Senlis Report: Double NATO Troops, Caveat Free, Into PAK

[DualCore]

"Google fu"?  I understand "Google", but "fu"? -- is that an acronym of a famous expression?

Thanks for the reply, but the question was rhetorical.

I'm all for Senlis Council publishing their opinions, and it is certainly a cuter name than "Crazy Old Man Ranting at the Corner of Yonge and Dundas (COMRCYD)", and it might not have damaged its reputation as much as UNICEF, World Bank, Club of Rome, Council of Canadians, ...

But, would it not be possible for Canadian Journalism to find a portfolio of opinions leaders, who would first establish their credibility (starting with their names) and then give us some opinions on the way forward?

Instead it is the mighty Senlis Council, and a stack of old political hacks.  I guess Ruxted Group sounds too much like Teddy Ruxpin to be taken seriously by the old Brahmans:  Newman, Mansbridge, Travers, ...

 

[McG]

Google fu = ninja like skills with "The Google"

http://www.senliscouncil.net/

... and on this site "Who is the Senlis Council" in the search tool will get you this:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/65738.0.html
(but you should have known thet, eh?)

 

[DualCore]

Not only should I have known that, but I did know that, since I wrote it.

The Senlis Council site is a little more flashy than the last time I visited, but "About Us" continues to tell us that Senlis Council is a Vancouver QC and a London (UK?) Executive Director.

Although like the Polo Store in Banff, they are Brussels, Kabul, London, Paris, Ottawa, Rio  -- I'm blushing with pride that they have a Canadian Office, plus they are in Russell Square in London (where the Australian backpackers drink), and Ipanema in Rio (where girls where bikinins), ....

More interestingly, the website is run by a Paris company called Nameshield, which provides a "Name-Shield" service.  After all, who would want to participate in a debate using their own name!

The Canadian Media is cheerfully being led around by the nose by some organization that barely admits it exists, yet mysteriously dominates the debate.  Is there a university, think-tank, charity, government office ... that anyone has ever heard of that could possibly join the Afghanistan debate -- or more precisely, would the CBC, Tor Star, Globe and Mail, ... consider publicising their contributions?

(Note: I may have missed your sarcasm in the previous post -- sorry)

 

[zipperhead_cop]

More interestingly, the website is run by a Paris company called Nameshield, which provides a "Name-Shield" service.  After all, who would want to participate in a debate using their own name!

So, Mr. Core, did your parents name you Duel for a relitive on your mom's or dad's side?  ;D

As for who they are, here is a pic of Ms. MacDonald (not only the president, but also a client):

Doubtless, the gear makes for huge street cred.
Here is a transparent spoon fed interview that outlines their poppy idea:
http://www.senliscouncil.net/home/modules/about_us

And here is a pic of the executive director Emmanuel Reinert:

 

[Flip]

I'm still troubled by this question.....

Who pays for the coffee and donuts?

Enquiring minds want to know!    ;D

In a way the rhetorical question is fair.
Senlis enjoys a great deal of exposure.
Then again having gone there - they get some legitimacy.......
It might be nice if some (more) CF members who have been there
were to get some air time......And a donut!

 

[The Bread Guy]

Ladies and gentlemen, at long last (almost 2 weeks), an angle CBC can get behind from the release:

Think-tank suggests Afghans grow ingredient in anti-malarial drugs
CBC News, 5 Dec 07, 12:21 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/12/05/afghan-farmers.html

A security and development policy group wants to add another option to its Poppy for Medicine Proposal, a initiative announced earlier in 2007 intended to encourage Afghan farmers to use their fields to grow drugs other than opium.  The Senlis Council, an international policy think tank, is proposing a project in which Afghan farmers grow plants containing Artemisinin, an ingredient in newly developed, potent anti-malarial drugs.  The Senlis Council, an international policy think tank, is proposing a project in which Afghan farmers grow plants containing Artemisinin, an ingredient in anti-malarial drugs, instead of poppies.  The idea is that farmers can cultivate the plant, Artemisia annua L., as a cash crop that would benefit their communities and increase farmers' incomes. The Artemisinin would be extracted from the harvested plants and sold to the Afghan government ....

 

[DualCore]

re: zipperhead

Nice photos zipperhead, but you have not moved the ball forward there.  Or as you might say, you have not "kicked the darkness till it bleeds daylight".

I do vaguely recall seeing the glorious Ms McDonald interviewed on the CBC, and without disguise, or Islamic-compliant-headgear, or whatever she is wearing on her head. 

The darkness here is why these two people (whose faces are now on record here at milnet.ca) and their anonymous allies command the dopey old men who control Canadian journalism.  If you have the contracts or voice-mails between Emmanuel and Peter Mansbridge, do please post them.  I completely understand why Peter tells us the opinions of Bush, Blair, Putin, Im-a-Dinner-Jacket, Henry Kissinger, Red Cross, Nobel Society, Al Gore, Michel Moore, Ariana Huffington, John Bolton, Naomi Klein, Rick Mercer, .... but I am completely dumbfounded how Ms McDonald and Emmanuel came to dominate the Canadian debate on Afghanistan. 

In this matter, Darkness continues to reign.

 

[Greymatters]

Think-tank suggests Afghans grow ingredient in anti-malarial drugs
CBC News, 5 Dec 07, 12:21 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/12/05/afghan-farmers.html

... to grow drugs other than opium...
...The Senlis Council, an international policy think tank, is proposing a project in which Afghan farmers grow plants containing Artemisinin, an ingredient in newly developed, potent anti-malarial drugs...
...The idea is that farmers can cultivate the plant, Artemisia annua L., as a cash crop that would benefit their communities and increase farmers' incomes...

Being unfamiliar with the proposed substitute plant, Artemisia annua aka Wormwood, I was interested in finding out if the plant was actually edible, thus making it actually useful, or even if it would even grow in Afghanistan.

(Link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_annua
and here: http://www.genhealth.com/Products/Vitaklenz/Ingredients/wormwood.htm)

I found the Health Warning to be of more interest:

Wormwood should not be taken in large amounts or long-term. This herb has been declared unsafe for use during pregnancy due to its uterine and menstrual stimulating effects. Due to the lack of sufficient reliable information, wormwood should not be used while breastfeeding(4). The constituents of wormwood include absinthin, anabsinthin (both bitter compounds), and a volatile oil that is 70% thujone (4).  Habitual large doses of wormwood can cause a range of undesirable effects. These may include restlessness, insomnia, nightmares, vomiting, abdominal pains, dizziness, tremors, convulsions and urinary tract disfunction. Thujone’s toxicity can cause various effects as the amount of wormwood consumed increases, including seizures, delerium and hallucinations in extreme cases. Some researchers believe that thujone’s mind altering effects are similar to THC in marijuana (4).

Okay, so they want the farmers to grow a THC plant instead of an opiate plant?  How is this better?

 

[The Bread Guy]

Maybe they think the world absinthe market is about to explode? 

 

[Good2Golf]

As an aside, does anyone have a copy of the AAR from the Senlis Afghanistan Simulation conducted in September?  Anybody know who EXCON, HICON and LOCON were?  Participants?

Just wondering,
G2G