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The taxpayer-funded Government Members’ Secretariat is doing party political work, according to former government adviser Greg Barns: Inside the propaganda machine

Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Paul McGeough: World Exclusive The dark background of Iraq's new Prime Minister
His enemies say he was an assassin for Saddam Hussein. Now Iyad Allawi is accused of personally executing prisoners.
Hold the doctor up to the light and there are flaws in the glass. We are not quite sure how Iyad Allawi became Iraq's interim Prime Minister and no one knows just how and why he fell out with Saddam Hussein. It is unclear whether his preoccupation with security outweighs a professed love for democracy or what that might mean for Iraq's 25 million people.
• Allawi shot prisoners in cold blood: witnesses: Hard man for a tough country [ via Allawi's Rocky road to the top ]
• · See Also The Federal Government denied allegations yesterday that the Israeli spy agency Mossad had obtained at least 25 false Australian passports
• · · See Also Terror war a fight to the death: PM [link to Advancing the National Interest is the Government's - and Australia's - second foreign and trade policy White Paper www.dfat.gov.au/ani/foreword.html Foreign Minister Alexander Downer yesterday released the white paper outlining the nature of the terrorist threat facing Australia and the root causes ] [Dollars and sense: trends in intelligence resourcing Punishment and praise won’t bring the best intelligence advice]
• · · · Beyond the wire Canberra's softened attitude on asylum seekers can be put down in part to how a family's suffering touched a Government MP
• · · · · See Also Democratic breakdown: Winner take all system would be a step backward for Czech democracy
• · · · · · · By-elections: British reaction [ via Every hotel room in Leicester was fully booked last night - unscientific but telling proof of the importance the byelection held for Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy]