I am aware that this post will cause some to laugh at me. I am aware that it may make me look pompous and self-seeking, and that my small hurts are nothing compared to what is happening to people in Libya. I am also aware it is impolitic to expose vulnerability when you are involved in internet debate.
What prompts me to write about a longstanding disappointment is this phrase from Chris Floyd yesterday:
Thus Craig Murray was not jumped in an alleyway, or killed in an obscure and ambiguous “accident” of some sort, as might have happened in imperiums of old. He was simply shunted to the sidelines and rendered “unserious” by official disapproval.
Which played on feelings that had been re-awakened by a post on Subrosa a couple of weeks ago, on whether Scotland should have its own honours system.
I could never be accused of craving honours. I have turned down three, the highest of which was Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. When I refused that one, I was given instead by the queen a letter rack hand made by Viscount Linley – and made extremely well. I donated it last month to the auction to meet Julian Assange’s legal fees, and it raised £500 (there is supposed to be a second part to this auction where the items now go on ebay to see if there are higher online bidders. That hasn’t happened yet because of Paypal’s blocking of Wikileaks).
I turned down British honours because it would be hypocritical to accept them for two reasons: I believe in Scottish independence, and I don’t believe in the monarchy. I was actually asked my reason by the queen in Warsaw, and I admit I stressed the Scottish nationalist bit more than the republican bit. She was not in the least put out by it.
With this background, you may be surprised to hear that what has hurt me so much is becoming perhaps the only Rector of a Scottish university in hundreds of years not to be awarded an honorary degree. (At Dundee I am not sure about Tony Slattery, whose rectorship never really started because of health issues).
The university senate debated a year ago whether I should be awarded an honorary degree and decided, with the strongest of steers from the university administration, that I was neither “respectable” nor “distinguished” enough. The matter was brought back again to the university senate by Dundee University Students Association, and again rejected. At university court, the current Rector, Brian Cox, formally minuted his dissent.
As to being distinguished, apart from being a British Ambassador and bestselling author, I have a first class MA (Hons) from Dundee University, was twice elected President of Dundee University Students Association and became Rector of Dundee University. If that is undistinguished, then Dundee University has a remarkably low opinion of itself.
I also find it rather curious that I am “undistinguished” but my two immediate predecessors as Rector, Lorraine Kelly and Fred Macaulay, were evidently “distinguished” enough. I should love to know the criteria.
It is not to do with the job done as Rector, because I attended many more committee meetings than my recent predecessors. This of course is exactly what the university administration did not want me to do. I argued strongly against cuts in university departments and student provision, against tuition fees, against allowing the special branch on campus, and tried to revive the notion of a democratically run academic community. I also attended regular meetings of other rectors, and with the Scottish parliament.
An academic from another university saw me in Edinburgh last week and out of the blue congratulated me on my rectorial installation address. I put a lot of effort into that speech, and it is surprising how often people do read and refer to it – I have been congratulated on it by Charlie Kennedy and Elaine C Smith, for example. But plainly a Rector able to make an interesting contribution on the philosophy of higher education is not what the university administration – which is just itching to bring in high tuition fees for all students – wants.
In a life which has spurned honours, I am hurt because I really care about Dundee University. I spent seven years of my life there plus three as an active Rector. If you sliced me, Dundee University runs through me like a stick of rock. That is why, on being spurned for an honorary degree, I feel emotionally like I have indeed been sliced. This really has hurt me.
Here comes the ridicule…
If you feel bitter you shouldn’t. You should be angry.
Not because you were snubbed, but because they have snubbed the students who elected you to represent them.
Craig
A moving article which shows that brave and humane folk, like yourself, are hurt and vulnerable like the rest of us.
“If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? …” – ( Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene I).
Thank you for this article. It makes your analysis of politics all the more persuasive and reassuring that it comes from someone is only too human.
Nonsense like that always hurts, but in the end it’s Dundee University management that looks foolish and small minded. I learnt in recent years to abide by ‘Ruiz’s Four Agreements’ one of which is . Don’t Take Anything Personally’.
The other three are:
‘Be impeccable with your word’.
‘Don’t make assumptions’.
‘Always do your best’.
I’m sure you’re doing fine with those three.
Take Care and Cheer Up.
RIP Baha Mousa. Another example of the travesty of British justice.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/8727075/British-Army-cleared-of-systematic-abuse-by-Baha-Mousa-inquiry.html
Thanks Mods and Mark ref Yvonne Ridley. I will ask her.
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On Being Hurt – you could always book a session with ‘Jackboots’ Smith Craig. What a dreadful woman. She has no shame.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/labour-mps-expenses/8727376/Jacqui-Smith-the-conman-and-the-one-to-one-mentoring.html
The withholding of the honorary degree says a great deal more about the withholders than the person withheld from.
Of course it has the appearance of the actions of the small-minded and petty. Presumably the names of these people (who withheld the degree) is known. Can they be named? Can they be asked to account for their actions? Probably not, but if their behaviour is flushed into visibility, or they find themselves exposed, they may well be forced to respond.
One must assume that they wished to avoid the situation where they were giving an honour to someone who might well excite the interest of the red tops. (Not difficult to see the headlines). They would have been fearful of any adverse publicity, which might affect intake, especially of rich kids from repressive places abroad who might not be comfortable with CM being honoured. But these people do seem craven and spineless specimens. It really gives a powerful insight into the kind of people who now administer public institutions.
I notice there is a learned discussion on the deep-fried Mars bar. Ownership of this culinary innovation is claimed by the fish and chip shop in Stonehaven. Apparently, one night as the wind and sleet whipped off the dark and freezing North sea, and not a sane soul but the fryer’s friend was afoot, and nary a customer, they turned to frying all kinds of novelties to distract themselves from their loneliness, and provide amusements, on a night when amusements were few. Even Tam o’shanter stayed home that night.
First it was a Snickers but the peanuts were rendered bitter by the heat , then some jelly novelty dinosaurs,
( a disaster as hot dinosaur juice dripped out of the batter), then some maltesers, which exploded. Finally perfection. The mars bar became a succulent, sweet, soft, warm and oleaginous delicacy with the added dimension of a firm crusty coating.
History was made in those lonely hours near the North Sea.
DeepGreenPuddock, thank you indeed for that inspiring, apetising and engaging culinary information! I will treasure it as I do all nuggets of folk wisdom. News signs for the road: ‘Welcome to Stonehaven, Inventor and Capital of the Deep-Fried Mars Bar’.
I came to this via Subrosa.
I don’t think you should be hurt , I think you should be offended particularly when you mention the ” distinguished ” previous rectors and their honourary degrees.
You seem to offend the “establishment” rather like Jack Vettriano – so laugh all the way to the bank or whatever pleases you and continue to be a concerned human being of insight and interest.( a rather convoluted way of saying “lang may yer lum reek!)
Who is Chris Floyd?
It’s hard to be a truth teller; it takes a courageous person to speak truth to power when you risk your career and maybe your life doing so. You have done your best to light the moral path for us all when the world is spinning out of control.
You are cut from the same cloth as Norman Finkelstein. Have you seen the movie ‘American Radical?’ You’re a rock, even if you don’t realize it.
Another You Could Not Make It Up. I thought Al Jazeera and CNN got the gold medals for fakery.
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Letter to BBC concerning Fake Tripoli Celebrations
Posted by Plus Ultra on August 28, 2011, 2:07 pm
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Sent the following to the BBC on 25 August 2011:
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Hello,
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I’d like to file a complaint regarding the BBC’s coverage of the NATO-led rebellion in Tripoli. On the 24 August 2011, two news presenters reported on a ‘massive throng’ of supporters entering Tripoli’s Green Square.
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One presenter noted that the video is of ‘people in Tripoli.’ The other presenter commented on ‘scenes of jubilation’ occurring in the same area. However, upon closer inspection, it appears that the footage is not from Tripoli, but from another location. In fact, the footage appears to be from Green Square in India, not Libya.
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See the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atl_JgLesYE
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As you can see, neither of the presenters are able to identify the ‘Indian’ flags that are being waved before them. Instead they go on with their report as if it truly is ‘from Tripoli’, forgetting that Green Square is surrounded by buildings and not in some sort of grassland location (which we can see in the above video).
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Given this fact, I think the BBC should apologise for its coverage or at the very least issue a statement confirming this outrageous error. I am rather amazed that an apology has not already been issued already. In any event, I do hope you will respond to this complaint in detail and explain why we – the viewers – were provided with such wrongheaded coverage from the region.
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Thanks
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Plus Ultra
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Reply from the BBC a mere three days later – good going!
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Reference CAS-955929-MQBZ98
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Thanks for contacting us regarding ‘Breakfast’ broadcast on 24 August on BBC One.
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We understand you were concerned that incorrect footage was shown during a report on the latest developments from Tripoli, and that images from India were broadcast instead.
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We forwarded your complaint to ‘Breakfast’ Editors who explained in response that they realised within moments that they were showing the wrong footage and quickly took it down.
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They also apologised immediately and pointed to how the problem was caused by confusion over a ‘feed’ coming in to television centre from the international agencies.
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We apologise for any concern this may have caused and we’d like to assure you that your feedback has been registered on our audience log. This is a daily report of audience feedback that’s made available to many BBC staff, including members of the BBC Executive Board, programme makers, channel controllers and other senior managers. The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.
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Thanks again for taking the time to contact us.
Kind Regards
Leigh Mallon
BBC Complaints
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A few points:
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1) Can anyone locate this apology on the BBC’s website?
2) If not, who apologised to whom? Was it an internal apology – from someone in the BBC to someone in the BBC – or was it a broadcasted apology, to the audience?
3) Even if the breakfast editors ‘took it down’ the damage was already done. Surely the ‘feed’ should have been checked out before it was aired?
4) How can you take down a live transmission that has ‘already’ gone out?
5) What does their ‘confusion’ over the feed mean? If they were confused by it, then they shouldn’t have sent it out – surely? And why didn’t the presenters say that it was a live feed from a different agency? Who sent out this feed? Who is responsible for it being broadcast at this time and not at another time?
6) Does anyone know if anything particularly important was happening in Green Square India on 25 August? After all, the BBC notes that this is presumably a live ‘feed’?
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Very unusual stuff. Worth chasing up?
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Re: Letter to BBC concerning Fake Tripoli Celebrations
Posted by gabriele on August 28, 2011, 2:13 pm, in reply to “Letter to BBC concerning Fake Tripoli Celebrations”
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well done – i’m not aware of those apologies but from the video it is clear they didn’t realise within moments since they kept commenting on it and let the video play
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how such an incorrect footage could possibly be broadcast is behind my understanding
: Worth chasing up?
definitely!
[Mod: disruptive, deleted]
The only countries not attacked seem to be their own and Greenland.
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http://killinghope.org/images/interventions_map.png
Craig, the UK establishment does not have the slightest respect for academia unless it can be used for its own propaganda purposes. They are not likely to assist you in exposing truth. How can you possibly be hurt by that fact? Join a cause which has some integrity, such as Islam, and work for the sake of God. I think you will find it more rewarding than working for the Taghoot,
( scumbag, lying, Satanist, self-serving liars ).
any comment?
http://thedailybell.com/2859/Anthony-Wile-Lost-in-a-Yemen-Jail-A-DB-Staffer-Speaks-About-His-Long-Strange-Trip-and-the-Secret-Gulag-America-Has-Built-in-the-Middle-East-and-Africa
Shame my post went missing – is it pending Mod?
grow up
@Mark – nothing pending, no.
That’s great coming from Wtc who I assume is yet another pseudonym for LfStL.
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Did anyone see the first series of this? I didn’t. Worth watching?
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/28/coalition-preposterous-political-satire
@Mary – don’t think wtc and Larry are one and the same.
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@wtc – if you want people to reply, it might be helpful to explain who or what you’re responding to. Bit unclear at the moment!
Johnm
I am uncomfortable that this analysis, which I entirely agree with, comes from an American citizen. What I particularly like about this piece is his clarity that the present lull in political pressure on Islam in this country is actually the calm before the storm.
Mouth-foaming New Labour Zionists like Blair and Blears will be replaced by a an EDL style of Gulag culture for anyone who wants to criticise New World Order materialism. The UK government actively supports all Islamic groups who look scary and short-trousered and un-British. Then they will expose the hatred of Western foreign policy by Muslims and the thinking rest of us, and threaten us with punishment for thought crimes for not worshipping the Big Society slogan and for being different.
Nobody dreamed that Blair would become a war criminal by having his g……lies twisted and a shotgun to his temple by the Zionist mafia who control the banking system; Cameron has more to hide and more to lose than him. Already we have seen him, baby-mouth Sloane-ranger that he is, launch a new million-people-hitting war on a Muslim country. Look back at Blair’s record at this time in his term of office and he was still sweeping up Mrs Thatchers doggy-do in Yugoslavia.
Maybe it’s time to stay on holiday permanently this time.
Wtc is a ‘shill’ – are we certain posts cannot be intercepted.
Jon thanks. I assumed wtc stood for world trade centre, the subject that LfStL gets off on.
Off-Topic sorry but I believe these links are so important now that the Independent tells is the British government has applied a blanket ban on all kind of marches and protest gatherings in London amid fears of violence and disorder, starting September 2nd 2011.
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David Halpin on behalf of Dr David Kelly RIP
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Robin Cook MP PBUH
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Jeff Farrer PhD Physicist
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Kamal Obeid MSc Civil & Stuctual Engineer
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Richard Humenn WTC Chief Electrical Design Engineer
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Ron Brookman MSc Structual Engineer
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a href = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeWNITKBFto“>Stephen Barasch MSc High Rise Architect
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a href = “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lU-vu2JvZY”>Niels Harrit PhD Chemical Scientist
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a href = “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0fkDmi78Og”>Lynn Margulis PhD Presidential Medal for Science
We learn from the independent that the British government has applied a blanket ban on all kind of marches and protest gatherings in London amid fears of violence and disorder, starting on September 2nd 2011. I regard this decision to be a continuation or a a perpetuation of fear driven policies by a corrupt and deceptive government. We realise fear has silenced many Americans. Yet we can reflect fear like a mirror with knowledge. Here is a comprehensive lecture from my good friend David Halpin who I admire, trust and respect and who like a powerful mirror is just one of a growing number of like minded people who will relect fear and ensure our new leaders are principled, with expertise and good heart not the psychopathic murderers that correctly represent our communities.
Craig Murray bought the horrors of torture into good people’s minds and I hope in time he will be rewarded for his bravery. Meanwhile this piece honours and amplifies his courage.
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Jane Mayer, a key historian of the “dark side” of our history, emphasized the impact on some CIA agents of their involvement in crimes of torture and suffering, also citing a leaked Red Cross report that sets up Bush teams for international war-crimes trial. [Village Voice, Aug. 27, 2007]
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She quotes a former CIA officer as saying: ‘When you cross over that line of darkness, it’s hard to come back. You lose your soul. You can do your best to justify it, but … you can’t go back to that dark a place without it changing you.'”
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CIA/MI6 agents are also human beings – I know one.
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Human Rights Watch tells us President Obama rejected an independent criminal investigation of the highest-profile officials, including Condoleezza Rice, John Ashcroft, Cheney’s council, David Addingtonand John Yoo, author of the cruel, aptly dubbed “torture memos” from the Ashcroft Justice Department that gave the “legal cover” to allow torture.
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ACLU Foundation constitutional lawyer, Stephen Rohde, discloses FOI lawsuits filed by the ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights have yielded more than 100,000 pages of documents detailing these war crimes.
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(“getting-getting-away-with-torture, July 28 2011 truthout.org)
Defense Department records, of the deaths of “detainees” in American custody.
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Unknown numbers of these deaths have also I believe taken place in CIA “black sites” and during CIA “renditions” to countries known for torturing, These so called “ghost prisoners” have disappeared into eternity because such information remains ‘most secret’ and unavailable.
President Ronald Reagan in 1988 and ratified by the American government in 1994a law qualifying the U.N. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment that states:
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“No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.
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“An order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification of torture.”
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The Geneva Conventions, mandates each contracting party “shall be under the obligation to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed, such grave breaches (of the Geneva Conventions), and shall bring such persons, regardless of their nationality, before its own courts.”
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President Obama, IS THEREFORE OBLIGATED to bring the list of Bush presidency war criminals I have sighted here and elsewhere into the American courts or, before that, be subject to an independent criminal investigation.
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Britons of all political parties, faiths and backgrounds are themselves obligated to insist that that this coalition government also brings lawsuits against MI6 personnel responsible for torture and these agents are compelled by law NOT to assert false national security concerns that prevent these war crimes from even being heard in our courts under the perversion of “the state secrets” doctrine.
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We owe it to our next generation and their children to take responsibility for our worldwide shame of having become a torture nation complicit with America. As we condemn other nations’ crimes against their citizens of Bahrain, Syria, Libya, Yemen Zimbabwe, et al, our British government makes it easier for those countries to escape accountability by utterly denying our own complicity in the cruel, inhumane, degrading torture that has given terrorists around the world so valuable a means for recruiting more terrorists.
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With thanks to Nat Hentoff for his inspiration and thoughts.
There is this other horror going on 176 miles to the east of Libya
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http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article494983.ece
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I wonder if the organ harvesters teams are at work in Libya as they were purported to be in Haiti after the earthquake.
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btw There is no location given for Palestine on Google Maps.
“CIA/MI6 agents are also human beings – I know one.” Mark Golding.
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So do I. Though in my case, ‘know’ would be an exaggeration. ‘Have acquaintance with’ might be a more apt description. Does one ever really ‘know’ such people? Do their families even ever really ‘know’ them? The answre is likely to be (what else?) both yes and no.
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“She quotes a former CIA officer as saying: ‘When you cross over that line of darkness, it’s hard to come back. You lose your soul. You can do your best to justify it, but … you can’t go back to that dark a place without it changing you.’” ” Mark Golding.
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That CIA Officer ought perhaps to have read, and digested, ‘Macbeth’.
Mark This is a chilling account of how a human was seized, rendered, interrogated and imprisoned. The CIA even have an acronym for the torture – EITs – Enhanced Interrogation Techniques.
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http://harpers.org/archive/2011/07/hbc-90008139
“The whole story is disturbing and sad” I agree wholeheartedly. Thank-you Mary.
Suhayl – the person I know is just a communications ‘engineer’ albeit clandestine – even so at the interview he was assessed on the ability to ‘talk oneself out of a possible ‘outing’ situation or in human terms, the aptitude to lie?!
Tunnelling thru the propaganda – do we find a vision now lost forever in Libya?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw8cHwyq7LI