Anonymous sources

The Guardian



Palestine: The flags are already waving. But will a declaration of statehood help? - The Guardian
"I actually used to buy a ticket, but I stopped when I realised I was the only one paying," said one Palestinian motorist who declined to give his name. "I know it's wrong, but regulations have to have teeth. And if you pay, you need services in return ...
July 16, 2011


Hack a phone? I wouldn't know how ... - The Guardian
If a few days later they said, "But I was speaking off the record!" I would express deep regret and say, "Well, you should have told me ..." ✒Rupert Murdoch is suddenly the Wizard of Oz. The curtain has been whisked back and there is an old, ...
July 15, 2011


Residents face demand for terrorism insurance - The Guardian
A longstanding Warner flat resident, who asked not to be named, told Money he received a letter from an insurance broker, Oval, which stated that he needed to pay £68 for a separate terrorism insurance policy. This would be in addition to his buildings ...
July 15, 2011


Rebekah Brooks's belated resignation intensifies spotlight on James Murdoch - The Guardian
"The fact that he is running around London in a Jimmy Savile outfit shows that he's lost the plot," said one former executive who refused to be named. It is James who is most vulnerable. As well as his involvement in the phone-hacking scandal, ...
July 15, 2011


Fukushima cleanup recruits 'nuclear gypsies' from across Japan - The Guardian
"Radiation doesn't bother me, but I am worried about falling ill because of the heat," says a 34-year-old man from Osaka who declined to give his name. "It is unbelievably hot inside those suits. I know of several people who have been taken ill on the ...
July 13, 2011


Tens of thousands lose support as Immigration Advisory Service closes - The Guardian
"We have about 10000 live cases [many involving more than one person] at any one moment," said a senior IAS official, who asked not to be named. "We are very worried about the impact on our clients. Not only had legal aid payments been delayed, ...
July 11, 2011


Scotland Yard ready to mount defence of first phone-hacking investigation - The Guardian
... why as overall head of the investigation he did not make his officers go further into the evidence available from Mulcaire's notes. He is understood to be confident about his evidence to the committee. "He knows he has nothing to hide," a source said.
July 8, 2011


Al-Qaida suspect held on ship without legal advice for two months - The Guardian
After Warsame's interrogation, a fresh FBI team came in and was permitted to talk to him, at which time he waived his legal rights and continued to talk for several days, said the first official, who declined to be identified because he was not ...
July 6, 2011


Australia's boom runs dry of skills - The Guardian
One language college director, who asked not to be named, said there was "no way" blue collar workers from regional neighbours such as Indonesia or China would have language skills to allow them to work safely in an Australian environment. ...
July 5, 2011


Can Afghan women count on Hillary Clinton? - The Guardian
When questioned, a "senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity" said, "gender issues are going to have to take a back seat to other priorities … There's no way we can be successful if we maintain every special interest and pet project. ...
July 4, 2011


BBC acts to stop Twitter leaks by stars and writers - The Guardian
The executive, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "There's no doubt that Twitter is a popular communications phenomenon but it can also be quite disruptive if artists tweet about an appearance on a show or announce a new commission before the ...
July 3, 2011


Sudan partition leaves rebel Nuba region feeling betrayed - The Guardian
"When I read the conditions of the [peace deal], I thought the southern leadership had sold us off," said a local social worker, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation. "When the SPLM/A was marred by internal division in the 90s, ...
July 3, 2011


Eurozone delays decision on new Greek bailout - The Guardian
He was speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks on Greece. A second eurozone official said that while the cornerstones of the new programme have to be drawn up soon, it may not be finalized until the next Greek loan ...
July 1, 2011


Saudi Arabian charity in Pakistan offers education - or is it extremism? - The Guardian
"Our only business is education", said one employee who declined to be named. "We educate young boys, send them back into society, where they perform well." Saudi money has been flowing into Pakistan since the 1980s, when state and private donors ...
June 29, 2011


South Korea braced for North Korean 'provocation' as tension mounts - The Guardian
Government officials in Seoul, speaking off the record, agreed that they were braced for a North Korean "provocation", because Pyongyang's peace overtures of the past few months have failed to persuade Seoul, Washington or Tokyo to enter a dialogue. ...
June 28, 2011


Fuel shortages grip south Sudan - The Guardian
Sources speaking on condition of anonymity, for fear of government reprisal, said suppliers had stopped importing fuel from east Africa and would not start again until the government ended price controls. David Loro Gubek, the undersecretary in south ...
June 27, 2011


Barack Obama rebuked for Libya action by US House of Representatives - The Guardian
A senior British source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gaddafi's movements were being monitored closely, and that the military had been able to track him "racing from one place to another" over recent weeks. ...
June 24, 2011


Blame game grows over Venezuelan prison siege - The Guardian
One high-ranking government official, who refused to be named, told the Guardian: "We have strong evidence that suggests articulation between the pranes and some opposition leaders. There is an effort on behalf of the opposition to build up ...
June 24, 2011


Top-paid civil servants lose right to wage privacy - The Guardian
The information commissioner's ruling means the 24 Whitehall mandarins who refused to be named when the coalition published a list of high earners in government last year will be revealed. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA Senior civil servants who tried to ...
June 22, 2011


Martin Lewis answers your money questions - The Guardian
Some readers asked not to be named, so I've used initials. After the 2009 court decision in favour of banks on overdraft charges, is there any chance or way of getting some compensation for past overdraft charges in the future? And if so, how? ...
June 20, 2011


Violence erupts again in notorious Venezuelan prison - The Guardian
One relative, whose brother and husband are prisoners but who refused to be named, claimed: "I saw from the hilltop that inmates who walked into the [prison's] patio with their hands up were being shot by the guards as they left. ...
June 20, 2011


Chris Huhne attacks Tory 'zealots' over proposed scrapping of green laws - The Guardian
A source close to Huhne said he was supported by the business secretary, Vince Cable, and Lib Dem ministers were braced to do battle over hundreds of regulations they believe their Tory colleagues will be inclined to discard. ...
June 19, 2011


Somalia: Britons jailed and fined over £2m piracy ransom - The Guardian
Officials did not give further details, but a source said the men are unlikely to have to serve their full sentences and discussions are under way to reduce or overturn the penalties. Asked about possible pardons or parole, a spokesman for the Somali ...
June 19, 2011


Borough Market traders hit back after series of evictions - The Guardian
The trader spoke on condition of anonymity, fearful of retribution from a management that seems to brook no criticism. More than one spoke of the sense of uncertainty after the recent ructions. "Nobody's safe," said the trader. "If I felt safe, ...
June 18, 2011


'El Brad Pitt' arrested in Mexico drug swoop - The Guardian
A federal official, speaking off the record, said Guzmán's nickname, "El Brad Pitt" arose from a disguise he wore when he served as a lookout for the Juárez cartel. To go unnoticed, he tried to look like a tourist wearing his hair long, a baseball cap ...
June 17, 2011


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