The government could clear up the issue of Fox Gould and Werritty if it answered these very simple questions. They are questions to which in any real democracy we would be entitled to expect an answer, concerning officials paid by us. I have put these questions to them. Consider why the government refuses to answer these simple and obvious questions.
But the truly terrifying thing is not just that the government refuses to answer these questions from me, it is that the mainstream media refuses even to ask them:
How many times in total did Gould, Werritty and Fox meet?
How many of these are listed in O’Donnell’s official investigation?
Why the discrepancy?
Did the meeting between Fox, Gould and Werritty while Fox was Shadow Defence Secretary follow official rules concerning briefing of opposition front bench spokesmen by officials?
Where did it take place?
When did Gould first meet Werritty?
How many times did Gould meet Werritty without Fox present?
How many communications of all sorts have there ever been between Gould and Werritty?
Where precisely was the “Pre-posting briefing meeting” for Gould with Werritty and Fox held?
Why was it not held in the Secretary of State’s office?
Why was no MOD official present?
Who paid for the “Private dinner” between Fox, Gould and Werritty and “Senior Israelis” in Tel Aviv in February 2011?
Who was present?
Was any note subsequently made of the discussion?
Who paid for the “social engagement” to which Fox invited Gould and Werritty in summer 2010?
Who was present?
Was the possibility of an attack on Iran discussed in any of the above meetings, events or communications?
These really are very simple questions and I will happily report any answer in full. Every media outlet should be asking these questions. Remember Werritty had no security clearance. It is therefore not possible that the answers to these questions is classified information.
If the explanations are innocent, why should these questions not be answered?
ACTION Please send reasoned communications to mainstream media journalists and editors, asking them if they will put these questions to the government. You may also like to contact your MP or any other politician you find reasonable, to ask them whether they are not interested to know the answers.
The answer to these questions would not be hidden in a democracy.
Please post in comments all responses you get, including from journalists.
Julian
What d’you think they’re gonna DO with these toys?
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Be safe from attack, like North Korea is, and like Libya and Iraq weren’t.
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What do you think the USA, Russia, China, the UK, France, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea are doing with their toys?
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Or are you seriously trying to suggest that a nuclear-armed Iran would straight away bomb Tel Aviv, despite the fact that, as Clinton warned North Korea, their country would cease to exist?
John Goss: But what do you understand by the following: ‘Gould, who was stationed in Tehran in a previous post, said that his government saw preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as an important priority.
“My government absolutely agrees with your conception of the Iranian threat and the importance of your determination to battle it.” Dealing with the Iranian threat will be a large part of my work here.” Gould said.’
Me: Seems entirely reasonable. What, honestly, do you think the Iranian regime represent? Motherhood and apple pie? What d’you think they’re gonna DO with these toys?
John Goss: I’m pre-empting your answer here, because I know you will claim that Iran is a threat. But like there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein was developing WMDs there is no evidence that Iran is manufacturing nuclear weapons. But those with an agenda will claim that and use it as an excuse for “Dealing with the Iranian threat”. Many of us are much more fearful that Israel, and the USA again, are much more likely to use nuclear weapons than Iran. What do they teach at St Paul’s?
Me: Very prescient of you. But you are wrong. There was evidence that Saddam intended to develop WMD, and there is plenty to suggest that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Plenty of it. What more do you want? You have blinded yourself to reality wearing your anti-imperialist blinkers.
What I learnt at school and since, is concrete thinking. Try it !
Ken: You are trying to post a rosy picture of Israel as a democracy,now maybe this might work for you with someone who knows noting about the country but it will not work with me and asking silly questions tying to insinuate that I support Hamas does your argument no good at all. At this very moment their is a debate in the Knesset to stop the Arabic language from being recognised as an official language of Israel.
Me: I have not insinuated you support Hamas. Meanwhile there’s a debate in the Knesset about what should be recognized as official languages. OK, there’s a debate – damn those fascists!!
Ken: So much for your claims of freedom of the press. Some interesting stuff in the link about prosecuting journalists,holding them without trial,shooting them etc etc.
Me: Shooting journalists? I don’t believe you. You are a liar.
Me to Ingo: Your stuff is deeply felt, but there’s so much inchoate sentimentalism in it, it’s impossible to respond to. That’s not to say it’s not genuinely felt. But it does not amount to an argument.
Fedup: Makes me sick the apartheid segregationist ziofuckwits suffering from masada complex whining on about dangers from the world over.
Me: See what I mean?
Anders: Daisy, thsnkd for the attention, but I can’t follow your reasoning. Are you saying that the deaths in Libya satisfy a primitive blood lust in me, and that I’m sad but actually evil? Is that it?
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She was trying to say that you are a trolling know-nothing weapons grade tosser, but was too polite to say so.
Me: Bang to rights!
Suhayl Saadi: Hello, Julian. Thank you for responding.
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The debate is much appreciated. Are you in a position to venture to answer Craig’s questions? If not, then, instead of attempting to character-assassinate Craig Murray, I suggest that you also may wish to withhold judgement until you have heard the answers – if indeed, any answers are forthcoming, which at present they do not seem to be.
Me: But Craig’s questions are obvious ones, and will be answered. As a matter of course they will be answered. Why imply they won’t be?
Suhayl Saadi: Incidentally, Stephen, while your typically measured and rational response to Julian was much-welcomed, your characterisation of the many people who comment here as ‘Craig Murray’s fan-club’ minimises the importance of Craig Murray as a key, comprehensive and active whistleblower from within the British establishment. One suspects, from the information he posted on the previous thread, that he gives the hard state considerable cause for concern as a potential, or actual, conduit for other whistleblowers.
Me: Demonstrates that Murray is a cult, like Pilger or Chomsky. The hive-mind at work once again.
Komodo: Julian is a hasbara troll. Safely ignore
Me: Hilarious. Anyway, off to collect my brown envelope now, Cheers!
Tosser!!!
These questions.
How many times in total did Gould, Werritty and Fox meet?
How many of these are listed in O’Donnell’s official investigation?
Why the discrepancy?
Did the meeting between Fox, Gould and Werritty while Fox was Shadow Defence Secretary follow official rules concerning briefing of opposition front bench spokesmen by officials?
Where did it take place?
When did Gould first meet Werritty?
How many times did Gould meet Werritty without Fox present?
How many communications of all sorts have there ever been between Gould and Werritty?
.
Where precisely was the “Pre-posting briefing meeting” for Gould with Werritty and Fox held?
Why was it not held in the Secretary of State’s office?
Why was no MOD official present?
.
Who paid for the “Private dinner” between Fox, Gould and Werritty and “Senior Israelis” in Tel Aviv in February 2011?
Who was present?
Was any note subsequently made of the discussion?
.
Who paid for the “social engagement” to which Fox invited Gould and Werritty in summer 2010?
Who was present?
.
Was the possibility of an attack on Iran discussed in any of the above meetings, events or communications?
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Anyone?
Julian/Anders, without paragraphing and quoting, it is quite difficult to determine your meaning and/or what you’re adding to the debate. Use dots for a para break (I know, it’s annoying, it’s a limitation with this blog) and use angle brackets for quoting.
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> So this looks like a quotation,
> that someone said. Makes it much
> easier to see what you are responding
> to.
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@Komodo, yes, definitely. The questions are still unanswered, despite the distractions.
Dear Mr Stephenson
Thank you for your email setting out your concerns regarding Liam Fox and Adam Werrity, which I note go into some limited detail regarding specific questions.
Having met Matthew Gould when I visited Israel at the beginning of this year I am surprised at the comments you raise from Craig Murray’s website. I found Mr Gould to be intelligent and balanced in his views, with a valuable understanding of the issues facing the region in which he is posted. There were certainly no signs of bias on his part as he pursues his job to promote the British national interest in that part of the Middle East.
Having considered your questions I do not believe they are founded on any real evidence. I have no reason to doubt Gus O’Donnells findings and, whilst clearly the relationship between Mr Fox and Mr Werritty was inappropriate I am confident that all appropriate steps have been taken. That Mr Fox felt it necessary to resign is indicative of how seriously the matter was taken and rightly so.
Whilst I always endeavour to do what I can to raise the concerns that are brought to me by constituents I am afraid I will not be a conduit for Mr Murray, who I believe failed to secure his own election to Parliament only 18 months or so ago. He is not a constituent of mine and I see no reason to place undue weight on the comments on his website in relation to this matter. I will, therefore, not be taking this issue further.
Many thanks for taking the time to get in touch,
Yours sincerely,
James
James Wharton MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Nice try, but no tobacco products, eh, Mike? You can find Wharton’s February visit here:
http://www2.cfoi.co.uk/Delegations/RecentDelegations/
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“CFI’s Parliamentary Chairman, Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP, recently led a delegation of seven newly elected MPs to Israel for a business and security orientated trip. The delegation, our first since last year’s General Election, had a schedule as fully packed as ever.
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Whilst in Israel the group met with Members of the Knesset and Foreign Ministry officials. The itinerary included a briefing with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, in addition to a round-table meeting with MK’s Daniel Ben-Simon, Danny Danon, Yoel Hasson and Anastasia Michaeli, which provided the MPs with a fascinating insight into the nature of coalition politics!
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The MPs learned of the closeness of UK-Israel business ties during visits to electric-vehicle manufacturers Better Place and Elbit Systems, which provides the British armed forces with the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that play such a crucial role in intelligence-collection. Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, hosted a reception of leading Israeli businessmen and women.
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The group also spent a day exploring the north of Israel, visiting the Golan Heights and Galilee, and receiving fascinating IDF briefings on the situation inside Lebanon and Syria. Whilst in Jerusalem, the MPs had the opportunity to explore the historic Old City and were given a tour of the security barrier.
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On their visit to the Palestinian Authority, the delegation met with Dr. Ghassan Khatib, Director of the Government Media Centre, and had lunch with a group of leading Palestinian businessmen. The delegation was also given a tour around Rawabi in the West Bank, which is set to become the first new Palestinian town.
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“Every time I come to Israel with the CFI I see something new and completely different. It’s always an interesting time to go to Israel and this visit was no exception. Visiting Ramallah shortly after we had had a meeting with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, showed the contrasting difficulties that both the Israelis and the Paslestinians had to contend with. We also had a fascinating overview of some of the Israeli hi-tech business opportunities. I came away with the feeling that while politics is so difficult, maybe better trading links between Israelis and Palestinians and between Israel and the United Kingdom may be one extremely helpful way to try to bring prosperity and peace to the region.” Rt Hon James Arbuthnot MP, Parliamentary Chairman of CFI, February 2011
Worth noting not only that Elbit Systems make our UAV’s (above) but that Better Place looks like a bubble stock desperately in need of cash. Ours, if we’re daft enough:
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000699279
Are you denying the importance of the issues, Julian/Anders (and why post the same stuff under two ‘names’, btw?)? You seem to want to attack the sanity of Craig Murray, to link him with Harold Wilson and you attempt to depict all who engage with those issues here and who basically do not support the wars as part of a “hive-mind”.
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To clarify: I did not say that you were “hasbara”; you used that word yourself. I did not say that people should ignore your views; you suggested that dynamic yourself.
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I would suggest that those who do not question the wars, but who assiduously follow the dominant narratives of power on all salient matters and who attempt to character-assassinate anyone – especially whistleblowers – who does question these narratives might better be depicted as having a “hive mind”. I know nothing of you – unlike me, you do not use your real name, one presumes – I merely critique your views and your methods of communication.
Hallo, Spambots! In the 1950s, lots of books used ‘Hallo’ rather than ‘Hello’. It does have a somehat ‘short-back-and-sides’ ambience to it, does it not? So, Hallo, Spambots!