ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 12

September 2002
Articles, newsreports and Items of interest : e2k_news@hotmail.com

News & items of interest

The Northern Ireland Branch of ENIGMA 2000 met on 16/07, for the first time, and had a successful meeting during which various stations, including the polytones were discussed. An interesting fact was made known - S28 on 4625kHz can be heard in NI in the mid -late afternoon, whilst on the mainland we can only pick up early/late evening. Members present have asked to remain anonymous.

SAS teaches US Air Force a lesson.

The use of ground to air communications by the scud hunting SAS during the Gulf War was so useful that US Special Forces have tried to emulate the crack British Regiment in Afghanistan by being 'data-linked' to every form of aircraft over the country. The US Special Forces use back-pack satellite linked laptops and GPS to provide intelligence on friendly troop movements and precise targeting co-ordinates on the others. Apparently the US system has thrown up one fault. Changing batteries in the GPS whilst actually performing target acquisition results in the target grid reference being changed to that of the sender, as one US Sergeant found. Apart from resulting in a battery modification it also attracted an attack from bombers overhead.

Stripping down and cleaning

The modified SA80-A2 rifles used by the British Marines in Afghanistan have been reported as being affected by yet another malfunction. A lot was made in the press of the rifle as being useless and faulty. Reading later reports it is suggested that if the rifle is actually cleaned to the new maintenance guide it will function correctly. The articles seen suggest the Royal Marines have been cleaning the SA80-A2 to their tried and tested methods, rather than the new maintenance guide. The 'tried and tested methods' are not defined - are these the same methods used to clean the SLR? If it is they will have difficulty because the SA80 is a totally different weapon. Apparently the weapon needs to be cleaned every 30 mins [Will this lead to a high cost on pull throughs and bottles of oil?] and should be covered in a carrier bag! Colonel Bob Stewart was interviewed on LBC concerning the 5.56mm weapon and stated unequivocally that he did not like or trust the weapon that he stated was unreliable and suffered the occasional blow-back. Even the change to 44 x 44mm wadding has not gone unnoticed. For the Cockney there is no rhyming slang that can be utilised with the metric replacement of the oft used 4 by 2!

Of course there could be an element of lantern swinging by those in Whitehall eager to dispel rumours that there will be yet further costs to get the rifle sorted when better proven weapons could have been purchased 'off the peg'. Wonder if they know the difference between a TMH, working parts and a Fortnum and Mason carrier bag?

Sunday Times of 04/08 carried a short article suggesting that the replacement for the SA80 will be the Belgium FN made Minimi Para and/or the Heckler and Koch MG43. The cost will be £7.5m.

We also learnt, via the press, that equipment used by the Brits in Oman was not up to the rigours of the job. Sand and heat [and there's plenty of it in those regions] ceased mechanical parts and caused the good old boot to melt! Of course Whitehall have sorted this matter out. [?] Ah, for those past days of the wrapped around towel and flip-flops, 58 webbing and a stint on the steps of the British & Colonial stores drinking 'itneen beera' along with cries of 'imshi wallid!' that followed the pleas for 'buksheesh Sahib'.

Just to rub salt in the wound some wag wrote to the Metro [05/08] suggesting that when the British forces have replaced all their equipment [he cited SA80 rifle, Challenger 2 tanks, field radio system] with something that actually works it might like to sell the unwanted stuff to other Forces world wide. Such a sale would be instrumental ensuring that those buying would not be able to get involved in a war: 'If they tried to use them, it could well be that they give up on the whole idea of war out of sheer frustration. What a sad decline for us, the country that invented tanks in the first, and whose infantry firepower was once the envy of Europe'. [" See that man's 1250 corporal, and mark him down for further duties!"].

Another mention was found in a recent Sunday Times News Review section, a reader suggesting that the SA80 rifle must be of such poor quality as it had been used in Afghanistan and had not been stolen by the various Afghan factions for their use. The reader reasoned that was because the firearm was so poor!

Bravo Satellite TV also have a programme called Future Fighting Machines. They did a review of 3 rifles, one South African, One German and of course the SA80. The other two didn't come last in this competitive review, nor did they only achieve 3 points!!!

Incidentally, TMH is 'Trigger Mechanism Housing'. There will be no explanation of the 'working parts', 'four by two', 'pull-throughs', 'Boots, DMS walking 1 pr', 'PULHEEMS' or any other associated terms.

TIPS

The Terrorism Information and Prevention System [TIPS} is a huge informal surveillance network that hope to use circa 11Million US civilians to become informants for "suspicious activity".

With 11Million US civilians participating this closely mirrors the percentage of East German citizens who were informants for the East German Secret Police, the STASI.

The search for volunteers has already started and expects to attract responses from those well positioned to "recognise unusual events and...to report suspicious activity". It is reckoned that those who fit the bill would be lorry drivers, post office workers, train guards, merchant shipmasters and utility supply technicians. Training will be given as well as unspecified 'materials' to enable these TIPS operatives to inform the nearest FBI office.

The programme, if successful, will be co-ordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], which already possesses wide reaching security powers.

Apart from these volunteer 'spies' their vehicles will carry a freecall number on a sticker to enable other citizens to call a hotline should they notice anything of interest.

All informant reports will be entered into a database and the subjects of those reports will not be informed of the existence or contents of the reports. The total sought 'informants' hope to represent 4% of the American nation.

The United States have produced a document entitled 'National Strategy for Homeland Security' which outlines in some depth the precautions that the US Govt is actually making available to guard its population. [Full text available: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/index.html ].

If anyone learns of a similar plan from GB Govt to actually protect the population [most unlikely] please inform E2k!

Robot Planes to target terrorism.

Great Britain is to get drones piloted remotely because it has been lobbied by MI6 for a similar facility enjoyed by America. Where will we get these drones from -- have a guess; that's right America with a small and obligatory input from BAE Systems.

It was suggested that the drone force would be based in Llanbedr, Gwynedd Wales allowing it to be flown over Cardigan Bay during training.

British Diplomats 'rapid response' embassies.

The Foreign Office is planning to enter the world of James Bond diplomacy with "rapid reaction" embassies to be flown to the world's trouble spots', wrote Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor of the The Times [17/07]. These 'embassies' will be 20ft containers containing all the necssary equipment to run a self sufficient embassy in inhospitable regions. The need for such a system was outlined when the first British Diplomat to enter the British Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan was left ill-equipped to perform his job. The Embassy had been empty for more than ten years.

The idea has been borrowed from the military idea of mobile field headquarters.

The containers will include satellite communications, encryption devices, computers and generators.

Furniture can also be sent although Panama has and cases of claret are reserved for the last consignment.

MV Gaul H243

The long running mystery of the trawler Gaul and the sad loss of the 36 crew is again in the news. E2k received a pager message to say that a piece appeared on BBC Radio 4 on the night of 05/08 and in the Daily Express the very next day. June 24 saw the promised Government survey start and continue until late July.

During the survey part of a thigh bone and five other fragments were recovered in different parts of the sunken ship. The son of the First Mate aboard the stricken vessel commented that one bone solves nothing as there were 36 persons aboard and pointed out the this discovery actually raised more questions than it answered. The angle of the prop blades was also measured using ROV's.

The Daily Telegraph 05/08 carried the story of Sheila Doone who was married to the Radio Operator John Doone who apparently died on the Gaul when it sank in 1974. Although the Government has been quick to point out that the Gaul was not involved in spying and sank with all hands who perished as a result. Mr Doone has been mentioned as having been trained at RN Dockyard Chatham as a Naval Wireless Operator in the RNR. It has also been mentioned that Mr Doone was also trained as an intercept operator by GCHQ before the Gaul set sail. Now Mrs Doone wishes to remarry but on application for a licence was told that she must divorce her husband first as no death certificate exists to prove that Mrs Doone is a widow. [She received a widow's pension weekly after the loss of her husband aboard the Gaul]!

To make the matter worse Mr Doone is said to have been seen in a waterfront bar in Port Elizabeth in 1978. A Greek registered ship docked in Port Elizabeth apparently had a Radio Operator named John Doone.

A visit to <http://www.mediaworldnews.co.uk/index.html> is recommended.

[ENIGMA 2000 ran an article concerning the loss of the Gaul in Issue 1].

Star Wars yet again!

According to a piece seen in the Sunday Times [07/07] the US is going to ask Great Britain if the Royal Navy can use some of its new Type 45's to track ballistic missiles to protect America as part of a global network of early warning /interceptor vessels. They can also be modified to shoot down these missiles too. This deal would bring GB into America's protective umbrella. Britain has already been approached informally concerning the upgrading of the bases at Fylingdales and Menwith Hill in Yorkshire.

With regard to Great Britain remove the word Great and insert Gullible. How soon before our monetary unit becomes the US$ as we become another state of America?

Revolutionary Warfare Wing boosted.

The Sunday Times has reported that the Revolutionary Warfare Wing of the SAS is to benefit from additional funding made available by HM Govt in the war against terrorism. Known as the 'Increment' the RWW is sometimes tasked directly by SIS. This funding, we are told, is due to the decision of the US to lift the ban on assassinations by the CIA. The fact that Britain will play a prominent role in the *secret* war on Al-Qaeda has also been mentioned.

The article in 21/07 issue mentioned that MI6 is recruiting from the Special Boat Squadron [SBS] and the elite 14th Intelligence Company [Dets?]. Also, MI5 wishes to take on 130 more people too. [Don't rush to apply - you will need to be conversational in Middle Eastern languages, the Sunday Times reminds us].

The article concludes that a further £54m has been made available to MI5, MI6 and to GCHQ. [As far as GCHQ is concerned the money portion they receive will be apportioned to codebreakers and interception specialists].

With all this going on in the name of crushing terrorism John Humphrys' piece in the same issue, 'So, Mr Bush, what's to be gained by attacking Iraq?' really sets the pace. Mr Humphrys refers to the possibility of an attack on Iraq by the US [and anyone else they can rake up to do the job] to suppress terrorism. A picture showing Mr Bush standing, with left arm raised, in shirt and trousers nicely supported by a leather belt with a striking buckle, addressing troops is reminiscent of a certain figure conducting a stir-up at a Nurenberg rally! Mr Humphrys reasonably dissects this sabre rattling from the US; deterrence and mass-destruction, suicide bombers and pre-emption whilst making more than a passing reference to Scott Ritter's thoughts on the actual destruction of Iraq's capacity for producing hideous weapons. There was like mention of the use of nuclear weapons in the 'right conditions' but not from Mr Hussein's arsenal.

John Humphrys finalises the entire matter in his final paragraph, 'But many people will die - including men, women and children whose only crime is to live at the wrong time in the wrong country under the wrong leader. I would hate to be the American president who ordered the attack that led to those deaths - or the British Prime Minister who supported him. So, one final question, Mr President. Are you sure you have thought this through? [We acknowledge use of the article in the Sunday Times, page 15, 21^st July 2002].

Millionaire game show winner charged.

An Army Major who won the million pound prize in ITV1's 'Who wants to be a millionaire' was charged with two others, his wife and an academic, with two counts of deception and conspiracy.

It was originally reported that one of the defendants coughed to indicate the correct answer a,b,c or d, but now appears to be a little more interesting. A fourth person has also been questioned but Detectives in the case have carried out a lengthy investigation involving mobile phone and pager companies. The possibility of someone communicating with the academic, who was in the audience, by laptop computer during the show has also been considered as a possibility. The academic had been a previous contestant on the show.

Illegal letters sent to E2k [The 4-1-9 experience].

ENIGMA 2000 has received two letters from persons claiming to be involved with big business in Nigeria, one in petroleum, the other with the proceeds of a Will. These letters usually ask the recipient to send his bank details enabling the originator to use that account to 'dispose of excess funding'. The account holder gets to keep a decent percentage of the funds [or so he thinks]. These letters are known as 4-1-9 after the regulation in the Nigerian Penal Code that forbids their use [!!]. The recipient is also told to be discreet and say nothing, even if they do not intend to take up the offer.

The two persons who gave e2k the chance to make excellent profit for no outlay are:

Dr Ibrahim Danji, Chairman, Contract Award & Verification Panel.
ibrahimdanji@lycos.com
Barr. Abdulkarimi A. Brume, of
TEMPLARS LAW FIRM BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS. The Octagon, 564 A.J.Marinho Drive, V.I.Annexe. P.O.Box 66564 Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria. E-Mail: templlarslawfirm@execs.com

The fallback here is that e2k has no financial standing whatsoever, no bank account, financial reserves, nix!

Anyone who has been cheated by this type of criminal activity really deserves to be. The letter says 'SCAM' as you read it. A stranger selecting somebody to become a virtual millionaire for no actual work or outlay is absolute nonsense. As somebody [I don't remember who, but it was probably an American] said, "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Read more at http://www.snopes2.com/inboxer/scams/nigeria.htm

Even more scam !

Since the above has been written we have received a third 419 from no other than a Dr Fred Kanu who claims to be a Treasury Officer of Nigeria Telecommunications [NITEL] and this one offers 20% of US$25million. What a cracker! With all this money rolling about in Nigeria the streets must be paved with gold. This veritable fortune is reckoned to have been accrued "during the past military regimes in Nigeria."

Is Dr Fred Kanu [if that is not his legend] an ENIGMA 2000 member? He certainly ends his letter accordingly: "And always remember that this transaction must be kept top secret. Best regards, DR. FRED KANU"

DR. FRED KANU" <frkanu@omaninfo.com>

Something different from Simon Mason who writes:

While trawling through some old radio shows in my collection, I stumbled across this strange transmission that seems to have sent a 3 figure identifier over the UK's national airwaves. You can read about this here:
http://www.simonmason.karoo.net/page440.htm