This is of personal interest to me - a friend lives practically opposite the new Evil Embassy.
NORTH Korea yesterday faced a foe probably more formidable than George Bush — the planning department of Ealing Council. The communist regime, dubbed part of the "axis of evil" by Dubya, chose the well-heeled West London suburb for the site of its first British embassy. But within hours of it opening, the council went to war. It ruled that North Korea's occupation of the £1.3million property — a four-bedroom 1950s style semi — breached planning regulations. The huge newly built porch is out of keeping with the calm, understated area, it said. And so, too, is the height of the new wall around the building. No front wall in the borough is allowed to be over 2.2 metres. The council has fired off a letter to the occupants demanding a meeting on Tuesday. A spokesman said: "As far as the authorities are concerned it's not an embassy because they haven't been granted planning permission to change the usage. This is not a political issue and we do not want a diplomatic incident. It is a bread and butter planning matter."
The clash came as Britain and North Korea discussed a rather important issue — the nuclear programme launched by the secretive regime's leader Kim Jong-il. Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell said talks yesterday with his North Korean counterpart, Choe Su Hon, had produced "progress of sorts". He said Choe had not confirmed that North Korea possessed nuclear weapons but was ready to dismantle its nuclear facilities and readmit inspectors in return for a guarantee that it would not be attacked. But Mr Rammell said the North Koreans need to go much further and make a clear commitment to disarm or face the threat of economic sanctions.
Back in the commuter belt of West London there was no sign of a peace road map as a solitary policeman stood guard outside the embassy. Ealing Council, which acted on a complaint from a neighbour, insisted: "We must take the residents' feelings into account. Whatever they do in the house, it must fit in." Rosalind Dennes, who lives nearby, said: "It's a very strange place to put an embassy." Too right. It's miles from the centre of London and a cosy suburban home.
But she added cheerfully: "I suppose the police presence will mean no burglaries." Wouldn't bank on it. I'd buy a padlock for the fridge/freezer PDQ if I were you.
Posted by: Bulldog ||
05/02/2003 03:07 am ||
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#1
Will it have a drive through window so junkies can pick up their White Slag?
#2
"So sorry. I'm afraid we're not zoned for juche or army-based policies. And the docket for our next exceptions hearing is completely full...we'll be considering grout colors, bird baths, and the acceptable ratios of annuals to perennials in the Ealing garden district."
#4
Baba Yage, I think they'll need to hitch a ride to get to the nearest supermarket, but Ealing Common's just round the corner: all the grass you can eat, for free!
Looks like everybody wants a piece of the action. I thought the Belgians were running the World Legal System?
A private group called "Solidarity with Victims of the War Against Iraq" has filed war crimes charges in Switzerland against US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the public prosecutor's office said Thursday.In a submission, the Geneva-based group said it represented Iraqi nationals whose family members had been victims of acts of war during the invasion carried out by US and British troops. But the prosecutor's department said Bush and Blair would be immune from prosecution while in office, even if they entered Swiss territory. Phhhhew! Rest easy, boys.
In Belgium Wednesday, an attorney said charges would be filed against General Tommy Franks, commanding coalition forces in Iraq. He said the charges would be laid on behalf of 19 Iraqis who, he said, had been victims of war crimes during the action, launched on March 20 to topple Saddam Hussein from power. In March, seven Iraqi families filed charges in Belgium against Bush's father, former US president George Bush, for alleged offences during the 1991 Gulf war. You know they're setting up for pretty well for democracy if they're already filing nusiance lawsuits.
The charges were also directed at Secretary of State Colin Powell, then chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, Vice-President Dick Cheney, defense secretary in the administration of Bush senior, and general Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded the US-led operation "Desert Storm" in 1991. Sue everybody! Somebody will cave and cough up! Well... won't they?
The Swiss public prosecutor's office said it would require further clarification from the "Solidarity with Victims of the War Against Iraq" which had filed charges against Bush and Blair. The group includes Swiss left wing parliamentary deputy Christian Grobet. I believe the public prosecutor wishes this would just go away.In the next war, let's line up their lawyers vs. our lawyers. Then nobody will care who dies.
Posted by: tu3031 ||
05/02/2003 08:18 am ||
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#1
One cadre of hackers into the swiss banks and poof!
#5
I really think the Belgians can out manuver the Swiss once they get them out in the open. Fold them up and force them to rally on the high ground. The high mountains.
Posted by: Pat ||
05/02/2003 11:56 Comments ||
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#6
Oh-oh, this looks like it could develop into something serious. Belgium and Switzerland appear to be at loggerheads as to who really is the Global Uberpower. There's sure to be a war.
I predict massed ranks of literally tens of Belgians assault troops (probably a mechanised division, charging to battle in a fleet of rented Ukraininan taxis), clashing with perhaps dozens of bicycle-mounted, small knife-wielding Swiss mountain troops in a small field somewhere in eastern France (France having surrendered the moment the first German-speaking Swiss crossed the border)...
#7
F'ing hypocrites! Did they ever file charges against Saddam Hussein for his regime's crimes? Their buddy Putin for Chechnya? Yassir Arafat? Fidel? Milosevic and his cronies? Mugabe?
Posted by: Dar ||
05/02/2003 9:05 Comments ||
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#8
They will just throw it out. But you see everyone can file a lawsuit against anyone.
I suppose the (yet to be founded) "Solidarity with the Victims of Saddam and his Collaborators" may have a more interesting lawsuit to file.
#10
Would crack my ass up if the General showed up for his trial, with a division of locked and loaded Marines in tow.
Posted by: Bill OH ||
05/02/2003 13:11 Comments ||
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#11
The Swiss will just drop into Eben Emel again with gliders and they will win. And with victory comes the port of Antwerp, a prize beyond belief for a land-locked country...........
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/02/2003 13:21 Comments ||
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#12
This is the one part of American Society I wish we had gotten rid of instead of exporting: vexatious litigation and barratry.
bar·ra·try n. (pl. bar·ra·tries)
1. The offense of persistently instigating lawsuits, typically groundless ones.
The concept of the vexatious litigant is well known in law. It refers to a person who habitually and/or persistently abuses the rights of filing lawsuits or the right to take proceedings to court or the court processes therein assoicated, such as, but not limited to, legal service, subpeona, deposition, discovery and other pre-trail and court procedures.
#13
You guys have missed the obvious ploy: we'll just threaten to send a couple of divisions of American lawyers to Switzerland. The Swiss will fold their cards faster than Jacques Chiraq can make an a$$ of himself. Well... maybe not.
Posted by: Tom ||
05/02/2003 13:46 Comments ||
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#14
OldSpook--Thanks for the Word of the Day! Now I can around spouting off about the "barrage of barratry" we put up with in this country. :-)
Posted by: Dar ||
05/02/2003 13:51 Comments ||
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#15
Funny how the Swiss have no problem keeping Saddam's billions nice and safe in their banks.
#18
Pardon me, I'm not a lawyer, but how can PRIVATE citizens/groups file war crimes charges? That makes no sense. Doesn't a governmental entity of some kind have to file a charge? A private group could file a lawsuit, but charge??
It's all ridiculous anyway, but it shows how the world is now. It also shows an amazing lack of brains. The law depends, ultimately on ENFORCEMENT, i.e., use of force. Without force to back it up, "law" isn't worth the paper it's written on.
"I don't agree with your stinkin' law or your charges or whatever. What are you going to do about it? Wallpaper my house with writs?
Posted by: R. McLeod ||
05/03/2003 4:53 Comments ||
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