The Mail on Sunday is doing a very good job on the odious Jack Straw’s involvement in torture and persecution. I think that at last the truth has entered the established narrative. There is a little box in the report about my own evidence to Scotland Yard. I will type it out here as the Mail’s box format here is not internet searchable:
“Torture” Evidence Handed to the Yard
Further pressure was piled on Jack Straw last night over the “rendition” of Libyan dissident Abdel Hakim Belhadj after sensitive documents were handed to Scotland tard detectives.
Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, passed the documents to police as part of the inquiry into the behaviour of Ministers and intelligence officials over the detention of Mr Belhadj in Bangkok in March 2004.
The opponent of Colonel Gadaffi was flown to Tripoli, where he claims he was tortured.
Mr Straw, who was Foreign Secretary at the time, has denied ever condoning the use of torture to extract information.
But the documents appear to cast doubt on that position.
One memo, headed “Uzbekistan: Intelligence Possibly Obtained Under Torture” contains minutes of a meeting Mr Murray held with senior Foreign and Commonwealth officials on March 8, 2003 to discuss his concern that the UK could be in breach of international law by possessing intelligence obtained by torture.
The minute, dated March 10 2003, quoted Linda Duffield, then the FCO’s Director of Wider Europe, apparently justifying the use of such material as part of the fight against terrorism.
A second memo, dated March 14 2003, and written by Simon McDonald – the Straw’s principal Private Secretary – to Ms Duffield says Straw has read the minutes and “agrees that you handled this very well”.
Mr Murray is understood to have told police that during Mr Straw’s time at the FCO diplomats were told to only refer to the policy on torture verbally.
Mr Murray said last night “My evidence stated that Jack Straw introduced a policy of allowing evidence obtained by torture to be used. I also told them that written evidence had been destrpyed, and we were told to not commit details into writing.”
There is a slight misquote in the above. It should say Jack Straw introduced a policy of allowing intelligence obtained by torture, not evidence. In fact it was specifically stated such intelligence would not be produced as evidence in court (people were imprisoned without charge or rendered instead). The instruction not to put things in writing was given to me personally, I don’t know if others were told the same. As I was the only one protesting, perhaps not.
These links are to the documents in question.
The first two were obtained by Freedom of Information Act request. Details of the CIA’s colllusion with the Karimiv regime’s torturers have been redacted by the FCO. Last week Jack Straw came out and argued strongly for the effective abolition of the Freedom of Information Act. Now there is a coincidence for you.
Since Russian Empire Baku (Azerbaijan’s capital) has been developed as major oil pumping city. Azerbaijan’s share of Caspian oil is second large after Kazakhstan’s. Andrew, known old fox, is lobbing British interests in oil rich but Human Rights poor country. This is typical RF behaviour that had not changed with centuries.
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Another ironical fact is that Anglo-Azerbaijan society is headed by Lord Fraser of Carmyllie who accidently is a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights
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What an interesting world we are living in.
Pure entertainment….with some interesting ideas, but just for lulz – so far.
http://shatasm.blogspot.co.uk/
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I’ll see your Frazer and raise you a Gove, Uzbek –
http://watchingyouwatchingyme-steelmagnolia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/httpwww_27.html
Lost one –
http://watchingyouwatchingyme-steelmagnolia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/httpwww_27.html
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UJIA fundraiser Michael Gove (MP)’s dedication to small nations on the Iranian border is not sufficiently appreciated
And there’s Mark Field MP…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/oct/05/tory-mp-intelligence-committee-azerbaijan
,,, the chairman, last time I looked.
Good work Komodo -perhaps you should start your own official investigation and start your own trial in your own court-seeing as the justice system of Britian does not want to ‘do justice’
…ah, I remember finding him in Azerbaijan before; Robert Halfon. Vice chair of Conservative Friends of Azerbaijan –
http://cfazuk.org/about-cfaz.html
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and Islamophobic ultra-zionist* member of CFOI. Coincidence, of course.
*{http://www.jewishtelegraph.com/prof_101.html}
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Baroness O Cathail (chair,CFAZ) on her allegiance –
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“Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom and the Conservative Party have much in common.
The importance of heritage and history, tolerance of all faiths, a respect for the rule of law, strong support for the family, and a readiness to trade with the world are all hallmarks of Azerbaijan, the UK – and the Conservative Party. We share many beliefs, and as CFAZ we aim to strengthen ties and develop relationships.
If you share those values, I urge you to join CFAZ.”
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I smell oil. Where do I sign?
I’d just like to stress that I have nothing whatever against Azerbaijan or its people. It’s had a terrible time, and it probably needs all the help it can get. But the support it is getting from certain quarters obviously has nothing to do with altruism or the welfare of the Azeri in the street.
Oil and Gas, Komodo.
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And also important location. All these make poor Human Rights record somehow not an issue. Azerbaijan not the first and not the last nation cursed by oil.
“But the support it is getting from certain quarters obviously has nothing to do with altruism or the welfare of the Azeri in the street.”
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Not only this Komodo.
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But also all this so called western altruism could provoke Russia to reignite Nagorny-Karabakh and plunge Azerbaijan into war with its neighbour Armenia whose side Russia will take again. Russia has been openly supplying arms to Armenia ever since start of the conflict and continued to do it despite acting as peace mediator. Quite possible that another ‘Georgian War’ could take place in yet another republic in Caucasus.
Just looked up Azerbijan’s ‘entrepeneurs’ and the Wikipedia page of ‘businessmen’, came up with some surprising characters.
Why would anybody have this sort of Wiki page?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azay_Mohnatov
And then there is this colourfull character with nowt on him. I bet we come across these two again in future.
this is tyhe second one
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Nisanov
Another interesting Azerbaijani-Russian-Turkish….. person
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telman_Ismailov
And this one. Head of Russia’s largest private oil company
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagit_Alekperov
Yes, Uzbek. You know better than I how that bad ground between the Caspian and Black Sea is crucial to everyone’s dirty schemes.
Vagit Alekperov (Lukoil) is by some distance richer than Wexner (above) and is in the top few world billionaires region.
Komodo,
“Azerbaijan, the United Kingdom and the Conservative Party have much in common.
The importance of heritage and history, tolerance of all faiths, a respect for the rule of law, strong support for the family,……, I urge you to join CFAZ.”
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You old Lizard I have been laughing my tits off ever since I read this bullshit, the pusillanimous arse licking of the sixth order to the 33rd root, man this oil somehow heralds for every malpractice, maleficence and frauds of all manner to be accepted and promoted.
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Have you seen the clip of the Azeri police on the net: stopping the cars and shaking down the drivers, so out in the open and overtly in the rush hour? ,
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Ilham Aliyev is a very democratic and exceptionally fantastic and great leader, like his father was, and so forth, along with Saddam, Qaddafi, Mubarak,….. the list is far too long of these virtuous fantastic guys upholding democracy and our values all the way to their Swiss bank accounts.
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Talk about bullocksology?!
Smart, nasty, well-connected, offed Berezhovsky…
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/A-E/Alekperov-Vagit-Y-1950.html
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Currently involved in Iraqi oilfields, so will do business with anyone.
Passerby; do not mock the afflicted. Baroness O Cahain is a prominent evangelical Christian, and cannot help her unintentional humour.
LOL
Well, Vagit Alekperov is not the only Russian oligarch whose integrity can and should be questioned.
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What is more interesting is that Alekperov started his success during Eltcin and unlike many other oligarchs was not stripped off power and influence after Putin’s KGB power shake up. And unlike some Russian oligarchs had not moved out of Russia. His direct connections to KGB are not established and he may well be just a hen producing golden eggs who is too expensive to sacrifice and who is unlike other less fortunate oligarchs is not bothered with who else is Kremlin’s host.
….and he offed Berezhovsky. When push comes to shove, he’ll be at Putin’s side. Otherwise he’ll continue his climb up the world rich list until he can buy Putin.
And what about T Blair? What have we done to deserve him back? Is he playing homesick? Or does he see himself as providential who is back to save Labour?
He probably thinks he’s the Messiah, Uzbek. Tell you one thing, if that swivel-eyed lunatic gets near the levers of power again, I’m moving out. I don’t want to live in a country that votes for proven douches to return.
Komodo
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Not exactly. Alekperov sided with Putin at the right moment (which proves that he has good nose) but made no contribution to push Berezovski out. Loking back to Russia at that time one could easily spot perfect opportunity for strong man (like Putin portraits himself) to grab power that was left unattended.
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And also there is a slight inaccuracy in the dossier on Alekperov that you posted. It says that Berezovski owned Russian NTV channel where in fact Berezovki had no share in that company at all. He owned major share in another Russian channel ORT and smaller TV6. Major NTV owner was another Russian oligarch Vladimir Gusinsky who was also later pushed out of Russia to make a way to new KGB oligarchy. Alekperov’s contribution to push Gusinsky could have been minimal as by that time KGB was so influential as it started open anti-oligarchs complain that lasted for over 2 years and led to major power shakeup that Russia has seen since collapse of USSR.
I stand corrected, sorry. Nevertheless his substantial interests outside Russia would seem to make him at least partially immune to anything but abduction and assassination – not that that would be a problem, I suppose.
Talking of substantial interests –
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/9015294/Inside-the-intriguing-world-of-Tony-Blair-Incorporated.html
Komodo
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Totally agree. But also when KGB acts there is nothing that anyone could do, especially when they are still in Russia. Alekperov like Khodorkovsky could be locked up indefinitely in Gulag system and Alekperov knows it. Hence his political neutrality. To be Russian oligarch today one needs to be not only criminal or KGB related but also, and what is more important, spineless. Russia today is a fascist state where supreme authority of the state is not to be questioned even by those whose wealth would have otherwise allowed them some authority.
Komodo,
you guys should take deeper look at Azerbaijan, and other countries in the Caspian and Central Asia. It’s not oil, that is linking the west and usa to the power clans in those countries despite the worst human rights there. It’s potential rise of Islamic renaisance and potential establishment of political islamic power which may become big hurdle to imperial ambitions of the west and israel. Current clans are brutally suppressing any form of democracy in that region, because democracy in its original meaning will definitely bring islamic forces to power.
Would it not be fascinating if T Blair takes party deputyship and acts like Prescott of his own time? This would make Milliband look like rather inexperienced crown prince under wise leadership. I might be wrong but it seems that Labour did not manage to get rid of New in themselves.
Anapa
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Interesting and partially correct point of view. Treat of militant Islam is one of the obvious reasons of so called co-operation between Muslim republics of former USSR and Russia/China/West. But for both China and West gas and oil are also very good if not major reasons for such co-operation. And for Russia who uses its energy superpower status to advance its political agenda oil/gas rich republics are extremely important as letting them to act on their own could undermine Russian supremacy in this field. And also the fact that Russia is constantly reminding itself about almost 2 centuries of hegemony in both Central Asia and Caucasus.
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If you look at China you will see that Central Asia is the closest and the most convenient way for it to get hold of energy that it needs for its rapidly developing economy.
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If you look at EU you will see that both Caucasus and Central Asia is the only alternative to get energy without getting Russian ‘spirit’.
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And for the last. If you read The Grand Chessboard book of infamous former security adviser you most probably came across the point that for the US in order to deny Russia its great power status US needs to have presence in Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. It seems that someone in the US still considers this book to be good source of wisdom.
Discussion on the rehabilitation of Bliar, following two ‘newspaper’/propaganda pieces.
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http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1336046349.html
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The BBC is definitely doing the same. Some stupid vox pop thing the other day where people were asked their opinion of him and to place a red ball in a transparent Good or Bad box. Slimer Peter Bottomley was one of them. He put a ball in each box. Unbloodybelievable.
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I think if any move is made to give Bliar a job or a peerage, there will be a revolution.