Revealed: how Britain was told full coup plan

[bemildred]

Britain was given a full outline of an illegal coup plot in a vital oil-rich African state, including the dates, details of arms shipments and key players, several months before the putsch was launched, according to confidential documents obtained by The Observer.

But, despite Britain's clear obligations under international law, Jack Straw, who was personally told of the plans at the end of January, failed to warn the government of Equatorial Guinea.

The revelations about the coup, led by former SAS officer Simon Mann and allegedly funded in part by Sir Mark Thatcher, son of the former Prime Minister, will put increasing pressure on the Foreign Secretary to make a full statement in Parliament about exactly what the UK government knew of the putsch and when they knew it.

This weekend in a statement, the Foreign Office said: 'We do not comment on intelligence issues. But ministers and officials in the FCO acted promptly on receipt of relevant information.' Last week, The Observer reported that Straw ordered a change to evacuation plans for British citizens in Equatorial Guinea after receiving news of the coup.

Guardian UK

[acmavm]

1. So, American and British fingerprints on another coup? Regardless of

how corrupt a government is, why do the US and Britain feel the need to overthrow any government (especially if it has oil) that it wants to overthrow?

Oh, stupid me. There's the magic word, 'OIL'.

And what really makes me laugh is the inept lies. What makes me cry is that they get away with lying.

How long before no nation on this planet will deal with either country? Russia and China seem to be the countries of choice nowdays.

And why am I so concerned about the overthrow of a corrupt regime? BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS THE DEFENSELESS CIVILIANS WHO SUFFER THE MOST. For example, Iraq, Haiti, Nicaragua, Chile, etc.

[eleny]

2. Something interesting about Soros

After reading this article, I did a Google search for Halliburton and Equatorial Guinea. A Wash Post article came up for September 2004. There's a mention of Halliburton but not much. Then this paragraph appeared with Soros' name in it. He seems to be on the right side of things:
"Because of concern that money paid by oil and other natural resource companies has been misappropriated by leaders of some countries, an international coalition of groups has been lobbying for the disclosure of fees the companies pay to do business. Billionaire financier George Soros, who is among those pushing the initiative, said in an interview that doing so would pressure the oil companies and make it "more difficult to engage in those practices."

Lots more on corruption in the article -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1101-2004Sep6.html

[seemslikeadream]

3. Sir Mark Thatcher's

wife and family have moved from Africa to Texas. I hear they have friends there.

Riggs and Equatorial Guinea
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=125&topic_id=9558&mesg_id=11993&page=

Threads on Equatorial Guinea
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=125&topic_id=9558&mesg_id=18254&page=

Threads on Equatorial Guinea part 2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=125&topic_id=9558&mesg_id=25607&page=

[Demeter]

4. Anybody We Know? eom

[AP]

5. She is a Texan.

[seemslikeadream]

6. Thatcher wife and children fly to Texas 'for school term'

http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/picture/0,,144900,00.jpg


The family of Sir Mark Thatcher flew into, and out of, Britain this morning, en route to the United States where his children are expected to go to school.

Lady Diane Thatcher, her son Michael, 15, and daughter Amanda, 11, left Sir Mark, who is under house arrest in South Africa accused of bankrolling an alleged coup in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. The family's flight from Cape Town landed at Heathrow at 6.10am and they emerged into the arrivals hall surrounded by police and airport staff around an hour and 20 minutes later.Wearing sunglasses, Lady Thatcher refused to comment on why she had left South Africa.

Lord Bell, a family spokesman, said that she had travelled straight from Heathrow to Gatwick for a connecting flight to Dallas.He added: "She's taking the children to the USA. The children are going to school there but then she will be going back to South Africa."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1240563,00.html