The award is judged by a group of retired senior US military and intelligence personnel, and past winners. This year the award to Julian Assange was unanimous.
Previous winners and ceremony locations:
Coleen Rowley of the FBI; in Washington, D.C.
Katharine Gun of British intelligence; in Copenhagen, Denmark
Sibel Edmonds of the FBI; in Washington, D.C.
Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan; in New York City
Sam Provance, former sergeant, U.S. Army, truth-teller about Abu Ghraib; in Washington, D.C.
Frank Grevil, major, Danish army intelligence, imprisoned for giving the Danish press documents showing that Denmark’s prime minister disregarded warnings that there was no authentic evidence of WMDs in Iraq; in Copenhagen, Denmark
Larry Wilkerson, colonel, U.S. Army (retired), former chief of staff to Secretary Colin Powell at the State Department, who has exposed what he called the “Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal”; in Washington, D.C.
http://original.antiwar.com/mcgovern/2010/08/15/can-wikileaks-help-save-lives/
Not sure yet where this year’s award ceremony will be held, but I’ll be there.
Cary Grant, Acid Head.
http://www.psymon.com/psychedelia/images/carygrant.html
Sorry, that was meant for the other thread.
Did you see the Panorama tonight on the cephalopod-like Lord Ashcroft – the tentacles reach from Belize and the Turks and Caicos Islands to Westminster and Hague? The most tragic case was about the most ghastly abortion of a resort hotel and marina, built within a national park and which is now derelict and in receivership with many local firms left high and dry for their money. Banks, telecommunications, charitable trusts and on and on. The British police will have their work cut out as they investigate his dealings.
Wonder why it is not on the iPlayer!? Next on News Channel at 04.30 Thursday. How convenient.
aa
Lord Ashcroft’s Millions
Watch:Availability:
Sorry, this programme is not available to watch again. (why?)
Last broadcast today, 20:30 on BBC One (see all broadcasts).
Next on:
Thursday, 04:30 on BBC News Channel
Synopsis
Lord Ashcroft, the biggest political donor since records began, is resigning as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. His millions bank-rolled David
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00vcch5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ashcroft,_Baron_Ashcroft
….
His millions bank-rolled David Cameron’s election campaign, but where does Lord Ashcroft’s money come from?
Credits
Presenter Jeremy Vine
Broadcasts
Mon 11 Oct 2010 20:30
BBC One Thu 14 Oct 20100 4:30
BBC News Channel Fri 15 Oct 2010 00:25
BBC One (except Northern Ireland, Wales)Sat 16 Oct 20100 1:05
BBC One (Northern Ireland only)Sun 17 Oct 2010 20:30BBC News Channel
Private Eye reported that episode of Panorama was in long disputes and the subjects of holds and blocking orders by Ashcroft’s lawyers.
*
I’m surprised that the Americans didn’t also shoot the hostage a good few times after blowing her up, just to be sure. Can’t take chances, after all.
Makes one ponder on how the regard they gave to Afghan civilians, when they happen to have the misfortune of being in the vicinity of some Really Bad Person that needs to be “taken out”.
On Columbus Day
———————
Quote of the day: From Christopher Columbus in a 1503 letter to the King and Queen of Spain –
“Gold is most excellent, gold constitutes treasure, and he who has it does all he wants in the world, and can even lift souls up to paradise.”
In 1493 he also wrote to the Spanish monarchs, “It is possible in the name of the Holy Trinity to sell all the slaves [here, Haiti] which it is possible to sell. Here there are so many of these slaves [to offer], and also Brazil would… although they are living things they are as good as gold!”
When C. Columbus first arrived, one of his men Miguel Cuneo (a diarist of the crew) said that when the Spanish ships were to leave for Spain, they would gather 1600 males and females of the ‘Indians’, “and these we embarked on our [ships] on Feb 17th 1495. For those Spaniards who remained we let it be known that anyone who wanted to take any of these slave could do so, and the amount they desired was done.”
Columbus’ right hand man, Cuneo, further notes that he takes a beautiful teenage Carib girl as his personal slave, as a gift from Columbus himself. But when he tried to have sex with her, quoting the author, “she resisted with all her strength.” And in his own words, he “Thrashed her mercilessly and raped her.” He bragged about such exploits at length.
Sex-slaves were presented as rewards for the recipients to rape. The sex-slave trade business became the most important part of Columbus’ operation, there being no gold in Hispaniola. Columbus himself in 1500 wrote to a friend, “100 Castinalos are as easily obtained for a woman as for a farm, and it is very general and there are plenty of dealers who go out looking for girls. Those from nine to ten years old are now in the greatest demand.”
It went on. Many of these people opted for mass suicide, even hundreds at a time, rather than submit. Even the most cruel of punishments imaginable, from impaling to burning, being set on by dogs, shot, and ears and noses removed for even minor offences, did not deter their resisting, but the beset people took to killing even their newborn and aborting, rather than suffer endlessly. The population of Hispanolia (Haiti/ Dominion Republic) was, at the time of Columbus’ arrival, about 1.5 – 3 million people, estimated by scholars. By 1496, it was down to 1.1 million accord to a census carried out by Bartholomew Columbus (C.Columbus’ brother). By 1516, it was 12,000. By 1542, fewer than 200 natives were alive. 1555, ever single one was dead.
”
*
Somehow, while they’re busy honouring this brave founder during “Columbus Day” in the US, I doubt if they’ll be mentioning very much about this true history, and how the nation was founded in genocide. Such as it began, it continues even now.
Here is one of many emails I receive from Iraq:
“I am writing to you because my two year old is in need of desperate help, three months ago he was run over and was left in critical condition, the car’s tire ran over his head leaving him with 5 skull fractures, his ear hanging off, the skin on his right arm was completely peeled away. the right side of his face has dropped, and now doctors here are telling me that his left eye will need to be taken out, for the past three months his pupil has not moved, the tears in his eyes are drying, his eye has been sawn shut but had to be reopened because it swelled up and infected and his 7th and 6th nerve has frozen. I am writing to you from Iraq, Basrah and because of the conditions here we don’t have the right doctors or tools to treat his eye and because of the bombings sometimes we can’t even get to a doctor in fact we were caught in the bombings last month on the way. please, please help I don’t know what to do or were to go, I just want some advice from someone that understands.
Zahra
Iraq, Basrah
If anyone can help me with this case I would be very grateful. Here is the address of Zahra:
Basrah
Elle moofteya street
Infront of: company moo ta jat elle naftee yeah (opdc. G.co. south distribution)
We are a mosque called , sadia Albatat. house 112
Number 07604006247
?????? ???? ??????? / ????? ???? ????? ???????? ??????? / ????? ??????
?????? ?????? ??????
07801433232/
07604006247
“The extended sequence was apparently inspired by reports the show outsources the bulk of their animation to a company in South Korea.”
Eh? Sweatshops in South Korea? It’s got a better standard of living than the UK!
Now, Disney, on the other hand does outsource some of its “tweens” to North Korea. I’ve heard that the Lion King was largely made there.
Take a good look at this man, remember his face.
http://www.coia.org.uk/ben_ari.jpg
His name is Ben Ari, a former member of the terrorist ‘Kach’ party, now banned for inciting racism.
Ari’s ideology is advocating a Jewish state in accordance with the Hebrew Bible. He campaigned the idea of paying Arabs $40,000 to voluntarily leave, and expel those who refused. He argued for the annexation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and also wanted Israel to conquer and annex certain parts of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq which used to be territories and client states of the Israelite kingdoms. He also was opposed to Israel as a Western Democracy, and wanted to transform it into a more religious state.
During a meeting of the Israeli parliament (Knesset) Committee for Rights of the Child on Monday, Ari was reported by the Jerusalem Post to have said that…
children throwing stones at Israeli soldiers/security should be shot.
jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?ID=190959&R=R1
In his latest outburst, he called all Britons, “dogs” after a decision to expel an Israeli senior diplomat after it was disclosed British passports were forged to assist Israeli terrorists or Mossad operatives.
Ari said, “The British may be dogs, but they are not loyal to us, but rather to an anti-Semitic system, and Israeli diplomacy partially plays into their hands. This is anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism”.
I am waiting for Agent Cameron to apologise to Netanyahu if he has not already done so!!
jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=171628
Mark, i stared at that letter for about hour late last night, wondering how to respond. I am ashamed to say my own financial means to contribute are extremely limited at the moment.
Such a tragedy requires love and material support…
I visted the COIA site again, it has a right to exist, the graphics are so disturbing it overloads the senses. Such rare character is required to work with that material. The site could do with a ‘safe’ page where observers and other victims can project beyond the horror, vital recuperative energy. No one can operate in the depths of the pit.
“Take a good look at this man, remember his face.”
I can’t be bothered clicking your link but if you say he is a member of Kach then he is basically an extremist similar to those of the Jewish Defence League. He’s of the same ideology as Meir Kahane and Baruch Goldstein and therefore a terrorist or a terrorist sympathizer. Good on you for finally accepting that such a designation, “terrorist”, actually exists. With any luck you’ll soon be recognizing Hamas and Hizbollah of the same. Ben Ari, after all is banned from entering the US as he and his organization, Kach (as well as similar organizations) are banned in the US. In fact, the JDL is banned in Israel as is, I think, Kach.
“I am waiting for Agent Cameron to apologise to Netanyahu if he has not already done so!!”
Agent Cameron?
Angrysoba,
personally, I cannot designate Hamas as simply “terrorist”, it seems more complex than that: (1) they’re elected, (2) they are a political entity and (3) they have civil projects. I believe the situation is similar for Hizbollah, also. Yes, I know about the Hamas Charter, I do not condone it, but considering the Gazan’s longstanding circumstances, just how peaceful a response can be reasonably expected?
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2008/12/the_continuing_1.html
“just how peaceful a response can be reasonably expected?”
I think they should send polite letters to the Knesset. It’s only a little over forty years after all.
WATCH TO SHOOT AN ELEPAHNT
the humanity of the Gazan ambulance crews, it has to be seen.
Me, if I lived there, I would be welcoming the Israeli soldiers with cups of tea. Just to fuck happily with their heads a little. But now they’re dropping white phosphorous from miles away… I agree, polite letters to the Knesset. Must be worth a try.
Jesus, and there’s grief everywhere. Here, in the UK, travellers – grandmothers, babies – are about to be forcibly evicted from their own land by a notoriously violent firm of bailiffs and a council (Basildon) whose leader has made it personal. The eviction can happen at any time, day or night, and these people – mothers, children babies – will have *nowhere* to go. But who gives a toss, eh?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Farm
It was announced recently that Mordechai Vanunu is to receive the Carl Von Ossietzky medal 2010 on December 12th 2010 in Berlin.
German journalist Ossietzky won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1935 for speaking out against the Nazi Party.
In an acknowlegement speech Mordechai said, “today Oct. 5 is a historic day in my life and for whistleblowers world wide. On this day in 1986, I fulfilled my mission that I took on myself to inform all the world- not governments nor spies organization- but every human being who can read about Israel’s nuclear weapon arsenal as it was published by the Sunday Times, which put Mordechai Vanunu’s story on its front page under the headline: “Revealed — the secrets of Israel’s nuclear arsenal.”
For this I was sentenced to 18 years prison in Israel, 12 of them in isolation, and after the release 6 more years without freedom of speech and freedom of movements in Israel. I was following the spirit of Ossietztky without even knowing or having read about him. This proves that we, the people, have the same mind, same spirit, same beliefs in human rights and freedom and fight for the rights of the people everywhere. The first step is to give the people the information and let them chose the right direction.
Ossietzky did not survive the brutality of prison. I survived, and I am ready to continue to speak on behalf of all the whistleblowers. Knowledge is the power of every human being.
I hope Israel will now end all my suffering 18 years in prison and 6 more years of restrictions not to travel, so I can travel all over the world.
I want to thank International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) for the courage to give me the Von Ossietztky medal even if I receive it after 24 years. I hope this time I will be free to come to Berlin and speak also on behalf of Ossietztky in the city.
All the best,Thank You.” VMJC
FREEDOM AND ONLY FREEDOM I NEED NOW.
VANUNU MORDECHAI John Crossman.
KIDNAPPED IN ROME SEP’ 30 TH’-1986.
18 YEARS IN ISRAEL PRISON.OUT IN APR’-21-2004.
6 YEAR Waiting In East Jerusalem. AUG’ 2010 waiting in Tel Aviv-To Be Free,To Leave youtube.com/user/vanunuvmjc?feature=mhum
http:/www.vanunu.com
In awarding Mordechai Vanunu, the International League for Human Rights would like to draw international attention to the fact that he is still being held prisoner in Israel, deprived of elementary civil and human rights, although he has already served his prison sentence in full, and regardless of the fact that his information is now a quarter of a century old.
Likewise, 65 years after the first atomic bombs were dropped by the USA on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Vanunu’s reminder of the dangers posed by nuclear weapons of mass destruction, for man and nature, should be strengthened, and his relentless efforts towards their worldwide abolition given continued support.
My thanks to OpEd Press for carrying this story while other media refused including the BBC – pathetic bastards!
@ Glenn,
Could not agree with you more.
Try Elizabeth 1 and John Hawkins on for size when next you are in search of partners in crimes against humanity.
But, all we hear is the glorification of “Empire” – not the truth.
Courtenay: Thank you, but I did forget to attribute that summary. It’s a very much boiled down chapter from Thom Hartmann’s rather excellent book, “Last hours of ancient sunlight”.
An interesting and novel concept, he argues that we’re harvesting ancient sunlight at such a rapid pace, we’re using up millions of years of it in just decades. That ancient sunlight provided the energy for the trees and other carbon based organisms that provided the oil we use today. Each day, we burn up the oil produced by many, many years of sunlight harvested in ancient times.
When we’ve used it all (and peak oil is considered to be passed, a mere century into our significant usage of it), we will have to again rely on sunlight at the rate it’s provided, instead of millions of times that rate as we do right now.
That will be quite a significant shift! So we should start preparing, given that what remains will have to make do for the indefinite future, instead of the 50-100 year future which is all we seem to care about. Damn, this is a selfish period we live in.
@Mark,
When you consider Vanunu’s pligh he is truly deserving of an international peace prize – but – guess what? It’s a secret now. Promise not to tell? O.K. – good. Henry Kissinger got one.
This blog has officially reopened
Praise be Craig. Glad you are OK. We have all been concerned.
Courtney,
Yeh so did Obama for doing nothing?
While America praises the safe return of trapped miners in Chile, we remember ‘Operation Condor’ when Kissinger was chairman of the committee overseeing US covert operations, an early example of ‘death squads’ in which a French judge requested Kissinger to explain the deaths of French citizens during the rule of General Pinochet. His refusal tells me Kissinger has much to hide.
Courtenay: Thank you, but I did forget to attribute that summary. It’s a very much boiled down chapter from Thom Hartmann’s rather excellent book, “Last hours of ancient sunlight”.
Wait a minute, Oyun-Oyna – I could have sworn I’d written something along very similar lines myself!