I was interested to see that I have probably met Farouk Murtallab. He was a pupil at the British School in Lome when I used to visit it quite frequently from 1998 to 2001, because I had consular responsibility in Togo for most of the staff and some of the pupils.
Farouk’s “Training” in Yemen has immediately focused US and UK military attention further on the country. Yemen, like Somalia across the strait, does urgently need more attention – but not of the military kind. They require a major international effort to end crippling poverty, in support of a conflict resolution drive that must shun political, religious and ideological preconception. It would have to be a genuienly UN led affair.
It would be nice – but otiose – to think that the obscenely wealthy clique that runs Saudi Arabia would be far-sighted enough to provide the necessary funds. That won’t happen, or if it did there would be so many Saudi strings as to make conflict resolution impossible. It is also worth noting that the activities of Somali pirates in disrupting the shipping lanes are contributing to the poverty in Yemen.
Unfortunately, the West seems to have forgotten that policy responses other than military force exist, so what we will in fact see is an attempt to solve Yemen’s problems by killing more peole with drones.
Many of Somalia’s problems also arise from Western military destabilisation of regimes they don’t like. The idea that this would lead to a regime they do like is self-evidently foolish. Disastrous poverty and starvation appears viewed by the West as a price worth paying for their negative achievement.
Paradoxically, we ought to be killing more people off the coast of Somalia. The problems of piracy in the shipping lanes is becoming a real drag on trade that damages many poor countries. Terms of engagement for the EU and other international navies have to be varied to allow for much quicker resort to lethal force. The UK should follow the example of France, which is mounting guns and putting armed commandos on its flagged merchant ships in the region. Extirpating pirates is not only permissible in international law, it is an obligation, and quite rightly so.
A number of readers of this blog have a starry-eyed view of those raking in ens of millions of dollars in ransoms, viewing then as noble dispossessed fisher-folk, turned Robin Hood because to fight the evils of pollution and global warming.
Bullshit. They are well-organised criminal gangs, centrally controlled and supplied and operating with clear tactics and their own terms of engagement, who receive training and logistic support from white mercenaries based in South Africa. This is information I have gathered in Africa, directly from those genuinely involved in the actual local fisheries industry, whose livelihood is being ruined by the pirates.
As I have recently explained with regard to Iran, it is essential to the whole world that the principle of free passage for shipping is maintained without undue interference by coastal states, be it by government or non-governmental actors. The costs to the entire world economy of allowing that principle to slip, would be enormous.
If the pirates are centrally controlled, then that would be the obvious ‘target’ to thwart the piracy.
Killing the active pirates will guarantee their martyrdom; not so much as a fantasy Robin Hood, but real a Stenka Razin.
Poor people need to act to survive; whereas the politicos who fund and manipulate the criminal activities, do not need to; hence they are naturally and strategically legitimate targets.
Interestingly with regard to the piratee I read a while that their operations were controlled from London.
I suspect the possibility of covert activities by the intelligence services; firstly and primarily to disrupt the area the area and secondly to bring revenue.
Interestingly with regard to the pirates I read a while that their operations were controlled from London.
I suspect the possibility of covert activities by the intelligence services; firstly and primarily to disrupt the area the area and secondly to bring revenue.
“Somali pirates in disrupting the shipping lanes are contributing to the poverty in Yemen.” – Come off it Craig. That’s a vanishingly small factor in Yemens economic woes.
In the current global usury/debt swelling system and in consideration of its history, expressions suggesting a nation can some how engage in this system to trade its way out of trouble is very disappointing, unless you have some novel way that can avoid this ultimately disasterous path only ever viewed in the short term?
In Norwich while campaigning, you met a very good man (an English revert to Islam) called Abdassamad Clark. Read this book (partly written by him). “Banking: The Root Cause of the Injustices of Our Time”
http://www.diwanpress.com/banking.html
It’s only about £5.50, but a real gem.
I think we need to deal with the real pirates in this world more urgently than these Somali ones.
The UK and US have just closed their embassies in Yemen. Is this a prelude to fully disclosing the bombing by the US going on there?
‘They are well-organised criminal gangs, centrally controlled and supplied and operating with clear tactics and their own terms of engagement, who receive training and logistic support from white mercenaries based in South Africa. This is information I have gathered in Africa, directly from those genuinely involved in the actual local fisheries industry, whose livelihood is being ruined by the pirates.’
This could be describing the Israeli navy firstly and then the Gazan fishermen who are shot at and attacked daily by Israeli gunships.
See http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/04/piracy-off-the-promised-land-the-ramming-of-the-dignity-with-clear-lethal-intent/
The Viva Palestina convoy of hundreds of vehicles from the UK and the 1400 Free Gaza international marchers have been denied entry to Gaza by Egypt.They had planned to enter Gaza on the anniversary of Cast Lead. The convoy has had to drive 500 miles back to Lattakia and is now travelling by ship to Al Arish. The Israeli Navy were making threatening noises about ‘military manoeuvres’ and warned the boat to stay clear although it is travelling in international waters as was the Dignity in December 2008 when it was thrice rammed. The marchers are still in Cairo and entry at Rafah is still being denied. The siege of Gaza is tighter than ever now that a US made 25m deep underground steel wall is being put in at Rafah to stop the tunnelling. Shame on Israel, Egypt, the US and Brown and Miliband.
Thanks for the update on the peace march and the viva palestina ship awaiting entry to Al Arish, mary, how many more Egyptian procrastinations can the UK ambasador take before he takes decisive action one wonders.
dreoilin wrote:
“The UK and US have just closed their embassies in Yemen. Is this a prelude to fully disclosing the bombing by the US going on there?”
During the last two days a mantra of ‘not letting Yemen become a lfailing state’ has been mentioned over and over again in our and other news services.
This action points to impending military action and I suspect that US/UK/Saudi and maybe even French forces might once again attack a soverign country without declaring war.
According to US sources, some 300 Alquaeda activists are gathered in training camps and I suspect some innocent civilians to get killed via drones.
looking at the war on terrorism, I am somewhat surprised that the initiator countries have yet not managed to infiltrate this lucid terror organisations, something that was seen as absolutely necesssarry during the cold war.
Thje self perpetuating moves on our behalf undermines our arguments at all times and cannot be sen as an appropriate tool anymore.
The general public will increasingly question our resolve there and hopefully challenge both major parties during the general election campaign.
If Cameron’s conservative friends of Israel and noLabour do not take our questions seriously and answer evasively, do not vote for them and make sure you tell them so.
“This could be describing the Israeli navy firstly and then the Gazan fishermen who are shot at and attacked daily by Israeli gunships”
Oh crikey, yet another brainless antisemite.
Amazingly, for once I find myself agreeing with Murray. Those murderous criminals should be shot on sight.
“English revert to Islam”
This encapsulated the obscenity that is Islam.
“In the current global usury/debt swelling system”
Here we go again…
Gordon Bennett
Actually what strikes me most strongly is the very high degree of commonality between the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. Most of the prophets and stories are the same, and so are most of the undelying ethical precepts.
All three religions are subject to abuse by various power structures set up to administer them, and by those who claim adherence to them and wish to use religiosity to justify violent and greedy behaviour.
There are good and there are bad people who adhere to all three religons. Those who resort to vulgar abuse of any of the monotheistic religons and its adherents do no service to humanity.
“…And so, what of Israeli hopes of eternal support from Washington? I still don’t believe in a one-state solution ?” which the Protestant minority will one day have to accept in Ireland, if they have not, subconsciously, already done so ?” but colonisation leads only to the graveyard. Walls don’t work. Nor “superior” religions. Nor ethnic cleansing. History, which should be studied as eternally as false hopes, is a great punisher.”
Robert Fisk
‘Walls never work: in the Middle East or in Ireland’
http://tinyurl.com/ylmxk7j
“There are good and there are bad people who adhere to all three religons”
–Craig
There are indeed. But don’t open your mouth to criticise Israel’s behaviour here, or one red-hot-angry fire-and-brimstone-breathing guy here will call you, “yet another brainless antisemite”.
‘They are well-organised criminal gangs, centrally controlled and supplied and operating with clear tactics and their own terms of engagement, who receive training and logistic support from white mercenaries based in South Africa.’
Who pays the white mercenaries?
“Those who resort to vulgar abuse of any of the monotheistic religons and its adherents do no service to humanity.”
Drivel. Religion has caused more misery to the human species than all the other ideologies combined.
In this case, of course, I was referring to the obscene belief that everyone is inherently a Muslim, and that conversion to Islam is a reversion to the true state.
Dreolin, you resort to the usual antisemitic gambit, which all but the dumbest can see through.
The idiot above was not ‘criticising Israel’ but posting the usual mendacious, context-less and selective demonisation.
But then, what can you expect from anyone who quotes the utterly vile Jew-hater Fisk with admiration?
“we ought to be killing more people off the coast of Somalia”
Is that a serious remark, Craig? If so, with great regret, I shall have to write off your blog, and kiss you goodbye. That would be a pity. Especially as you make this call in defence of trade. Trade?
I just lurve that Gordon Bennet – ah got all his albums, like that smash hit, ‘Dont Cry For Me, Tel Aviv’, or his collection of Xmas toe-tappers ‘Rockin Around The White Phosphorus Shell’, containing that timeless, nay classic showstopping tune, ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Gaza Siege’. Ah, memories!
“Dreolin, you resort to the usual antisemitic gambit, which all but the dumbest can see through”
–Gordon Bennet
Which means what, exactly?
I’m sick to death of watching Israelis use that old worn-out cliche anytime Israel is criticised – even for blatant war crimes. I’ve been through this a dozen times at least, with the ‘online army’. Most of whom, by the way, had a lot more manners than you.
“The idiot above was not ‘criticising Israel’ but posting the usual mendacious, context-less and selective demonisation”
–Gordon Bennet
I believe it went like this:
“This could be describing the Israeli navy firstly and then the Gazan fishermen who are shot at and attacked daily by Israeli gunships”
— mary
which you quoted, and to which you replied:
“Oh crikey, yet another brainless antisemite”
–Gordon Bennet
It’s your response to anything and everything, while you produce little in the way of facts or argument to back up the mud you sling around.
“what can you expect from anyone who quotes the utterly vile Jew-hater Fisk with admiration?”
See what I mean?
LOL @ mike cobley
LOL @ mike cobley
LOL @ mike cobley
I wonder if Gordon thinks Richard Goldstone is an anti-semite. Or perhaps Norman Finkelstein, or Max Blumenthal, or Noam Chomsky.
It’s all very simple:
Judaism is a tribal monotheism.
Christianity is a universal monotheism.
Islam is a universal monotheism with the images and music removed. Bit like protestantism really.
Oil is a universal necessity…
@amk
!I wonder if Gordon thinks Richard Goldstone is an anti-semite. Or perhaps Norman Finkelstein, or Max Blumenthal, or Noam Chomsky.”
No. They’re self-hating Jews.
If you don’t agree with rabid right wing Israeli fascists, there’s always a label for you.
Fascists like the Israelis are hot on the old propaganda shit, and exceptionally good at subverting our interests to theirs.
I don’t expect the Chinese will be so concerned about concepts such as anti-semitism. I wonder how they’ll play that one.
Let’s just hope the Israeli right wing scum don’t coerce us into WWIII
“I’m sick to death of watching Israelis use that old worn-out cliche anytime Israel is criticised”
No, mate – it’s antisemites like you who think that this stupid excuse gives you a free Get Out of Jail card. You use all the old antisemitic tropes, and then when called on them you screech: “I was only criticizing Israel! I was only criticising Israel!”. This is total bollocks. Your mate with her stupid deflection from Somali pirates – which is the topic of her thread – to the Israeli navy, which has bugger all to do with Somali pirates, is one of those deranged people who will always focus on Israel. Someone cheats the NHS? “Ah, but the Israelis do worse!”. Iran executes gays? “Ah, but Israel commits genocide against the Palestinians!”.
Sorry, you and her will no longer be allowed to get away with this.
—-
Of course Finkelstein and Chomsky are antisemites. The only defence they have is that they are clearly insane.
—-
Mike Cobley whines about the siege of Gaza. I bet he thinks that Israeli children shelled for years and years at Sderot should have simply put up with it. After all, they are only Jews, and the proper role of Jews is to be murdered – and say Thank You.
– – – –
Fisk has produced reams and reams of lies about Israel. If you have read his bilious Jew-hatred and don’t realise this, you are an idiot.
Like Winston, who doesn’t realise that the Jews are a nation.
Just saw that the ludicrously named Winston Smith, who is a top candidate for Secretary of State for the Ministry of Truth, posted yet another of his antisemitic screeds.
It’s time you got it, idiot: Israel will defend herself against genocidal neighbours. You don’t like it? Go fuck yourself. This isn’t 1942 any longer.
“No, mate – it’s antisemites like you who think that this stupid excuse gives you a free Get Out of Jail card …etc etc”–Gordon
You poor sod, I’m beginning to feel sorry for you. You haven’t a flaming clue – or a grain of evidence that I’m ‘antisemitic’.
“Sorry, you and her will no longer be allowed to get away with this.”
Don’t be so daft.
If you are as evil as the Israeli right you’re gonna get a lot of criticism.
They knew that when they reinvented the term “antisemitism” to attack any that criticise them.
It’s pretty evil stuff when even the Jews who criticise these evil fuckwits are branded anti-semite. But that’s the way evil works. Pure evil liars is all they are, and it’s beoming clearer day by day.
If the Jews are a nation how come only some of them are allowed a view, and any of them that disagree with that view are anti-semite?