I don’t think any single person who has considered the matter seriously, has any real doubt that Jack Straw was complicit in torture in an active and involved way, and has lied about it continually. There are some who would argue he was ethically justified, but that is a different argument. It is not worth engaging in ethical argument with anybody who maintains that the facts which are the basis of the argument, should not be known.
The Gibson Inquiry was set up by the Government precisely to get to the truth of these matters. It was then cancelled precisely in order to hide the truth of these matters, which is one Hell of a U-Turn. The real reason for the cancellation of the Gibson Inquiry was that it became evident from its initial inquiries, firstly that Gibson was not a vicious calculating placeman like Hutton, and secondly that the number of very senior ministers, diplomats, security service agents and civil servants who were directly implicated in criminal activity was very large.
I confess that the cancellation of the Gibson Inquiry, at which I was determined to give evidence, came as a staggering blow to me. The official excuse for its cancellation was that there are a number of law cases pending over torture of individuals. This was very strange as public inquiries are generally into incidents likely to result in law cases, and the notion that the inquiry cannot run in parallel with law cases is a novel one.
Anyway, I collected myself and I quietly after several police interviews gave my formal, sworn, eye-witness evidence to the Metropolitan Police to assist the police investigation against Jack Straw, Mark Allen and others in the kidnap and torture of Abdel Belhaj and others. That was some years ago, and it is now absolutely plain to me that the very decent and genuine policemen whom I met are being blocked from ever going anywhere with that case.
Now we have the news that the new Justice and Security Act is to be used by the government to ensure that the facts of Belhaj’ civil case against Straw and Allen are forever hidden from the public. It is quite extraordinarily Orwellian that the systematic and deliberate denial of justice is through something called the “Justice and Security Act”.
What an appalling country.
Interesting piece that left me wanting more. Has anything been said about the progress of the police investigations? It’s nearly 18 months – will be in July – since the inquiry was abandoned, so you would think they should have made some progress.
It’s also almost a year since Gibson submitted his interim report and there was a promise to publish “as much of [it] as possible”. Where has this got to.
There was also a promise to have another enquiry when the police investigation had been completed
One quibble. Craig says after the enquiry was abandoned he collected himself and then gave evidence to the police “some years ago”. I don’t get this. If he collected himself and then gave evidence, I don’t see how this could have been much more than a year ago.
You seem to have changed your tune Guano, for long enough President Assad was evil incarnate, and once he was gone, the very ground would burst into blossoms, birds would sing and the Muslim Brotherhood and the rest of the Zionist run mercenaries would hang up their Uzis and take up macrame. Your ‘answer’ seems unrelated in any way to the preceding question and that question itself makes wild assumptions that defy evidence and logic. The Answer too again combines and conflates disparate factors and causes in a fog of fallacies.
Were one of the last secular or at least multi-faith or mixed sect governments in the middle-east gone, the zionists would simply carve up Syria and Lebanon into many weak city states and mini-states, entirely at their mercy, forever subjugated and drained to exact tribute to and sustain the theocratic supremacist zionist entity sufficient for them to blunder towards their next and their next bloody conquest again. It is no use letting Israel over-reach itself, as it surely will, if that means potentially killing millions of innocents on its path to self-destruction. By simply stopping its present effort dead, the resultant humiliation their egos could not endure, would, combined with its already well-advanced internal moral and political collapse, produce its termination more quickly and less bloodily than hoping for it to exhaust itself in ever more ambitious, mendacious genocidal destruction of the irrepressible true semites. The revived late stage cold-war era calculation and super-power prestige that still haunts Russian thinking, to which their brave and honourable defence of Syria belongs, is proving resolute; Israel though is as much a Zionist-Soviet historical creation, from days when the Ashkenazim controlled both Mother Russia and spoiled, indulged delinquent child Israel, and Russia might abandon Syria yet, if their other mediteranean toe-hold – Israel itself – which dumbfuck Americans fund for the benefit of those emigre Judaized then Russified khazars, basking in their warm Russian colony, with Uncle Sam picking up the stupendous bill year on year, were in danger of tomorrow, recognising finally that the game is up, they’re busted and clearing out of Palestine, for some other next unfortunate victim-host. All paths lead to the same outcome.
Arab killing Arab wholesale, who gains there?
Just the thought of watching last night’s Iraqi documentary made me sick, so I didn’t. But a point I never hear mentioned is this: Who cares if Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction or not? That is their sovereign right isn’t it? So it didn’t represent a cause for war even had it been true. What is the definition of a weapon of mass destruction anyway? Unless I’m mistaken the American authorities described the recent bombs in Boston as such!
No, all the W.M.D. thing serves to do – or should do – is to convince those still in any doubt that politicians lie. They will even lie in order to start a war, never mind as a legitimate ruse in a war we have no choice but to fight (and how many of those are there?) Why people (parliamentarians, most importantly) chose to ignore the illogicality of the conclusion drawn from that lie, preferring to accept the childish implication that we have the right to wage war on a state simply for the possession of weapons is a matter for their own consciences.
One way or another, our default position should be to assume that politicos lie about everything: the Sierra Leonian “intervention”, the Balkan “intervention”, the economy, education, transport, immigration, emigration, crime …
Cryptonym
(29 May, 2013 – 4:27 pm) :
You have the right idea, I think. Ridicule, contumely, contempt. In public. Rogues’ Wiki – keep it bald, factual, upfront and up-to-date, and that might just improve the morality of power slightly. Though Private Eye has been doing it for decades, and the supply of crooked councillors, corporations and politicians has only increased.
Cryptonym
30 May, 2013 – 6:53 am :
“Arab killing Arab wholesale, who gains there?”
Another rhetorical question.
But another aspect to the obvious answer, which is antisemitic, is the ongoing pissing contest with Russia. Syria is becoming a proxy war.
The real target is Iran. This one’s being rather subtly ramped up again – hence (eg) the broadcast apologia for the Iraq WMD fiasco. The propaganda heads are out in force. Expect casual references to the number of nuclear facilities allegedly discovered in Libya after Gaddafi abandoned his programme, and by implication, oooer, Iran is also producing plutonium by the ton, and strangles kittens on an industrial scale.
Orwell – you didn’t guess the half of it, son.
Watch out also for the revival of a once very popular word; ‘Ba’athist’ Saddam was a (Sunni) Ba’athist and Assad is a (Shi’a) Ba’athist. Hence they are equally evil…
Hear incidentally what the jumped-up little shit Hague hath to intone on the matter of Iraq, with commentary:
http://afghanistanwatch.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/william-hagues-bizarro-world-iraq-a-much-better-place-than-we-found-it/
Naturally Syria, led by a squabbling mixture of armed heavies and with old scores to settle in every direction, will be a much better place too…
The fight is in Scotland
The only way change will occur is through Scotland gaining her independence.
The one hour BBC DST bubu on the note that was prematurely read out re demolition of WTC7 on 911 would suggest the spin orchestration HQ is based in the US – the Pentagon? I daresay Milliband is being groomed to understudy Ross Dennis, only an Anonymous hack will save us from these devils as they lead us up to another 1967 ehretz israel caper. Unlike HuffPo, the sayanim ensemble at this blog dare not raise its head too high above the parapet for fear of being ridiculed like Madoffs wife at Judge Chins court!
Memory Lane:
Exclusion of the Chagos Islanders from their homeland was one of the worse political scandals of the second half of the last century.’ David Snoxell, UK’s High Commissioner to Mauritius at that time said ‘In June 2004 the Foreign Office decided to get rid of the problem altogether and used the device of Orders in Council – in effect they overturned a court order and bypassed Parliament. It’s inconceivable that it could have gone through Parliament because Parliament would never have accepted the permanent exile of the people from their homeland.’
Jack Straw, then Foreign Secretary, signed the exclusion orders.
http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/background/news-archive/may-2009-update
This article fits well into the denial of justice thread.
After four and a half long years of fiddle farting about, our party politicians, a term that should be added to all their wasted times and efforts, have failed to get to grips with our banks, off shore havens and multinational tax avoidance/evasion schemes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/22/banks-are-still-gaming-the-state
We now know that it has been bad, but, like the good ol’ masochists we are, we bend over backwards and ask for more, as long as it does not involve us, collective bargaining is out.
So how long will it take, before those denied food and shelter by IDS, silent on all the rich establishment scroungers, will stand up, look for food, go on the rampage?
choose your option, will it be in
20 year
40 years
100 years
maybe, if its not raining
PS: Still in urgent need of German law advice, please get in touch via Jon.
Cryptonym
Yes, I agree with you completely. The current situation is that Israel is playing its two toeholds of power against eachother, blackmailing both sides to up the antis with more weapons.
The Syrian Opposition lost the decent leader they had because of the attraction his colleagues had for raw power commandeered by Al Qaida, who will deliver a Muslim Brotherhood government like the rest of the Arab Spring.
Assad’s usefulness as a non-Muslim thorn in the side of the Sunni Muslims is being replaced by another thorn in the side, the non-Muslim Al Qaida (they have already declared 90 % of the Muslims as non-Muslims so I return their compliment in kind ) and then by the true blue Zio Islam of a Mr or Mrs Morsi.
The Syrian people will not accept that stooge, ever. Nothing Israel can do, by arming both sides and shooting them in the middle will ever quash the Muslim spirit of the Syrian people.
K’modo: ‘jumped-up little shit Hague’
His Zio-bosses own ‘The Hague’ and he has his Spiderman/Foreign Office suit on. He can do whatever he likes, like Straw, so long as he keeps it on. The Straw on the other hand has had his head stuck on a pole on Westminster Bridge by documents planted about him in Libyan government offices. The Hague may yet find the Kelly effect eventually comes to him.
As ever our resident “Muslim” (he is one of “them” and can be as racist as he likes cuz he has a licence) gets on his hobby horse and indulges in his licensed hatred.
The fact that Erik Prince founder of Blackwater mercenary outfit, having sold the company has moved to Dubai to set up his next operation, hiring, training, equipping, and injecting mercenaries into Syria. This of course has nothing to do with the PANC declaration of war on Islam, and US foreign policy that is adhered to the letter, by the Poodles/vassals/co conspirators in UK and elsewhere in the West .
However not content with pouring bile and hatred on Muslims, our resident “Muslim” proceeds the push the right hot buttons:
Although ironically our licensed hater, cannot see or comprehend that he is apportioning blame for the criminals like
Straw“their own self-serving political community” playing their double-dealing gamesThe back drop being; the collapse of the EU arms embargo that effectively is paving the way for UK/France to supply the “rebels” (the heart eating, torturing, raping, pillaging mercenaries) with more lethal weapons, in a perfectly legal way.
==========
Iraq was attacked because the Bu$h team were planning on attacking it, since 1998. As set out with the biographer who was fired for not presenting Dubya in a “good enough light”.
(a) Accusing someone whose name sounds like mine of complicity in torture? You will be arrested when I become Minister of Justice!
(b) I never tortured anyone. Ask my supporters in Blank Burney. Someone may have given them free biryani and ice cream at election time. None of them were tortured.
(c) The Gibberingson inquiry found no proof that I helped any torturer. I was so innocent, they stopped the enquiry early, it was so obvious!
(d) If anyone has proof that I was complicit in torture, bring it to me and I promise to deal with it swiftly. BTW, make sure you do not retain copies.
(e) The following article is lies, all lies:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9197844/Torture-casts-a-ghastly-shadow-over-our-countrys-reputation.html
(f) I swear, I did not get Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf to write any of this. AFter all, he is a criminal in jail, and I am a law-abiding citizen, would never associate with people like that.
“The fight is in Scotland
The only way change will occur is through Scotland gaining her independence.”
Bullshit, Salmond is no different than Blair or Cameron, he’s lying about everything.
BTW I was reading through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill last night, be afraid, be very afraid.
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/62233.aspx
We can’t mention jack Straw without his allegiances he keeps. This chap, Mohammad Sarwar, an ex Glasgow MP, who’s son allegedly took a judicial hit for him, featured brightly during Jack’s 35 year Blackburn regime, ongoing.
Jack Straw is the master of treating and no affidavit or Belhadj is going to get hold of this smeary eel, most definitely not the judiciary.
Anyway, we all know what pussy-cat justice criminally inclined MP’s get, cushy open prison sentences, but these two, Straw and Sarwar seem to have that fence stuck so deep up their backside that nobody can dislodge them.
What better than to remind us of this past thread of Craig’s, always actual and relevant.
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2010/04/jack_straw_corr/
Collective noun for criminals and war criminals?
B.Liar, Strozzi, Berlusconi,………
Tony Blair’s Tuscan holiday villa seized over investigation into aristocratic owner
The 1,300 acre Tuscan estate where Tony Blair spent his summer holidays has been seized as his aristocratic host faces fraud charges, it has been reported. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tony-blair/10088221/Blairs-Tuscan-holiday-villa-seized-over-investigation-into-aristocratic-owner.html
To think that these Strozzis stayed at Chequers at the taxpayers’ expense.
Fedup
Time for another nappy change, sweetie
I wasn’t so far out when I posted that link to the British artist’s work in the Venice Biennale.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/may/28/jeremy-deller-britain-venice-biennale
‘The drawings by inmates of HMPs Shotts, Everthorpe and Parc occupy a room that examines the Iraq war – a kind of portrait gallery in which figures such as Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell and Dr David Kelly are displayed. There are disturbing drawings of scenes remembered by imprisoned former members of the armed forces, including an image of two soldiers smoking crack in Wellington barracks, London, before deployment.’
I kept thinking of Dr Kelly last night whilst watching that whitewash of the war criminals. It will be the 10 year anniversary of his death in July.
“Have you got blood on your hands Mr Blair?” Response there was none from the ashen faced war criminal.
Is that all you have to fucking say about your racist attitude towards Muslims?
It looks like we have a bit of Moz on Moz ‘action’ right here on this thread. In one corner we have Guano, a UK Muslim frustrated with the internal political intrigue eating out the inside of the global Muslim community – his hobbies include weekend gardening, sunset walks, and collecting videos of kittens hiding in boxes.
And in the other corner we have Fedup, good friend of RSS April Showers and hysterical anti-Western parasite obsessed with world-wide “Islamophobic” conspiracies – his hobbies include justifying violent crimes by Muslims, Islamic expansionism, emptying the partially digested contents of his colostomy bag on blogs and collecting videos of beheadings.
I’m struggling to decide which side to support.
Remember the Afghan massacre in March 2012?
US soldier Robert Bales to admit Afghan massacre, says lawyer
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-soldier-robert-bales-to-admit-afghan-massacre-says-lawyer-8636938.html?utm_source=indynewsletter&utm_medium=email30052013
“For this one thing, we would kill 100 American soldiers,” vowed Mohammed Wazir, who had 11 family members killed that night, including his mother and 2-year-old daughter. Most of the victims were women and children, and some of the bodies were piled and burned.”
and
“Bales had been drinking contraband alcohol and snorting Valium that was provided to him by another soldier and had been taking steroids before the attack.”
An excellent post – those with law-breaking records as long as an arm, like Jack Straw, should be disqualified from lawmaking.
Juteman’s post [29 May at 6.06 pm] reminds me of an egregious example of Straw’s using public office and funds to pursue his infatuation with Condoleezza Rice. I have documentary evidence in front of me that it was not a sick April Fool’s Day joke that during a visit to Straw’s Blackburn constituency, Dr Rice attended a service in Blackburn Cathedral at which there was a performance of “A Prayer for Peace” – words by Desmond Mpilo Tutu and music by Richard Tanner. Copies of the six-page score, printed in Blackburn on Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 and bound in maroon buckram with gold lettering, carry the dedication: ” For Dr Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State and The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, Foreign Secretary, on the occasion of their visit to Blackburn Cathedral 1 April 2006″. [My copy, signed by the composer, was amongst books that the Foreign Secretary’s Private Office in the FCO disposed of, including such vanity publishing, as they made room for David Miliband to succeed Straw. Sadly the tradition of infatuation with US Secretaries of State was not thrown out.]
Both, Jemand, alternately, at random. That’s the way to stir it…and Bibi will be proud of you.
Komodo, I’m surprised that you think I’m an agent of Israel, a country that is working inexorably towards a sole, contiguous, J*wish state in the land formerly known as Palestine.
Nevertheless.
Returning to the agreeable topic of Straw’s income, I see ED & F Man Group, from whom Straw receives between £55K and £60K annually for his invaluable consultancy activities*-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/person/5038/jack-straw
…is now up to the ears in debt.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-28/ed-f-man-raises-1-89-billion-revolving-credit-with-59-lenders.html
*120 hours per annum not spent in the House or attending to his constituents.
Fedup
hopefully the pseudo-creme will sort out the angry red parts.
Piss off you Ozzie wanker. You forget what did your grand daddy do for you to end up there, in Aus yet another occupied land? Your kind verily believe they are dealing with Abos when dealing with anyone outside the horse/cattle rustling fraternity.
###############
Perhaps it is time you came clean as to who you really are?
Throughout your posts, you have maintained you are a middle aged divorcee, who is educated to master level, who then works as security guard in shopping centres, and is a Muslim, who hates the Muslims. Sporting differing writing styles to boot.
WTF is going on mate?
Red parts ought to be your fucking face for lying through your tiny little fucking teeth, and “sudocrem” won’t help there mate.
Ouch. That hurt.
*sob*
Could Fedup, Guano and Jemand please shut up for a while?
The contents and style of your posts only bring this blog into disrepute.
Thank you.
More on the theatrical production entitled The Chilcot Inquiry.
The whiff of suspicion over the Chilcot Inquiry grows stronger
Lord Owen is right to raise questions about a conspiracy of silence following the Iraq War
Peter Oborne
29 May 2013
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10086837/The-whiff-of-suspicion-over-the-Chilcot-Inquiry-grows-stronger.html