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The good news is that I found Steve on face book .... Everything is OK - he took a break from world news events and was also forced off the internet after moving. If you would like to get in touch with him, let me know.
Oh, that's good to hear. Do you know if he is returning or not?
Re: Happy Birthday « Result #4 on Jun 23, 2009, 8:35am »
The good news is that I found Steve on face book .... Everything is OK - he took a break from world news events and was also forced off the internet after moving. If you would like to get in touch with him, let me know.
Ballad Street « Result #7 on Apr 17, 2009, 7:44pm »
Ballad Street
A friendly, unique chat community!
Here at Ballad street, we're a second family. Friendly staff, friendly members, and lots to talk about. Why should you join? Thousands of posts, lots of topics, we're active and still new!
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 301 Location: Forum World. Karma: 4
Re: Hello All « Result #8 on Mar 23, 2009, 5:36pm »
Hi Flemming, welcome. This forum is sort of closed due to the disappearence of its administrator some months ago. Feel free to post but don't expect any fast replies, if at all.
Attention- Supporters of Barrack Obama « Result #9 on Mar 16, 2009, 2:57pm »
Im not sure how everyone else here feels about our new president-elect but I myself am incredibly happy. I believe that Barrack Obama can bring change to America and unite the parties together that we have been desperately lacking throughout the last 8 years. It is a historical moment for our time, we have now just elected the first black President in American history which is a huge step for us as a country. Let’s make the history memorable by possessing a memento Blue Souvenir Card. of President Obama on the front. I’m waiting to see if Obama can deliver his promises but i sincerely believe that he will.
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 301 Location: Forum World. Karma: 4
The Forums Future « Result #11 on Dec 18, 2008, 8:20pm »
Dear all members & guests,
Steve Gardner, Administrator of this forum now hasn't logged in for over 4 months and as we've had no message from him regarding his disappearance I think it's safe to say that from what evidence we have he will not be returning.
I do not have the powers to put the forum in either Maintenance Mode or Guests Must Login and therefore this message is the only evidence of this forums closure, unless Steve returns.
Thank you for being superb members and it's been a shame to watch this forum fade away.
Hollywood legend Paul Newman has died of cancer at the age of 83, his spokeswoman has confirmed.
The blue-eyed star of films like Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid had died at home on Friday surrounded by family and close friends, said Jeff Sanderson.
Newman was nominated for an Oscar 10 times, winning the best actor trophy in 1987 for The Color Of Money.
Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 46 Location: 47° N, 92° W Karma: 1
MEDUSA Ray Gun « Result #15 on Sept 22, 2008, 4:46am »
Crowd-Controlling MEDUSA Ray Gun Puts Voices Inside Your Head
The Sierra Nevada Corporation claimed this week that it is ready to begin production on the MEDUSA, a damned scary ray gun that uses the "microwave audio effect" to implant sounds and perhaps even specific messages inside people's heads. Short for Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio, MEDUSA creates the audio effect with short microwave pulses. The pulses create a shockwave inside the skull that's detected by the ears, and basically makes you think you're going balls-to-the-wall batshit insane. The MEDUSA can also "produce recognizable sounds" and is aimed primarily at military uses, but New Scientist revealed there are other uses in the works, too.
And if you're thinking ear plugs are this thing's Kryptonite, think again. Lee Sadovnik of Sierra Nevada Corp. said normal audio safety limits are off the table since the sound bypasses the eardrums and emanates from within the skull. "The repel effect is a combination of loudness and the irritation factor," he said. "You can’t block it out."
Wet blanket James Lin of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Illinois in Chicago wants more testing done, however, because of the perceived health ramifications of such a device. Lin said lower, whisper-level intensities work fine, but the higher incapacitating levels expected by the military could fry more than a few brains out on the battlefield. "I would worry about what other health effects it is having," Lin said. "You might see neural damage."
And those "other uses" hinted at above? Try subliminal advertising; or suggestive subconscious comments that you don't really "hear" but can influence decision-making anyway. Or, alternatively, the beam can be ramped up to 11 and just kill you outright. WIN!
Might want to turn off guest posting, or the spambots will eat you alive!
I've deleted the spam post. I've managed to keep on top of the spam posts so far, but could you please in future refrain from posting off-topic on the thread and PM me the link to the post instead.
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 301 Location: Forum World. Karma: 4
Third body found at arson mansion « Result #21 on Sept 1, 2008, 4:04pm »
Will the three bodies turn out to be Christopher Foster and his family or will it be his wife and some others? It's a strange story, and I'll be interested to hearing the outcome.
I will be most interested in seeing whether Christopher killed his family, or whether they were prepared for it themselves.
We can only wait and see what the outcome is with who the bodies are.
My Prediction: Christopher Foster couldn't put himself through losing all his money and living in a council flat he killed his family and then himself so he didn't have to live with it.
A third body has been found in the remains of a millionaire businessman's mansion destroyed in an arson attack.
The bodies of Jill Foster, 49, and an unidentified man were found in the ruins of Osbaston House in Maesbrook, Shropshire, days after Tuesday's blaze.
Kirstie Foster, 15, and her father Christopher, 50, remain unaccounted for.
Police specialist search teams found the remains of a third person on Sunday evening, a spokesperson said.
Detectives have said they are treating the case as a murder inquiry.
Post-mortem tests revealed Mrs Foster had been shot in the head prior to the blaze, which police said was started deliberately at about 0500 BST last Tuesday.
Tests were being carried out to establish whether a rifle, which was legitimately owned by Mr Foster, was the murder weapon.
Officers said the cause of death for the second body, believed to be a man, still had to be established, along with the dead person's identity.
Three horses and four dogs were also found dead in different parts of the house. All had been shot.
Det Supt Jon Groves, of West Mercia Police, said it would take "some time" to remove the third body from the scene "due to its position".
However, he said police were hoping to remove it from the house by the end of the day, with a post-mortem examination taking place later.
He said a forensic archaeologist would be visiting the site later in the morning to offer specialist advice on removing the body.
He thanked the local community for its support over the last week.
The Fosters were last seen the night before the blaze at a friend's barbecue and Kirstie had been online until about 0100 BST on the morning of the fire.
Mr Foster made his fortune developing insulation technology for oil rigs.
Court documents show that his company, Ulva Ltd, which had gone into liquidation, faced legal action from one of its suppliers for thousands of pounds and also owed about £800,000 in tax.
Kirstie wrote on her page on the social networking site Bebo that her horses were her "life" and posted dozens of pictures of her with the animals.
Friends of hers have been leaving messages on her page.
One friend, Chloe, wrote: "I can't belive that one of the bodys was your mam. RIP Jill Foster. I hope that the other body isnt your dad.
"An I hope they dont find any mor an your just havin a week somewer with your dad or sumink."
Another friend, Danielle, referred to Kirstie's horses - Scrumpy Jack, Breezy and Bramble - which were found dead in the outbuildings of the mansion.
She wrote: "I miss you soo much. My thorts are with you 24/7 and there are some points in the day i just wanna break down and cry.
"Life feels weird without you. Please be okay, otherwise I dunno wat ill doo. RIP Jill and Jack and Breezy and Bramble."
Her friend George wrote: "Plz b ok kirstie. We r all thinkin bowt u."
Another friend called Lucy added: "Forever in our hearts, once there forever in our lives."
Kirstie's head teacher at Ellesmere College Brendan Wignall said it would be "inappropriate to comment" at the moment.
'Deeply concerned'
In a statement, he said: "We are awaiting confirmation of identity from West Mercia Constabulary; despite the obvious speculation, I feel that it would be inappropriate to comment further until facts had been confirmed by the authorities.
"We are all deeply concerned about this latest development in the ongoing investigation."
Special prayers for the family were held on Sunday at Maesbrook Parish Church.
The Reverend Prebendary David Austerberry said the local community had been "bewildered and stunned" by what had happened.
Mr Groves said: "We have had a lot of support and understanding from members of the community and I would like to thank residents for that.
"The search and examination of the property is continuing and is still expected to take several days, possibly even weeks, and I am grateful for the continued support of those living in the area.
"Our thoughts remain with the families of Chris, Jill and Kirstie Foster and we will follow up every possible line of enquiry to establish what happened at Osbaston House in the early hours of Tuesday."
Hillary Clinton has called on Democrats to unite behind Barack Obama as the party's presidential candidate, saying she was his "proud supporter".
Speaking at the party's nominating convention, Mrs Clinton said they could not afford to lose to the Republicans.
"Whether you voted for me or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose."
Mr Obama, who beat Mrs Clinton in the primary race, will formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday night.
He will stand against Republican John McCain in the presidential election on 4 November.
Mrs Clinton, who was given a standing ovation as she took the stage, thanked those who supported her through her primary campaign but said Mr Obama was now "my candidate".
"We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines," she said.
The party could not afford "to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people", she said.
Mrs Clinton talked of the reasons why she fought to win the nomination - including creating a universal and affordable health care system, fighting for an America defined by equality, and restoring the US's standing in the world.
"Those are the reasons I ran for president. Those are the reasons I support Barack Obama. And those are the reasons you should too," she said.
She described Mr McCain as "my colleague and my friend" but went on to attack his record and links with President George W Bush.
"We don't need four more years of the last eight years," she said.
Mr Obama watched the speech from Montana and said it was an "outstanding" appeal for Democratic unity.
Mrs Clinton delivered the compulsory appeal for party unity but no one knows if it will be enough to change the minds of die-hard Hillary supporters, some of whom have threatened to vote for Mr McCain, says the BBC's Kevin Connolly in Denver.
If Mr Obama wins in November, her speech will be remembered as a gracious salute from a defeated rival; if he loses, then this may be interpreted as the first speech of Campaign 2012, our correspondent says.
'Deep faith'
Giving the convention's keynote speech beforehand, ex-Virginia Governor Mark Warner said Mr Obama was the leader the US needed in the "race for the future".
"We need a president who understands the world today, the future we seek, and the change we need," he said.
He also attacked Mr McCain as promising "more of the same" as the Bush administration.
Mr Warner is running for a Senate seat in Virginia, targeted as an important swing state by the Democrats in November.
He commented on the daunting prospect of speaking after the last convention keynote speaker - Mr Obama in 2004 - and before Mrs Clinton in 2008, but said Americans should let hope replace fear.
"Tonight, looking out at all of you, and with a deep faith in the character and resolve of the American people, I am more confident than ever that we will win that race and make the future ours," he concluded.
Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean sought earlier to dampen criticism that the convention so far had been too soft on Mr McCain, saying there was still "plenty of time" for tough-talking.
He also played down suggestions of a rift between supporters of Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton, saying there was "not a unity problem".
Personal tensions
Mrs Clinton had already thrown her political weight behind Mr Obama and also dismissed suggestions that the party was divided.
But opinion polls suggest that despite her repeated statements of support for Mr Obama, some of her supporters say they would rather vote for Mr McCain than for her former rival.
A poll from CNN/Opinion Research Corp suggests American voters are evenly divided between Mr Obama and Mr McCain, at 47% each.
Mr McCain is due to be nominated next week at the Republican Party's convention in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota.
He campaigned in Arizona on Tuesday, telling veterans that Mr Obama's opposition to the Iraq war and preference for multilateral diplomacy could undermine US leadership in the world.
On the attack
While the first night of the convention was devoted to fleshing out the life story of Barack Obama, Tuesday was billed as "Renewing America's Promise" and featured political heavyweights, including state governors and prominent House and Senate leaders.
Iowa Governor Chet Culver used his time on the convention floor to suggest big oil firms were backing Mr McCain, "bankrolling his campaign and gambling with our future".
Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a Clinton supporter, also attacked Mr McCain's energy policy, suggesting he was more interested in giving tax cuts to oil firms than in safeguarding the environment.
Mrs Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, takes the stage on Wednesday night, when Mr Obama is to be formally nominated.
Democratic officials are said to have brokered a deal between the Obama and Clinton camps for the nomination that is meant to appease die-hard Clinton supporters.
Some states would be allowed to cast votes for both Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton on Wednesday before the roll call is ended with the unanimous nomination of Barack Obama.
The first African-American to be nominated as a mainstream US presidential candidate, he makes his appearance on the closing night of the conference, when he is to address a crowd of an expected 80,000 people at a sports stadium.
Re: Happy Birthday Teddy! « Result #24 on Aug 11, 2008, 10:24am »
Hey thanks Jack! This is my first login for over a week so I didn't see your post. Had a nice day at the beach thanks, with the kids and the missus! Cheers, Teddy
Explanation: Of course, everyone is concerned about what to wear to a solar eclipse. No need to worry though, nature often conspires to project images of the eclipse so that stylish and appropriate patterns adorn many visible surfaces - including clothing - at just the right time. Most commonly, small gaps between leaves on trees can act as pinhole cameras and generate multiple recognizable images of the eclipse. In Madrid to view the 2005 October 3rd annular eclipse of the Sun, astronomer Philippe Haake met a friend who had another inspiration. The result, a grid of small holes in a kitchen strainer produced this pattern of images on an 'eclipse shirt'. While Yesterday's solar eclipse was total only along a narrow path beginning in northern Canada, extending across the Arctic, and ending in China, a partial eclipse could be seen from much of Europe and Asia.
The International Space Station Transits the Sun Credit & Copyright: Martin Wagner
Explanation: That's no sunspot. It's the International Space Station (ISS) caught by chance passing in front of the Sun. Sunspots, individually, have a dark central umbra, a lighter surrounding penumbra, and no solar panels. By contrast, the ISS is a complex and multi-spired mechanism, one of the largest and most sophisticated machines ever created by humanity. Also, sunspots occur on the Sun, whereas the ISS orbits the Earth. Transiting the Sun is not very unusual for the ISS, which orbits the Earth about every 90 minutes, but getting one's timing and equipment just right for a great image is rare. Strangely, besides that fake spot, the Sun, last week, lacked any real sunspots. Sunspots have been rare on the Sun since the dawn of the current Solar Minimum, a period of low solar activity. Although fewer sunspots have been recorded during this Solar Minimum than for many previous decades, the low solar activity is not, as yet, very unusual.
The first athletes have checked into Beijing's newly-built Olympic village, with 12 days to go until the Games.
China's basketball star Yao Ming and hurdler Liu Xiang were present for a flag-raising ceremony at the heavily guarded site.
The opening came on a muggy morning and correspondents reported a haze of pollution over the village's complex of luxurious, high-rise apartments.
In all 16,000 competitors will stay there during the games.
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Beijing, says the flats - housing either four or eight people each - have been built to an unusually high environmental standard for China.
Solar energy will power some of the buildings, and unlike most of China, residents will be able to drink the water straight from the tap.
Specially extended beds have been installed for taller athletes.
Food safety is a concern in China, so everything served to the athletes will have undergone spot checks at mobile laboratories, our correspondent says.
Key to the village
Speaking at the opening ceremony, a vice-president of Beijing's organising committee, Chen Zhili, said: "We now welcome athletes from around the world to come to the Games."
Chen, the so-called mayor of the village, added: "We will try to satisfy the needs of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds."
She received a symbolic gold key to the village from organizing committee president Liu Qi, also the head of Beijing's Communist Party.
Chinese athletes were the first to check into the village.
The flats will be refitted and sold after the Olympics.
Reports say they will cost up to $1m (£500,000) - considered a high price even in Beijing's soaring property market.
IC 4406: A Seemingly Square Nebula Credit: C. R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt U.) et al., Hubble Heritage Team, NASA
Explanation: How can a round star make a square nebula? This conundrum comes to light when studying planetary nebulae like IC 4406. Evidence indicates that IC 4406 is likely a hollow cylinder, with its square appearance the result of our vantage point in viewing the cylinder from the side. Were IC 4406 viewed from the top, it would likely look similar to the Ring Nebula. This representative-color picture is a composite made by combining images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2001 and 2002. Hot gas flows out the ends of the cylinder, while filaments of dark dust and molecular gas lace the bounding walls. The star primarily responsible for this interstellar sculpture can be found in the planetary nebula's center. In a few million years, the only thing left visible in IC 4406 will be a fading white dwarf star.
When Storms Collide Credit: NASA, ESA, Amy Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center), N. Chanover (NMSU), G. Orton (JPL)
Explanation: These detailed Hubble Space Telescope close-ups feature Jupiter's ancient swirling storm system known as the Great Red Spot. They also follow the progress of two newer storm systems that have grown to take on a similar reddish hue: the smaller "Red Spot Jr." (bottom), and smaller still, a "baby red spot". Red Spot Jr. was seen to form in 2006, while the smaller spot was just identified earlier this year. For scale, the Great Red Spot has almost twice the diameter of planet Earth. Moving horizontally from left to right past the Great Red Spot, Red Spot Jr. clearly went below the larger storm, but the smaller spot was pulled in. Emerging on the right, the baby spot's stretched and now paler shape is indicated by the arrow in the frame from July 8. It is expected that the baby red spot will be pulled back and merge, becoming part of the giant storm system.
“We all do no end of feeling, and mistake it for thinking.” - Mark Twain
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,465 Location: Bury St Edmunds Karma: 7
Apollo 14 astronaut claims aliens HAVE made... « Result #42 on Jul 23, 2008, 1:32pm »
...contact - but it has been covered up for 60 years
I truly don't buy the idea we've been visted by aliens. I do think that strange objects have been spotted in our skies and I believe they are 'real' flying machines as opposed to cloud formations or some other natural phenomenon. I think they are simply what you'd expect them to be: sophisticated military machines that have been developed in secret locations.
All of which begs the question: why would there ever be a 'disclosure' about alien visitation?
If my 'theory' is right, there can only be one answer, can't there?
Alien shave contacted humans several times but governments have hidden the truth for 60 years, the sixth man to walk on the moon has claimed.
Apollo 14 astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell, said he was aware of many UFO visits to Earth during his career with NASA but each one was covered up.
Dr Mitchell, 77, said during a radio interview that sources at the space agency who had had contact with aliens described the beings as 'little people who look strange to us.'
He said supposedly real-life ET's were similar to the traditional image of a small frame, large eyes and head.
Chillingly, he claimed our technology is 'not nearly as sophisticated' as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned 'we would be been gone by now'.
Dr Mitchell, along with with Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard, holds the record for the longest ever moon walk, at nine hours and 17 minutes following their 1971 mission.
'I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real,' Dr Mitchell said.
'It's been well covered up by all our governments for the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have been privileged to have been briefed on some of it. alien
'I've been in military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit.'
Dr Mitchell, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics claimed Roswell was real and similar alien visits continue to be investigated.
He told the astonished Kerrang! radio host Nick Margerrison: "This is really starting to open up. I think we're headed for real disclosure and some serious organisations are moving in that direction.'
Mr Margerrison said: 'I thought I'd stumbled on some sort of astronaut humour but he was absolutely serious that aliens are definitely out there and there's no debating it.'
Officials from NASA, however, were quick to play the comments down.
In a statement, a spokesman said: "NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover up about alien life on this planet or anywhere in the universe.
'Dr Mitchell is a great American, but we do not share his opinions on this issue.'
“We all do no end of feeling, and mistake it for thinking.” - Mark Twain
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,465 Location: Bury St Edmunds Karma: 7
Re: German Grand Prix « Result #43 on Jul 23, 2008, 12:54pm »
Yep, good race. Nice to see a bit of overtaking action. And good to see Glock is making a quick return to action - that smash looked nasty. Just goes to show how extraordinarily well-engineered those cars are.
Looks like it might be Hamilton's year. Good from a British perspective but I have to say, I find him hard to 'like' as a person. I can't really explain why - he's got all the right qualities but just comes across as a smarmy git.
And you're right: he really did dig McLaren out of a hole. It might have been more interesting had Alonso found himself in Piquet's position after Hamilton's stop. Can you imagine him giving Hamilton the room to pass? I can't - not without a hefty shunt anyway.
“We all do no end of feeling, and mistake it for thinking.” - Mark Twain
Joined: Nov 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,465 Location: Bury St Edmunds Karma: 7
Re: 'Mission change' for UK in Iraq « Result #45 on Jul 23, 2008, 10:28am »
I get really fed up reading about our 'mission' in Iraq. I've said so much elsewhere that I'm reluctant to repeat myself but phrases such as the 'democratically-elected government' really piss me off.
We all know the Iraqi government is a US puppet but our politicians constantly repeat the lie in order to give it some legitimacy.
And, whilst the detention of British troops is no laughing matter, any complaint we may have about them having been '"unjustifiably" held for more than a year in Iraq' pales into insignificance when compared to the situation in Guantanamo and the practice of extraordinary rendition.
Of course, there's the obligatory swipe at Iran, who are yet again accused of interfering in a country we invaded and are now occupying. Doesn't anyone find that perverse?
Batman star Christian Bale has been bailed by police after being questioned about allegations he assaulted his mother and sister.
The 34-year-old was arrested and held for more than four hours after earlier attending a central London police station by appointment.
Mr Bale is alleged to have lashed out at his mother and sister in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel on Sunday.
He has been released on bail until September pending further inquiries.
The Welsh-born actor stars in the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight.
"A 34-year-old man attended a police station in central London by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault," a police spokesman said.
The Hollywood star attended the European premiere of The Dark Knight last night in London's Leicester Square.
He had been due to meet radio journalists at the Dorchester to promote the film on Tuesday afternoon.
It has been reported that the assault allegation was originally filed at a police station in Hampshire.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed it had received an allegation from another force.
Mr Bale rose to fame as the child star of Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun.
He went on to play Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and had leading roles in Shaft and Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
In 2005, he took on the role of the Caped Crusader in Batman Begins and reprised the role in The Dark Knight.
Explanation: What are these humans doing? Dancing. Many humans on Earth exhibit periods of happiness, and one method of displaying happiness is dancing. Happiness and dancing transcend political boundaries and occur in practically every human society. Above, Matt Harding traveled through many nations on Earth, started dancing, and filmed the result. The video is perhaps a dramatic example that humans from all over planet Earth feel a common bond as part of a single species. Happiness is frequently contagious -- few people are able to watch the above video without smiling.
Gordon Brown says he expects a "fundamental change of mission" for British forces in Iraq early next year.
In his last Commons statement on Iraq before MPs' summer recess, the prime minister said 4,100 UK troops will stay in Iraq "for the next few months".
Updating MPs on his visit there, he said as progress was made troop numbers "will continue to reduce".
But Conservative leader David Cameron warned him not to announce troop reductions prematurely.
In his statement, Mr Brown also called for the immediate release of British hostages "unjustifiably" held for more than a year in Iraq.
Key tasks
He said there had been a "marked improvement" in conditions in Basra, with incidents of indirect fire on British troops down from 200 a month to an average of less than five a month since April.
Violent incidents across Iraq were at their lowest since 2004 and the improvements in security were increasingly Iraqi-led.
The focus of the 4,100 troops still in southern Iraq was now on completing the task of training and mentoring the 14th Division of the Iraqi Army in Basra.
"As we complete these tasks and as progress continues across these different areas, we will continue to reduce the number of British troops in Iraq," he said.
"We would expect another fundamental change of mission in the first few months of 2009 as we make the transition to a long-term bilateral relationship with Iraq."
'Incredible job'
He urged Syria to "clamp down on the movement of foreign fighters" and warned Iran to "stop the provision of arms and training to those who attack a democratically-elected government in Iraq or the coalition forces in Iraq and the Iraqi people".
Mr Cameron praised the "incredible job" carried out in "difficult circumstances" by British troops, but he said he would judge the prime minister by his action, not his words.
"Clearly, everyone wants to see our forces withdrawn from Iraq as soon as it is practical to do so," he said.
"But do you agree with me that looking back over the last year, there are two important lessons to learn? The first is that we shouldn't make premature announcements about troops withdrawals which cannot then be delivered."
Earlier, the Commons defence committee said the security situation in the country had been "transformed".
But UK training of Iraqi forces in Basra must be a "medium-to-long-term project", it said.
Maintaining a sizeable training commitment was important to ensuring Britain remained an influential player in Iraq, as the country - potentially one of the biggest oil-producers in the Middle East - recovered its power and prosperity.
Stability 'vital'
It said the success of an anti-militia operation, largely carried out by the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) with British and US support, had led to a "seismic shift" in the balance of power in the city.
Last year, all training had been carried out at the main UK base at Basra Airport because it had been too dangerous to operate outside, but now the teams were with their Iraqi "parent" units around the region.
The committee said that it was "vital" to the stability of southern Iraq that their work was able to continue, even as overall British force levels were reduced.
The committee said that, while there was now a high degree of security in Basra, some areas of the city were not yet fully under the control of the ISF.
"There is no doubt that more remains to be done. The UK government must ensure that it continues to provide support to the ISF to ensure that the progress which has been made is not lost and that Basra does not slip back into instability," the committee warned.
It said Iran - previously accused by Britain of supplying sophisticated explosive devices to the Iraqi militias - could continue to cause trouble in the country.
Conservative MP James Arbuthnot, who led a committee visit to Basra this year, said the city had been "completely transformed" in the last 12 months.
"Last year when we were there, there seemed to be rocket and mortar attacks coming in every couple of hours or so. This year, we were there for five days - not a single rocket or mortar attack," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
"The removal of the militia from their malign influence in Basra in March and April by Prime Minister Maliki had made a complete change to the prospects in Basra and we were very encouraged."
Progressive handover
Retired Maj Gen Tim Cross, who was the most senior UK officer involved in post-war planning in Iraq, warned: "Events will drive us, as they always do.
"The situation on the ground will drive us, and there will be, I am sure, many ups and downs in the next few months."
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Getting to the point where you can hand over responsibility to the in-place Iraqi forces is key to us being able to move on.
"We need to work alongside them, generally speaking, hand over progressively. The intent of handing over Basra airport will be the culmination of that."
Joined: Feb 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 301 Location: Forum World. Karma: 4
German Grand Prix « Result #49 on Jul 20, 2008, 1:47pm »
Did anyone watch the race? I did, Mclaren definatly made a big mess up and thankfully for them Hamilton got it back for them. Great race, very close and pretty thrilling.
Lewis Hamilton moved into a four-point championship lead after a brilliant victory in the German Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver led from the start but a comfortable win was put in doubt by his team's decision not to pit him during a safety car period.
Hamilton dropped to fourth when he did finally stop under racing conditions.
But team-mate Heikki Kovalainen let the Englishman by, and Hamilton was able to catch and pass Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Renault's Nelson Piquet.
Hamilton passed Massa on lap 57 when the Brazilian made it too easy for the McLaren driver.
Massa appeared to have the inside line into the hairpin covered, but he then went back to the outside, giving Hamilton the chance to take the place.
Hamilton then quickly closed the two-second gap to Piquet and passed him in the same place, and in similar fashion on lap 60.
Piquet found himself in the lead because he was on a one-stop strategy, and he had just made his pit stop when the safety car was deployed.
He took the lead when first Hamilton and then BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld stopped.
But the novice was in no position to hold off the charging Hamilton in a much faster car.
He was, however, more than capable of holding off Massa, who was unable to catch the Renault before the end of the race.
It was Renault's first podium finish since the Japanese Grand Prix last year, and it was ironic that it should come from a man who has been overshadowed by team-mate Fernando Alonso this year.
By contrast, Alonso had a race to forget - he was stuck behind slower cars for the entire afternoon, but none of his overtaking attempts came off, and several of them ended with him being outfoxed by rivals and losing a place to the car behind him.
He also spun late in the race, losing a position he had just taken from Nico Rosberg's Williams, and finished in 11th place.
Massa's performance was also unimpressive, it was better than team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who was uncompetitive all weekend.
After qualifying sixth, the Finn never looked like being a factor in the race, and he finished in the same place.
He is now seven points behind Hamilton as the world championship battle continues to see-saw from race to race.
BMW benefited from their decision not to pit Heidfeld under the safety as the German took fourth place ahead of Kovalainen.
Heidfeld had been out of the top 10 for much of the first part of the race.
Kubica was running fourth in the first part of the race, having passed Alonso and Raikkonen on the first lap, but he lost out to the Finn once racing resumed after the safety car.
Crescent Rhea Occults Crescent Saturn Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA
Explanation: Soft hues, partially lit orbs, a thin trace of the ring, and slight shadows highlight this understated view of the majestic surroundings of the giant planet Saturn. Looking nearly back toward the Sun, the robot Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn captured crescent phases of Saturn and its moon Rhea in color a few years ago. As striking as the above image is, it is but a single frame from a recently released 60-frame silent movie where Rhea can be seen gliding in front of its parent world. Since Cassini was nearly in the plane of Saturn's rings, the normally impressive rings are visible here only as a thin line across the image center. Although Cassini has now concluded its primary mission, its past successes and opportunistic location have prompted NASA to start a two-year Equinox Mission, further exploring not only Saturn's enigmatic moons Titan and Enceladus, but Saturn herself as her grand rings tilt right at the Sun in August 2009.
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