Masopher's Mind

The middle of 2010 got very exciting for the news monkeys. The chattering was almost deafening about not 1 or 2 but 11 whole spies caught by the diligent Federal Bureau of Investigations. The Russians, Peruvians and various non Americans were not charged with spying but of not registering as spies, a hereto unknown and still largely unreported crime.

Even the now “pay-walled” Times online had lots to say, but one set of people had little or nothing to say: The think-tanks. The Gulf Oil, Israel, Pakistan, Central Asia, Iran, Africa, Journalism, Football: the policy groups had so much to say about other topics but about the spies, the silence was telling. CFR, CSIS, Chatham, Brookings, Wilson’s, RAND, RUSI…not a peep from the men and women who know the most about spies. Many of the members of these institutions are former spies and government agent officials themselves. If anyone could give insight on what these people were doing, one would think the think tanks could. It was rightly noted by the spy museum curator Peter Earnest that these spies were apparently searching for things that they could find out by simply browsing the right websites or showing up to a few meetings.  The policy makers have ignored the story simply because that’s all it is, a story. It’s a bit of media munchies which has embarrassed Russia. These aren’t Soviet spies, these are Russian spies. Every country has spies, some are registered, others are not registered, some are simple and amateurs, some are complex and professional. Over the years, Russia has ejected several British and American “spies” to much less fanfare, staunch denials and accusations of conspiracy theory. Iran and North Korea have captured several “hikers” and “reporters” straying over the border too with more denials. America has recently caught and dealt with Israeli and Korean spies without incident. Spies exist. There isn’t a lot of sexiness in being a spy and a lot of danger. James Bond doesn’t happen. The sensationalizing of these people coincides with the release of Angelina Jolies movie “Salt”.  The sexy Russian spy pics have already created a great buzz for the Hollywood fiction. Colombia pictures couldn’t have paid for this kind of publicity.

Anna Chapman while moving in and out of the British and Americans getting married to a lovable English boy and getting to know a few big wigs did nothing special or sinister at all, like many post Soviet Eastern Europeans she secured herself a visa and sought to make connections while keeping the home fires warm. She just had a verbal contract to tell an intelligence officer any tidbits that came her way, tidbits that may or may not be more relevant than what can be found on wikileaks or wikipedia.

The Honorable Jack Straw and some black chick

Not all my questionable insight comes from a crack smoking demon and happily its not from wikipedia either. I probably could or perhaps should spend more time using the other sources in my arsenal the most distinguished being Chatham House.

I came to know Chatham house for what is did wrong. I came to know it from a criticical paper written by Eli Kedourie an analyst and expert on middle eastern history and affairs. According to Kedourie Chatham House in its hey day as the Royal Institute of International Affairs and its “version” of how people and nations progress is at least partly to blame for the debacle that is Africa and the Middle East now.

I think everyone interested in this boring stuff knows by now how England infiltrated and broke the Ottoman empire apart from the inside, fell to fighting over the spoils and then sort of abandoned them to multinational Oil companies, despots, the French and Russians. The biggest achivements was the breaking apart of greater Syria into Lebanon and Syria and the creation of Israel on top of where a bunch of Arabs were already living. Yeah. Not exacly inconsequential blips in history. There was also the giving the cold shoulder to the French when they built the Suez Canal, a few fights with Afghanistan in which the non Soviet and then Soviet Russinans became involved, the breaking apart of greater India into India Pakistan Kashmir and Bangladesh…

Hmmmm from a certain point of view, Chatham is a hell of a lot more evil than Masopher could ever be…

Well the point is that actions and innaction have far reaching implications. Britain did not maintain its benevolent empire and so Africa and the middle east became the stomping ground of some really messed up ideology and ruthless men promoting same ideology. Now Britain is a second tier (at best) nation and a vassal of the United States, a country which does not have the trust, support or the intentions that Britain has.

Chatham house, like Britain is now in an uneasy retirment mode. Monthly they write some hair raising analysis about the latest troubles in parts of the world. Even though some of its agendas are very much pro-estabishment it no longer takes an active role in shaping the world. However world shapers do pop by to say “Hi”, to stump their books and agendas for those that want to know. I have met some very interesting people many of whom whould have me killed for revealing who they were. But I can safely say I am a more informed idiot because of Chatham.

A Korean owned ship the MT Ann and an Iraqi owned ship the MV Hounslow have been reported as being impounded for being connected with the cutting of the undersea internet cables reported earlier this year.
In The first few months of the year the undersea cable connecting the middle east to the rest of the world experience several breaks leading many to believe that there was sabotage or human error.
Both ships were located in Dubai. Whether the two are connected in unknown but it is noted that Korean-Iraqi boat traffic has risen 20 fold since the beginning of the Iraq war.

The prefixes of the Ann and Hounslow indicate that they are a motorized tanker and a motorized ship respectively. The Houslow is most likely diesel run.
It was reported that the owner of the Ann has admitted liability and was fined $60,000 (roughly £30,000)

So far Masopher has been unable to ascertain whether any of the sea men on Ann were discharged. She declined to comment.