I am awake at this unholy hour because I am about to start the tortuous Sunday rail journey between Ramsgate and Diss, in order to attend Julian Assange’s fortieth birthday party at Ellingham Hall.
I am not sure who else is going, but the initial invitation did not give train information, but did tell you where to land your private plane or helicopter. I am going because I think Wikileaks do essential work and because I think Julian is an extraordinary mand and is being stitched up – his appeal against extradition is on Tuesday and this week he could be in a cell in Sweden on those entirely ludicrous sexual assault charges. I am also gong because I hope that some of the whistleblowing community might be there. And I am going because it says “party”!
Nonetheless, I worry that the amusing fact that the invitation tells you where to land your private jet or helicopter, actually is an indication of where Wikilleaks is going wrong.
That is perhaps strange for me to say of a thriving organisation with funds and staff, who have exposed much more of government wrongdoing than I ever managed. But I could not understand why Julian was using the celebrity media lawyer Stephens rather than one of our great, solid human rights lawyers. I emailed wikileaks several times before the trial to say they had absolutely the wrong kind of lawyer, and that there were several much more appropriate human rights lawyers used to dealing with politically motivated criminal charges, with a terrific record and respect in the courts, and who may well take it on pro bono. I got no reply. I presumed that this was because Wikileaks were being loyal to lawyers who believed in them, had been their lawyers before criminal charges arose, and who worked for them for nothing. But I now read that Assange has unpaid legal bills of £200,000. I think that Don King haired lawyer bloke who yelled a lot was a major mistake.
I also worry that they managed to fall out with David Leigh of the Guardian, for whom I have huge respect (which he has made plain to me is not mutual, but that is another story). I was myself very offended indeed when I was kicked off the panel of Assange’s New Statesman debate on whistleblowing. I suspect it was a combination of establishment objections, and a desire to curry favour with the New Statesman and Al Jazeera, for both of whom I made room. But the whole Stephens/Al Jazeera/stately home/celebrities in private jets thing indicates to me a fascination with the bubble celebrity which will leave you crying when it bursts.
I am one of Assange’s admirers, not one of his detractors. I am going along to show my genuine support. There may in fact be a good turnout, because this is probably the best chance this weekend for the radical chic wealthy to get together and thrill over the wounds of Murdoch. There is an auction of donations to raise funds for his legal expenses, which I hope goes well – personal bids will establish a reserve price, and then the items will go on to ebay. I do hope that goes well too. And I hope when Assange’s celebrity dies down, those helicopter riders will still support him.
I just doubt it.
A completely different take on David Leigh and the role of the Guardian – Israel Shamir in Counterpunch (who has written extensively about Wikileaks):
“At that point, the data river forked. The treasure trove was copied by a Wikileaks German employee,Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who went AWOL after this appropriation. Domscheit-Bergmade a deal with David Leigh of the Guardian which then cold-shouldered Assange, declared the deal ‘void’, and shared the data with Bill Keller, editor of the NY Times. They published the cables after redacting them, or should we say “censoring” – removing everything the secret services demanded to remove.”
http://www.counterpunch.org/shamir05042011.html
Jon Snow has just proudly tweeted this link to evidence of a key Murdoch whack:
http://bit.ly/p1FNwe
It appears the Guardian newspaper is much worse than ‘News of the Screws’ – I ask the question, why did David Leigh, the Guardian’s investigations executive editor, hide important information from its readers?
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Because in doing so it was protected the British secret services from allegations of torture, tortures so vile they are beyond our comprehension. Torture to man suffering from mental health problems. That man is Abu Zubaydah — a Saudi-born Palestinian whose real name is Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn. His story is here:
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http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2010/04/06/abu-zubaydah-tortured-for-nothing/
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Secret Service meddling, subservience to the priorities of the state has reached another new high – yet who dares to confront them – I dare, and I will win, the British public are on my side.
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OBL, the fiendish gargoyle of the MI6 labs was made redundant by 9/11 and 7/7 – unravel these abominations will free ourselves from the State wall that surrounds us and imprisons us.
“I also worry that they managed to fall out with David Leigh of the Guardian, for whom I have huge respect (which he has made plain to me is not mutual)”
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Oh, goodness me! David Leigh merely turned up to say that your melodramatic characterization of his editor was, well, melodramatic. I think a good hint is that when the first thing that you can think of to criticize someone is “NEOCON!” or “ZIONIST!” then it might be worth revisiting your critical faculties otherwise you might just start to look like a knee-jerk loony.
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I’m just saying…
Ha ha!
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http://angrysoba.blogspot.com/2011/07/spot-parody.html
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By the way, I agree with you before for saying that one of the big issues here is the fact that what the NOTW were doing was illegal to begin with. One of the ex-editors was complaining that these latest stories would result in regulation etc… yet there were already LAWS against what they were doing!
Angrysoba, are you claiming to have been present at a conversation between Craig and David Leigh, or to somehow otherwise have been party to their communication?
@headache
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‘Israel Shamir,’ particularly among active anti-Zionists, is thoroughly discredited. His real name isn’t even Israel Shamir. Many are baffled as to why Alex Cockburn & Counterpunch so much as give him the time of day.
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Another instance of Assange’s lack of caution; to have touched Shamir with a bargepole. His association with this mysterious troll par excellence has been used by enemies to do JA & the cause of Wikileaks more damage than anything, other than the Swedish scandal itself.
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See, for example, archive at:
http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com (type Israel Shamir in search box)
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& relevant back numbers of Private Eye.
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Treat anything coming from Shamir with extreme caution.
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@Jonangus Mackay
Well, I find the articles of Shamir in Counterpunch in general well-documented and convincing.
I don’t care what his real name is, or if he has a bad reputation. Why should I take what jewssansfrontieres says at face value?
On the other hand, I am very willing to hear your refutation of his arguments!
“Angrysoba, are you claiming to have been present at a conversation between Craig and David Leigh, or to somehow otherwise have been party to their communication?”
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I am claiming nothing of the sort. Mr Murray wrote a blogpost a number of months ago in which he called the editor of the Guardian all kinds of names for some disagreement they had over a CiF post, IIRC. The names were something of the order of toady, lackey, stooge, neocon, Zionist – I don’t remember exactly but the type of word association you would expect from a very juvenile political debate…Oh, I’ve Googled around and found it now.
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Craig said this about Alan Rusbridger: “The Guardian’s editor, disgraceful Blair catamite Alan Rusbridger is always up for military action to kill Muslims.”
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To which David Leigh responded in the comments:
“I don’t know why you attack Alan Rusbridger of the Guardian in this vile, personalised way. He is not, never was, a “Blair catamite” and a would-be bomber of Muslims. The opposite in fact. I suspect you know this, but are venting some personal spleen.”
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http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/03/on-civilian-casualties/
Angrysoba,
we exchannged emails too, but I think anyway what you posted shows simply that my point – that I esteem David Leigh, but he does not esteem me – is true. I made no comment on the rights and wrongs of the situation, so what are you arguing about? I generally enjoy your contrarianism, but this is just silly.
The Rusbridgers went to dinner with Bliar at Chequers. Not a good idea if he didn’t want to compromise his impartiality. His wife is Lindsay Mackie great friend of Tessa Jowell. Wiki – ‘His wife is good friends with Tessa Jowell, whom she knew at the University of Edinburgh, and he is good friends with her estranged husband, David Mills.’ Enough said.
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Saturday 14 October 2000
Ms Hilary Armstrong MP
Mr Paul Corrigan
Mrs Val Davies
Mr Dick Ferguson
Mrs Ferguson
Ms Anna Ford
Mr Garry Hart
The Rt Hon Lord Healey
Lady Healey
Ms Lindsay Mackie
Mr Alan Rusbridger
Mr David Scott
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-352804/The-list-The-Blairs-dinner-guests.html#ixzz1RjbKjPVS
Wikispooks,
I agree with you that Wikileaks Central is becoming the ‘part and parcel of the gamut of organisations and methodologies used to co-opt and neutralise effective dissent from the Left.’
But I don’t agree that ‘Assange himself IS being stitched up’ Very often to produce the best effect a person may be charged, found guilty and sent to prison but after a very short period is let out the back door to enjoy his rewards.
An example of the neutralisation of dissent Ruth. The Dowler family is being dragged up to No 10 to meet Clegg today Surely to display the caring side of the ConDems to thw wider public and not in any way from concern for them or to give them justice for their daughter. I hope their solicitor takes NI to the cleaners.
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It was originally going to be Cameron but he is probably too busy publicising his Big Society proposals, ie the ending of the state as we know it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14103895
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This move to bring the Dowlers was an initiative of the Media Standards Trust, whose board is here. Note Middleton of Common Purpose. Also Otton, who apart from being a Surveillance Commissioner (Orwellian?) has connections to the World Bank, the FA and was a member of the judiciary. Goldman Sachs, the BBC, the Guardian and Rothschilds are all represented.
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As I write, the journos are assembled and the media cameras are trained on the door from which the Dowler family will emerge shortly.
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(http://mediastandardstrust.org/about/people/)
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These people infest our country and suck its heart blood.
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http://www.20essexst.com/member/philip-otton
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I feel sick.
An example of the neutralisation of dissent here Ruth. The Dowler family is being dragged up to No 10 to meet Clegg today Surely to display the caring side of the ConDems to thw wider public and not in any way from concern for them or to give them justice for their daughter. I hope their solicitor takes NI to the cleaners.
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It was originally going to be Cameron but he is probably too busy publicising his Big Society proposals, ie the ending of the state as we know it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14103895
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This move to bring the Dowlers was an initiative of the Media Standards Trust, whose board is here. Note Middleton of Common Purpose. Also Otton, who apart from being a Surveillance Commissioner (Orwellian?) has connections to the World Bank, the FA and was a member of the judiciary. Goldman Sachs, the BBC, the Guardian and Rothschilds are all represented.
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As I write, the journos are assembled and the media cameras are trained on the door from which the Dowler family will emerge shortly.
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{http://mediastandardstrust.org/about/people/}
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These people infest our country and suck its heart blood.
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{http://www.20essexst.com/member/philip-otton}
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I feel sick.
Yes, re. Clegg, it’s disgusting – they are trying to apply the tactics of national soap opera to very important illegalities. This is not a matter of senior politicians saying sorry; this is a matter of criminality. It’s like Blair apologising to the families of the Guildford 4 – a publicity stunt. It’s all part of the weepy form of news management, it’s bullshit. Let the law take its course! Clegg will ‘apologise’, blah, blah, blah. I hope no-one is fooled.
Off topic. For Mark a shocking report on what is happening to the orphans in Iraq. Blair’s and Bush’s and all the other f’ing war criminals’ legacy.
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http://www.uruknet.info/?p=79397
‘According to a 2008 figure, there are only 459 orphans in governmental houses of orphans, and around 4.5 million Iraqi orphans with 500,000 living in streets without any home or family care.’
I see Bertie and Celia are also listed as guests of the Prime Minister.
All now former: Taoiseach, Consort and Prime Minister.
Plus ça change …
Murdoch is backing Brooks to the hilt, one suspects, because Brooks is likely to know everything – and one suspects that there is far more than just this particular scandal, that it is an oil-tankerful of worms. If Murdoch cuts her loose, she might well throw the blame onto him. That’s good, the closer they are seen to be, the better – because it means that if – when – Brooks goes down, Murdoch ultimately also might go down (at least as far as the UK is concerned). It will take a systemic campaign, though and further revelations wrt the depth of institutional corruption in the UK. The whole scandal also demonstrates just how craven and deliberately compromised the public regulators have become – increasingly so, since Thatcher’s time when they became, ‘Off-this’ and ‘Off-that’ – stuffed with placemen and placewomen, more of the revolving-door syndrome which blights the financial sector and government in both the UK and the USA. Police corruption, too, it seems, is endemic and high level.
Mary I can feel your wretching here and my throat is closing up at this sickening display.
Will Clegg haul over the BBC for behaving like a despicable tabloid rag? in the interest of news, they say?
To show, repeatedly and ad nauseum, the picture of the girl live, smiling, doing the ironing, alive and well, when the court made a specific point about the media rubbing it in before and during the trial, IS SICKENING. BBC, GET A HEART AND A LIVE!
The direction of the BBC’s mojo, if there ever was such a thing, has turned to supping with the devil, lost souls at cross roads.
The organgrinder we are paying to sing us the moritate, has his nuts permanently clamped so it seems, by the establishment’s fav news dividers, no wonder we can’t hear through his screeching falsetto’s, or cope with the monotony of his chatterin’.
What of all this did the BBC know and held back? what are their connective tissues to NI, always portrayed as totally seperate enteties. Did anybody had any inclinations to look into Commander Yates sudden conversion to the manners of NI, was that just accepted or did they talk abouit it?
Trust the BBC as far as I can hold them away with a bargepole, a healthy lenght away.
That said, enjoy next week everyone, the flotilla’s on its way and who know’s what else might happen in the midle east, cyber space, cups of tea/coffee :)etc.
Try and get in touch with your MP’s over this Wednesday’s vote on BSKYB, a posponement is the least we can epect from ‘dem rascals’.
Please forgive my excessant typo’s I just have chastised myself for it, don’t ask how. I usually do not feel guilty about it, but sometimes it comes over me like a cloud of guilt…
only to forget about it again, should I see someone?
should off course read ‘talk about it’ and
‘the least we can expect’ in the last sentence.
Try and bring back a decent bottle of bubbly..;see you on Saturday..
38 degree has started a letter to your MP campaign to ask MPs to vote against takeover, the more pressure , the better.
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/speakout/time-to-stand-up-to-murdoch
It is too feeble Azra. I have written to them as follows:
Dear 38 degrees
I am afraid I do not agree with your proforma. It is not strong enough. Murdoch’s bid should be stopped completely and not postponed or put on hold.
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Have you seen Craig Murray’s posts on this News Internnational abomination?
Best wishes
Mary …….
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and my note to my MP, for all the good it will do.
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Dear…..
I understand that there may be a vote on the takeover of BSkyB this Wednesday.
I’d like you to vote to stop the takeover. FULL STOP.
This is no time to reward Rupert Murdoch with even more power. Please can you assure me you will vote accordingly?
Yours sincerely,
mary …..
Ingo you are dead right about the BBC hypocrisy. We have Ms Kuennesberg pontificating, a harpie from the city desk shouting that BSkyB shares are going down the pan and the studio woman telling us in stern tones that NI paid a royal protection officer for info on the royal family. Shock horror.
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Ref royal family. Wills/Kate’s last engagement in the US, followed breathlessly by Peter Hunt and Witchell, was some flag waving choreographed thus.
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Their very last engagement was choreographed thus with the assistance of the creep Manning no doubt.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/11/article-2013306-0CF51AE800000578-352_964x532.jpg
On stage with an enormous 60ft American flag in the background the Duke gave a speech.
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The royal said: ‘This is the last event on our tour of North America, but to my mind, it is one of the most important.
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‘This is because it is about men and women who – of their own free will – choose to put their life on the line for their country.’
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He added: “Service Nation Mission Serve, and all the companies and employers taking part today, are providing opportunities which mean something very immediate and personal to us.
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‘Catherine and I both have friends back in Britain who could benefit from a brilliant initiative like this.’
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William made the audience laugh by taking a swipe at his brother Prince Harry: ‘I am delighted, therefore, that our Foundation – and in that I include my low-flying Apache very average brother – is a partner in today’s event.’
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{http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2013306/William-Kates-royal-visit-Subject-close-Princes-heart-The-royal-couple-finish-tour-emotional-visit-jobs-workshop-ex-servicemen.html#ixzz1RmCfOA4A}
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The organisation running this US version of Help the Heroes is Mission Serve. Look them up.
@Wikispooks – I too have a WL mirror, but it hasn’t been updated via their private key for months. Same appears to have happened to the vast majority of the volunteer mirrors around the globe, according to leakylinks.com before it went down. What’s the score here – is it just assumed that because the cables are out of the bag, there is no need to update all the mirrors? Seems a waste of a resource to me, tbh!
Surely the intelligence services would know if somebody they were protecting had their details hacked. Also there’s evidence that strongly suggests the police knew the hacking was going on way before now.
So then why did they let it continue? Because Murdoch is part of the Establishment? Because one day they could use it to their advantage i.e get rid of him when he became too powerful?
I think the Establishment let the expenses scandal run and opened it up before the general election to put in more MPs with intelligence/Establishment ties.
Yes, as the Independent’s editorial said today, one has to question whether Murdoch et al should be allowed to have ANY place in the UK media (not just wrt the BSkyB deal). News International has committed criminal acts directed from the highest level and has lied systematically (again at the highest level) to Parliament. I think their assets in the UK should be seized immediately as a crime scene and a matter of national security. One company owns nearly 40% of the UK media – this was wrong from the start (Thatcher did this). If a company controlling 40% of the UK media is criminal, it needs to be treated as would criminal syndicate – the Mafia, say. Seize the assets. THEN let the investigations proceed apace.
Yes, Ruth, I agree that the Expenses scandal was unleashed at the specific time and for specific purposes. It smelled very like an I-op. The aim was to divert public wroth away from the financial institutions/bankers and to warn Parliament against really taking action to re-regulate these institutions.
Re. the NI scandal, clearly, there is a lot we do not know as yet; I think it’ll run for a while. Like you, I have lots of questions. I do still wonder about turf wars b/w various elements within the imperial elite. The NI scandal weakens the PM and reduces his dependence on NI. Nick Davies’s investigation was the immediate trigger at this point for the ‘Big Bang’ expansion of the NI scandal. MI5 seems to be keeping a low profile (is that not their normative position?!). It wouldn;t be the first time a media mogul had come up against an intel. service and lost – Maxwell and MOSSAD come to mind; different dynamic here, though. Perhaps this is one part of the Establishment reducing the growing and disproportionate power of another, for fear of NI usurping too much of MI5’s power and remit? MI5 would wish to monopolise blackmail opportunities vis a vis MPs, senior police and other public figures. Having NI in that dirty arena is competition they don’t want. I wonder… This is why I mentioned Hoover and Nixon, and Special Branch and MI5 in N. Ireland, as examples of turf wars.
Weakens the PM but increases, proportionately, his dependence on the goodwill of the MIs.
I don’t think it’s a turf war. It’s a massive operation by the intelligence services to destroy Murdoch and gain control of his media empire. People who the intelligence services have criminalised and spent years hounding have been brought to the fore as scapegoats.