Britain knew in advance of Equatorial Guinea coup plot: report

[maddezmom]

LONDON (AFP) - Britain reportedly knew about an alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea at least five weeks before a team of mercenaries was nabbed in Zimbabwe as they prepared to carry it out.

The weekly paper the Observer said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw confirmed this past week that London was "informed" of the alleged plot "in late January 2004," ahead of the March 7 arrest of the mercenaries in Zimbabwe.


Straw's disclosure was made in a "parliamentary answer" in the House of Commons to a question tabled by Michael Ancram, foreign affairs spokesman of the main opposition Conservative party.


"Until now, cabinet ministers have denied any prior knowledge of the attempted African coup, which would be illegal under international law," the Observer said.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1538&ncid=732&e=3&u=/afp/20041113/wl_uk_afp/britain_eguinea

[Minstrel Boy]

1. People could save a lot of time if they just assumed the worst

about everything that touches duplicitous bastards such as Straw. It's going to be proven true in six months' time.

[Robbien]

2. Since parliament knew about it and took no steps to stop it

Doesn't that mean parliament sanctioned the coup?

[catzies]

3. Is this the same coup that entangled Dame Maggie Thatcher's son,

or was that a different one entirely?

[MissB]

4. It is the same one.

Same one that Mark Thatcher has been apparently connected to.

[maddezmom]

5. another Link: Straw: We did know of Africa coup

~snip~

In a dramatic admission, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, confirmed that the government had been 'informed' of the alleged coup plot 'in late January 2004'. On 7 March a group of mercenaries, led by an Old Etonian and former SAS officer, Simon Mann, was arrested in Zimbabwe. They were charged with plotting a putsch.

Straw's disclosure is the latest twist in a remarkable tale that has dragged in several high-profile figures. In August, Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of the former British Prime Minister, was arrested in South Africa after being accused of helping to finance the coup to remove President Obiang. He faces criminal charges that he broke the country's anti-mercenary laws. Thatcher denies any knowledge or involvement in the plot.

~snip~

In August, The Observer reported accusations that an individual who was intimately involved in the alleged plot against Obiang was claiming British officials had advanced knowledge of the plot. Foreign Office officials dismissed the claims, issuing a categorical denial that Britain had 'prior knowledge of the alleged plot'.


At the time of the March arrests, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe accused Britain, the US and Spain of plotting a coup in the oil-rich West African state. The suggestion was that the coup was an attempt to gain control over Equatorial Guinea's new-found oil wealth that has turned the small country into Africa's third-biggest oil producer. These allegations have been strongly denied by foreign governments.


http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1350953,00.html?gusrc=rss

[omulcol]

8. Also heard rumours from the news that

the inimitable Lord J . Archer , denied helping Mark Thatcher with the financing of the coup.

In view of his past history read into that as you wish !

The British Government probably know much more than they'll ever admit to about this whole sordid story ... but one thing is for sure .... it's the greedy rich ... :pals: ... who attempted this coup anticipating huge returns from their investment from the vast oil potential there.


Can't work out yet why Straw admitted foreknowledge ..... he usually denies knowing even his christion name.

[Goathead]

6. Testing ground for government takeovers

Equatorial Guinea is the same place that writer Fredrick Forsyth was involved in a mercenary plot to takeover that country. Forsyth wrote "The Odessa File", "Day of the Jackal" and the "Dogs of War". In the "Dogs of War" he chronicled the events involving the attempted coup in that small African nation. In 1972, Frederick Forsyth led a $200,000 scheme to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea by kidnapping its president, Francisco Marcias Nguema.

[DulceDecorum]

9. Gotta a thread running on this

over in the old 911 forum.
Dogs of War.
Jonathan Bush is/was a big shot in Riggs Bank.
Riggs is up to its neck in this mess.
It is a Coalition thing.
Apparently Riggs was supposed to be sending huge sums of misappropriated cash
(paid by BIG OIL into of President Obiang's personal account)
back to the National Treasury of Equatorial Guinea.
Guess they preferred to come up with a coup.

After all, the first and most important of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition states:
Once you have their money, never give it back.

[emad]

12. Straw knew. Now Colon Bowel, his US counter-part, has resigned.

This feels like a long drawn out sting op, maybe Enron-related.

The more this slime rolls out the more unanswered questions are left wide open:

FARISH was dumped June/July this year and has not been replaced. Poppy's and Junior's Blind Trust bagman was ousted and no has officially said a word. Farish' role in Riggs remains UK Top Secret.

The Ambassadorial Residence, Winfield House in Regent's Park has, I understand, reverted to private UK/US ownership - by the same people who own all the major Crown Estate freeholds there: St John's Lodge, The Holme, Hanover Lodge and all the new developments opposite Winfield House next to the Regent's Park Mosque.

Wonder where on earth they will find a replacement Official Residence.

Maybe Poodle can come up with something in East London's Isle of Dogs????

[struggle4progress]

7. Coups at home and abroad. eom

[maddezmom]

10. new link: Straw faces pressure over African coup plot

David Pallister
Monday November 15, 2004
The Guardian

The government will come under increasing pressure this week to explain what action it took to protect British citizens in the West African state of Equatorial Guinea - after Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, admitted that he knew about the attempted coup six weeks before it took place in March.

Mr Straw's admission, in a terse four-word parliamentary answer, confirms reports that the plot - which has embroiled Sir Mark Thatcher in South Africa and a raft of his friends and associates - was known to western intelligence services.

He told the shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram that the government had known about the coup attempt "in late January 2004".

~snip~
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1351335,00.html

[AP]

14. Maybe they protected British citizens in EG by informing Mbecki about

the plot.

[yellowcanine]

11. This is huge. If Straw knew of plot and did not notify EG he might have

to resign. Did Tony Blair know? How could Straw know and Tony Blair not know? This could bring down the Blair government.

[AP]

13. Depends on whether it was the UK who tipped of South Africa.

He may have known beforehand, but -- and I haven't read the articles -- is the problem here that people think they didn't let SA know? The plot failed. If I were in the UK gov't I'd sort of want to hide the fact that I turned in the son of a former PM.

[yellowcanine]

16. So if Straw hears of a plot against the U.S. it is ok if he tells Mexico?

And not the U.S. if a British citizen is involved? I don't think so.

[AP]

17. It was South Africa that caught these guys. Don't you get it?

The UK might have shared their intelligence with SA and that could have been part of the reason the coup plotters got caught.

After the arrests the UK said they were not taking any extraordinary measures to protect the Brits from prosecution. This is also a gov't that has gone after Archer once before.

It's amazing that that knee jerk response is that Straw did something wrong. This government hates Thatcher and the Tories. It is way more likely that they shared intelligence to help stop the coup (which, psst, was unsuccessful).

[AP]

18. More reasonable explanation:

The gov't wanted to get Thatcher arrested. Couldn't trust EG. So they shared intelligence only with SA. They can't admit to the British public that they cooperated with SA to get British citizens arrested so they tried to hide their knowledge. The press, eager to sabotage Labour, ignores this possiblity. Instead tries to sell it as Labour cooperating with the coup plotters (which, I think, defies logic).

[emad]

15. Tories Demand Answers on 'Coup Plot'

The Scotsman

By Jamie Lyons, PA Political Correspondent


Ministers were facing fresh questions today over the alleged plot to overthrow the president of Equatorial Guinea.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has revealed the British Government knew about the alleged plot at least five weeks before a group of mercenaries was arrested in March for planning it.

Now shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram has demanded that Mr Straw give details of exactly what he knew.

He said: “I am now asking what did they know and where did they know it from?”
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3759454

Tories in deep shit over Boris Johnson dumping:

"Boris denies 'misleading' leader"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4012409.stm