US Feature: Why is British Resident Shaker Aamer in Guantanamo Bay After 11 Years?

Aamer's continuing incarceration is all the more mysterious, given that the Americans ruled almost six years ago that he could be freed from Guantánamo. In June 2007, he was officially cleared for release. A security assessment by the US government acknowledged it had no concrete evidence against him. Two years later, the Obama administration reiterated the lack of a case against him, underlining the fact that he could be released.

So why is Aamer the only one among the 16 detainees who possessed British citizenship and residency who is still being held in Guantánamo?

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EA Audio Analysis: The Reagan-Thatcher "Special Relationship" --- Scott Lucas with the BBC

I spoke with BBC WM last night, in the context of the recent death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, about her "special relationship" with US President Ronald Reagan.

Listen to discussion from 37:04 mark

The take-away on the surface is that a lot of the relationship was symbolic, with Thatcher's exploitation of it --- given her challenge to notions of "society" in Britain --- even greater than Reagan's effect in the US.

The shrewd listener, however, will be able to detect further thoughts behind carefully-chosen words.

Britain & Europe Analysis: A "Dad's Army" Guide to Prime Minister Cameron's Important Speech

(Cartoon: Andy Davey/The Sun)

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In British television legend, there is an iconic situation comedy, Dad’s Army, in which the actor Clive Dunn --- who passed away a few months ago --- had a series of memorable catchphrases.

In an unexpected tribute, the phrases of Dunn and his colleagues are a fitting context for British Prime Minister David Cameron, as he gives one of the most important speeches of his Premiership.

As he speaks about British’s relationship with the European Union, Cameron may keep these words in mind.

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EA Audio Analysis: Britain, Europe, & the US Warning --- Scott Lucas with the BBC

Listen to the Audio (from 23:20)

On Wednesday, the Obama Administration created front-page news in Britain when Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon said, "We want to see a strong British voice in that European Union," and warned against any referendum on the issue.

The ensuing flutter was predictable, with radio phone-ins filled with Britons denouncing the US intervention and sometimes often taking shots at "Europe".

I spoke yesterday with BBC WM about the episode, with the discussion beginning at 23:20.

Two take-away points, the second of which surprised presenter Adrian Goldberg:

1. Why did the US issue the warning? "It's the Economy, Stupid."

2. The Obama Administration probably spoke with Her Majesty's Government before Gordon made his remarks.

GOLDBERG: "So Britain colluded with the White House over this statement?"

LUCAS: "Colluded is such a harsh word. I prefer consulted."

Europe Analysis: Russia and Britain --- Becoming Best Friends?

Given all the tensions between Russia and Britain, how can there be a thaw in the frozen diplomatic relations?

The answer is simple.

Gas --- and the company BP.

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Britain-US Audio Feature: So Mitt Romney is Meeting the Prime Minister? --- Scott Lucas with the BBC

There has been a bit of flutter in the British media that Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, in London for the Olympics, is being received by Prime Minister David Cameron. In 2008, candidate Barack Obama did not get as far with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Cameron turned away François Hollande, now the French leader, earlier this year during the President campaign.

So BBC West Midlands asked, "Is Cameron extending his hand because he has inside info on a Romney victory?" (No.) "Will this damage Cameron's relationship with Obama?" (No.) "Does it make a difference for November's election?" (No.)

The conversation begins at the 1:42.00 mark. 

Britain Feature: Police "Made Up Evidence" Against Student Held as Terrorist Suspect

Rizwaan Sabir with University of Nottingham Security, May 2011Four years ago, University of Nottingham postgraduate candidate Rizwaan Sabir was held for seven days without charge. The reason for suspicion? As part of his dissertation research on tactics and discourse of "terrorism", he had downloaded a publicly-available training manual from Al Qa'eda.

Sabir was never charged and eventually moved to Ph.D. study at the University of Bath, with the police paying him $20,000 compensation in September 2011. However, his friend Hicham Yezza, an administrator at Nottingham, was also interrogated and then held for months, under threat of deportation, on an immigration charge. 

Now the results of the internal investigation over the police's handling of the case indicates officers "created" details of an interview with Dr Rod Thornton, the University of Nottingham's speciaist on terrorism.

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Britain, US & Beyond Feature: Occupy Seeks A Creative "Global Spring"

Occupy London protesters in Liverpool Street underground station (Photo: HeardInLondon/Demotix/Corbis)

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Last week electors in Europe signalled their dissatisfaction with the politics of austerity, and the elites who are trying to implement them. Barring a miracle of an economic recovery, politics for the near future will revolve around that austerity --- or thrift as the British government are now trying to call it.

This week the success or failure of Occupy, and their affiliated groups, to draw attention to growing income inequality will help determine their relevance to these coming political struggles over the world's economic future. Can they deliver on their promise of a Global Spring?

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War on Terror Special: How Britain's Rendition Sent "Suspects" to Qaddafi's Libya (Cobain)

Fatima Bouchar's case is different from the countless other renditions that the world has learned about over the past few years, and not just because she was one of the few female victims.

Documents discovered in Tripoli show that the operation was initiated by British intelligence officers, rather than the masked Americans or their superiors in the US. There is also some evidence that the operation may have been linked to a second British-initiated operation, which saw two men detained in Iraq and rendered to Afghanistan. Furthermore, the timing of the operation, and the questions that Bouchar's husband and a second rendition victim say were subsequently put to them under torture, raise disturbing new questions about the secret court system that considers immigration appeals in terrorist cases in the UK – a system that the government has pledged to extend to civil trials in which the government itself is the defendant.

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Occupy London Latest: Police Clear Protest Camp at St Paul's Cathedral (Ball/Quinn)

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St Paul's Cathedral has been accused of "betraying" Occupy London activists after giving the City of London police permission to remove protesters from its steps and end the four-and-a-half month camp.

The cathedral's decision, coupled with a previous high court decision obtained by the City of London, meant police successfully removed the entire Occupy London Stock Exchange camp from the square outside St Paul's.

Police said 20 people had been arrested by 4.30am in the "largely peaceful" operation.

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