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I would not read too much into the way in which the store was funded. It looks like a classic "bait and switch" type fraud often perpetrated by "Youth Organisations" on local government in the UK. I have a personal knowledge of such tricks as I was involved in a program to fund "community organisations" in London during the early 90s.

What classically happens is that the local council decides to allocate a fund to aid these organisations establish and run legitimate centres. Usually of course these would require the club or whatever to have some sort of track record in providing similar facilities and having properly audited financial records to support an application for funding. These safeguards are often waived on the basis that they are "instituionally racist" because these newly established groups should not be expected to provide such details as they are inexperienced in the requirements of English officialdom. Having established itself as legitimate by getting one grant, the organisation then applies for others from different organisations. No-one of course goes back to check that the purposes stated in the initial application are being pursued as either the people administering the programs are part of the whole scheme, established officials do not have the training to identify the fraud, people capable of checking have been sacked to make more funds available as grants or it would be too embarassing poitically for the council to admit the mistake. (All of this happened to the scheme I was involved in).

A further warning - everything coming from Israel or from Israel via the CIA or US administration should be taken with a pinch of salt. What both have long objected to is dissident groups being able to operate in the UK with what they consider impugnity and what the British consider a long tradition of providing asylum from persecution. The US administration is also very pissed off at the UK courts which block extradition to countries with the death penalty if there is a possibility of it being demanded. For that reason the US has to give a cast iron assurance that the death penalty is not an option.

by Londonbear on Tue Aug 2nd, 2005 at 11:19:25 PM EST
Bear, thanks again for your extensive reply and your knowledge of how things work over there, which is extraordinarily welcomed.

I'm honestly trying not to read too much into anything.  I want nothing more in the world than for the police to conduct an open and thorough and even-handed investigation that results in public, transparent trials.

That's what I pray for every day.

Pax

Night and day you can find me Flogging the Simian

by soj on Wed Aug 3rd, 2005 at 12:50:53 AM EST
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