Papers seize on sheep error

The papers focus on the scientists who spent four years doing experiments to see whether sheep have BSE - only to discover that the material they had been using came from cows.

But it is the government which should take the blame - according to the papers.

The Daily Telegraph calls the mistake "one of the greatest blunders in the history of Government science".

It is the way the information was released that shocks The Sun - "An obscurely worded message" was put out on a departmental website at ten thirty in the evening".

"The sheep study cock-up is incredible," says the Daily Star.

Dreadful mistake

"The government's attempts to cover it up are even worse."

The Mirror is absolutely furious - saying "you would think any decent, caring Government would be so mortally shame-faced by this dreadful mistake that they would come clean instantly... but no."

And the paper sums up the conduct of the government as "a monstrous scandal and a cynical lie".

So much for claims of honesty and openness, says Trevor Kavanagh of The Sun, "the black arts are alive and well ... This government believes in the Three Rs - relentless, remorseless and ruthless spin".

The Daily Mail says: "Even by New Labour's standards of incompetence, public administration has never sunk so low."

Human frailty

And it believes that "banana republic bungling" threatens to undermine public confidence in the ability of ministers to sort out public services, or defend the public from terrorist attacks.

Only The Independent takes a lighter view.

"We are always pleased to see human frailty loudly confirmed," it says.

"It is good to see Britain still so enthusiastically embracing its traditional role of amateurish stumbling and fumbling and muddling through."

No message of that kind features in the efforts being made to demoralise the Taleban.

Psychological warfare

The Guardian describes as "bloodcurdling" the warnings dropped on leaflets and broadcast from electronic warfare planes.

And the paper sees the deployment of American special forces behind enemy lines as another aspect of psychological warfare.

The Times explains how they will try to amalgamate dissidents, deserters and forces hostile to the Taleban into "cohesive units".

The Daily Express thinks the Americans are not alone - its reporters inside Afghanistan have come across French paratroops and Russian special advisors helping the Northern Alliance in its war on the Taleban.

While fear and alarm is spread among the enemy, at home the Americans are trying to banish uncertainty and lift the spirits - nowhere more so than in New York.

Five-hour concert

Everyone there, says The Mirror, is looking forward to "the most eagerly awaited show since Live Aid".

Saturday night's five-hour long concert features some of the biggest stars in British rock - including Sir Elton John, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, The Who, Mick Jagger and Sir Paul McCartney.

He tells The Sun it is bound to be an emotional performance.

"My father was a fireman," he says, "and I was a war baby. It reminded me of what my father did in the war."

The Independent quotes one of the organisers as saying they have had to create "the biggest private air force in the world" to get all the stars to New York.