Non-informative exception when running 1.1-beta-1 on pom/maven.xml working in 1.0.2

D:\jhb_bugfix_view\sw\java>maven --info all_jar  __ __ | \/ |__ _Apache__ ___ | |\/| / _` \ V / -_) ' \ ~ intelligent projects ~ |_| |_\__,_|\_/\___|_||_| v. 1.1-beta-1 ----- Environment   java.version=1.4.2_06   file.encoding=Cp1252   java.ext.dirs=c:\j2sdk1.4.2_06\jre\lib\ext   java.class.path=d:\tools\maven-1.1-beta-1\lib\forehead-1.0-beta-5.jar   os.name=Windows 2000   java.vendor=Sun Microsystems Inc.   sun.boot.class.path=c:\j2sdk1.4.2_06\jre\lib\rt.jar;c:\j2sdk1.4.2_06\jre\lib\i18n.jar;c:\j2sdk1.4.2_06\jre\lib\sunrsasign.jar;c:\j2sdk1.4.2_06\jre\lib\jsse.jar;c:\j2sdk1.4.2_06\jre\lib\jce.jar;c:\j2 sdk1.4.2_06\jre\lib\charsets.jar;c:\j2sdk1.4.2_06\jre\classes   java.runtime.name=Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition ----- Installed plugins :   maven-abbot-plugin-1.1   maven-announcement-plugin-1.3   maven-ant-plugin-1.9   maven-antlr-plugin-1.2.1   maven-artifact-plugin-1.5.2   maven-aspectj-plugin-3.2   maven-castor-plugin-1.2   maven-changelog-plugin-1.8.2   maven-changes-plugin-1.5.1   maven-checkstyle-plugin-2.5   maven-clean-plugin-1.3   maven-clover-plugin-1.9.1   maven-console-plugin-1.1   maven-cruisecontrol-plugin-1.7   maven-dashboard-plugin-1.8   maven-developer-activity-plugin-1.5.1   maven-dist-plugin-1.6.1   maven-ear-plugin-1.7   maven-eclipse-plugin-1.9   maven-ejb-plugin-1.6   maven-faq-plugin-1.4   maven-file-activity-plugin-1.5.1   maven-genapp-plugin-2.2   maven-gump-plugin-2.0.1   maven-hibernate-plugin-1.3   maven-html2xdoc-plugin-1.3.1   maven-idea-plugin-1.6   maven-j2ee-plugin-1.5.1   maven-jalopy-plugin-1.3.1   maven-jar-plugin-1.7   maven-java-plugin-1.5   maven-javacc-plugin-1.1   maven-javadoc-plugin-1.7   maven-jboss-plugin-1.5   maven-jbuilder-plugin-1.5   maven-jcoverage-plugin-1.0.9   maven-jdepend-plugin-1.5   maven-jdiff-plugin-1.4   maven-jellydoc-plugin-1.3.1   maven-jetty-plugin-1.1   maven-jira-plugin-1.1.2   maven-jnlp-plugin-1.4.1   maven-junit-report-plugin-1.5   maven-jxr-plugin-1.4.2   maven-license-plugin-1.2   maven-linkcheck-plugin-1.3.4   maven-multichanges-plugin-1.1   maven-multiproject-plugin-1.4.1   maven-native-plugin-1.1   maven-nsis-plugin-1.1   maven-pdf-plugin-2.3   maven-plugin-plugin-1.6   maven-pmd-plugin-1.6   maven-pom-plugin-1.4.1   maven-rar-plugin-1.0   maven-release-plugin-1.4.1   maven-repository-plugin-1.2   maven-scm-plugin-1.5   maven-simian-plugin-1.4   maven-site-plugin-1.6.1   maven-tasklist-plugin-2.4   maven-test-plugin-1.6.2   maven-uberjar-plugin-1.2   maven-war-plugin-1.6.1   maven-xdoc-plugin-1.9.1 Home Build properties : {eclipse_location=C:/eclipse, eclipse_dep_project=project, staging_location=d:/stage}