Iran Hostages Chess Pieces In A False Flag Operation?

Despite dissent from commentators in the media, the possible hijacking of the Iran hostages crisis by the US and maybe the UK seems to be increasingly likely as the US moves more military hardwear into the Persian Gulf for an exercise its been said.

Now where have we heard that before?

The US will find it incredibly convenient to have two aircraft carriers near Iran if the situation with the UK's Navy personnel doesn't turn out peacefully.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Anyone want to go out on a limb, wave a white hankerchief and send in the diplomats for talks?

Letters From Iran ; But Written By Whom And With Who's Interests In Mind?

The British Navy hostages saga continues uncomfortably, with more letters and video apologies issued, it seems, every day.

Speculation has been gathering that the letters written, we're told by Iranian television, by the sailors themselves are not quite as they seem.

Two ideas are being followed this weekend, either the letters have been written by the hostages (but under duress), or that the letters are out and out fakes by Iran.

Another theory about the captured service personnel is gaining ground is that the story looks like a textbook 'false-flag' operation to stoke anti-Iranian opinion.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; As oil prices begin to rise, who will move first?

Money Story Fills Blank Pages, Again!

In a desperate attempt to fill column inches yesterday, on Wednesday a slow news day this week, some rival publications ran stories that are, well, not new news.

That old chestnut fleshed out several pages inside the money supplements of our broadsheets and tabloids on the 'death of cash' in favour of plastic credit and debit cards.

The truthiness blog can reveal a yearly calender of seasonal stories that you'll always see or hear when the real news becomes, well, less than paper thin.

These are.

- Exams are getting easier.

- Our streets are getting more dangerous.

- The death of cash (on a six month rotation).

- Red wine is bad for you.

-Red wine is good for you.

-Red wine is sooo unfashionable this year.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; We know this is true, we report them ourselves when we want a day off!

Roof Fall Faux Claim

A woman in London is suing her landlord for failing to warn her that it was unsafe to dance on a garage roof adjoining her flat.

The twist in this is that Anna Mayers, 24, still thinks the landlord was responsible for the fall, despite her being drunk at the time.

And the US thought it had the best civil cases, wow, the Brits are in a different league!

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Maybe this will be a Boston Legal plot in a future episode! Danny Crane!

What Would The US Have Done? We Got Our Answer

With the hostage situation of 15 British Royal Navy personnel continuing today, we wondered what would have happened had this happened to US troops and what reaction would there currently be?

Well now we know.

Thanks to a comment made by Lieutenant-Commander Erik Horner, the US would have fired on the Iranian Guard if they were in the same situation. He added he was 'surprised' the British Marines had not defended themselves.

Meanwhile the former First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Alan West made clear what UK rules of engagement were, ' very much de-escalatory, because we don't want wars starting''.

The truthiness blog says ; Because they don't want wars starting, hmm, perhaps the US should try that for a few years, see how different things turn out.

Lick That Veto Stamp ; Its Time For More Of The Same

After the US House Of Representatives voted to set a deadline for American troop withdrawal from Iraq, the Vice-President of Iraq has voiced his opposition to the plan.

Tareq al-Hashemi said a security vacuum would be left with badly trained Iraqi troops with divided loyalties.

Another person who, surprisingly agreed with him, was President Bush who promised to veto the bill when it comes before him.

But the House Democrats plus the majority of Iraqis want the US to leave. The Iraqis though even recognise this to be a false hope.

Though there is little chance of the bill actually bringing forces home, it might encourage Bush to at least listen to others about what to do about Iraq.

The truthiness blog says ; Please surprise us all Mr Bush and get Iran and Syria talking about sharing security roles to best get the country stable. It seems to be the only option that hasn't been tried yet.

War Of Words With Iran Escalates Over UK Navy Personnel

Tony Blair today called the detention of 15 Royal Navy service personnel ''unjustified and wrong'' as the government in Tehran shows no signs of backing down.

Speaking at the European Union Summit to mark the fifty year anniversary of the creation of the EU, Prime Minister Blair said it was false that the marine forces had been captured in Iranian waters, they were in Iraqi territorial waters.

The Prime Minister added that he hopes the Iranian government can understand how fundemental this is for the UK Navy.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; No complicated 'spin', no revisionist talk, Mr Blair says they were in Iraq waters, Tehran says no.

Who's going to blink first?

PS This video is just for a funny start to the new week.

42 Words And Several Dozen More We Should Have Checked First

The truthiness blog has to make corrections to the previous story headlined here last night, as corrected by 'Anonymous' that the comparison Ms Rice made was the post war reconstruction situation in Iraq and that in Germany.

Plus the resolutions made for the Declaration of War vs. Authorization for Use of Force in these two very separate conflicts.

But there is one thing we have to uphold here, our stupidness is our own, and not due to being misinformed by Keith Olbermann's MSNBC Countdown. Our inability to understand the story fully is why we got it wrong and not due to listening to an anchorman reporting the news.

Indeed, 'but you get your news from Olbermann' as Anonymous says, we do, but we also get our news from around a half a dozen other sources.

Lets hope you keep things fair and balanced by going after those who only get their 'news' from Fox News.

To paraphrase, 'idiots'.

The truthiness blog says ; We're just excited someone's left a comment!

42 Words Secretary Rice Should Have Thought Twice About Saying

Yes, Secretary Of State, Condoleezza Rice compared Hitler to Saddam Hussein.

Yes, she did and yeah, we're thinking the same as you.

Hitler invaded most of Europe, sent millions of people to their death, tried to get rid of an entire race of people, supressed free speech and killed himself.

Saddam tried to invade his neighbour, failed, retreated, then was LEFT, LEFT by the US and UK for thirteen years, contained by sanctions, with the UN keeping a continuing eye on him and his gradual running down of his country, while at the same time persecuting of his own people, then we decided to take him out on a false justification, wrapping the flag of nation building around our action as the truth came to light.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Miss Rice, there is no comparison between the two, the only similarity being the wide gulf between your take on reality and the actual one the rest of the World inhabits.

Your reality stands on a huge, unstable foundation of truthiness.

The Navy Lark ; Iran Style

With the British government squirming uncomfortably over 15 service personnel being held In Iran after allegedly straying into Iranian waters, it begs the question ; how would the US have reacted if the same thing had happened to some of their own military forces?

Perhaps we would right now be having sweets, flowers and mortars being thrown toward tanks in Tehran?

Or maybe President Bush might have been restrained, not exclusively by those people in white coats, but by someone with a handle on foreign affairs who would say it's dangerous to make any steps toward escalation?

Someone like Condoleezza Rice perhaps, she is the Secretary Of State after all?

No, not her, she compared Saddam Hussein to Adolf Hitler, so her character assessment of leaders can't be too hot.

The Truthiness Blog ; Thank goodness this happened to the British, the alternative is too worrying to think of.

Open Skies For The EU ; But What About US?

The EU has come to a landmark decision on an 'open skies' agreement with the United States this week. For the first time in aviation history, this allows flying from anywhere in Europe to anywhere in the US, point-to-point.

Previously, complicated treaties, some dating back sixty years, have been overturned to allow freeing up on transatlantic air routes by US and European airlines.

Some of the particulars of the original agreements saw only two US and two UK carriers fly from the US direct to London Heathrow, the World's most lucrative international airport. At Heathrow, landing and takeoff slots on the two overcrowded runways can exchange hands for millions of pounds.

However, the so called 'open skies' move isn't really that, at least to European based carriers that is. EU based carriers will be unable to fly internally in the US, but US carriers will be allowed to do just that in European airspace.

Once again, it seems that the country with the World's seemingly biggest open market and spirit of free enterprise has closed the door allowing old fashioned government protectionism to keep the US economy in a bubble.

There is a get-out clause that airlines, especially British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are keen to see used, which is the deal is off unless the US government allows foreign investment in the US domestic air market.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Mr Bush, defender of the faith, protector of the free market, it's over to you.

Don't You Know This Story Repeats Itself?

With Capitol Hill swirling from the gust of scandal after the firing of several US attorneys . We all know the Bush administration's fondness for repetition when wishing to make something true or make other people believe their own self imagined reality. But that solid technique of this government has been spun out. Just one phrase this week has become overused.

'' They serve at the pleasure of the President'', that remark about those now job-seeking attorneys has been cut and pasted from an episode of the West Wing. Unlike Aaron Sorkin's superbly written alternate reality of government, this phrase isn't being uttered by the attorneys themselves, but by their superiors.

Keeping the entertainment theme to the story, perhaps the Bush administration begins every morning with the tagline phrase from that benchmark of horror films, Last House On The Left (the original),

'' Keep repeating; it's only a movie'', its only a government, it's not real.

Well actually Mr Bush, the trail you continue to leave across your country and across the World gets wider and more messy and it is real, all too real for many of us.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Guess who has to pick up the pieces when you've gone? Anyone got a trash bag?

UK To Lead US Into The Sweet Smell Of Fresh Air?

Last week the UK unveiled a draft climate change bill , due to be passed into law within the year. Unlike the average bill being passed by a country, this piece of legislation has the power to change the face of the UK and, be a catalyst for change throughout the developed and developing World.

The bill proposes the setting of legally binding carbon emission cuts, with the power for future governments to be taken to court for missing targets.

The UK has a staggering target to cut C02 emissions 60 % by 2050. Meanwhile in the US President Bush has made much news out of tighter fuel efficiency by automobile manufacturers.

Much has been made of the way, especially since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, that the UK has consistently gone along with whatever the US has proposed under the guise of keeping us safe. The latest example of this 'rolling over' is the UK government's push to agree early a replacement for the UK nuclear defence Cruise missile system. This is despite deep divisions which have shown themselves in public with high profile resignations over the relevance of a system designed to protect from attack by Russia.

There have been hints that the much anticipated handover from Prime Minister Tony Blair to the Chancellor Gorden Brown, tipped for this summer, could bring a cooling in the relationship across the pond.

Maybe the UK before the year is out could push the US toward a 'tipping point' on climate change?

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Just Because Bush Doesn't Talk About Polar Bears, Doesn't Mean He Doesn't Know What They Are (Perhaps He Doesn't; Don't Get Many In Texas)

War On Reality Part 5 ; The BBC Tells Us To Sit Down And Shut Up

Following the discussion of BBC News' disclosure that it declared the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 on 9/11 half an hour before it actually happened, the BBC Editor's Blog replied to the hundred of comments made on the post.

The second piece from the BBC really tells us nothing about the primary focus of the BBC's misreported story, who told the Corporation that WTC 7 was about to collapse and how did that source know?

The Editor's Blog response signs off with;

''I've spent most of the week investigating this issue, but this is where we have to end the story. I know there are many out there who won't believe our version of events, or will raise further questions. But there was no conspiracy in the BBC's reporting of the events. Nobody told us what to say. There's no conspiracy involving missing tapes. There's no story here.''

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Yes, a news corporation just told the public there's no story and to stop poking about. Are they gettng protocol tips from Fox News?

Goldilocks, Bush And The Three Bears

With President Bush continuing his South America tour, arriving in Uruguay today and being greeted by lots of friendly folk . However, with the President trying to convince us of his move toward greener credentials, a what was hoped backward way of controlling the news cycle has reared its ugly head.

A memo leaked from the US Department of the Interior talks about 'sensitivities' discussing climate changes with countries that border the Arctic.

Specifically it says they will refuse to talk about arctic ice, climate change or polar bears.

That's right, George Bush is scared not just of pretzels, but polar bears.

Perfectly reasonable we suppose, as when those bears that haven't died due to their shrinking habitat realise that Bush has done not a thing to help them, they'll be marching up Pennsylvania Avenue for a, well, 'chat'.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; But will he talk about the porridge the three bears ate?

Bush In Brazil ; Fills Up On Duty Free Ethanol

With US President Bush on a visit to Brazil today, it's been revealed he has a secret strategy to beat his country's addiction to foreign oil.

It doesn't involve reducing energy use.

It isn't legal limits on carbon emissions.

The President plans to bring home his full duty free limit of ethanol on the return flight. With the two-hundred and fifty seven people who travel with him, if each of them bring home their full limit, that could be enough biofuel to power Washington for fourteen days.

Unconfirmed reports suggest some of his travelling staff are planning to make full use by bringing back organic cigarettes which can be burned to generate green power for the White House Residence.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Any gifts over $50 Sir?

War On Reality Part 4 ; The Wheels Fall Off The Bush Wagon

With the verdict in the Lewis 'Scooter' Libby trial sinking in to all those in Washington and up on Capitol Hill, other people in the White House, Senate and in the media have begun to talk openly about impeachment of the current administration.



Specifically, talk is rife of George W Bush's impeachement.

Post 9/11 and with the country feeling vunerable, strength and trust in the country's government was all the nation's citizens looked for, as any other country would expect it's elected members to fulfil that wish.

Instead, they played the card of 'we are safe', but then saying 'but we're not safe enough' , coupled with the lowering and quick raising of the terror alert threat, scaring people like shares or oil price changes.

The administration gave the impression of strength, but only achieved a hollow, smug swagger, strutting into Afghanistan then following up with the unconvincing, 'urgently' needed invasion of Iraq.

As for trust, well that vanished on 12th September 2001.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; We Need To Make Them Take Reponsibility For It All, Libby Is A Start.

Uncouth Coulter Becomes Downright Dangerous

You've probably seen it, possibly more than once and still we still can't understand what we heard.

That's right, the far right commentator Ann Coulter (she's so right wing she could come all the way round to the left wing if she's not more careful) was making a speech about the prospective US Presidential candidates for 2008. When getting round to John Edwards (the Democrat who ran as John Kerry's Vice President candidate in 2004) she said, well, take a look.



For those out of the loop, she was referring to the on set spat on the popular medical drama Grey's Anatomy , which resulted in one of the cast members seeking counseling for reportedly calling a fellow actor a faggot.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Ann, you're waaaayyyy out there, indeed, you're the mayor of 'out there'!

Starbucks Too Big ; Should Be Renamed Smallbucks

Just as everyone was beginning to get sick of them, having queued up in a untidy branch, which once you've got to the counter they've got no expresso brownies in, something unusually satisfying has occurred.

In a leaked 800 page memo, the owner, Howard Schultz of Starbucks expressed concern that his company had lost it's way.



We at the Truthiness Blog haven't got any additional information or analysis on this story , we enjoy a grande hot chocolate with fresh cream and a cookie bigger than your head more than anyone.

But, isn't it quite pleasing when a company thinks it's got too big?

Why isn't the Bush administration like that?

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Anyone like their beans grinded?

Paris Blackout Fails ; News Bombers Hit Target

They tried, we tried, even CNN tried (and you know how entertainment stories are as common as muck on that network) but they all failed.

It wasn't a news embargo on a sensitive new leg of the US government's Iraq strategy (using strategy in the most loose of its meaning), ooh no.

It was a self-emposed news blackout on stories to do with Paris Hilton.

The girl got caught infringing a traffic law and the AP didn't report the story. Until now that is.

The AP held out for a week, then like a smoker standing round a group of indulgent nicotine happy friends, it breathed deeply for a long-self satisfying drag at 0924 this morning and told us all what it had (or more accurately, hadn't been) getting up to.

Reaction to the blackout was mostly positive, people for a shortwhile forgot who she was and went back to living their own lives and had a margin of concern for people dying in dangerous spots round the World.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; No Paris Hilton? That's Hot!