Getting WARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null message when starting jbe

I have the jazz build engine working on Linux, Solaris and Windows but having problems with AIX.  Getting the messages quoted below when starting the jbe on AIX.  There are two flavours of Java 1.5 on the system a 32 bit and a 64 bit version.  I have tried with both but get the same error.  Startup command line specifies a vm:
/jazz/buildsystem/buildengine/eclipse/jbe.sh -vm "/usr/java/jre/bin/java"   Which I picked up from some previous reports of this type of issue as outlined in defect 108825.

2012-12-04 13:47:28 [Jazz build engine] Running build loop...
2012-12-04 13:47:28 [Jazz build engine] Waiting for request...
Dec 4, 2012 1:47:29 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.
Dec 4, 2012 1:47:29 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.
2012-12-04 13:47:30 [Jazz build engine] CRRTC3524W: Repository connection failed: CRJAZ1247I The request to the server failed.  The server returned the http error 400 with error text "Bad Request".  Examine any further details here or look in the server log files for more information on how to resolve the issue.
Dec 4, 2012 1:47:30 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.
Dec 4, 2012 1:47:35 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.
Dec 4, 2012 1:47:35 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.

bash-3.2# java -versionjava version "1.5.0"Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build pap32dev-20120810 (SR14 ))
IBM J9 VM (build 2.3, J2RE 1.5.0 IBM J9 2.3 AIX ppc-32 j9vmap3223-20120810 (JIT enabled)
J9VM - 20120718_116650_bHdSMrJIT  - 20120620_24345a_r8GC   - 20120605_AA)
JCL  - 20120810

2012-12-04 13:48:52 [Jazz build engine] Running build loop...
2012-12-04 13:48:52 [Jazz build engine] Waiting for request...
Dec 4, 2012 1:48:53 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.
Dec 4, 2012 1:48:54 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.
2012-12-04 13:48:54 [Jazz build engine] CRRTC3524W: Repository connection failed: CRJAZ1247I The request to the server failed.  The server returned the http error 400 with error text "Bad Request".  Examine any further details here or look in the server log files for more information on how to resolve the issue.
Dec 4, 2012 1:48:54 PM org.apache.commons.httpclient.HttpConnection releaseConnectionWARNING: HttpConnectionManager is null.  Connection cannot be released.

bash-3.2# java -version
java version "1.5.0"Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build pap64dev-20120810 (SR14 ))
IBM J9 VM (build 2.3, J2RE 1.5.0 IBM J9 2.3 AIX ppc64-64 j9vmap6423-20120810 (JIT enabled)
J9VM - 20120718_116650_BHdSMrJIT  - 20120620_24345a_r8GC   - 20120605_AA)
JCL  - 20120810

[edited quoted area for readability]
Thanks,
John D.