British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Rupert Joy is vocal and effusive in his praises of the Uzbek regime. But he has gone all coy and refused to answer any questions from leading Uzbek journalist Galima Burkabaeva about his starring appearance at dictator’s daughter Gulnara Karimova’s Tashkent Fashion TV extravaganza.
http://https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2010/10/the_poison_from.html#comments
Galima put the same questions to me as to Rupert Joy. This article is based on my responses, and also notes that Rupert Joy refused to comment.
http://en.hrsu.org/2010/10/19/no-capital-equipment-and-a-huge-slave-labour-force/
As the article also states, the Embassy’s Third Secretary, Richard Pike, gave a formal response to Galima stating that the Ambassador’s views had been explained in full at the fashion event – but unfortunately the Embassy could not provide a text or summary of what he had said!
So I emailed Richard Pike and Rupert Joy and asked, very politely indeed, whether they could point me to any public statements by Rupert Joy on human rights in Uzbekistan or on forced and child labour in the cotton industry. I have not received any reply at all.
Now I am a British taxpayer and perfectly entitled to ask a civil question about public statements and expect a reply. I am also the author of a widely read blog and entitled to expect answers from public servants for my readers.
It seems that unless you are a dictator given to imprisoning tens of thousands of prisoners and torturing hundreds to death, the British Embassy in Tashkent is not very interested in you. You may have more look in getting a response than I. Try [email protected] and [email protected].
The root cause of our government’s adoration of Karimov remains the war in Afghanistan. I was trying to avoid comment on Sky’s absurdly theatrical outings with some low level Taliban resistance personnel encouraged into silly bragging. But Iain Dale’s hysterical reaction spurs me into action.
http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2010/10/those-who-fund-taliban-are-guilty-of.html
In fact there were two genuine nuggets in the coverage which Sky News failed to pick up on at all in their fervour to promote the war agenda. An elder stated in terms that it was difficult to persuade people to lay down arms when civilian relatives were killed by coalition forces. It was also stated that young children were attracted to the Taliban when they saw coalition forces come into their villages. It was further repeatedly stated as a greivance that the Kabul government was corrupt.
Sky journalists simply ignored this vital information about the causes of resistance, and instead directed us towards funding from the UK of the “Taliban”, and theatrics about hiding an IED in a culvert, which was hardly news – we had not been under the impression they were suspended from hot air balloons. Sky allowed the talentless thug Liam Fox to witter endless nonsense about imposing the writ of the”democratic” government of President Karzai, without any journalist mentioning election fraud or pointing out to Fox that we had just seen repeated evidence that a primary grievance of the villagers was the corruption of the Karzai government.
The point is not about treason in the UK. It is about our occupying a country where the population do not want us.
.
If Sky “news” are concerned about funding for the Taliban they might want to talk to Washington –
http://blog.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2010/06/22/u-s-military-funding-the-taliban/
Same age old problems, the same old tired solutions designed by stupid people who, it would appear are good at getting what they want, but not good at finding solutions. The answer as to why is contained in the paragraphs. A solution cannot be found because they don’t want one. That is the business of the British Empire.
The US transit base in Navoi reduces the load on the American base in Kyrgyzstan. This is the Afghanistan connection that mutes the British Embassy and turns a blind eye to the exploitation of children and torture.
Perhaps another book is needed Craig, ‘Joining hands with the Devil’ that describes the dirty, corrupt and hypocritical Western connection between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
Memorandum to Craig Murray
From the desk of Rupert Joy
Date: 22nd October, 2010
To: Former Ambassador Craig Murray
I have been instructed by Her Majesty’s Government make a brief reply to the inquiry that you made.
We agree fully with your observation:-
“Now I am a British taxpayer and perfectly entitled to ask a civil question about public statements and expect a reply. I am also the author of a widely read blog and entitled to expect answers from public servants for my readers.”
It is our considered assessment that the Karmitov regime is extremely efficient and that is why at a very early age it makes children productive and teaches them self-reliance by picking cotton.
There are other areas of governmental actions that we decline to speak on, having due regard for cultural differences between Britain and Uzbekistan that are quite significant. One needs to understand that non-Westerners have sensitivities in ways that persons from the West do not readily appreciate. Her Majesty’s Government remains fully committed to maintaining respectful relations with Uzbekistan, with due regard for cultural differences.
Of course I have written this diplomatic reply with a clear conscience, and as you know Craig, from being a British Ambassador – a clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
Respectfully,
Rupert Joy ?” British Ambassador to Uzbekistan
I am a sober Muslim
You is a wanker
Off topic – but worth contemplation:-
Quotation from:-
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja
“Ordinary citizens do not have passion for war as it disturbs their safety and security, and destroys the living habitats. The ruling elite, the actual warmongers, force people to think in extreme terms of hatred and rejection of others so that people would be forced to align with the rulers to support and finance the war efforts. Sheldon Richman describes how Herman Goering, Hitler’s second in command, understood the discourse of war-making:
“Of course the people don’t want war… .but after all, it’s the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether, it’s a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a Communist dictatorship.” (Sheldon Richman, “War is Government Program”)”
‘Joy’ by name and ‘Joy’ by nature, no doubt. I guess one would have to be on (at least) MDMA to hold such Panglossian opinions in such a setting. Prince Rupert, perhaps? A doomed cavalier?
Now, where was that argument about effecting regime change so that democracy could spread like wildfire throughout the universe? Filed in a drawer marked, ‘Mesopotamia, You’re Always On My Mind’ (sorry, Old Boy, we lost the key).
Where exactly are the liberal imperialists on such questions of our time?
Answer (to paraphrase David Steel’s old exhortation from the early 1980s):
Ah! The liberal imperialists: they prepared well, and are now in government.
I Fuck anyone for grass
I understand your apoplexy at Iain Dale. I used to read his blog regularly, if only to keep abreast of how ‘Tory Westminster Village Insiders’ viewed certain issues from within the goldfish bowl. But no longer I’m afraid. It is all so tediously and simplistically predictable. I once described Iain as a political Dale Winton. It remains an accurate comparison. Scratch the surface and child-like smiling, frail vulnerable emotionalism is all there is. He so needs to be liked.
And when it comes to foreign affairs; well what can one say really? He’s done the Zionist trip to Israel and so has all the PC knee-jerk inanities off pat. Anything else – child-like is the best and most charitable description I can find. I know he is a ‘nice guy’ (like his namesake Winton no doubt) but when it comes to Great Game geo-politics, utterly bloody clueless and offensively patriotic – ie bemused and offended by foreigners’ refusal to acknowledge the genuine benign goodness of British intentions. I marvel at the sheer absurdity of it all, really I do.
No point in being angry with him though – because after all, on these issues he is sooo anguished and he does MEAN so well.
sabretache: ooh, ouch.
Sadley the poor dear man is ill.
brian haw in hospital
Posted by luke on October 22, 2010, 1:11 pm
HOSPITAL: A MESSAGE FROM BRIAN HAW
“I was admitted to hospital on 23rd September 2010, with breathing trouble. Tests show a tumour. I am having more tests then treatment.
In my enforced absence, Babs Tucker is Captain of the Good Ship Parliament Square Peace Campaign. Please give her all the help possible.
I will be back and able to cry out again for those denied a voice.
God save the Kids, the people.”
http://brianhaw.tv/index.php/blog?start=3
[email protected]
Should that be:
[email protected]
Iain Dale’s pal Ms Dorries has been exposed, in a manner of speaking, as a fraud.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/22/nadine-dorries-blog-truth?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Have the Houses of Parliament been cleaned up? Not on your Nelly.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/7853181/MPs-expenses-Nadine-Dorries-pays-50000-of-allowances-to-close-friend.html
Have the number of MPs been reduced as promised? No.
Very fundamental aspects need addressing if the UK is still to be called a democracy.
Yes, people have the freedom to physically vote but they have no basis on which to make a choice.
Of course, the parties produce a manifesto. But the pledges made in the manifesto are often false as we now know with the Liberal Democrats’ reversals within a few months of their promise to maintain the present cap on university fees and their promise to scrap the “surveillance state” plan by pledging to “end the storage of internet and email records without good reason”.
To say that they didn’t know how bad the economy was beggars belief. If it’s true then they’re unfit for government.
So basically when you cast your vote you’re just making the choice of a name of a person. Nothing more. You have no idea what the party of that person will have in store for you.
Basically the people are powerless unless, as the French do, they take to the street.
Assuming the text was approved by London it is hard to see how it could have “gone missing”.
Sorry this comment is off topic but I must put it somewhere in case it gets removed from the Daily Telegraph comments on Dr Kelly
akrotiri
‘Everyone in Authority had dodged the association to Dr David Kelly being the overseer of the Covert Conservative purchase in1991 of 3 ex ARMSCOR Pelindaba, Pretoria Battlefield Nuclear Bombs.
The very 3 Nukes stolen by the Weapons Broker John Bredenkamp from their poor security facility in OMAN under the Watch of Dr David Kelly.
One of those Stolen Nukes, detonated by North Korea on 25 May 2009.
But then, the Labour Party have stayed silent because they uncovered the huge financial Conservative money laundering Fraud associated to this Nuclear Weapon purchase and the Backhander of £17.8 Million through a front Company of Bredenkamp into the EMPTY Conservative Coffers to fight the 1992 General Election.
David Cameron is fully aware, it was he and Ken Warren, ordered by Thatcher to take an Armscor Paid visit to Pelindaba to arrange the process of transporting the 9 remaining South African/Israeli manufactured Pelindaba Battlefield Nuclear Bombs.
6 to be sent to Chicago for De-Commissioning
and 3 to be diverted to Oman for retaliation if Saddam used Chemicals against Coalition forces in the retake of Kuwait, Gulf War 1
The UOR to purchase the Nukes designated on the UOR as
“3 CYLINDERS”
Signed by Thatcher on her last day in Number 10
MP Peter Lilley for the DTI
Stephan Kock for ASTRA
and
Authorised by Lord MacAlpine and a selection of Tory Grandee’s
Craig,
I am baffled by your continuing sniping at those who associate closely with Gulnara Karimova, including HMA Tashkent.
How can you brazenly say this:
“Rupert Joy should be deeply ashamed of himself,” the former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, said when he learnt about Joy’s participation in the style.uz fashion week, organised by Uzbek President Islam Karimov’s eldest daughter Gulnara…Joy’s attendance is in effect an endorsement of both Gulnara and of the whole regime.”
What driveling hypocrisy.
You yourself did something even more outlandish. You invited the lovely Gulnara to the Queen’s Birthday Party you hosted in Tashkent, letting her guzzle sausages on sticks paid for by UK taxpayers.
Hard to do more to ‘endorse’ the regime than that? You write in your very own book how proud you were that she had attended the event – a sign of your own mighty influence:
http://charlescrawford.biz/blog/NRWLCI691651
Maybe Rupert Joy is simply following your own wily example of getting close to the Uzbekistan regime with a view to influencing it by stealth?
Er, hold on. Craig established the facts about the torture and murder conducted by our ally in the ‘War On Terror’, and publicised them and acted on them. The current ambassador is not only turning a blind eye to the regime and its excrescences, but praising it. I think that may be the angle you’re missing.
@ Charles Crawford,
Come on Charles, there is a certain protocol that goes hand in glove with the diplomatic job.
Craig did ultimately stand up in a very principled manner. But, obviously you didn’t read Rupert’s reply to Craig…
“Memorandum to Craig Murray
From the desk of Rupert Joy
Date: 22nd October, 2010
To: Former Ambassador Craig Murray
I have been instructed by Her Majesty’s Government make a brief reply to the inquiry that you made.
We agree fully with your observation:-
“Now I am a British taxpayer and perfectly entitled to ask a civil question about public statements and expect a reply. I am also the author of a widely read blog and entitled to expect answers from public servants for my readers.”
It is our considered assessment that the Karmitov regime is extremely efficient and that is why at a very early age it makes children productive and teaches them self-reliance by picking cotton.
There are other areas of governmental actions that we decline to speak on, having due regard for cultural differences between Britain and Uzbekistan that are quite significant. One needs to understand that non-Westerners have sensitivities in ways that persons from the West do not readily appreciate. Her Majesty’s Government remains fully committed to maintaining respectful relations with Uzbekistan, with due regard for cultural differences.
Of course I have written this diplomatic reply with a clear conscience, and as you know Craig, from being a British Ambassador – a clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
Respectfully,
Rupert Joy ?” British Ambassador to Uzbekistan”
Ruth, I think you’ll know about this already:
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Stephan_Adolphus_Kock
Re: “imposing the writ of the ‘democratic’ government of President Karzai” …
…see Afghani Malalai Joya’s 10/20/10 column posted at Common Dreams: “As the whole world saw, the 2009 presidential election in Afghanistan was a total fraud. The whole world knows there was ballot stuffing, vote buying and massive corruption. And there was no real choice anyway. The two candidates were enemies of our people. The only [chance] with this vote for Afghanistan was a new saddle for the same donkey. It turned out we were stuck with the same donkey, wearing the same saddle. Karzai and his corrupt brother in Kandahar province, Wali Karzai, who Afghans call ‘small Bush.'”
I thought Charles Crawford might turn up with a cry of hypocrisy, but I refrained from making such a prediction lest it increase the chances of it happening…
They’ve tried one way, then another nd have decided on this – flooding, as they’ve been beaten in every other way. Their trolls are useless and have been exposed. They do not want CM to remain an active political figure – that much has been clear for years. Now he’s resumed blogging, suddenly these massive spams arrive: “I’m looking through you.” Rubber Soul.
“Cotton Action
Send an online letter asking International Labour Organisation Director, Mr Juan Somavia, to make sure cotton production in Uzbekistan is free from forced child labour, at any stage of its production.”
http://www.ejfoundation.org/page199.html
@ Suhayl Saadi
Yes – have noticed a few spams immediately after my postings.
What do “they” hope to gain from the strategy? Seems to me a perfectly credible thing to do in a democratic society is freely experessing one’s self. Surely? What use the great democracy without that “freedom of expression”? Is Murray such a huge threat after all – what – for speaking truthfully?