Dear Andy,
Regarding your recent article about Diego Garcia: As you say the Americans took control of these strategically important Islands during the 1960s. They did so as a direct result of the terms of the £3750 million loan taken out by John Maynard Keynes on Britain’s behalf in 1946. The loan was finally repaid on 30th Dec 2006. A condition of the loan entitles the US to use the repayments to purchase either land or buildings within British control. Such was Diego Garcia.
Kind regards,
Kim Gold

Kim sent me links to a number of interesting articles about the dark secrets of UK and US foreign policy:
http://www.opendemocracy.net/britain_the_elected_dictatorship_0
http://www.caab.org.uk/newsletters/CAABNews34.pdf

And another message:

This is a question directed to Michael Foot over the impact Lend-Lease and the Keynes loan had on the Anglo/American relationship:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/the_westminster_hour/2303913.stm

Today’s relationship with the US didn’t just happen on 10/11, but evolved from 1941. Foot was a member of the Attlee government when Keynes was sent cap in hand to the US. In Robert Skidelsky’s book on Keynes, he reveals how a sickly JMK was rounded on by the Americans in a forceful way. Keynes had hoped to secure a “gift” for Britain, alas this was not to be.

After 9/11 I looked at my Grandfather’s papers in a totally different light. Bring the valuation issue to the attention of both the Americans and PM Tony Blair. Some 5 yrs later my researches have expanded on several fronts. I was and still am opposed to the war in Iraq, never believing there was WMD in that country. Yet have learned that nuclear material was sent to the Iraqi nuclear facilities at Al Fao from RAF Faldingworth in Lincolnshire, but could only ever been deployed as a dirty bomb delivered by a Scud Missile. So much for the 45 min claim.

The overriding scandal in all of this has been the sale of weapons and ammo by the MoD using false end user certs, covered by PIIs signed by Cook and Hain covering up what had been done during the Thatcher government.

Dear Andy,
I read your article today about the rendition flights. Yes, it is a joke, this admission. We know about the rendition flights that have been touching down at Prestwick. One day it will all come out.
Ann told me that she had sent you Umar’s petition for Farid. Farid’s story is one that must be told. This is a man who has been tortured in the UAE (rendered there), who won his case for ‘habeas corpus’ against all the odds after years of fighting extradition but nevertheless was extradited despite dodgy inquisitors to Spain.
He is the most amazing character. Try to go and see him, try to speak to this man. His sister is terrified that he will be sent to Morocco – she hasn’t slept hardly for two weeks. And no one has heard anything for these two full weeks. Nothing in the open. We think we know he is in Madrid V but if his former lawyer knows what is happening – Mrs Arani – she is not saying. I have written to a Tory MEP to ask him to find out about Farid because he was the only one who did anything for Mustapha Labsi in Slovakia.
I want to know where he is, what is happening to him and what is going to happen. What is the UK govt going to do now? And if you know anyone who would sign this petition for him, I would be so grateful if you would pass it to them.
Thanks for all you do. There are not enough people like you unfortunately. Please follow his case and do one of your articles on him.
Best wishes,
Eleanor Boyd

The petition is here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?Farid01&1