Not Easy Being Green.

Fiji Army spokesman denies the takeover of the Police Tactical Response Division (PTRD) headquarters in this Fiji Village report. ABC online magazine Pacific Beat podcast interviews Samisoni Pareti, a Fiji based correspondent who describes the fluid situation in Fiji and the weapons confiscation from PTRD and the subject of roadblocks.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is also interviewed in the segment, speculated on a mutiny being brokered within the Fiji Army. This brokering may be related to the actions of the Foreign envoys who visited the Queen Elizabeth barracks whilst the Army Commander was in New Zealand. Fiji Lawyer Jon Apted is also interviewed on the situation.

New Zealand Prime Minister is equally angry with the Fiji Army and the New Zealand Police. She describes the actions of Army Commander as "Silly" in this Fiji Times article. Being in the telling-off mood, New Zealand Herald reports that the Prime Minister lambasted the police for abusing their computer assets to check on girlfriends.




Fiji Police Force Assistant Commissioner has reassured the public that there is no takeover of the PTRD compound in this Fiji Time article. It also seems the Acting Police Commissioner, Moses Driver is basking in all the attention of being constantly interviewed and his words being zipped across the globe, as seen in this article of Malaysian news outlet, Star and Australia's The Age and NZ Herald articles.
Commissioner Driver often gets carried away in the constant interviews that some of his views often conflict. Like this article by Fiji Times, warning about the weapons confiscation of the Police armory.

The standing Police Commissioner, Andrew Hughes is left to make media calls out of the lime-light in Cairns Australia where he is spending his annual leave. Another article by The Australian, ponders the case of Peter Foster which will be interesting to observe unfold and also prompts other questions.

1. Would the Australian Government withdraw all their embassy staff and abandon another citizen currently under house arrest?
2. Would the Fiji Police withdraw charges leveled against Peter Foster?
3. Does Peter Foster hold some information that would be damaging for the higher echelon of Qarase Government; which ordered his rapid arrest?

Fiji Times reports the simple confiscation of weapons that, may be considered a threat to the Army. Fiji Village article also confirms the arms removal. This confiscation of arms should be viewed as an intelligent method to diffuse tensions between the two organizations that have soured recently due to the impasse between Government and Army.

The news of the entourage of Fiji P.M using a helicopter to evade a Army roadblock is concerning. It may reflect the poor choice taken by the security details.
The evacuation may also point out a serious deficit in skills by bodyguards, for blending into the rural surroundings that is a fraction of the costs billed to the state treasury and costing a fraction of the attention. Now the issue of Government contracts for helicopter services, will surely come under scrutiny on the annual Auditor Generals report.

Taking in account the recent weapons confiscation, it may safe to assume that their Helicopter company's office telephone number is set to speed dial to the principle Body Guard's unsecured cell phone.





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