Bahrain is threatening to sue the Independent for reporting on its rulers campaign of murder, torture, imprisonment and intimidation of its native population using foreign forces and mercenaries. Personally I advocate attacking the offices (when empty) of any British law firm which acts for them in this. Let me say that again, just in case those responsible for charging people with glorifying terrorism missed it: personally I advocate attacking the offices (when empty) of any British law firm which acts for them in this.
This is not a case of lawyers doing their impartial duty, as when defending someone, be they never so bad, under the criminal law so they can get a fair trial. This is about repressing the truth about an evil, murdering dictatorship and restricting the liberty of good, honest people – including Robert Fisk. It is not a neutral act of testing the law for lawyers to accept huge sums to try to attack British freedom in this way.
There is an interesting parallel between this case and Lola Karimova’s ongoing attempt to sue a French website for calling Karimov a dictator and mentioning the billions her father and family have stolen (Lola Karimova lives in an $85 million house in Geneva). It is interesting that both attempts are made on behalf of dictators who are backed to the hilt by western – and especially NATO – governments. Any success for the tyrants involved would be a shocking indictment of modern Western society.
I’m afraid I detect a slight Jacobin ring to this post, Craig. Your sentiments (as always) do you credit, but are you sure you want to advocate second-guessing the courts this way?
We know that you would never misinform us about the character of a foreign regime, or whather it deserves legal representation. But our values compel us to treat everyone alike, and what are we to do when others – possibly less principled and reliable – tell us that someone else “doesn’t deserve a trial”?
According to Wikipedia – “Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, “are particularly odious offences in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings. They are not isolated or sporadic events, but are part either of a government policy (although the perpetrators need not identify themselves with this policy) or of a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority. Murder; extermination; torture; rape; political, racial, or religious persecution and other inhumane acts reach the threshold of crimes against humanity only if they are part of a widespread or systematic practice.”
pretty much covers it.
Robert Fisk was one of the very few journalists with the integrity to report the truth during the Iraq bombings by ‘allied forces’. (It’s in inverted commas because allied has an implication of being friendly). I have the ultimate respect for Fisk. While I don’t advocate the destruction of property, still having enough faith in the British judicial system to believe that money cannot always circumvent the truth, it bothers me that dictators, crooks and thugs can ever get a voice. Britain welcomes criminals like Boris Berezovsky and Ahmed Chalabi, whose hands could not be sweetened by pine disinfectants of Russia or all the perfumes of Arabia. There is a Russian saying that some fish can swim in muddy water. It translates into all languages.
What worries me is not so much the outcome of the legal action, as that there is a class of libel lawyers who profit enormously from the suppression or attempted suppression of free speech, to the extent that they can become themselves super-rich. They are a growing cancer on the body politic.
I didn’t know that whole countries could sue for libel. How exactly does this work?
.
The libel laws are, of course, a joke. If you’re a Saudi businessman with a line in funding terrorism it seems you can use the British courts to sue people who mention your dirty dealings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funding_Evil
Angry
Advantage of an absolute dictatorship – L’etat c’est moi!
I bet it will be Mishcon de Reya or Schillings. The Bahraini government use this outfit in Yankeeland for their lobbying. Do they have a UK office?
.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sorini,_Samet_%26_Associates
.
http://mobile.salon.com/politics/war_room/2011/06/10/bahrain_sorini_samet_afl/index.html
,
Note Samet’s provenance and the recent meeting with Obomber who was seeking assurances about the safety of the Fifth Fleet in all likelihood.
If the whole world voted for Shi’a against Sunni, it would not make the Shi’a perversion of Islam right. Democracy has no jurisdiction over Islamic issues, just as Shari’ah has no jurisdiction in the UK.
The human rights abuses of the Arab dictators who were given power by the West, and the ongoing encouragement of the West to those dictators, demonstrate that the West likes to keep dogs in power over the Muslims, while it enjoys virtually unlimited freedoms in its own lands.
When you start to hope for better rulers, you worry that the West might think that Shi’a would make better (worse) dogs than the incumbent ones, as in Iraq.
There is some truth in Aangirfan’s argument that Islamic militancy is considered by the West as a possible wolf to terrorise the people back into submission if the Arab spring leads to increased demand for Islamic rule in these countries.
The criminality of the Bahrain dictatorship derives its power from the criminality of the West in allowing Muslim countries only criminals as leaders and refusing any democratic choice for normal Islam. It is the leaders of the West and the Zionists who tell them what to do that should be put on trial. I doubt if the cancerous lawyers would be so quick to defend Blair and Cameron for their torture and politics and war crimes.
The Arab spring will have to engage with and fight every dog that the West tries to impose on them. The War on Islam has strengthened the resolve of the Muslims to throw off their Western masters and their puppet regimes. Thanks to George Bush, the West is now really scared that their influence is finished in the Muslim world.
Do they think a little flash of British justice and a few activists breaking into a law firm is enough to convince us that our future lies with this old and devious enemy and think of Democracy as our future friend?
@angry Ehrenfeld of the American Centre for Democracy (which incidentally numbers Richard Perle, that harbinger of peace and love amongst its Board members) –
Dr. Ehrenfeld became involved in an international legal controversy when she was sued for libel in the United Kingdom.
/
In her book, “Funding Evil”, Dr. Ehrenfeld alleged that Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz had financed al Qaeda through his bank and charitable organization. Mahfouz denied the allegations. Dr. Ehrenfeld, a U.S. citizen based in New York, had not written or marketed her book internationally and refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the British court over her case. Her refusal resulted in the British Court awarding a default judgment against her.
/
Represented by her attorney, Daniel Kornstein, Dr. Ehrenfeld pre-emptively countersued Mahfouz in New York to obtain a declaration that the judgment would not be enforced in the United States and that her book was not defamatory under United States defamation law. When the New York courts ruled that they lacked personal jurisdiction over Mahfouz, the New York State legislature took immediate action and unanimously passed the Libel Terrorism Protection Act (also known as “Rachel’s Law”). Rachel’s Law was signed into law on April-29-2008. The law “offers New Yorkers greater protection against libel judgments in countries whose laws are inconsistent with the freedom of speech granted by the United States Constitution.”.
They even imprison a poet.
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/20-year-old-poet-and-others-imprisoned-in-bahrain/
I’d advocate second-guessing the courts. In a case which has political ramifications, a judge whose loyalties lie with the Establishment/government within the government gets wheeled out just as certain pathologists do when causes of death need amending.
I agree John Goss and I too have great respect for Robert Fisk. His investigation revealed Bahrain didn’t invite the Saudis to send their troops; the Saudis invaded and received a post-dated invitation – that is what I believe has pissed off the Bahrain government or should I say in Fisk’s words, “the Saudi palatinate, a confederated province of Saudi Arabia, a pocket-size weasel state from which all journalists should in future use the dateline: Manama, Occupied Bahrain.”
–
The theatrical capture of Bin Laden was indeed a kick in Saudi Arabia’s balls. The stunt had nothing to do with the ‘war on terror’ – it had everything to do with the end March visit to Pakistan of Prince Bandar, the Saudi Arabian National Security Council chief to seal a de facto alliance between Islamabad and Riyadh, an agreement backed up by Pakistan’s nukes.
–
Because of that alliance we now learn the same crack bunch of McChrystal’s elite Army Delta Force, Navy SEALs and the high-tech special intelligence unit known as Task Force Orange that killed the phantomatic bin Laden, will be used to covet Pakistan’s nukes if that same deterrent is threatened from seizure by so called ‘terrorists’ in a possible retaliation against the capture of Osama Bin-Liner.
–
Joking aside, a number of credible reports reveal the Taliban has been infiltrated by the CIA, the Israeli Mossad, and the Indian RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) by creating their own version of the Taliban in the form of a terrorist countergang which they control and direct.
–
http://my.news.yahoo.com/cia-created-own-taliban-wreak-terror-havoc-pakistan-091621821.html
–
Additionally intelligence has disclosed CIA contractor Raymond Davis and his network had provided these operatives with chemical, nuclear and biological weapons, so that US installations may be targeted and Pakistan be blamed.
–
Emperor Obama has ordered the CIA to repeatedly use Predator drone attacks to slaughter civilians with the goal of fomenting civil war inside Pakistan, leading to a breakup of the country along the ethnic lines of Punjab, Sind, Baluchistan, and Pushtunistan. The geopolitical goal is to destroy Pakistan’s potential to be the energy corridor between Iran and China. Selig Harrison has emerged as a top US advocate for Baluchistan succession.
–
If China stands behind Pakistan, then Russia might be said to stand behind China. Prior to today’s meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Chinese President Hu praised Sino-Russian relations as being “at an unprecedented high point,” with an “obvious strategic ingredient.” Of course Putin calls the shots and ‘shuved ‘ two fingers up to the much hyped American ‘reset’ with Russia since the US anti-missile program in Romania and Eastern Europe so obviously directed against, and surrounded Russia. Medvedev rose his head above Putin to announce there would be no UN resolution against Syria, given the NATO assault on Libya. So much for START!! This is Cold War II a precursor to WWIV. Now where is my nearest shelter?
Craig give me a hint, I will be down there with my bee hives in a second (poor bees).. do you think that can put those greedy SOBs off?? on the other hand they might just raid the hives…
Anno, what makes you think you version of Islam is the only one to be followed?? or for that matter did not Quoran ordered us all to respect people of the book? are Shias not people of the book? Please keep some of these offending comments to yourself.. anyone of any faith deserve respect. Having or not having any kind of faith is between an individual and his creator..and is a personal matter… so please be respectful, this is a public forum.
Yes Azra, and the decision to torture/not torture, shoot/not shoot, imprison/not imprison is also a private, personal moral decision, isn’t it? Why would any busybodies be interested in it? In point of fact, with the greatest of respect and with no malice whatsoever, the Shi’a have deviated far away from the Book they say they are following. The Christians, Jews and Sunni Muslims have also all deviated to the point of making their religions unreconcileable to their respective Books.
To give but one example, it is explicit in the Qur’an that believers should not worship saints, but this is normal practise among the Shi’a and Christians. The BBC always deliberately refers to those who engage in this practise from these two religions as ‘worshippers’ in order to offend the followers of the Qur’an which forbids this practise. So don’t pick on me for adhering to the Book. Pick on those who do the opposite and judge them by the criterion Allah has sent down, not by your own sectarian ideas. Thank you.
The libel lwas in the UK are indeed a joke. The USA has much more sensible libel laws (counter-intuitive, this, eh?). Azra, well said. Anno’s a lovely and warm guy, one senses, and generally is an excellent and intelligent participant in this blog, but as is very obvious I don’t agree with his approach in this regard wrt religion, Shi’ias, etc. Mary, yes, that’s a terrible thing re. the poet. Ruth, I hope not, but let’s maintain vigilance on what happens. I hope the court tosses the case out on its ear and I hope it rebounds on the Bahrain regime. Craig, you’ve ‘been there’ and fought the bastards!
Another meeting with the solicitors for Ryan Giggs. Does he really enjoy all this litigation? Schillings (presumably acting for him) are obviously doing well out of him.
.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13785977
15 June 2011
.
Ryan Giggs ‘starts phone hacking action’ against News of the World The Manchester United midfielder has been at the centre of a media storm about injunctions.
I agree Craig any lawyer willing to accept money from the Bahrain monarchy to represent them here would have sunk pretty low. It’s pretty bad that the coalition are planning to cut legal aid for those who can’t afford lawyers too
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2011/jun/14/legal-aid-cuts-false-economy
(not making a dig at you as a Lib Dem – i know you’re no fan of Clegg – just against that policy)
“a number of credible reports reveal the Taliban has been infiltrated by the CIA, the Israeli Mossad, and the Indian RAW”
.
Mark, what a lot of rot you write. You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the newspapers, particularly Pakistan’s press. The CTs that India, Israel and the US are running the Pakistani Taliban probably serve “retired” ISI officers well and, according to some, have actually been useful myths in getting the population against the Pakistani Taliban.
.
“Additionally intelligence has disclosed CIA contractor Raymond Davis and his network had provided these operatives with chemical, nuclear and biological weapons, so that US installations may be targeted and Pakistan be blamed.”
.
I don’t believe a word of that.
.
And Selig Harrison is a journalist. I am pretty sure he doesn’t work for the US government in advocating Baluchistan secession (I take it you mean that rather than succession). Harrison writes a lot on North Korea and is particularly fond of the idea that the US government needs to engage and support the North Korean government so that the real bad guys in the hardline faction don’t take over. Harrison’s taxonomy of the North Korean government with hawks and doves comes from those “doves” who whisper in his ear during his many visits to Pyongyang. In other words, he’ll believe any “scoop” that the DPRK try to gull him into believing.
.
From that article we have:
.
“Former ISI Punjab Regional Commander, Brigadier (retired) Aslam Ghuman, was quoted as saying: “During my visit to the US, I learnt Israeli spy agency Mossad, in connivance with Indian agency RAW, under the direct supervision of CIA, planned to destabilise Pakistan at any cost”.
.
The paper also quoted former Punjab Military Intelligence (MI) chief, Brigadier (retired) Mohammad Yousuf, as saying that over 7,000 CIA operatives have been conducting warfare within Pakistan.”
.
Whichever newspaper that story appeared in the original “credible” sources are “retired” ISI. Brigadier Mohammad Yousuf has the dubious honour of introducing a suicide bombing campaign to the Afghan War (He wrote a book about his experiences called “The Bear Trap”). But he says the suicide bombing campaign of the Pakistani Taliban is conducted by the CIA, Mossad and RAW. Hmmmmm…okay…
Off topic but thank-you Duncan well said. Legal aid is being cut and will affect relationship break-ups, school admissions and expulsions issues, clinical negligence cases and more could be deprived of legal advice and help despite the CAB proving that every £1 spent on legal aid for employment or benefit saves about £7 from the public purse.
–
Please sign a letter to Cameron here:
–
http://soundoffforjustice.org/
–
We are moving towards a tipping point with austerity cuts, education, health, local services, benefits for the poor & disabled – an NHS on a shoestring – how much more before the streets are full of the protests we witness in Greece? Not long.
–
Thanks
“Harrison’s taxonomy of the North Korean government with hawks and doves comes from those “doves” who whisper in his ear”
.
I meant “coo” into his ear, obviously.
Suhayl – I happen to believe former ISI Punjab regional commander Brigadier Ghazanfar who said the CIA has established its parallel intelligence network. He said the CIA always establishes its network according to their needs and demands, which has been established in Pakistan not only in tribal but in urban areas also and the RAD incident is enough to quote here. “Days after the mystery of 9/11, the CIA operatives landed in Pakistan in order to train Pakistani troops and authorities concerned for counter terrorism but with the passage of time, their demands increased and now the CIA network has a strong grip,” he added
–
Source: The Nation
–
My main thrust Suhayl is this – The geopolitical goal is to destroy Pakistan’s potential to be the energy corridor between Iran and China. Information is scant on how this will be achieved so I am on the edge. I have a certain affection for Pakistan and India and I believe both countries have been exploited by the West.
Oh yeah, no question of that – Pakistan(is) esp. has (have) been exploited for decades with the active collusion of its (their) elites, of course. The energy corridor thing is fascinating; I’ve heard (sometimes tall) stories over many years of the USA ‘wanting to split Karachi from Pakistan’, of various powers – sometimes India, sometimes the USA – wanting the country’s dismemberment, etc. The port of Gwador, near the Iranian border, is interesting; right now the port itself is run by Singapore, but very soon that will lapse and Pakistan has very recently signed a deal with China to allow China to take over the running of the port, so the concept of the ‘energy corridor’ is sound. China will access Persian Gulf oil through Gwador. This is what, during the Cold War, the USA feared the USSR would do if it got a ‘warm-water port’ (and that it would sail its navy up the Persian Gulf, etc.). So Pakistan certainly is a contested area. And then there was the currently-abandoned Iran-India pipeline idea, also to run through Pakistan. This is all emblematic, I sense, of the shift in the balance of power, away from the West and towards the East: Oil flows in the direction of power. Neat, maybe too simple, but maybe also true.
Thanks Suhayl you have nicely completed the jig-saw for me, simple but true is good for me right now – give me a little time while I attempt to disseminate the ‘rot’ that intends to disrupt the energy corridor.
I forgot to add that China is building a railway from Gwador port to the Karakorum Highway (which it also helped to build), for the express purpose. It’s not just oil, of course, it’ll be a major port, the modern equivalent, perhaps, of the Spice Route. China could also easily access its growing mineral trade in Africa that way.
Let me know where and when and I will bring the sledgehammer and spray paint !
How dare these tin pot dictators, trying to choke this truth speaker Robert Fisk, and yes a few slingshots at lawyers office windows are definately a justified response to their shitraking.
The geostrategic machinations of those oil junkies are all too open now. Suhails historic reference to Gwador is right and any maledations India cares to get involved in, whether its Mossads attention to Kashmir or the funding of LiT terror campaigns, will be reciprocated, I’m sure the Dalai Lama will know about it first. Repression in Tibet is a good constant when assessing the relations in that area. Should these relations get worse and repression increase further, a means to put pressure on an Indian immigrant constituent, then this will give us a good indication as to when the kettle blows its lid.
China’s economic rise is the real bain in US eyes, the geostrategic hamstering of vital resources is part of the end game for both, and I have not even seen the film, China needs to grow, it is worried by any uprising and is desperate to please its own as well as African nations, with infrastructure projects for oil, for metals, for anything. The US will not be able to choke off supplies to China, they are just too good at it, so the US will bully and attack, the only way it can exist, until it has control over energy resources in that region. The Monroe doctrine stil lies at the heart of this empirical nation, egoists who do not want to change of act responsibly.
Thousands of lives lost, billions of £s and $s wasted, destruction of a country etc etc and ten years later here we go. At this rate P Harry may not get his wish to serve his country and fly an Apache there to do more harm.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13821452
I’m freelancer who covers Central Asia, today received a phone call from Chloe and she said that Uzbek defector Ikron Yakupov who was granted political asylum in the UK will be deported to Uzbekistan. According to Chloe police arrested him and he was given a warning that he might be deported in case if he found guilty. Just curious, Craig is there any news about that guy?