electronic tagging and satellite monitoring; "less-lethal weapons"; paramilitary equipment for public order and crisis management; the militarisation of border controls...technological advances in law enforcement are often welcomed uncritically, but rarely are these technologies neutral in either application or effect. Military organisations dominate research and development in these areas under the banner of "dual-use" technology, avoiding both the constraints and controversies of the arms trade. Tomorrow's technologies of control quickly become today's political imperative; contentious policies appear increasingly irresistible. There are strong arguments for regulating, limiting and resisting the development of the security-industrial complex, but as yet there has been precious little debate. (Source: Statewatch.org, April 2006, http://www.statewatch.org/news/2006/apr/ bigbrother. pdf) Hue had the highest security clearances, having done a huge amount of professional intelligence analysis and having been inside the spin machine, I believe this is the true story on the so-called bomb plot... None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not even have a passport, which given the efficiency of the UK Passport Agency would mean they couldn't be a plane bomber for quite some time... What is more, many of those arrested had been under surveillance for over a year—like thousands of other British Muslims... Nothing from that surveillance had indicated the need for early arrests. Then an interrogation in Pakistan revealed the details of this amazing plot to blow up multiple planes—which, rather extraordinarily, had not turned up in a year of surveillance. Of course, the interrogators of the Pakistani dictator have their ways of making people sing like canaries. As I witnessed in Uzbekistan, you can get the most extraordinary information this way. Trouble is, it always tends to give the interrogators all they might want, and more, in a desperate effort to stop or avert torture. What it doesn't give is the truth... In all of this, the one thing of which I am certain is that the timing is deeply political. This is more propaganda than plot. (Source: Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, 14 August 2006, http:/www.craigmurray.co.uk) ARMING BIG BROTHER Statewatch-TNI report reveals the development as well as the true costs of Europe's security-industrial complex— particularly the development of the European Security Research Programme (ESRP). Spawned by the military-industrial complex, the security-industrial complex has developed as the traditional boundaries between external security (military), internal security (security services) and law enforcement (police) have eroded. With the global market for technologies of repression more lucrative than ever in the wake of September 11, 2001, it is ona healthy expansion course. The story of the European Security Research Programme is one of "Big Brother" meets market fundamentalism. It was personified by the establishment in 2003 of a "Group of Personalities" (GoP), comprised of European Union officials and Europe's biggest arms and IT companies. The GoP's concern was a simple one: European multinationals are losing out to their US competitors because the US government is providing them with a LS Ane \naal| ele EEceazetl | NEXUS 7 Seomerv: ffe OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2006 www.nexusmagazine.com