NatWest 3 Land in Houston

When the Spiv-in-Chief was agreeing with the Americans on fast-track extradition, he demurely announced in the House of Commons that the change in the law was to assist with getting hardened terrorists to trial in the US. And them alone! It would not be for anyone else!

So the NatWest 3, as the banking executives accused of fraud in the Enron collapse are dubbed, have been short-changed by the fact that they have been caught up in this extradition nonsense. No court appearance for them to face their accusers. No opportunity to question the voracity of the evidence agaist them. Just the weasel words of a government that is itself at the heart of "dodgy dealings". And the Senate, slumbering along on Capitol Hill, have no intention of hurrying up ratification of the treaty that the British so stupidly signed in advance.

Why the slow pace? Because some senators are afraid that it may apply to Irish-Americans caught up in their own terrorist activities. What a load of hypocrites!

Both Blair and Bush are economical with the truth. They ride roughshod over decent lawmaking. What a pair! Bush has no right to lecture on democracy - for it was he who fiddled the vote in Florida. Blair is right now wondering if the boys in blue will come knocking.

"Prime Minister arrested!" screams the tabloid press. Unlikely, I'm sure, but as the BBC said tonight, NOT IMPOSSIBLE!

So the NatWest 3 are in jail in Houston awaiting their fate. Tomorrow (Friday) they appear in court. Blair told the House of Commons on Wednesday that US prosecutors would not oppose bail if appropriate conditions were met. What exactly does he mean? Baroness Scotland, Home Office minister, on a mission to meet those laggardly senators (I saw John Kerry scurrying into his office when a British TV crew approached!) says that the government is doing all it can. What precisely? Nobbling the judge?

And the BBC reports that none of this is being reported in Houston, let alone the US. I have checked with Click2Houston (NOTHING). But wait a minute! The Houston Chronicle is on the case! Here it is in blog form and as lead on the news. So the publicity is there, if limited!

This whole thing stinks. It is an offence against due process. This is not the end..........


(Q&A: Extradition and the 'NatWest Three')

Posted in: