Who isn’t? I hear you ask. Anyway, it’s in the Financial Times, so it must be true:
Gordon Brown enjoyed a respectful audience, but two days later Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, elicited passionate support.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1ef4e9e4-6fde-11dd-986f-0000779fd18c.html
My appearance at the Edinburgh Book Festival was sold out again this year – 570 rather expensive tickets – rather to the bemusement of the organisers, who every year scratch their heads wondering who is this rude interrupter of their genteel event, and why so many people want to see him.
I enjoyed taking the opportunity to point out that some of their headline speakers are war criminals:
The one-time diplomat, who was sacked after speaking out about human rights abuses, used his appearance at the Edinburgh Book Festival to accuse Gordon Brown and John Prescott of war crimes
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4526007.ece
Incidentally, I don’t get a penny from the thousands of pounds generated in ticket sales, but I greatly enjoy the event. It was a delight having Ruth Wishart as the chairman; I have long had huge respect for her journalism.
I am frequently asked why I don’t speak at the Hay-on-Wye Festival, when authors whose books sell a great deal less than mine are feted. The answer is quite simple: the New Labour loving smurfs at the Guardian, and particularly editor Alan Rusbridger, brother-in-law to Tessa Jowell and David Mills, have vetoed me from the Guardian Hay-on-Wye Festival, to give its full title.
It appears that my publisher may not be prepared to publish key points in The Catholic Orangemen of Togo. The problem is fear of the cost of defending a threatened legal action by Tim Spicer, who has made many millions from taxpayers for running mercenary operations in Iraq and can afford the rich man’s suppression of free speech through libel law.
Any extracts the publisher will not publish will be posted on this website in approximately ten days. I do hope other bloggers will mirror or re-publish to help get the truth out there.
I hope to do a Q & A on Georgia in the next few days. But it gave great amusement to my family that the three international statesmen the Independent chose to comment were John McCain, Mikhail Gorbachev and Craig Murray. You have to see the actual paper, with out photos in a row, to get the full comic effect. Strange thing is, I sound much more sensible than the other two.
It is interesting to read through the comments after that article, particularly the number of Americans with extraordinarily ill-informed views on Iraq. Really scarey. Almost as bad as this:
“I am a Zionist,” stated Senator Biden.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZmO80dLfE
Oh, the Paucity of Hope!
'"I am a Zionist," stated Senator Biden.'
And to think I was buoyed up initially by Obama's outlook and success. But even then he was talking about 'leading the world'. I don't need to be led anywhere thanks – and certainly not in the direction the USA usually takes.
Craig's comments about the replies to his piece about the Russian intervention/invasion of Georgia are depressingly familiar. What is it with so many Americans? They are so glaringly misinformed, it's truly scary. And many of them trumphet their ignorance from the rooftops. Of course most of them are woefully unaware of how uninformed they really are. The American media is generally responsible for this dire state of affairs, followed by their politicians, who are I believe, the pits of the world.
Looking at the problems we face in the world; global warming, massive ecological challenges, population growth… we really do need to work together and divert resources to these multiply challenges. Yet, we aren't. Instead we seem to be moving towards imperialist rivaly, more war and destablization.
This Biden guy seems like a humbug and bag of wind. Think how these remarks about Isreal and being a Zionist must appear in the Middle East, I don't think he does. But his arrogance does become revealing. He's openly describing Israel as an American bastion and a projection of US power in the region.
It's like there's a kind of 'Cult of Israel' among the US ruling elite. One has to prostrate oneself and swear undying faith and alligence to Israel in order to be accepted into the inner circles of power. This is a deadly mix, and is drawing the US and the rest of us deeper and deeper into an every expanding war against Islam.
I came across this on the Rusbridger/Mills/Jowell connection.
Guardian Editor Rusbridger in Private Eye
Private Eye, No. 1153, 13 March – 16 March 2006, page 5
While other newspapers gave plenty of coverage to the latest news about Tessa Jowell and David Mills this Monday, the Grauniad buried it at the foot of page 6. But it did run a cartoon on the op-ed page portraying the culture secretary as a blameless victim.
One would expect nothing less. David Mills and Grauniad editor Alan Rusbridger are good friends, regular dinner companions and occasional golfing partners, who both have weekend cottages in the same Gloucestershire village. And Tessa Jowell's best friend, who she first met at Edinburgh University many years ago, is Lindsay Mackie – Rusbridger's wife.
Clarion Notes
That Alan Rusbridger can veto you from appearing at Hay Festival is upsetting to me – and, I would hope, to a great many of the people actually involved in the organising of Hay Festival.
I like to identify small campaigns that can actually be won (although I seem to spend my time in pursuit of the great lost causes), and this appears to be one: that we shall see Craig Murray on stage reading from the Catholic Orangemen of Togo at Hay Festival 2009. And let the ticket sales make it clear whether people want to hear you or not.
That Alan Rusbridger can personally veto you from appearing at the Hay Festival is upsetting to me, and, I would trust, to a large number of the people involved in organising and staging that admirable event.
I like to identify small campaigns that can be won ?" although I seem to spend my time on the great big lost causes ?" and may I suggest we have one here?
… The Campaign to see Craig Murray appear at the Hay Festival 2009 reading from "The Catholic Orangemen of Togo".
Let the Hay organising committee dare to book you and let the ticket sales decide whether people want to hear what you have to say!
Strategist,
Thanks, and good luck, but I know others have been lobbying for the past two years for Murder in Samarkand and been pretty brusquely put down.
Hi Craig
>>I know others have been lobbying for the past two years for Murder in Samarkand and been pretty brusquely put down.
That's quite interesting, because at http://www.hayfestival.com/chat/topic.asp?TOPIC_I… the following exchange appears:
Graham posted:
"Author Craig Murray says: 'I am frequently asked why I don't speak at the Hay-on-Wye Festival, when authors whose books sell a great deal less than mine are feted. The answer is quite simple: the New Labour loving smurfs at the Guardian, and particularly editor Alan Rusbridger, brother-in-law to Tessa Jowell and David Mills, have vetoed me from the Guardian Hay-on-Wye Festival, to give its full title.' Any truth in this? He sold out at Edinburgh recently."
To which Peter, who I guess is the festival organiser Peter Florence, has replied:
"Where exactly does he say this, Graham? fwiw: No-one at The Guardian has ever disinclined me to feature any individual at Hay, and no-one there or anywhere else has a veto over any aspect of the Hay programme. We've featured a number of serving and former UK ambassadors at Hay – most recently Sherard Cowper-Coles (Afghanistan) and Christopher Meyer (DC). They're often fascinating. BUT – It sounds an astonishingly pompous and prejudiced statement. If it's a true quote, he sounds ghastly and won't be invited even if his book's interesting. Neither he nor his agent nor publishers have ever sent me a copy for consideration, and no-one's ever recommended him. Not even the mates of mine who saw him in Edinburgh… so, there you go."
So there we go! Two pretty different accounts of the facts – intriguing! Unless others' lobbying for you omitted to include the Festival Director in their efforts?
I am trying to get involved in the discussion on the Hay Festival site but my registration has not yet been processed.