David Miliband was making great show today of fulminating in Kiev against Russian disregard of international law. Yet simultaneously he is continuing the sorry British record of participation in war crimes and contravention of the UN Convention Against Torture, Article IV of which covers “complicity” in torture. Both of these are serious breaches of international law.
Binyam Mohamed is a British resident who was the victim of illegal rendition and hideous torture in several countries.
Miliband has declined to release further evidence about the case on grounds of national security, arguing that disclosure would harm Britain’s intelligence relationship with the US.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/27/guantanamo.humanrights
Mohamed faces a “Trial” by military tribunal in Guantanamo Bay. Judges, defence and prosecution lawyers are all members of the US military. Neither Mohamed not his defence lawyers will be allowed to see much of the evidence against him. This includes evidence of participation in his torture by British security services, and details of where he was being held and interrogated over two years (Uzbekistan? Afghanistan? Poland? Diego Garcia? – Miliband is keeping it secret). By the symmetry of evil, UK evidence is being witheld on grounds it could damage security cooperation with the US, while US evidence is being witheld on the grounds it could damage security cooperation with the UK. This farce is sickening.
It was, of course, the excuse that security cooperation with Saudi Arabia would be damaged that led to the dropping of the prosecution of the vile corrupt executives at BAE. The operations of the security services are, beyond any shade of argument, above the law both sides of the Atlantic.
When I threw over my diplomatic career to expose the hideous UK/CIA complicity with torture in Uzbekistan, I genuinely believed that my personal sacrifice would form part of a movement which would end this abomination being carried out in our names. In fact, the Bush/Blair acolytes have pushed further to the point that poor Binyan Mohamed faces a fate that would have been beyond the pen of Kafka.
Never mind, let’s divert the public by pointing at those evil Russians!
Craig: your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed, but would be hard to quantify given what they are. You did not betray them, they betrayed you and all like you.
That they may roast on the spit of truth, eventually. Otherwise we might as well all just go home and vegetate.
I long ago concluded that our Security Services are above the law to an extent way beyond what even this sickening case (and that of BAE) suggests. But the vast bulk of Western populations are frighteningly analogous to sheep with the State and its 'National Security Interests' in the role of farmer. They are fed, entertained, sheltered and protected from terrorists/foxes (or witches or the Russians – or whatever can be used as the 'best-effect frightener' du-jour) and can no more see beyond the confines of State-as-protector than the sheep the slaughterhouse ('I'm from the government and I'm here to help you' – that sort of thing). The State itself is simply the enforcer of a world view that serves pre-existing and largely self-perpetuating Power Elites and which is near totally immune to so called popular political influence (IOW 'democracy' is a sham). Hence the sine-qua-non of Privy Council status being the kind of parrot-fashion burbling of the Millibands of this world. Forget political choice; there isn't any of significance; On the epoch-defining issues of the age there is an orthodoxy that must be adhered to if the greasy pole is to be climbed. Those that see through the charade fall into two groups:
1. The majority – those who nonetheless judge their own interests to be best furthered by service to the State with all the semantic/moral somersaults and blind-eye turning required of them (the farmers dogs / politicians and the 'great and good' in general). After all there are gongs to be had, sinecures awaiting etc etc – Tony Bliar must be an archetypal example of the genre.
2. Those who cannot reconcile the gross blind/psychopathic hypocrisy of such service with their own consciences.
Craig, to his very great credit, is a 2, but the State has ways of making life very uncomfortable indeed for 2's who start to become effective (ie a threat). Either that, or they are co-opted to the Imperial Project – poacher-turned-gamekeeper sort of thing – and rewarded accordingly.
End of rant – it does help sometimes :-)))
Craig, Sabretache,
I couldn't agree with you more. I am deeply depressed at this chap Miliband and his posturing, his rhetoric, his lack of understanding, his pretentions, his almost complete lack of independent thought…
Perhaps it's the hypocracy that's the worst thing about him and the elevation of double-standards to a creed.
What's terribly disturbing is that the attempts to establish civilized standards in international affairs, though international law, have now been dealt a death blow by the war in the Caucasus. Where is the United Nations in all this? Where is the General Secretary? Did one deliberately choose a non-entity to further undermine the UN?
I think the UN and 'international law' are now dead and buried for our lifetimes, and the West is even more to blame than the Russians, who are now playing catch-up and I doubt it'll end with Georgia. My bet is the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine will be the next flashpoint.
I only hope this 'propaganda fase' is a stage on our way to a dangerous confrontation between the United States and Russia, leading to a nuclear exchange in Europe, which the Americans might have convinced themselves they can win. Better to teach the Russians a lesson now than wait until they are even stronger, richer and more powerful.
The corruption in the government is very, very deep. I believe there is a 'permanent' government which dictates to the government in key areas particularly foreign policy where there is a secret strategic alliance between the US, UK and Israel. The 'permanent' government's agenda is financed by various means including taxpayers' monies taken out of the country under guise. In pursuit of the illegal activities many people in the UK have suffered serious abuse by the state.
I suggest we arrange a meeting to think of ways to get the message through to people so they know what's really happening.
Ruth, you'd be branded a conspiracy theorist in two seconds flat.
I've been throwing the words "hypocrisy" and "double standards" around on right-wing blogs based in the USA for the past few years. All I get in response is, "Shut up, if it wasn't for us you'd all be speaking German". That and, "Shut up, we tell you what to do – and don't forget it."
I was interested to see some Russian (didn't catch his name) interviewed on either Sky News or Channel 4 recently, and he said (regarding Milliband's visit to the Ukraine), "Of course, we would monitor all such visits to the Ukraine. But given recent events in the UK, we see the UK as mini-America." It was the most casual brush-off I've ever seen.
And (while supporting the UN to the hilt all my life) I now see it (thanks in large measure to American undermining) as an almost-failed institution. I don't know how it can be fully revived.
In my experience people who raise the words 'conspiracy theorist' use it to demean, to deflect, to counter any reasonable argument on a subject. I am not alone in believing that there is a permanent government; read the works of Mark Curtis, historian and journalist, read the address of Gerald James at the Conference of the Environmental Law Centre. Moreover, if 'oulwan' would like to meet people who have been abused by the state I can introduce him to some.
I often wonder about 'conspiracy theory', what about 'coincidence theory' which is the 'default' attitude normally adopted if one is foolish enough to question the 'official narative'.
Mostly the label 'conspiracy theorist' seems to be used as a kind of smear-tactic directed against critics of conventional wisdom.
I often think the biggest conspiracy theory, is that conspiracies don't really exist.
What's so hard to understand?
When WE do it, its OK. When others do it, it is bad.
Simple, really.
There is a ruling elite and a ruling elite narrative. There are also conspiracy theories and theorists. The latter are dull. The ruling elite narrative is fascinating: it is undisturbed by political boundaries used often in open political analysis -nation state, rule of law, answerability to democratic means etc., and while it can be advanced with brute force, catastrophic response inhibits blatant physical oppression sometimes. All nuclear states can offer opposition, for instance. Completely collapsed former states can leave room for the assertion of war lordism and then all bets are off – hence the 'war on terror' mantra. What they mean is war on war lords.
To achieve some degree of soft control there must be, ironically, some concession to liberal democracy and the open society. News, blogs, some level of mass literacy, access to markets…
Unfortunately the gross manipulation of democracy displayed in eastern Europe and Russia has exposed and tainted many manipulative and controlling measures against democratic practice. Not by chance does the Brown regime remind us of the GDR.
It is here that we can find what will disturb the permanent power elite most – voting and rules.
Craig Murray experienced the full force of how to undermine the expression of choice in a democratic vote at the last general election. Nevertheless, voting and elections and rules throw them and they are very conscious of this.
Which is why some fear for the general election in the UK. The sooner it can be forced, the better.
Dear Craig, In the film A Man for All
Seasons St. Thomas More says to a
young protege, greedy for power and
wealth; be a teacher, you would make a
fine teacher, you would gain the respect
of your pupils, and God, not a bad
public that. D. Edmund Brady.
Dear Craig, In the film A Man for All
Seasons St. Thomas More says to a
young protege, greedy for power and
wealth; be a teacher, you would make a
fine teacher, you would gain the respect
of your pupils, and God, not a bad
public that. D. Edmund Brady.