Obama: A Man at Home in the World

Obama says he knows the globe better than his rivals. Does he know it too well?

He was just a college kid, vagabonding around the world. But Barack Obama says the weeks he spent traveling through Pakistan in 1981 shaped the views that he still holds today—and that he would bring into the White House. Obama remembers most vividly the desperation and hopelessness—"essentially a feudal life"—he witnessed in the countryside surrounding Karachi, a city that is today a hotbed of jihadist activity. At the tender age of 20, Obama suggested, he was already beginning to understand more about what ailed Muslim societies—what generated terrorism and fratricidal conflicts—than George W. Bush or John McCain do today. "Both as a consequence of living in Indonesia and traveling in Pakistan, having friends in college who were Muslim, I was very clear about the history of Shia-Sunni antagonism"—which is one reason why, as an Illinois state senator 21 years later, he opposed the war in Iraq, Obama told NEWSWEEK last week. "This notion that somehow we were going to be able to create a functioning democracy and reconcile century-old conflicts, I always thought was a bunch of happy talk from this administration."

Obama's taken a lot of hits over his alleged foreign-policy inexperience—most notoriously from fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton, who suggested in a TV ad last month that he was the wrong man to answer the phone at 3 a.m. during a crisis. But last week Obama signaled that he'd had enough of these attacks. Not only did he not lack experience, Obama cockily told a fund-raising crowd in San Francisco, but "foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain."

If Obama wins the nomination and faces McCain, this will be a critical test of his candidacy: can he change the terms of the debate so that the traditional measures of foreign-policy experience don't apply? Because the kind of experience he talks about so confidently is not what one typically associates with a presidential résumé. It's not Ike leading the Allied Armies into Europe; it's not JFK saving his shipmates aboard PT-109; it's not George H.W. Bush running the CIA and serving as veep for eight years. (Or, for that matter, John McCain flying combat missions and getting shot down in Vietnam.) Nor was Obama alluding to his mastery of the Moscow Treaty on nukes or the subtleties of Mideast peace talks—though many of his Senate colleagues are impressed with his growing expertise in those areas.

Instead, it is the kind of bottom-up experience that comes from growing up in the muddy lanes of Jakarta, in a plain concrete house at No. 16 Haji Ramli Street. There Obama played hide-and-seek in the local mosque, dueled with bamboo sticks and learned dirty words in Indonesian. Friends and teachers recall his being picked on for his height and dark skin, but say that even amid an alien culture he was a leader and a peacemaker in the schoolyard. He always wanted the job of organizing the other kids into a line before class, says Fermina Katarina Sinaga Suhanda, his third-grade teacher, who had to urge him to take turns. "He always wants to be No. 1, to be at the front. Psychologically, he wants to be in charge," she says.

It's a long way from homeroom monitor to commander in chief, of course. But it was in Jakarta that Obama came to appreciate both the powerlessness of his native companions and the status that came from having a white American mother, Ann, who worked for the U.S. Embassy. "He was at an age when you first begin to see what's going on," says Ben Rhodes, one of his speechwriters. "And what he saw was that America had something other people wanted. Here he is in a majority Muslim country, in a poor neighborhood. And … he has this tie to America that affords him an immediate opportunity that no one else has." Both Obama's Kenyan father—who abandoned the family—and his Indonesian stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, were eager to penetrate that Western world. They never fully succeeded, and Obama knew it.

That experience, aides say, turned Obama into both someone who identifies with those less fortunate abroad—and a true-blue patriot. "He understands he's gotten where he is based on the fact that we have a system that opens up opportunity to smart and talented people," says retired Air Force Gen. Merrill McPeak, a top Obama adviser. McPeak, Rhodes and others claim that Obama's upbringing gives him deeper insight into how to win the "hearts and minds" so crucial to success in Iraq, and in the global struggle against Islamic extremism. "Obama's experience living abroad gives him a sense of that grass-roots life, which is so important in shaping why a terrorist is a terrorist," says Tony Lake, Bill Clinton's former national-security adviser, who now is a top Obama adviser.

Obama strikes this theme in speech after speech. In San Francisco last week he derided the typical "codel" (congressional delegation) trip in which "you go from the airport to the embassy … then you go home." Obama will often refer sarcastically to the view a U.S. senator gets from a helicopter zooming over another benighted country. "You see thousands of desperate faces, but you only see them from a distance," he said in a speech last August. Al Qaeda's new recruits come from just those communities, and the key to success for America in the global sphere, he added, is to win over "that child looking up at the helicopter [who] must see America and feel hope." He knows this because he was that child once, Obama says.

This supposedly unique sense of empathy, however, could easily remind some people of Bill Clinton's propensity for "feeling their pain"—and it opens Obama up to charges of naiveté. "It is a danger," says biographer David Mendell, the Chicago Tribune reporter who wrote "Obama: From Promise to Power." "He believes that he can turn anybody to his side. His former Senate campaign manager says Obama thinks he can go into a room full of skinheads and come out with all their votes. But some people just aren't going to be won over." Obama was harshly criticized after he declared, during a debate last year, that he would sit down with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without setting preconditions. The Bush administration and McCain have declared they would not do so at least until Tehran stops enriching uranium, and even Clinton has criticized Obama's stance. The candidate still insists that a major power like Iran must be engaged. But he's now careful to inject a note of realism into his position, telling NEWSWEEK last week that "it wouldn't make sense for us to negotiate or even have discussions with Iran probably when they are in the midst of a political season." (Iran's presidential elections are in 2009.)

Even some Dems who'd favor him in any contest against McCain also worry that Obama is overplaying his experience. "I don't know whether he's drinking his own Kool-Aid," says a former senior member of the Clinton administration who is not backing either Democratic candidate but would talk only on condition of anonymity because of his private-sector job. "I'm all for talking to the Cubans, or to the Iranians. I'm just not sure he's the guy to do it. The biggest administrative job he ever had was collecting articles for the Harvard Law Review."

It's true that one thing Obama's multicultural upbringing has left him with is enormous self-confidence. He seems to feel at home everywhere, in every kind of crowd.

Obama advisers say that background has given him a feel for what the other side in a negotiation will accept, which helps him to bridge divides. One aide recalls that during a discussion with Palestinian university students in 2006, he told them they have "legitimate aspirations" for statehood, but had to set aside dreams of destroying Israel or splitting the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Obama also shows a pragmatic willingness to find a modus vivendi—as he demonstrated when he asked Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker at hearings last week how much of an Iranian and Qaeda presence in Iraq was acceptable. Former representative Lee Hamilton, another supporter, says Obama's ability to engage with opposing points of view is critical at a time of declining American influence. "We're the world's biggest power, we have all this economic, military and technological power, but we cannot bend the world to our will. This means you have to have a president who's going to be a good listener."

Yet both Clinton and McCain have offered similar bromides about approaching the world more humbly post-Bush. Obama's camp may be on more solid ground when they argue that his fresh global perspective allows him to question traditional foreign-policy thinking. They note that when he joined the Senate in early 2005, one of the first things he did was call Republican Richard Lugar out of the blue and ask to work with him on preventing the spread of loose nukes. (The two combined on the Lugar-Obama law, which seeks to destroy and intercept conventional and nuclear weapons and WMD materials.) In last week's interview, Obama attacked the central premise of McCain's campaign, that "Islamic extremism" is the "transcendent challenge" of the 21st century. "I think he's missing the forest for the trees," Obama said. "I think the defining challenge for us is to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of those who might be tempted to use them … Then we can handle the terrorists."

Touting his worldliness remains politically risky for Obama. Americans, as they have been for 200 years, are suspicious of foreign influence—recall that some mocked John Kerry because he spoke French. Obama's sensitivity to foreign grievances is likely to become a talking point for the GOP, which will question his priorities as commander in chief. Former JFK adviser Newton Minow says Obama reminds him of a young Kennedy. But Minow is wary of the fate of Adlai Stevenson, the Illinois governor and Democratic nominee in 1952 and '56 who, like Obama, was seen as brilliant and eloquent but a little too … exotic. "I remember after Adlai lost, he said to me: 'I could have carried England and France'," Minow jokes. The more Obama-mania sweeps countries around the world, the more suspicious his background becomes to some Americans.

Obama's supporters say it's slanderous to suggest that he wouldn't have his priorities straight as president. "I've never met a person anywhere in and out of public life who is more focused on America and its interests," says McPeak. Adds Sarah Sewall of Harvard, Obama's counterinsurgency adviser: "He's really clear about this. He says the first thing I'm supposed to do is keep Americans safe. All these people who would imply that [he's not tough enough] are the same people who jumped all over him about his comments about Pakistan and bombing." (Obama was criticized for being too aggressive when he declared last August, "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President [Pervez] Musharraf won't act, we will.") Obama, who has called for two extra U.S. Army brigades to be deployed to Afghanistan, says that in places like Pakistan, America must do both—win over the people by supporting democracy and hit the terrorists harder.

His supporters know that's a fine line, though. "He's not saying, 'Gee, I should go talk with Al Qaeda and I can persuade bin Laden not to go to war with us.' He's saying 'I'll move in two brigades and if the Pakistanis don't get him, I will'," says former Navy secretary Richard Danzig, another top adviser. "This is not a soft position." At the same time, Danzig admits, "the feeling that there is a common humanity," even with adversaries, "is deep in his own personal experience and his DNA. And there's always the risk that you don't quite get [the balance] right."

Do’s and Don’t of Networking

Networking is the process of building and maintaining relationships. It’s the development of a team that will support your efforts and the efforts of your network teammates to reach your respective goals. Networking is about forging bonds and sharing.

Networking Do’s:

1. Believe networking will work
2. Target the right audience
3. Make a strong first impression
4. Network with those you emulate
5. Talk to everyone you meet
6. Learn to read people
7. Listen
8. Be willing to help
9. Be prepared
10. Find common denominators
11. Bring value
12. Be honest, courteous, and fair
13. Follow up
14. Keep referrals informed
15. Look at the big picture

Networking Don’ts:

1. Don’t act desperate
2. Don’t sell
3. Don’t monopolize
4. Don’t ask too soon
5. Don’t solicit companies
6. Don’t show off or brag
7. Don’t interrupt
8. Don’t just talk about you
9. Don’t play it by ear
10. Don’t misrepresent yourself
11. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
12. Don’t pry
13. Don’t linger with “hanger-ons”
14. Don’t overextend
15. Don’t get discouraged

The Anatomy of Networking Events; A Breakdown of How To Do It Right.

When you attend a networking event, your networking opportunities begin as soon as you get out of the car. Start conversations with people as they enter the building with you. Being pleasant, warm, and friendly doesn’t cost a thing and can produce huge returns.

First thing, head for the reception table. Sign in, get your nametag, and pick up any other materials they may be distributing. If there is a line, being introducing yourself to those nearby. Start a conversation by finding out who they are and telling them how much you are looking forward to this particular event. After you’ve made your first contact, it usually gets easier to meet others.

Do not ignore the reception desk personnel. They are often volunteers and key people in the host organization. Aside from saying hello, thank them because they are frequently ignored or treated indifferently. They will appreciate and remember your kindness.

Arrive early to all networking events. By arriving early, you can have time to talk with the sponsor organization staff. This is also a good way for you to be able to talk one on one with the other early attendees getting you warmed up and in the networking mode.

When the event begins, I advice people to “act like a butterfly”. When you meet friends at events, it is not the appropriate time to involve yourself in prolonged discussions that go into the intimate details of their lives. Invest time in the people you don’t already know at these events. I believe networking events are primarily to meet new people. Although I love the social aspect of seeing old friends and catching up, the purpose of networking events is to make new contacts.

I like to approach people first who are standing alone because that usually means that they do not know what to do next. Since networking is extremely easy and comfortable to me, I will go over to them, try to make them feel comfortable and escort them over to groups that I feel they can enter and be a part of.

Networking and building relationships takes time. Relationship building starts the moment you see a target – even before you say a word or say hello. When you approach targets, your primary purpose is to make contacts with the best people that can bloom into strong relationships, not sell your product or service. Make a strong initial impression.

Things to remember when you are ready to start networking:

Be direct and honest.
Explain precisely what you need.
State how your contact can help.
Inquire if your contact knows other who might help.
Point out what you have to offer.
If your contact gives you a lead, request permission to use his or her name.
Ask how you can repay or help your contact.
Express your gratitude!

Here is a two minuite you tube video that gives a good introduction into social networking...

Is your fitness regime flagging?

Recent research has found that people expect their January health kicks to last, on average, 78 days after the start of the new year, which makes today the day when most people will hang up their running shoes for another 12 months. If your fitness regime is flagging, put a spring in your step and get out walking, or even running - the easiest and cheapest form of exercise. Don't let marathon runners hog the limelight, as various charity races kick off across the country, we show you how to put your best foot forward and get on a winning route to health.

You know how it is with a love affair - that initial, heady rush of enthusiasm, then it all gets a bit more routine and sometimes it tails off to become a distant memory...

It's not just the ups and downs of love we're talking about - that may also describe your relationship with exercise.

Well, guess what? You're not alone! Rather like any partnership - whether man and woman or your body and fitness - it's essential to put in effort and add interest to keep motivation and enthusiasm alive. But for many of us this appears to be easier said than done; new research has shown that today is the day when the majority of us give up on our new year fitness regime.

So if your exercise programme is dying a death, it could be time to try running. It's one of the easiest and cheapest forms of exercise which doesn't require expensive gym membership or any flashy kit.

Also, there are plenty of nationwide charity events that you could take part in over the next few months to give yourself a goal, even if, as a beginner, you just talk-the-walk and don't get much above snail's pace.

While the gruelling 26.2-mile London marathon on April 13 is watched by millions and inspires many, one international marathon runner, Marielle Renssen says: "For some watching lengthy, punishing marathons is a real off-put and they immediately dismiss running and think 'I could never do that'.

"Well, you don't have to! The beauty of running is you can enjoy it and get fit by doing as little as a half-hour run three times a week."

How to banish bingo wings for good

And she boots into touch the assumption that all runners start out lean and mean. "Many runners start out as non-exercising, overweight, stressed out smokers - self conscious and with low confidence.

"But by setting themselves small goals and keeping going they can be winners in their own terms, not just in terms of fitness but with raised confidence and self esteem."

Marielle, whose new book is the Complete Running Manual says: "Running - a cardiovascular exercise - makes the body produce its own endorphins - feel good chemicals which dull pain and put you on a 'high' for several hours afterwards.

"Afterwards, you'll have a floating feeling of contentment and stress will have vanished."

Ex-Eternal singer, Kelle Bryan, 32, experienced those benefits first-hand, and is now lined up to run the London Marathon supporting Cancer Research UK.

Now a TV presenter and actress, Kelle was diagnosed eight years ago with the life-threatening auto-immune disease lupus, but is now in remission.

She began running last year and says: "At one time doctors told me I'd be confined to a wheel-chair for life. Now I never take my health for granted and I appreciate every day that I'm able to get out and train and enjoy myself. Running is a great buzz and gives me energy."

Unlock your fitness with kettlebells

Marielle urges those who are currently trying to maintain regular running: "Keep going and persist through the tough days - when you feel like giving up - and you'll get hooked.

"Keep the love affair with running glowing by making sure it stays fun and stimulating - changing routes or maybe running with a partner. Don't let it become a drudge."

So don't let those marathon runners hog the limelight, put your best foot forward and use top tips from Marielle and Kelle.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?
First have a thorough health check with a GP to ensure that there are no health issues you're unaware of. Tests should include blood pressure and a blood test.

Start walking for an amount of time that feels comfortable - anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Once you can walk for 30 minutes easily, sprinkle one-to-two-minute running intervals into your walking. As time goes on, make the running intervals longer, until you are running for 30 minutes straight. Stretch before and after a run.

Kelle advises: "Don't be too ambitious initially, otherwise you may get off-putting aches and pains. It's better to build slowly and gradually, and enjoy your achievements no matter how small. They'll gradually build and you can amaze yourself."

WHERE DO I RUN?
Marielle says: "When you start out try to avoid running on concrete pavements and tarmac roads. Those will impact more on vulnerable, untrained muscles and bones. Be wary of cambered edges of roads as these will create an imbalance to one side of your body, and can lead to muscle injury."

Hot to get Hollywood fit

Choose safe well-lit routes in parks, around school or cycle tracks and keep them varied to avoid boredom.

Find out if there's a group to run with in your area (this is excellent for motivation and for safety reasons) Never run alone in the dark or at night.

BREATHING TECHNIQUES
Learn to breathe properly. Breathe deeply into your diaphragm from the base of your lungs rather than from your upper chest, which results in shallow breathing. If you open up your chest you draw more oxygen into your lungs.

Running causes you to breathe harder than usual, so some amount of huffing and puffing is normal. Most of that out-of-breath feeling diminishes as you become fitter.

If you have to, slow down or take walking breaks. If breathlessness persists, ask your doctor about the possibility that you may have asthma.

Marielle says: "Try the Talk-Test. Test your running pace by having a conversation with your running partner (or yourself if you run alone). If you're too breathless to do so, you're going too fast."

WHEN YOU WANT TO GIVE UP
Marielle says: "Find an inspiring partner. The pressure of knowing someone is waiting for you is a great kick starter, and you can encourage each other.

"Force yourself out of bed by promising you'll give yourself 10 to 15 minutes at least - most times you'll keep going for longer."

Give yourself a mental image of a treat to lure you to the end of a run, maybe a "sinful downfall like chocolate, a glass of wine..."

Get in shape with Tesco Diets

Kelle says: "Setting yourself a goal is key. At first I aimed to get to a size eight - my natural body size - which I achieved because running speeds up your metabolism and helps burns off body fat. It meant I didn't have to deny myself anything or go on a boring diet!"

Also, she advises: "Run to the beat of an iPod or tune into a radio."

Make a note of the mileage you cover, the weight you lose and your speed and look at those when you're feeling less motivated.

WHAT ABOUT THE PAIN?
Some discomfort is normal as you add distance and intensity to your training. But real pain isn't normal. If something feels so bad that you have to run with a limp or otherwise alter your stride, you're probably injured.

Stop running immediately, and take a few days off. If you're not sure, try walking for a minute or two to see if the discomfort disappears. If it doesn't consult your GP.

Kelle says: "Listen to your body - if it's telling you to slow down, pay attention, it's letting you know your limitations. And never ignore an injury."

WHAT ABOUT KIT?
Marielle says: "You must have a good pair of running shoes. Unlike all-round trainers, running shoes are designed to allow your foot to strike the ground properly, reducing the amount of shock that travels up your leg. They're also made to fit your foot snugly, to reduce the slipping and sliding that can lead to blisters."

Strike a pose: how to run perfectly

Kelle says: "At first I ran in poorly fitting trainers and paid the price by hurting myself. Always go to a specialist shop and take time to find the right pair."

INDOORS OR OUTDOORS?
A treadmill 'pulls' the ground underneath your feet, and you don't meet any wind resistance, which makes running somewhat easier. Many treadmills are padded, making them a good option if you're carrying a few extra pounds or are injury-prone and want to decrease impact.

To better mimic the effort of outdoor running, you can always set your treadmill at a 1% incline.

Wellbeing and Lifestyle

Every now and then I will bring to you articles, podcasts and you tube videos I find around on the internet, or published in magazines that I believe has some impact on wellbeing as well as lifestyle. Some will be humourous but ultimately there will be a message to take away from it. For the time being, here are a couple of you tube videos for motivation...

Daily Express uses firefighters to stir up racism and sexism

Explain to me this: how does a national newspaper make the leap from one fire service setting aside a few days to recruit women and ethnic minorities, to “white men banned” from joining?

Well, perhaps if you write to the Daily Express, they will be able to give some other explanation for this story, headlined “White men are banned”, but it seems like an obvious attempt to stir up racism and sexism in its readers to me.

The bosses held five open days to attract new recruits - with four strictly limited to either women, ethnic minorities or both. They insisted they had acted lawfully. But the move sparked outrage among MPs, serving firefighters and racial equality groups.

No, this isn’t a case of positive discrimination. No, white men are not being turned away from fire stations in droves. There were a couple of recruitment days designed by one fire service to make women and ethnic minority appliants feel more comfortable by assuring them they wouldn’t be massively outnumbered by white men. This prompted “outrage”? In all seriousness?

But Tory MP Philip Davies, who is a campaigner against political correctness, said the move by Avon Fire Service was “absolutely disgusting”. “This sort of thing just makes people’s blood boil and does more damage than good to race relations,” he said. “How would people react if women and black people were banned from an open day?”

The MP for Shipley in West Yorkshire added: “I don’t care whether the fire service is only made up of ethnic minority women - as long as they are the best people at fighting fires.”

“If the Chief Fire Officer is so concerned, he should give up his job to an ethnic minority woman instead of depriving other white men of a job.”

Let’s just unpick this a bit - first we have the notion that attempting to attract ethnic minorities and women into the fire service “makes people’s blood boil”. Only if you’re a racist misogynist, Mr Davies. This is swiftly followed by an assertion that he doesn’t care if the “fire service is only made up of ethnic minority women” -which is supposed to assure us that this MP is not actually racist or misogynist, but in fact does the opposite. Because he clearly sees it as acceptable to exaggerate for rhetorical effect by imagining a fire service staffed exclusively by ethnic minority women. In a reality where the service is to all intents and purposes staffed exclusively by white men, and most people probably equate fire fighters with white men, this steers dangerously close to ridiculing the very concept of ethnic minority women as fire fighters.

But we can also deduce from this that Davies doesn’t care that the profession is currently shutting out anyone - after all, as he says himself: what does it matter, as long as the job gets done?

And then we get to the absolute pinnacle of his statement, which I’m going to repeat in all its glory: “If the Chief Fire Officer is so concerned, he should give up his job to an ethnic minority woman instead of depriving other white men of a job.”

Yep, that’s right folks!

We’ve made a massive leap from a recruitment day to attract more diverse applicants, to “depriving other white men of a job”. Those jobs are, after all, set aside by society in perpetuity for white men, so giving them to anyone else is depriving a white man of a job.

Lasting six hours, two sessions were limited to women and ethnic minorities, one to ethnic minorities only and one to women only. Only one was open to all.

Avon Fire Service said they were trying to target minorities because up to 95 per cent of their 868 firefighters are white men.
Just to switch that last statistic around, only around 44 firefighters in this service are white or ethnic minority women, or ethnic minority men. Fourty four, out of 868. And yet the outrage that “only one” of three sessions were open to white men? The fire service is not operating some kind of positive discrimination quota system, remember. They are holding recruitment days.

Luckily for those 44 people, and anyone else other than white men who are thinking of becoming fire fighters, this sentiment does not seem to be shared by the fire service itself. Despite the Express’ assertion that the idea sparked outrage in “serving firefighters”, the story manages to quote only a single, unnamed fire fighter as objecting to this policy.

Apparently successfully - don’t read the comments on this story unless you feel like your blood pressure is in need of a bit of excitement. For example:

"As I watch my blond, curly haired, toddler grandson I feel sad that his genes, and mine, will dissapear but it is inevitable unless we take a stand and demand England for our own."

Ambushed, Bricked, Stabbed, Shot At, Spat At, Threatened and Abused: the Modern Face of Firefighting with 40 Attacks on Fire Crews Every Week

As a firefighter as part of a fire crew here in London, I have witnessed us being subjected a few times to bricks being thrown at us from youths, and objects thrown at us from the windows of high rise apartments, when all we were trying to do was our jobs. I last worked operationally in my firefighter role just over a year ago and these voilent attacks whilst working as part of a fire crew at Kentish Town Fire Station was still rife. As if our fire crews don't already have to work in the most hazardous of working environments. This behaviour from certain members of our communities is just plain unacceptale. There is a need for our government to do more to stop these attacks and this article was recently released from my trade union - The Fire Brigades Union - as part of a UK media campaign to raise awareness of the problem.

There are 40 attacks on fire crews every week in the UK according to new research. But under-reporting could mean the true figure is much higher than the 2,000 attacks recorded last year.

Attacks recorded by fire authorities in England and Wales are four times the official figures issued by Government. Attacks in England and Wales are in fact up 15% year on year, while the official Government figures show a dramatic fall of 68%.

In England and Wales, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) claim that attacks have fallen by 68%, from 1,300 in 2005-06 to only 400 in 2006-07. Figures obtained directly from fire services using the Freedom of Information Act show the actual numbers of attacks rose from 1,300 in 2005-06 to 1,504 in 2006-07, an increase of 15%.

Scotland, unlike England and Wales, publishes the official figures for attacks in the Annual Report of Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate. These official figures show that in 2005-06 there were 324 attacks on firefighters, while in 2006-07 there were 316 attacks. These figures correspond closely with figures supplied following FoI questions which record 329 attacks in Scotland in 2005-06 and 309 in 2006-07.

Northern Ireland collects figures in a different way with the total number falling from 342 in 2005-06 to 285 in 2006-07. These figures exclude a large number of civil disturbance and other calls at which fire crews face the threat of attack.

Fire crews report being threatened, intimidated and abused, and being pelted with bricks, bottles, and stones as they fight fires. Other incidents include ambushes, booby traps and being attacked with lumps of wood, knives and a petrol bomb.

In some areas abuse, threats and attacks are so frequent they are no longer reported. One fire authority, Tyne and Wear, has distributed 'spit kits' to fire crews to collect DNA from those abusing and spitting at them.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "These figures alone would be cause for concern but we know that incidents of intimidation, threats and abuse are simply not being reported. These attacks are a major cause of concern for firefighters.

"It is almost beyond belief that fire crews are attacked and abused while fighting fires and trying to save lives. Yet in some areas attacking fire crews has become a recreational activity with very serious consequences.

"It cannot be part of anyone's job to face abuse, threats or attacks. It cannot be the job of an emergency fire control worker to face abuse while trying to help those who call 999.

"While fire crews and appliances are the direct targets the victims are those who live in these communities. A delay getting to a 999 incident can result in death or more serious injury.

"The consequences can be grave for the fire crews and emergency fire control staff involved. Physical injury is an obvious danger but the threat of attack or persistent verbal abuse can demoralise, cause anxiety and increase stress."

The independent report - Easy Targets? - published today, was conducted by the Labour Research Department for the Fire Brigades Union. The FBU accused Whitehall of neglecting the problem and called for a detailed and funded Government-led strategy aimed at significantly reducing attacks.

The report found that some fire and rescue services have well developed policies for tackling violence towards all fire service personnel. But others don't, and often fire crews who are assaulted and injured are treated in the same way as any other sickness absence.

Said Matt Wrack: "Frustration, boredom, alcohol and drug use can all fuel the problems of youngsters living in communities and on estates they feel are on the margins of society. The outcome can be recreational violence aimed at whatever represents the wider society these youngsters on these estates feel excluded from.

"The highest numbers of attacks are in areas characterised by poor housing, poverty and few or no facilities for young people. Understanding why attacks happen is not to condone or accept them as part of the job, but to help us address the problem.

"Most fire authorities are struggling to deal with the problem and good practice does exist but it is patchy. There needs to be a Government-led and funded national strategy with fire authorities required to put plans in place to tackle violence against their staff.

"This would replace the existing wish list of nice ideas and 'good practice' which don't have to be implemented. At the moment fire authorities are being left to deal with the problem on their own without the necessary support and funding.

"Government needs to take a lead rather than sitting on the sidelines ignoring the problem as it is doing in England. It is a different story in Scotland, Northern Ireland and increasingly in Wales where the parliaments and assemblies are playing a more direct and active role.

"We need dedicated national funding to support the fire service community initiatives which we know work very well and have wider community benefits. The fire service can reach youngsters and communities that others struggle to make an impact on."

Key parts of a national strategy:

All fire authorities being required to put in place plans to tackle the issue of attacks on fire crews;

Statistics: competent collection of standardised statistics on attacks.

Training: If incidents cannot be avoided then an appropriate level of 'conflict resolution' training - similar to that provided for the police - should be provided for fire crews paid for by dedicated national Government funding. There needs to be more widespread back up and support for all staff including emergency fire control operators.

National campaigns: public awareness advertising campaigns that challenge attacks on firefighters, similar to those run in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Fully trained and fast police response: the deployment of police community support officers should be replaced with fully trained officers with the powers of arrest.

CCTV: no further extension of its use on fire appliances until an independent assessment of its effectiveness and use has been completed. Most camera footage is unsuitable for prosecutions and what may help in one area may harm in another.

Resources - training and initiatives with schools and the community need to be maintained over the long term and need dedicated and long-term funding.