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.
@Komodo – that story in the register is by Andrew Orlowski, who in my view is their rent-a-right-winger (read a selection of his articles to get a flavour of his reactionary perspectives). Anti-environment, anti-BBC, and here, firmly pro-Murdoch. “But for Murdoch’s opponents, blocking the takeover on competition and plurality grounds was always going to be a stretch”. I guess it depends on what yardstick the author is using – mine is definitely not so conservative!
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The article is indeed rather like stilton, then – it stinks ;-).
OT But I’m sure Craig knows this already 🙂
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-17843809
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Dundee University voted best student experience in the UK
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Iain Kennedy, president of Dundee Students’ Association, said: “There are so many good things about being a student in Dundee.
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“Almost all of the accommodation is either on campus or within a few minutes walk so there is a real ‘student village’ feel to the place, and at the same time we are right in the centre of a vibrant city.”
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He added: “The university has invested a lot in facilities over the past few years and that has had a very positive impact on student life.”
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Dundee beat Loughborough, Sheffield, Oxford and Cambridge to the top spot.
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Top 10 THE study universities
1. Dundee
2. Loughborough
3. Sheffield
4. Oxford
5. Cambridge
6. East Anglia
7. Southampton
8. Aberystwyth
9. Glasgow
10. Leeds
The big story of the day. I’m surprised Craig has not posted on the guilty verdict of Charles Taylor, to whose house Craig went and whom he described as being as slick as a New York lawyer, and twice as bright, or words to that effect.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-17854039
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To my mind this augurs well. As well as it being a civilised trial, unlike what happened to Saddam Hussein, as the above article argues, it paves the way for further prosecutions of heads of state. When Tony Blair and Jack Straw are brought to justice over their illegal wars, and the abominable mistreatment, murder, rape and torture of civilians in all of their conflicts there can be no defence that they did not know what was going on. Herald the day!
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/238245.html
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/238069.html
Sorry I am not decisive with the keyboard.
Murdoch top 10 questions and Willy The Warmonger Haugue.
Then one wonders why this has taken so long. Even then I suspect nothing what we might call punishment might happen to the bugger.
Uzbek,
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I use the word ‘divine’ here as meaning perfect, a ‘perfect’ force as distinct from a force granted by Divine Providence which is I guess what you infer in your ‘divine role of a nation’ created by non perfect humans as the final judgement for war, sacrifice and slaughter.
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I note the final paragraph of the Declaration of Independence; Thomas Jefferson expressed the faith of the fifty-six men who signed it, “…with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
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I have grown tired of referring to war. Divine Providence is invoked in charitable trusts, such as the Carroll Foundation Charitable Trust, founded by the ancestors of the ‘Founding Fathers’ and now galvanising American and British society…
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLrMI7NNkEA
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A perfect example of fraud on a scale similar to the Twin Towers Massacre.
While you lot are being distracted by this minutiae of Jack straw, The McCanns, etc,etc the infiltration under the radar by the Zionists id slowly but surely being put in place…
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[b]European Jewish Parliament inaugurated in Brussels[/b]
http://www.smeggys.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21764
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This is exactly how Israel was developed. The Zionist Congress, which was held in Switzerland, Basel, set up all the Parliamentary and other authority infrastructure in advance in parallel with the existing Palestine Authority infrastructure, so that when they self declared Israel into Existence in 1948 everything was set up ready to go.
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Note that the European Jewish Parliament which is being set up in parallel with the European parliament was developed by the European Jewish Union
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European Union -> European Parliament
European Jewish Union -> European Jewish Parliament
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Imagine if a Christian or Muslim parliament was set up in Westminster, Washington or Brussels?
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Even worse imagine if a parliament was set up for non-Jews.
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Boiling frog syndrome. Don’t say we were never warned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idealism
Go easy, step lightly, stay free. (strummer)
John Goss. he’s probably busy with deadlines and publishers, I guess, but your point is very apt.
Can anybody tell me why Taylor shoudl be granted to serve his prison sentence in the UK?
Does this mean there are no prisons where he could be locked up in Africa, is it that he let it be known via his lawyers that he still has some diamonds stashed away? better look after him!
Or is it that Liberia can’t be trusted with torturing him until he reveals his wealth? that this is best kept inhouse, here were we are in charge?
Why should the taxpayers fork out for his wellfare when there is plenty of space elsehwere, has Charles Taylor aquired resident status here or is he a British citizen? maybe Tony Bliar can help…
Jon,
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I agree, stay free – free thinking. Pragmatism or *matter* of fact works by upward causation, or energy into matter, into cells, into brain, into consciousness – A very inefficient path (a great amount of energy is required).
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Much better to go the other way with consciousness as the starting point. All good things start with a vision, I believe.
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I remember ‘Clark’ some time ago now presenting us with the ‘Global Consciousness Project’, an attempt to measure the effect of events on world consciousness. My view suggests that consciousness can effect events and even a whim of consciousness can affect the physical world in some way.
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Idealism is real if we explore our bliss.
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“Someday after mastering winds, waves, tides and gravity, we shall harness the energies of love, and then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will discover fire.” – —
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Teilhard de Chardin.
Charles Taylor?
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Surprised his puppet-masters in Washington D.C. and Langley haven’t whacked him yet.
Smeggy –
{www.eju.org}, cited by the article you feature, is currently unreachable. The organisation looks, from the Wiki, to be a half-arsed group of random players trying to grab some credibility in the Jewish community:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Jewish_Union
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Though it might be seen as the thin end of a wedge which will even further disunite the EEC and promote special interests at the expense of the common interest, and would bear watching.
“Charles Taylor?
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Surprised his puppet-masters in Washington D.C. and Langley haven’t whacked him yet.”
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Jives, your cynicism is disappointing. And it’s not like that at all. A show trial will demonstrate the world’s commitment to freedom, justice, choice, hard working families and Mom’s (insert local ethnic fruit here) pie. Topping him would be such a waste, and in any case that can safely wait until he’s banged up for fifteen consecutive life sentences, far from the media.
Are we seeing global consciousness to a certain extend already Mark G.?
The increasing use of social media, FB, as well as the instant twitter, is replacing the edited and sanitised print media as it is instant, causing international support for X or Y.
Depending on the hilarity, outrageousness or sheer relevance, these messages, due to a multilingual global consciousness, have already steered the means of our old fashioned news, not a single paper is now without their twitter feed.
As yet FB is strongly controlled, but the causes and social activity on it is a headache to those who wortry about their pressure points of power.
These new networks, lets take Libya’s recent history, meant that NATO could not pull the wool over our eyes, because we could see the bombing of Misrata, before the MSM could even instruct their printing presses.
This can only get better with an ever evolving electronic media, but I suspect that amongst some of these instant messengers we will find those who try and steer and/or stir our juvenile global consciousness to their ends. Thing is, they are easily visible to us all.
FB as yet is playfull,pre occupied with friends and family, sharing of photos and very little coherence and resolve, bar some campaigns, but I believe that this will change, because there is no unlimited number of friends you can take on.
A team of 400 dedicated could easily pick up am million friends each, and use their various networks for some carefull serious consciousness raising.
Those who carry power agenda’s and are into geopolitical mongering, wars, arms dealing and approach social networks with their consciousness engineering would stick out like the proverbial naked emperor, because they can’t change their appearnce much, they have to run concurrent with the MSM.
Machinations and agendas are displaced by reality as people have lost trust in the MSM, they can see that a story is raw, pictures are real, not manicured and falsified.
God that was a good porridge this morning!
Actually, the EJU is probably causing more waves in the Euro-Jewish community than it ever will generally…
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/02/14/3091671/new-european-jewish-parliament-riles-existing-european-jewish-leaders
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David Beckham? Borat? Who knew?
Does anyone know what the outcome of this case was?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/21/mau-mau-torture-kenyans-compensation?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
~~~~~
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Robert Jay QC
Mr Jay, 52, has a long history of leading high-profile, complex and emotional cases.
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According to his profile on the website for law firm 39 Essex Street, Mr Jay last year defended the Foreign Commonwealth Office against claims of torture in colonial detention in Kenya during the 1950s and ’60s. {http://www.smh.com.au/world/the-murdoch-inquisitor-when-rupert-met-robert-20120426-1xmv2.html}
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They will do anything for money.
Back on topic:
Did Jack sign off on this, too?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/9218655/Western-allies-of-MI6-kept-in-dark-over-mosque-sting-plan.html
The permanent DCMS secretary Jonathan Stephens stonewalled at the committee meeting yesterday.
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27 April 2012 Last updated at 09:21
Jeremy Hunt to hand over correspondence with aide over Sky bid
Jeremy Hunt has denied that News Corp had any “back channel” of influence with his office Continue reading the main story
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No 10 rejects Hunt inquiry calls
Permanent secretary ‘stonewalls’ MPs
Ofcom intensifies BSkyB inquiry
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Jeremy Hunt has said he will hand over all correspondence* with his special adviser over the Sky takeover bid to the Leveson Inquiry amid pressure for a separate probe into his conduct.
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The culture secretary said the details would “vindicate” his position that he had acted with “total integrity”.
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Several Lib Dems have urged a specific inquiry into whether Mr Hunt breached the ministerial code of conduct.
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Downing Street has said there are no plans for this to happen.
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*Q Is this correspondence between Hunt and Adam Smith or between Adam Smith and News Int’l?
John Goss
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ICC might have serious potential (which I also doubt) but at the moment it only does selective justice. C Taylor was found guilty but Karimov/Blair/Straw/Bush/Ramsfeld/Cheney are ALL enjoying benefits of our imperfect society, making money, ruling the world. Saddam might have received unfair trial but at least he was tried in Iraq by Iraqis and not by bunch of white collar lawyers who cares less about Liberians or Sierra Leoneans but were just following masters’ orders.
It was funny to see yesterday how Tory/Lib Dem trolls were trying to convince public on QT that Hunt did good job and has good record.
Mark G – fancy seeing old P T de C quoted here – lovely stuff!
“….in this place the least of our desires and efforts are harvested and tended, and can at any moment cause the marrow of the universe to vibrate. Let us establish ourselves in the divine milieu.”
So Twitter is added to parables about mustard or poppy seeds and leaven.
A warning thought – should we be a bit careful about shining too bright a light on what we hope is happening – if you take the cover off the bread while it’s rising it stops.
Has a good actress conned a psychiatrist here?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-17866333#
Fox is getting a lot of publicity today for his views on the economy. What does he know on the subject and why are we being given his views?
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Fox accuses Lib Dems on recovery
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The Press Association – 1 hour ago
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Conservative former Cabinet minister Liam Fox has accused Liberal Democrats in the coalition Government of being a brake on economic recovery.
Dem ‘n blast‎ The Sun
Has the double dip kicked off a Coalition civil war? Spending must …‎ Daily Mail
The Lib Dems are blocking Britain’s recovery‎ Telegraph.co.uk
New Statesman (blog)
all 40 news articles »
inc http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/9228979/The-Lib-Dems-are-blocking-Britains-recovery.html
They’re doing Osborne a favour. Undiluted osbornism would bankrupt the country and lead to a change of attitudes all round. I say they should get out of his way, wait a year, and we can then start manning the barricades.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/27/liam-fox-make-it-easier-to-fire-people_n_1458330.html
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Cue the electorate of North Somerset…btw I hope Adam Werritty hit Liam for severance pay.
Not to defend barefaced liar Dr Fox but whatever way you look at it Economy is like its mother (Math) precise science of numbers and equations. When right and wrong are added to it, it becomes Philosophy and loses its preciseness and quite possibly, its meaning.
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Bottom line is that Britain, Europe, West is in debt. Debt will grow and it will take decades if not century to clear it. To understand this one needs to take this from macroeconomic level and look at it in family level. If a family is struggling to pay debts and is still spending more than earning then this family is never going to clear debts and with every year to come will spend more and more to cover just interests until it bankrupted.
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Economy dictates that first step is to reduce debt before any other long term actions can be taken. Understandably reducing debt means cutting spending which effectively means cutting social services which effectively means hurting the poorest hardest. That is where Philosophy comes and Economy loses its preciseness and quite possibly, its meaning.
The deceptively simple Thatcherite economics text (“Grocer Roberts’ Guide For Poor People: Why You Can’t Have Tick”) surfaces again, Uzbek.
What it ignores is that while the public accounts are on the wrong side of minus, the private accounts are (and have increasingly been for decades) nicely in the black, thank you. The only beneficiaries of
printing worthless paperquantitative easing will ever be the banks. The only beneficiaries of the money we are throwing at Europe will be the most indebted nations’ bankers – not their economies, not their people. And we will be lucky even to see the interest on this.Who are the beneficiaries of capping housing benefit? The landlords, who are not required to reduce their rents to levels affordable by social housing clients, god, no. Their property rentals will instead rise to reflect the departure of the pensioners and unemployed from their neighbourhoods to areas where there is even less chance of finding work or care homes.
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Until realistic investment is made in productive material businesses – not retail, and not bloody finance – there will be no point in cutting social services/overseas aid/Boris Johnson’s hair with a chainsaw….sorry, that’s just an image I like…because without manufacturing and farming exports we have nothing of real value to trade at a profit. If you want to do simplistic household economics, that’s the place to start.
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And perhaps we could fire the many levels of management attracted like iron filings to the magnet of taxpayers’ money WITHOUT cutting the services – and indeed almost certainly improving them – for which the suits evade responsibility at every turn while trousering the cash.
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Thatcher: “There is no alternative”
Komodo: “There are hundreds of alternatives, but dogma demands that only one is ever explored”
“economic growth“
Cant we just consosolidate a bit first…
Get the umemployed planting trees somewhere.
Re. Moran, amazing what a good blub can do. I expect Ian Griffin (addicted to drink and prescription drugs, depressive, self harmer) was unable to sqeeze a tear from his eye until, too late, forensic psychiatrist Philip Josephs told him he would have to stand trial. In France.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/241982/Briton-told-Stand-trial-for-murder-of-heiress
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He was also the psychiatrist assessing Tony Martin (who shot an intruder at his farmhouse, you will remember) and may have helped to get his sentence reduced to manslaughter.
Ex http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN03750.pdf March 2012
5.3
Sir Alex Allan
It emerged in January 2012 that Sir Alex had been appointed to replace Sir Phillip who had resigned in November 2011. Sir Phillip and Sir Alex subsequently gave evidence to the Public Administration Select Committee, discussed in the section below. Sir Alex has worked almost entirely in the public service, most recently as a senior civil servant. +++His most recent role was as Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.+++
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5.4 PASC report March 2012
PASC published a report in 2012 The Prime Minister’s Adviser on Ministerial Interests; Independent or Not?50 The report focused on two main issues: whether Sir Phillip should have been asked to investigate the allegations against Liam Fox, then Secretary of State for Defence, and whether the new Advisor, Sir Alex Allan should have been subject to an open appointment process. PASC was concerned that civil servants had not offered formal guidance on the meetings between Adam Werritty and Liam Fox in the 18 months between May 2010 and October 2011.51 The Committee accepted that there had been a need for speed to resolve the position of Dr Fox, but thought that the resignation of a minister should not preclude some type of independent investigation. +++The resignation of Sir Phillip had not been made public until January 2012, and in the meantime Sir Alex had been appointed without any formal recruitment process.+++ As a former civil servant, Sir Alex lacked a formal track record of independence. The Government has not yet responded to this report.
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Read Sir Alexander Allan’s Wikipedia page. Stranger than fiction??
{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Allan}