Bureau Recommends: Undercover police officer ‘allowed’ to lie in court

October 20th, 2011 | by The Bureau | Published in All Stories, Bureau Recommends
FL_003 New Scotland Yard sign - flickr/Metropolitan Police

The Bureau recommends a joint investigation by the Guardian and Newsnight which has discovered documents alleging police chiefs authorised undercover officers to lie in court in order to maintain false identities.

Police officer Jim Boyling, who infiltrated the protest group Reclaim the Streets using the name ‘Jim Sutton’, was arrested for disorderly behaviour along with several other activists in 1997. He maintained his false identity throughout the prosecution, even when giving evidence to the court under oath.

Peter Black, another police officer assigned to infiltrate political campaigns, told the Guardian that Boyling’s case was not unique. He claimed that prosecutions of undercover offices would be allowed to go ahead in order to build up their credibility within activist groups, and that prosecutions against undercover officers would only be dropped if their was a risk of a jail sentence.

The Metropolitan Police has been forced to postpone the publication of a report into the use of undercover officers by its new Chief Commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, in response to the allegations.

The story follows a string of damaging revelations by the Guardian about the conduct of police spies. Earlier this year the paper revealed that the convictions of 20 environmental activists were overturned after judges ruled that evidence obtained by undercover officer Mark Kennedy had been withheld from their trial.

The Metropolitan Police has said that it is ‘reviewing issues regarding the deployment of undercover officers and the policy and practices in place at the time of the events described in the Guardian’.

Iran must acknowledge abuses before UN Committee

17 October 2011

The Iranian authorities will make a farce of a UN Committee hearing into Iran’s human rights record unless they acknowledge current and past abuses, Amnesty International warned today.

The UN Human Rights Committee, which monitors how states comply with their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, begins meeting today to consider Iran. The Iranian authorities’ report to the Committee, the first submitted since 1993, is more than a decade late.

“The Iranian authorities have already shown contempt for the Committee by submitting this report so late,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

“They must now provide truthful answers to its questions and commit to providing a remedy to the many Iranians and their families who have suffered human rights violations”.

The Committee’s task is to consider how far Iran has upheld key rights enshrined in the Convention, including the right to life, freedom of expression, non- discrimination, and the prohibition of torture and arbitrary detention.

Iran’s report to the Committee and its written answers to the Committee’s initial questions both paint a severely distorted picture of its human rights record and fail to reflect serious and continuing abuses.

The Iranian authorities do implicitly acknowledge ways in which laws discriminate against women and minorities. They also refer to some laws which would offer protection if implemented, but which are widely flouted in practice.

And they make it clear that Iran is continuing to impose the death penalty on juvenile offenders – those convicted of offences when under 18 – despite the fact that this is explicitly prohibited under international law.

In reality, Iran is a serial human rights violator which executes hundreds of people each year, including juvenile offenders.

The Iranian authorities also deny that minorities face any kind of discrimination. They vilify the Baha’i community, and accuse women’s rights activists of “contributing to public disorder”.

“It is shocking that the Iranian authorities are trying to imply that members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community do not have rights which are protected under the Covenant,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“It only highlights the degree of the authorities’ blindness and bigotry against those who identify themselves outside the narrow confines of state-imposed gender norms”.

In reality, consensual same-sex relations face draconian punishments including flogging and the death penalty.

Baha’is are frequently arrested or imprisoned on account of their faith, with over 100 currently behind bars. A Christian pastor, Yousef Nadarkhani, is awaiting the outcome of a retrial for “apostasy” for refusing to renounce his religion. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Iran jails defence lawyers and other human rights defenders and persecutes religious and ethnic minorities, along with anyone who expresses any form of peaceful dissent, after trials which are usually grossly unfair. Torture and other ill-treatment is routine.

“Iran’s appearance before the Human Rights Committee offers a small glimmer of hope to victims and their families. The country’s authorities must begin to listen to them, and implementing the Committee’s recommendations would be an important first step”, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“Cooperation with international human rights mechanisms must consist of more than appearing before the Human Rights Committee and rejecting the questions of the Committee’s experts. Allowing all UN Special Rapporteurs – and particularly the new Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran - into the country to conduct a fact-finding mission would be a welcome sign that the authorities are serious about their international engagement on human rights issues”, she said.

Iran has a patchy record on cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms. When it appeared before the UN Human Rights Commission’s Universal Periodic Review in 2010, it refused to acknowledge the gravity of its human rights situation, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.

Fears for Bahraini teacher after pre-dawn arrest

Fears for Bahraini teacher after pre-dawn arrest
Jalila al-Salman was previously ill-treated and verbally abused in detention

Jalila al-Salman was previously ill-treated and verbally abused in detention

© Private

18 October 2011

There are fears for the safety of a former vice-president of the Bahrain Teacher’s Association after she was arrested in heavy-handed fashion before dawn this morning after recently speaking out about earlier abuses.

Jalila al-Salman was taken from her home in Bahrain by a force of more than 30 security officials, including riot police, who arrived in seven vehicles. The officials reportedly said that they were enforcing a court order for her arrest though they refused to produce a formal arrest warrant.

Last month, Jalila al-Salman was convicted on charges that included attempting to overthrow the Bahrain government after a trial before the military National Safety Court, although she is a civilian. Her appeal is due to be heard in a civilian court on 1 December.

“The manner in which Jalila al-Salman was arrested this morning appears to have been intended to intimidate her and her family and to put them through another terrifying ordeal,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director.

“She has told us how she was previously ill-treated and verbally abused after she was arrested in the middle of the night by armed officials following popular protests in Bahrain last March. This latest action by the security forces inevitably raises renewed concerns about her safety in detention.”

“The Bahraini authorities also need to explain why Jalila al-Salman has been arrested at a time when others who are waiting for their promised civilian court appeals to be heard have been allowed their release on bail.”

“She does not present a serious flight risk but has continued to speak out about her own experiences in detention and the plight of others, leading us to fear that this is the reason for the action taken against her this morning.”
Jalila al-Salman was sentenced to three years of imprisonment on 25 September. Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb, former president of the Bahrain Teacher’s Association, was tried with her and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.

The charges included using their positions within the BTA to call for teachers’ strike, organize marches and demonstrations, incite "hatred of the regime" and seek its overthrow by force, and their trial was unfair.
In recent weeks, Jalila al-Salman has given a media interview and spoken at a conference about the human rights situation in Bahrain.

Amnesty International said that it feared both Jalila al-Salman and Mahdi ‘Issa Mahdi Abu Dheeb may be imprisoned solely on account of their legitimate exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, in which case they should be released immediately and unconditionally and their convictions should be quashed.

“If their civilian court appeals are to go ahead, then there must be a totally new investigation, including into the defendants’ allegations that they were tortured and otherwise ill-treated in pre-trial detention and forced to sign statements incriminating themselves, and any officials found responsible for such abuses must be brought to justice.”

Arms trade to Middle East and North Africa shows failure of export controls
Tear gas and other riot control agents were widely used by security forces against protesters

Tear gas and other riot control agents were widely used by security forces against protesters

© Amnesty International

Spanish-manufactured cluster munitions were found in Libya

Spanish-manufactured cluster munitions were found in Libya

© Amnesty International

Security forces in Egypt and elsewhere used shotguns against protesters

Security forces in Egypt and elsewhere used shotguns against protesters

© Omnia E. Al Desoukie

19 October 2011

The USA, Russia and European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year’s uprisings despite having evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

Arms Transfers To The Middle East And North Africa: Lessons For An Effective Arms Trade Treaty examines arms transfers to Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen since 2005.

"These findings highlight the stark failure of existing arms export controls, with all their loopholes, and underline the need for an effective global Arms Trade Treaty that takes full account of the need to uphold human rights," said Helen Hughes, Amnesty International’s principal arms trade researcher on the report.

"Governments that now say they stand in solidarity with people across the Middle East and North Africa are the very same as those who until recently supplied the weapons, bullets and military and police equipment that were used to kill, injure and arbitrarily detain thousands of peaceful protesters in states such as Tunisia and Egypt and are even now being deployed by security forces in Syria and Yemen."

The main arms suppliers to the five countries included in the report were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, the UK and the USA.

At least 11 states have provided military assistance or allowed exports of weaponry, munitions and related equipment to Yemen, where some 200 protesters have lost their lives in 2011. These include Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK and the USA.

Despite the continued brutal crackdown against protesters, the international community has failed to take strong action to stem arms transfers to Yemen.

Obtaining arms data for Syria is difficult as few governments officially report on their arms trade with the Syrian government. But it is known that the biggest arms supplier to Syria is the Russian Federation with reportedly about 10 per cent of all Russian arms exports going there.

Russia does not publish an annual report on its arms exports meaning that its arms transfers to the region cannot be quantified.

India authorized the supply of armoured vehicles to Syria whilst France sold munitions between 2005 and 2009.

Amnesty International has identified 10 states whose governments licensed the supply of weaponry, munitions and related equipment to Colonel Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi’s Libyan regime since 2005, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the UK.

During the conflict, al-Gaddafi forces have committed war crimes and abuses which may amount to crimes against humanity.

Spanish cluster submunitions and MAT-120 cargo mortar projectiles, licensed for sale in 2007, were found in Misratah by Amnesty International, when it was being shelled by al-Gaddafi forces earlier this year. This equipment is now prohibited by the Convention on Cluster Munitions which Spain signed less than a year after supplying the submunitions to Libya.

Much of the heavy weaponry found in Libya by Amnesty International researchers looks to have been manufactured during the Soviet-era – Russian or Soviet-made, especially the Grad rockets which are inherently indiscriminate and have been widely used by both sides during the conflict. Some of the munitions found were also Chinese, Bulgarian and Italian such as the Type 72 anti-tank mines, rocket fuses and 155mm artillery rounds, respectively.

At least 20 states have sold and supplied small arms, ammunition, tear gas and riot control agents, and other equipment to Egypt. The USA has been the biggest - annually providing $1.3 billion. Others include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Switzerland.

Shotguns were widely used in both Egypt and Bahrain by the security forces with devastating lethal effect.

Amnesty International recognized that the international community has taken some steps this year to restrict international arms transfers to Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen. But the organization said that existing arms export controls had failed to prevent the transfer of arms in the preceding years.

“Arms embargos are usually a case of ‘too little too late’ when faced with human rights crises,” said Helen Hughes.

“What the world needs is rigorous case by case evaluation of each proposed arms transfer so that if there is a substantial risk that the arms are likely to be used to commit or facilitate serious human rights violations, then the government must show the red stop light.”

“This proactive ‘Golden Rule’ is already in the UN draft paper for the Arms Trade Treaty talks which resume at the United Nations in February. If the major arms exporters fail to adopt the Golden Rule, and recklessly continue a ‘business as usual’ approach, fuelling human rights crises as we have witnessed across the Middle East and North African region this year, it will needlessly shatter lives and undermine global security."

Tear gas and other riot control agents were widely used by security forces against protesters

Tear gas and other riot control agents were widely used by security forces against protesters

© Amnesty International

Spanish-manufactured cluster munitions were found in Libya

Spanish-manufactured cluster munitions were found in Libya

© Amnesty International

Security forces in Egypt and elsewhere used shotguns against protesters

Security forces in Egypt and elsewhere used shotguns against protesters

© Omnia E. Al Desoukie

19 October 2011

The USA, Russia and European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year’s uprisings despite having evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

Arms Transfers To The Middle East And North Africa: Lessons For An Effective Arms Trade Treaty examines arms transfers to Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen since 2005.

"These findings highlight the stark failure of existing arms export controls, with all their loopholes, and underline the need for an effective global Arms Trade Treaty that takes full account of the need to uphold human rights," said Helen Hughes, Amnesty International’s principal arms trade researcher on the report.

"Governments that now say they stand in solidarity with people across the Middle East and North Africa are the very same as those who until recently supplied the weapons, bullets and military and police equipment that were used to kill, injure and arbitrarily detain thousands of peaceful protesters in states such as Tunisia and Egypt and are even now being deployed by security forces in Syria and Yemen."

The main arms suppliers to the five countries included in the report were Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, the UK and the USA.

At least 11 states have provided military assistance or allowed exports of weaponry, munitions and related equipment to Yemen, where some 200 protesters have lost their lives in 2011. These include Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, the Russian Federation, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK and the USA.

Despite the continued brutal crackdown against protesters, the international community has failed to take strong action to stem arms transfers to Yemen.

Obtaining arms data for Syria is difficult as few governments officially report on their arms trade with the Syrian government. But it is known that the biggest arms supplier to Syria is the Russian Federation with reportedly about 10 per cent of all Russian arms exports going there.

Russia does not publish an annual report on its arms exports meaning that its arms transfers to the region cannot be quantified.

India authorized the supply of armoured vehicles to Syria whilst France sold munitions between 2005 and 2009.

Amnesty International has identified 10 states whose governments licensed the supply of weaponry, munitions and related equipment to Colonel Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi’s Libyan regime since 2005, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the UK.

During the conflict, al-Gaddafi forces have committed war crimes and abuses which may amount to crimes against humanity.

Spanish cluster submunitions and MAT-120 cargo mortar projectiles, licensed for sale in 2007, were found in Misratah by Amnesty International, when it was being shelled by al-Gaddafi forces earlier this year. This equipment is now prohibited by the Convention on Cluster Munitions which Spain signed less than a year after supplying the submunitions to Libya.

Much of the heavy weaponry found in Libya by Amnesty International researchers looks to have been manufactured during the Soviet-era – Russian or Soviet-made, especially the Grad rockets which are inherently indiscriminate and have been widely used by both sides during the conflict. Some of the munitions found were also Chinese, Bulgarian and Italian such as the Type 72 anti-tank mines, rocket fuses and 155mm artillery rounds, respectively.

At least 20 states have sold and supplied small arms, ammunition, tear gas and riot control agents, and other equipment to Egypt. The USA has been the biggest - annually providing $1.3 billion. Others include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Switzerland.

Shotguns were widely used in both Egypt and Bahrain by the security forces with devastating lethal effect.

Amnesty International recognized that the international community has taken some steps this year to restrict international arms transfers to Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen. But the organization said that existing arms export controls had failed to prevent the transfer of arms in the preceding years.

“Arms embargos are usually a case of ‘too little too late’ when faced with human rights crises,” said Helen Hughes.

“What the world needs is rigorous case by case evaluation of each proposed arms transfer so that if there is a substantial risk that the arms are likely to be used to commit or facilitate serious human rights violations, then the government must show the red stop light.”

“This proactive ‘Golden Rule’ is already in the UN draft paper for the Arms Trade Treaty talks which resume at the United Nations in February. If the major arms exporters fail to adopt the Golden Rule, and recklessly continue a ‘business as usual’ approach, fuelling human rights crises as we have witnessed across the Middle East and North African region this year, it will needlessly shatter lives and undermine global security."
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Libyans must see justice after death of Colonel al-Gaddafi
Colonel al-Gaddafi ruled with an iron fist for 42 years

Colonel al-Gaddafi ruled with an iron fist for 42 years

© www.kremlin.ru

20 October 2011

The death of Colonel Mu'ammar al-Gaddafi brings to a close a chapter of Libya's history marked by repression and abuse, but does not end the story, Amnesty International said today.

“The legacy of repression and abuse from Colonel Mu'ammar al-Gaddafi's rule will not end until there is a full accounting for the past and human rights are embedded in Libya's new institutions,” said Claudio Cordone, Senior Director at Amnesty International.

Legacy of repression

During his 42 years in power, al-Gaddafi ruled with an iron fist, stifling individual freedoms and any form of political dissent.

Thanks to al-Gaddafi, Libya’s public institutions were rendered largely inefficient or, like the criminal justice system, used as tools of repression. The country lacked an independent civil society, a free press or political parties.

"Colonel al-Gaddafi’s death must not stop his victims in Libya from seeing justice being done. The many Libyan officials suspected of serious human rights violations committed during and before this year's uprising, including the infamous Abu Salim prison massacre in 1996, must answer for their crimes,” said Claudio Cordone.

"The new authorities must make a complete break from the culture of abuse that Colonel al-Gaddafi’s regime perpetuated and initiate the human rights reforms that are urgently needed in the country."

This should include overhauling the criminal justice system to bring it in line with international standards, including by properly defining crimes like torture and extrajudicial executions.

Inquiry into death

Amnesty International called on Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) to make public information about how Colonel al-Gaddafi died, making the full facts available to the Libyan people.

It is essential to conduct a full, independent and impartial inquiry to establish whether Colonel al-Gaddafi was killed during combat or after he was captured, the organization said.

Amnesty International called on the NTC to ensure that all those suspected of human rights abuses and war crimes, including Colonel al-Gaddafi's inner circle and family members, are treated humanely and, if captured, given fair trials.

20 October 2011

Local and foreign armed groups in the CAR are still killing, abducting, torturing and raping civilians, as well as burning houses and looting property, Amnesty International said in a report released today.

The report Central African Republic - Action needed to end decades of abuse describes how CAR’s population has been terrorized for decades by armed groups who have been able to operate with virtual impunity.

Despite peace agreements and a fledgling Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration process, armed conflict continues to ravage the country resulting in civilian deaths and mass internal displacement.

“The CAR covers an enormous territory and most of it is a black hole in terms of human rights. At least 14 armed groups are currently operating in the country yet the government has consistently shown itself to be incapable or unwilling to take action to protect its citizens,” said Godfrey Byaruhanga, Amnesty International’s Central Africa researcher.

“Grave human rights violations, including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity, are committed with appalling frequency but the justice vacuum that exists in CAR means there’s no end in sight.”

The CAR government exercises tenuous control over the country with an ill-equipped, ill disciplined and poorly trained security force which itself commits human rights violations. The malfunctioning domestic justice system has failed to prosecute anyone for crimes under international law despite the crimes being incorporated in its Penal Code in January 2010.

Measures such as amnesties, which are often incorporated into peace agreements between the government and armed groups, as well as a failure to prosecute members of the security forces and armed group leaders, will continue to encourage others to commit human rights abuses.

Since the referral of CAR to the International Criminal Court in December 2004 just one arrest has been made. Congolese armed group leader Jean-Pierre Bemba is currently on trial at The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity and the war crimes of murder, rape and pillage.

“Investigation and prosecution of abuses that indicate that war crimes and crimes against humanity may have been committed are a shared responsibility of the international community and the CAR. To date all attempts have failed abysmally,” said Godfrey Byaruhanga.

Despite repeated attempts to solve the crisis, the situation has not improved for civilians. In late 2008, for example, the US government financed and supported the Ugandan national army (UPDF) to militarily end the threat of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – one of the armed groups now operating the CAR. UPDF attacks on LRA bases killed some fighters and dispersed others but did not bring an end to the group’s abuses. LRA atrocities have instead spread to other parts of the CAR.

On 3 April 2010 Thierry Bakanote- a 23-year-old trader - was attacked by the LRA in south eastern CAR who opened fire on a pick up truck carrying passengers. Seven of the passengers died while eight were injured. The LRA fighters looted goods from the truck before setting it on fire.

Félicité Mboligassie and dozens of other civilians were in early 2008 abducted from southeastern CAR and taken to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by LRA fighters. She and other women and girls were forced into sexual slavery by LRA commanders, while boys and men were forced to fight for the LRA. Mboligassie and others were able to escape after LRA camps were attacked by the UPDF. She eventually returned to the CAR but she and other abductees live in fear of further attacks.

“The investigation of abuses in the CAR and the bringing to justice of those responsible deserve the same coordinated response and shared material, financial and personnel resources that states devote to other serious crimes,” said Godfrey Byaruhanga.

“The people of CAR have suffered enough. The country’s international partners must now commit themselves to the implementation of new, viable measures to address this diabolical situation.”

In mid-October 2011, the US Government announced that it was sending troops to support Ugandan forces deal with the LRA, while the French government reiterated its support for CAR government forces. Amnesty International believes that coordination between these countries, and a more holistic approach to tackling the armed elements operating in the CAR and the wider sub-region, is essential to address the gross human rights violations ongoing in the CAR.

Foreign governments must ensure that any military support does not lead to further human rights abuses. LRA commanders who have been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) should, if arrested or captured, be handed over to the Court.

Amnesty International is calling on the African Union, through its Peace and Security Council, to take the lead to coordinate measures to build a coalition of governments and inter-governmental organisations for the purpose of protecting and promoting human rights in the CAR.

Grey's Anatomy Redux: Debbie Allen Comes to Seattle Grace and Nothing Hurts

Thu., Oct. 13, 2011 9:30 PM PDT by Christina Dowling

ABC/RON TOM

Until tonight, we didn't know what we were missing in our lives. That person is Dr. Catherine Avery (Debbie Allen). Jackson's (Jesse Williams) super awesome mama came breezing into town with a groundbreaking surgery and a meddling agenda. And we love her for it.

What fun revelations did Dr. Mama Avery bring with her? Is Meredith and Derek's baby or adoption in danger? And who is the biggest heartbreaker in Seattle Grace? Find out what happened on tonight's Grey's Anatomy:

MORE: Grey's Anatomy: We Go Behind the Scenes with the Ladies...And Dig Up Romance Scoop!

WHAT WE LEARNED

Meddling Mommy: Dr. Catherine Avery, don't leave us. Ever. We can say Dr. Mama Avery has absolutely no boundaries and we love it. She was like a delightful hurricane that brought only happiness, for us viewers that is. For Jackson, she brought headache. So much so, he sent Lexie (Chyler Leigh) packing to see her other sister, Molly. (Continuity fairies strike again!) While Lexie may have been in another time zone, she was still front and center in tonight's episode. Groundbreaking surgery be damned, Dr. Mama Avery wanted to know all about her baby's girlfriend.

It's no secret we feel so many emotions when it comes to the complex Mark-Lexie-Jackson triangle. And it was there tonight. Oh boy, it was there. Mark (Eric Dane) can't help but defend Lexie, and in doing so, makes it obvious how much he still loves her. Swoon. And then Jackson's blush and smile when his mom asks if he loves Lexie. We absolutely just died. We can't choose, so don't make us.

MORE: Community's Gillian Jacobs Dishes on a Potential Troy and Britta Romance and a Ghastly Halloween Episode

My, What a Big Transplant You Have: This week's LOLs are brought to you by a penis transplant. We aren't men and we don't play them on TV, but there's nothing like a few good penis jokes to make the male docs and April (Sarah Drew) squirm. But with Dr. Mama Avery also comes dating advice. She essentially tells April it's time to cash in her V-card. For the sake of her surgical career, of course. See, we told you how much we love Dr. Mama Avery, she's a matchmaker too!

Baby Blues: Poor little Zola. That cute baby cannot catch a break. This childhood foster-home flip-flopping and trauma are what Lifetime movies are made for. She's rushed into the ER and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) aren't even allowed to know about it. That social worker is really becoming a supervillain. Next week, we'll see her twirling her mustache and cackling. It's really a good thing Alex (Justin Chambers) is on a mission of penance and is determined to tell the parents. But that sad Derek-Meredith elevator ride. Sobs. This story just has to have a happy ending. Do you hear us, Shonda Rhimes? We need Meredith, Derek and their little baby to have a happy ending.

MORE: ABC Picks Up Revenge and Suburgatory for Full Season, Orders More Scripts for Happy Endings

While they may be having blissful breakfast, by dinner there is clearly trouble brewing for Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Cristina (Sandra Oh). Cristina is far too good holding a baby and it clearly breaks Owen's heart all over again.

Bonus Points: Did you spot Cougar Town's Ian Gomez in the background? Neither did we, but apparently he could be seen in the first five minutes. ABC loves them some cross promotion.

MORE: Casting Scoop: American Dreams Actor Heads to The Secret Circle

ONE-LINERS

"You had a mother. Jackson and I had surgeons who procreated." —Meredith
"I'm not a tummy tuck tycoon." —Mark
"It's very simple, people. All it has to be is perfect." —Catherine Avery
"When this is over I never want you to mention my penis again." —Transplant patient
"Don't count out Lexie Grey until you meet her. She's smart. She's beautiful. She's perfect. A guy couldn't do any better."—Mark

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Pretty in Pink: A little change of colored scrubs is not small detail in Seattle Grace Mercy West, remember those ghastly orange scrubs? Yikes. But this recent change of apparel marks Meredith's indefinite stint in OB. What else is coming up for our favorite Seattle ladies? You watched-slash-read our exclusive set visit, right?

MORE: CW Picks Up All Its New Shows?! Plus, More Fall TV Renewals

Bailey's Bed Hopping: Were you surprised by Bailey's abrupt breakup? Her hot and heavy romance with Nurse Eli (Daniel Sunjata) fizzled very quickly, and the sparks are still flying with Dr. Ben (Jason George). So are they headed for coupledom? Chandra Wilson says, "There's no telling with Bailey." Well, there probably is, but Chandra's not telling!

Do you want Dr. Catherine Avery to stay in Seattle and meddle forever? Where is the epic Mark-Lexie-Jackson triangle headed? And how long do you think little Zola will break our hearts? Hit the comments!