The Independent on Sunday have bitten the bullet and openly questioned what Matthew Gould was doing in all those meetings with Adam Werritty, and why Gus O’Donnell lied about them.
They have an interesting new line from an FCO spokesman:
“The FCO has total confidence that Matthew Gould has acted appropriately at all times and at no stage was he acting independently, or out of line with government policy,” a spokesman said yesterday.
So “British Ambassador Matthew Gould declared his commitment to Israel and the principles of Zionism on Thursday” – Jerusalem Post 29 May 2011 is therefore a statement of official British government policy. Good to know.
We have not only at last made the mainstream media, we have made the mainstream counter-media:
Well at least we know who’ll get a light dusting with a Chilcott in 10 years time, a tap on the wrist for dodgy dossiers and illegal incursions. It’s Alaistair Campbell mark 2. It’s all very well to think the FCO treat us like chumps but when ‘new evidence’ is revealed when someone’s missus writes a play to cash in and the report gets kicked into the long grass, well, i’m left thinking maybe they’re right. If judge, jury, witness and accused are all reading from the same hymn sheet then there’s no risk. When will they learn?
Is this true?
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Iran expels Britain’s Ambassador over Nuclear Sanctions
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http://twitter.com/#!/russian_market
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Iran’s parliament has voted to expel Britain’s ambassador in retaliation for fresh Western sanctions imposed over Tehran’s nuclear program.
The lawmakers also raised the possibility of punishing “other countries that behave in a manner similar to that of Britain.”
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http://yourjewishnews.com/13611.aspx
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In the 290-strong parliament, 179 voted in favour, four against and 11 abstained. The bill obliges the government to reduce ties within two weeks, a move that would force the ambassador out and leave the British embassy to be run by a charge d’affaires.
Debate continued on whether to stiffen the retaliation further, and lawmakers were discussing whether to also punish other Western countries imposing sanctions.
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http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/11/27/179421.html
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Aha. Questions are being asked in the House. With names. And sidestepped.
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http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2011-11-22b.81707.h&s=speaker%3A11003#g81707.q0
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Kevan Jones (North Durham, Labour)
To ask the Prime Minister whether he or any of his officials have met (a) Mr Michael Hintze, (b) Mr Tony Buckingham, (c) Mr Michael Davis, (d) Mr Poju Zabludowicz, (e) Mr Jon Moulton and (f) Mr Stephen Crouch since his appointment; and where any such meetings took place.
* Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 22 November 2011, c234W)
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David Cameron (Prime Minister; Witney, Conservative)
I and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects. I refer the hon. Member to my list of official meetings with external organisations and to the list of meetings by the No. 10 permanent secretary with external organisations. These are available on the Cabinet Office website
Key to the above is the word “organisations”. Jones was not asking about organisations. Point of order, Mr. Speaker. Labour really needs to get its Parliamentary shit together.
Thank you for not letting this drop. There’s a lot of seriously dodgy stuff being hidden here. IOS article from today being circulated far and wide through our networks as we speak.
All praise to Kevan Jones, though. He’s persistent:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/search/?pid=11003&pop=1#n4
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And the questions are evaded with monotonous predictability.
Minitrue is at it again:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/25/removed-adam-werrity-donors-tory-party
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That’s right, it’s been pulled.
My sincere apologies chaps. I forgot ONLY 1 link per post.
You can read it here if you missed it:
http://world.chariweb.com/2011/11/adam-werritty-donors-also-gave-to-tory.html
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“Kevan Jones, shadow defence minister, said: “It is clear that the people who were funding Adam Werritty are funding the Conservative party.
“There remain big questions over who knew what and when about the funding and activity of Pargav.
“There was a lobbying scandal at the heart of David Cameron’s government and we still do not know the full facts. Until we do, suspicion around these donors will remain,” he said.”
Well done Craig.
From Private Eye
“Murray, who lost his job as ambassador to Uzbekistan after complaining about torture, ”
pretty succinct
Craig, was the Independent one of the papers you offered the story to before publishing it here?
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It’s fascinating that, according to the FCO, Gould was stating British government policy when he apologised to Tzipi Livni for the arrest of her parents by the British Mandate authorities in Palestine. Is the government repudiating Britain’s entire record in Palestine? Until when – on what date did we start to get it right?
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I would email the FCO and ask, but they don’t answer emails from the public, despite having a ‘form’ on their website.
Well done Craig, at last some traction in the MSM. Keep up the good work and keep a watch over your shoulder.
Excellent news Craig – and well timed for Advent Sunday; a bit of light in the darkness. Perhaps the drums of war will beat a little less insistently now and give the people of good will everywhere some hope.
I have just recieved a curious call from a woman calling herself Ms.Murray asking if i would be willing to contribute to a survey about the British army.
I said no.
Strange call methinks.
I have posted about 10 times on this site in the last 3 days,and 4 posts on the Guardian.None moderated.
Why do i feel this call was a weird form of harrassment?
Just because you’re paranoid doesnt mean etc etc…
Maybe i’m wrong though.
Well done! Hopefully our sluggish media will now accelerate up to a snails pace in taking this on!
One criticism. No tweet button! Or other sharing scripts. Something to consider…
KUDOS
Excellent job Craig. You are nailing the SOBs. But watch out on your cliff walks. These people are absolutely ruthless.
@Njegos
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Didn’t Robin Cook also go on some walk? Dr David Kelly also went for a walk? Does going for a walk actually mean what it says or is it a code for something?
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Who else went for walkies?
Good work on the pulled Guardian article, Komodo.
All the more reason to keep doing what you do, Craig.
It’s heartwarming to see how many commenters are “concerned” for Craig’s welfare. New variations on “It would be a shame if anything happened to your family”…
Anyone got a screen shot of the pulled article on the loathsome Guardian?
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113 comments on the Independent article now.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/liam-fox-adam-werritty-and-the-curious-case-of-our-man-in-tel-aviv-6268640.html
Well done, Craig! Well done, indeed!
Well done Craig, it had to snap eventually. We want to watch the sort of questions asked in the House, many will possibly be leading up the garden path. And what are our indefatigable LIb Dems, the partners of plotters, going to make of this? I reckon theere will be silence allround, not a peep. Cowards!
This story should shake this rotten system to the core, but lets not hold our hopes too high. The FCO’s instant support for Mathew Gould could also read like an obituary, his closeness to Israels agenda has left no space for a fag paper, never mind our own foreing policy, he has become untennable and should volunteer to take his hat, rather than be exchanged.
One has to be glad to see Gus Mc Donnell leave, with many questions left unanswered. He has left a stained rather than exemplary record behind, not something to be proud of, an example to young civil servants on how not to be manipulated by vested interest politicians and outright warmongers.
Now after having dished this well researched story up to a first too scary media, garnished with a second article on the subject, they ought to expect to pay for any follow up comments and interviews. Who knows, maybe a story of the cogs and wheels, the why’s and why nots behind the postponed torture inquiery would now find a paying taker as well.
Dankeschoen Craig and lots of thanks must also go to the enthusiastic badgering of many regular posters on here, your comments and posts made this story into a journey of discoveries.
Funny photoshop from a blog called Hotter than a Pile of Curry.
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http://hotterthanapileofcurry.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/fox-hunting.jpg?w=453&h=299
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It could be entitled The Fox Shoots the Rabbits.
Da boy did good.
@Sam –
“It’s heartwarming to see how many commenters are “concerned” for Craig’s welfare. New variations on “It would be a shame if anything happened to your family”…”
Yes, I know how these things can be misinterpreted. But I have not encouraged Craig to back off, have I? On the contrary, he is doing exactly what needs to be done. In any event, my record of support for Craig on this blog speaks for itself.
Tiwo –
Yes, ‘going for a walk’ has acquired sinister connotations.
Elsewhere the vicious vicious settler state proposes thus:
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AFP: Israel threatens to cut off power, water to Gaza
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Israel warned on Saturday that it would cut the supply of water and electricity to the Gaza Strip if rival Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas form a unity government.
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“The foreign ministry is examining the possibility of Israel pulling out of the Gaza Strip in terms of infrastructure,” Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told the daily Yediot Aharonot website.
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A unity government deal “would transform the Palestinian Authority into a terrorist authority and would put an end to any hope for a peace agreement” with Israel, said Ayalon, who is also a Knesset deputy from the nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party.
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On Friday, Israeli ministers decided to maintain a freeze on the transfer of tens of millions of dollars in tax monies to the Palestinian Authority hours after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held top-level talks with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal at which they announced a new era of “partnership.”
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The transfer of funds, which make up a large percentage of the authority’s monthly budget, was frozen on November 1 as a punitive measure after the Palestinians won full membership of the UN cultural organisation.
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“If the Palestinians have signed an agreement over a unity government, it would make a transfer of funds impossible,” a senior government official told AFP.
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In January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already threatened to cut off water and power to Gaza, which has been controlled by Hamas since the Islamist group chased Fatah from the territory in 2008.
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Israel, which unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and dismantled Jewish settlements in 2008, continues to supply the territory with water and 70 percent of its electrical power, the rest being supplied by neighbouring Egypt or local power plants.
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http://news.yahoo.com/israel-threatens-cut-off-power-water-gaza-185355744.html
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No mention as to why Gaza cannot supply its own power from its power stations.
No mention that Israel bombed Gaza in the war crime known as Cast Lead.
No mention of the previous bombing of the power stations in 2006.
Please keep up the good work Craig 🙂