The Respectability of Torture
St Mary’s University College, Thurs 1st August, 7.30pm
Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, was a whistleblower who was removed from his ambassadorial post by Tony Blair for exposing the Tashkent regime‟s use of rape and systematic torture, including the boiling to death of political opponents. He has also spoken out against Central Asia‟s appalling dictatorships, regimes which are allies of the West, involved in torture and rendition, and was accused of threatening MI6‟s relationship with the CIA. Now a human rights activist, author and broadcaster, he outlines the dynamics of torture and the hypocrisy of incriminated Western governments.
My first public appearance for a while will be in Belfast on 1 August where I shall be giving a talk. Long term readers of this blog will recall that, while my focus is largely on international affairs, the domestic political achievements I most hope to see are a united Ireland and an independent Scotland.
The UKUSIS strategy in Syria was to invite political Islam, including US-controlled Saudi and Qatar, and Syrian exiles and Al Qaida to make war on Assad, while at the same time draw on the Zionist control of Russia and Iran to send heavy weapons and Shi’a troops in order to repel Sunni progress.
The full responsibility for what has ensued is entirely on the shoulders once again of a UK prime Minister and his senior cabinet members. We sent snipers to start the war, and we allowed our backside to be shafted by the world’s media by supporting the Zionist plan to wreck Syria with opposing forces in order for Israel to take control its water resources for the benefit of Israel’s expansion.
Political Islam is fully aware of the plan, but is counting on Obama being shamed by it into a full-scale assault on Assad, clearing the way for stooges to re-build Syria with pipes to Israel included in the plan. Once again political Islam has been fooled by Zionist lies.
The intervention of Shi’a forces on Israel’s side has changed the relationship between Sunni and Shi’a forever. It had always been a saving grace for the Shi’a that Hizbullah gave Israel a hard time. Now that we know that Shi’a and Israel are best bosom friends, and Iran has been rewarded for services rendered by a new smiley Rouhani regime, all trace of respect for the Shi’a leadership has now gone.
You make your choices and live with the consequences. Shi’a have lost all credibilty for a generation. The UK P.M likes being shafted by the world’s media. A public school wet dream.
Ahhh, hello Technicolour. It didn’t take long for you to weigh into the asylum seeker ‘debate’, did it?
Your claim that 90% of people are found to be “bona fide” asylum seekers is false. The truth is that 90% are successful in their applications because the immigration authorities give the benefit of the doubt to people who are NOT proved to be NOT genuine asylum seekers and NOT proved to be NOT of good character. You see, in applications for asylum, two negatives equate to a positive. And all you need is a good story and a reasonably clean criminal record – not that any records can be accessed by Australian Immigration officials – to successfully claim asylum.
But let me ask this – if Australia is such a shitty, racist country, why do so many people make the journey past their neighbours to come here?
Jemand
You’re so naive. The police placed the brother into the brothel/hard drugs territory temptation in order to creat another media scandal against Islam.
A policeman is zimmidari/responsible. His/her job is to assess the risks of violence arising from a criminal activity. A bent policeman, instead of alerting the authorities of the presence of a vulnerable child inside the brothel, reassured the perpetrators that they were immune from suspicion by getting involved in the crime.
It is inconceivable with modern police methods of communications interceptions that the police authorities were unaware of the bobby’s involvement in the criminal activity or of the abuse of the child. This is just another case where the police have a sense of omnipotence because they are recording stuff sitting on their bottoms, and they ball forget that it isn’t a soap about good guys and bad guys.
The police are 100% responsible for the consequences of sailing too close to the wind.
Far from preventing crime, the police spying capability is now the biggest initiators and sponsors of crime. That’s why they put in political managers to produce spin to cover up the slime.
Jemand – Censorship Improves History 5 Aug, 2013 – 11:50 am
“Phil, what’s with your stupid racist comment?”
Australia is embracing a punitive, racist immigration policy while still persecuting the people who europeans stole the country from. But all you can do is complain about rioting immigrants. So I was thinking you might have had one too many amber nectar because you failed to mention that the building destroyed was a detention centre.
Just think of all the ‘good’ that you could do with the $25 billion annually frittered away on fags and food waste. Or how many much ‘good’ could be done with the $7.5m spent on one beer ad.
Seen the man with the stitched up mouth throwing himself on the razor wire, Jemand? Anything to say yourself about the conditions which lead to that? Seen the desperation on the faces of the prisoners, held without charge or limitations, the hopelessness on the face of the child born inside? Australia is not alone, of course. But I like the idea that ‘my’ claim (it’s a lawyer speaking) is wrong because it’s – er – right.
Bah!Humbug
Not on shift yet? Or run out replies?
Australia is playboy land for Zionist mafia to relax from sparring with triads. It is also the home of a very special race of human beings.
Over the boulders and
Under the stones
The bushman wanders
Always alone.
And know my love
And know always know
There’ll be soft landings
Where you go.
And know and always know. Sorry
Jemand – Censorship Improves History 5 Aug, 2013 – 12:38 pm
“if Australia is such a shitty, racist country…”
Don’t put yourself down so mate. I have met australians who are very cool people. It’s just that australia has a shitty racist establishment that is supported by shitty racists, in the closet and out.
Jives, please accept Jemand in good faith – I don’t know where the animosity comes from. Did I miss some history here?
Villager, ditto with Flaming June. FJ has made some casual asides which I think you’ve magnified in significance too greatly.
Jemand, ditto with Technicolour.
As far as I can see, all of you are here in good faith. But, where a discussion is started with an attack, a fight will ensue rather than an exchange of views. Let’s keep it constructive!
Doug Scorgie, 11.50
It’s been obvious for years now that the “facts on the ground” on the West Bank completely contradict any pretensions Israel has to permitting any kind of autonomous Palestinian state. It’s been so obvious,indeed, that the ‘peacemakers’ must have spotted this. What I don’t understand is how Obama/Kerry think they can salvage anything redounding to America’s credit from this or any other charade conducted by the Zionist, ex-AIPAC, ex-WINEP Martin Indyk on behalf of Netanyahu. These talks have been set up to fail. The Palestinians will get the blame, for their intransigence over settlements and East Jerusalem (or, as they persist in calling them, their property). The international community will do fuck-all. Again.
Still, let’s be charitable. Israel left Gaza in 2005. What can the Palestinian West Bank expect to look like in the unlikely event of Israel handing it back? Or, rather, “handing it back”. Facts on the ground in Gaza, eight years later:
In August 2005, the last Israeli settlers left Gaza, followed by the last Israeli soldiers in September, as Israel pulled out of the Palestinian territory it had occupied since 1967. The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza gave the general impression, at least in the Western press, that Israel was effectively turning over Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. That was not, and still is not, the case. As B’Tselem, the Israeli information and human rights organization, documents:
Israel continues to maintain complete control over the air and sea space of the Gaza Strip. No Palestinian may operate a seaport or an airport without Israeli approval, which limits Palestinians’ freedom of trade and travel.
Israel continues to control the joint Gaza Strip-West Bank population registry, which means Israel gets to decide who is a “Palestinian resident” and who is a “foreigner.” Palestinians must seek Israeli approval for every individual who wants to move to the West Bank.
The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was supposedly turned over to the Palestinian Authority. In fact, Israel continues to control the crossing to the extent that it may bar entry to “foreigners”—that is, Palestinians who are not residents of the Occupied Territories—or anyone it deems a security risk.
Israel continues to maintain complete control of the movement of people and goods between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which Israel considers a “closed military area” off limits to anyone without a permit. West Bank residents are also forbidden from traveling aborad, including to the Gaza Striop, without a difficult-to-obtain Israeli permit.
As far as trade is concerned, Israel controls the three crossing points in and out of Gaza (Karni, Sufa, and Kerem Shalom). Israel routinely closes the crossings to any exchange of goods, causing severe food and other shortages in Gaza.
Israel still controls taxation and other levies in Gaza.
Source, B’Tselem.
Guano, I think the reference to “Muzzies” earlier was sardonically mimicking MSM and soft-racist views against Muslims. I don’t think it was clear or helpful, but it wasn’t intended to be Islamophobic.
It is unfortunate that the commenter in question appears to habour unpleasant views against a different group instead, though I am more than happy to be corrected on that point!
Jon, thanks for the conciliatory effort but let me have one parting shot for the evening ..
Phil, don’t kid yourself. If I had a choice between a bunch of uneducated, white-skinned churls from the UK, of which there are clearly sooooo many, or educated brown-skinned people with no particular interest in religion and are of good character from anywhere else, I’d take my brown-skinned brothers ANY day of the week, EVERY time.
Jemand – Censorship Improves History 5 Aug, 2013 – 1:42 pm
“I’d take my brown-skinned brothers ANY day of the week, EVERY time.”
So presumably you are disappointed with your government’s racist immigration policy. Please try to be clear because your prevoius comments today give quite a different impression.
Phil, I’m very disappointed with my government’s non-racist immigration policy. And the previous government’s policy. And I’m disappointed that people lie, exaggerate, misconstrue, politicise and grandstand on this issue.
The basic problem with unauthorised leaking-boat migration is –
1. People die at sea, including children who have no say in the matter, and
2. Fake asylum seekers insert themselves amongst real asylum seekers making the potential for fraudulent migration extremely problematic if the problem is not arrested.
But yeah, I know you’re not interested in studying the facts so hey, just cry “RACISM”. It works everwhere ele.
And, no, I never gave any impression of anything, you merely made assumptions that suited your political disposition. But, whatever.
“I’m very disappointed with my government’s non-racist immigration policy…just cry “RACISM”…And, no, I never gave any impression of anything…”
Not only did you give the impression earlie,r you even give the impression a couple of sentences before you deny giving an impression. Hilarious. You don’t seem to consider that denying racism is itself a racist act. On that we disagree.
“People die at sea, including children who have no say in the matter,”
You are the man. Everyone else here hates children.
“People die at sea, including children who have no say in the matter” – those irresponsible parents, dragging their children away from torture and war. Still, nice to think you see this as a problem – perhaps you’re in favour of publicly funded lifeboats?
“Fake asylum seekers insert themselves amongst real asylum seekers making the potential for fraudulent migration extremely problematic if the problem is not arrested.” – the ‘fakes’ would be the ones with millionaire bungalows back home who just embark on a, as you rightly remarked, dangerous and potentially lethal voyage for fun, right?
And in any case the solution is to increase these disgusting levels of incarceration and de facto torture but preferably so far away that people won’t be able to find out what goes on in there, never mind make a fuss about it.
‘Racism’ is a small sad word by comparison.
Jemand,
Ok let’s try to play the ball.
Our disagreement is about the australian immigration policy. I believe it is racist. You believe it is not.
Do you agree that describes the nub of our argument?
I’m so glad that I can be of use here on this blog as the proxy object of scorn and whipping boy for sexually frustrated, lonely people who are angry at the world’s injustice.
Phil, Technicolour, Flaming Mary and Jives – try to get laid once in a while.
Christian Zionism: The Heresy that Undermines Middle East Peace
Christian Zionism is the largest, most controversial and most destructive lobby within Christianity. It bears primary responsibility for perpetuating tensions in the Middle East, justifying Israel’s apartheid colonialist agenda and for undermining the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
By Rev Dr Stephen Sizer
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article35747.htm
~~~
Read Craig here.
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/01/defend-stephen-sizer/
WTF has anyone’s bedroom activities got to do with any of this? Jemand, that was a blatantly antiparthenogenicist remark.
I had to look that up Komo. Getting laid means sleeping with your own self?
You can even sleep somewhere else, Ben. Or something. No rumpy need occur.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis
Well, not you, obviously. You’d have to be female.
Jemand – Censorship Improves History 5 Aug, 2013 – 3:14 pm
Poor you. So wise but misunderstood. Perhaps you might incorporate this latest terrible injustice heaped upon you into a clever new extended name tag. Go on express yourself my friend. Don’t get me wrong, your current one, born from your own struggles, still strikes me as profound.
Mmmm. People often reveal their own perceived inadequacies in their taunts of others.
Well, that certainly startled that passer-by – thanks, Jemand! Perhaps I shouldn’t take your advice quite so literally, on reflection…
Bradley Manning will be sentenced today, having been found guilty of 20 counts on Tuesday, including espionage (despite the lack of evidence for intent to spy and the lack of evidence that his leaking ever did any real harm). Whatever one thinks of Manning’s actions, that we deserved to know some of what he revealed and that his revelations changed the world are undeniable.
Manning revealed the Collateral Murder video of a helicopter attack in Iraq on civilians including children and two Reuters journalists, whose cameras were taken for weapons.
Manning revealed the full extent of the corruption of Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidin Ben Ali.
Manning revealed to the US and Yemeni public the secret drone war that Washington was waging in that country.
He revealed that then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ordered US diplomats to spy on their United Nations counterparts.
His leaks show that then Senator John Kerry pressed Israel to be open to returning the Golan Heights to Syria as part of a peace negotiation.
Revealed that Afghanistan government corruption is “overwhelming”.
Manning revealed the degree of authoritarianism and corruption of the Egyptian government of Hosni Mubarak, which was subsequently swept away.
Manning revealed that hard-nosed realist, former Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, was against striking Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities because it would only slow their program down slightly, but would inevitably cause Iranians to be angry and mobilized in the aftermath.
Manning revealed that the Israeli authorities had a secret plan to keep the Palestinian population of Gaza on the brink of food insecurity and poor health, in among the creepiest military operations in history.
Still, important research: was I subsequently
a) slightly less concerned about the treatment of asylum seekers, and specifically treatment which, for example, results in a man stitching up his own mouth and throwing himself onto razor wire, or children being born inside desert prisons, or people being locked up for years without charge or limit
b) about as concerned as before
c) not one bit concerned – too occupied with the court case
d) not one bit concerned – personal pleasure trumps concern for others any day
Hmmm.
A friend of mine – an Australian – dedicated his blog to the victims of the SIEV X disaster. Unfortunately my friend is offline this long time and his blog is too. But you can read about the SIEV X at Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIEV_X