Feile An Phobail Belfast 4110

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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.

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4,110 thoughts on “Feile An Phobail Belfast”

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  • glenn_uk

    Komodo: Maybe it’s where you live, but I haven’t seen cyclists routinely holding up traffic around here – it might not be as widespread a problem as you think. There’s a lone cyclist here and there on lonely mountain roads, easy enough to pass. You just need a bike with enough speed to pass them when opportunity arises. If you were in a slow car all the time, I might be able to understand your whinge – but on even a halfway decent motorbike, you shouldn’t be complaining about cyclists holding you up 😉

    On a general point though, I’ve been surprised and disappointed at the bigotry shown towards cyclists by motorbike riders. Given neither of them cause many accidents for other road users, and these 2-wheeled travellers are at much greater risk from (and despised by) your clueless mobile-using cagers, there ought to be a bit more comradeship. (Having said that, some cyclist was shouting at me about “motorbikes are too high” yesterday, while out on my GSXR and we were both filtering through traffic – no idea what he was on about.)

    I walk, run, drive cars, cycle and ride motorbikes very enthusiastically. In all cases, it’s the useless/ aggressive/ incompetent and clueless car driver that is always the absolute menace.

    Maybe bitching about cyclists is your hobby-horse, but I doubt one has ever caused you serious danger. And if they really do hold you up in traffic, maybe you ought to start to think about taking the bus – no offence mate.

    *

    Phil: I have no doubt Komodo was in the RAF, not the marines.

  • Dreoilin

    Thanks John. And Ben.
    I’ve sent the link to Medialens, and to Jon Snow himself. So by morning maybe it’ll be clearer what’s going on.

    Phew!

    Goodnight all

  • BrianFujisan

    Its The Bees Stupid

    looks like news from May 2013

    Russia Warns Obama: Global War Over “Bee Apocalypse” Coming Soon

    The shocking minutes relating to President Putin’s meeting this past week with US Secretary of State John Kerry reveal the Russian leaders “extreme outrage” over the Obama regimes continued protection of global seed and plant bio-genetic giants Syngenta and Monsanto in the face of a growing “bee apocalypse” that the Kremlin warns “will most certainly” lead to world war.

    According to these minutes, released in the Kremlin today by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (MNRE), Putin was so incensed over the Obama regimes refusal to discuss this grave matter that he refused for three hours to even meet with Kerry, who had traveled to Moscow on a scheduled diplomatic mission, but then relented so as to not cause an even greater rift between these two nations.

    At the center of this dispute between Russia and the US, this MNRE report says, is the “undisputed evidence” that a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically related to nicotine, known as neonicotinoids, are destroying our planets bee population, and which if left unchecked could destroy our world’s ability to grow enough food to feed its population.

    http://worldtruth.tv/russia-warns-obama-global-war-over-bee-apocalypse-coming-very-soon/

    AND WHY THIS

    Groundbreaking Investigation Reveals MONSANTO TEAMING UP WITH US MILIYARY to Target GMO Activists

    Monsanto’s targeting activities made possible through corporate takeover of federal government

    As it turns out, MONSANTO HAS MANY CLOSE FRIENDS WITHIN THE RANKS OF THE U.S FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THESE DAYS. Scores of key government positions, in fact, are now held by former Monsanto executives, a strategic move that has given the multinational corporation exclusive access to the types of resources necessary to carry out cyber attacks against its opponents on a massive scale.

    Monsanto’s own executives have even admitted in years past that so-called cyber “warfare” is necessary for the purpose of protecting its own economic interests both domestically and abroad.

    “Imagine the internet as a weapon, sitting on a table,” former Monsanto Head of Public Relations Jay Byrne is quoted as saying back in 2001. “Either you use it or your opponent does, but somebody’s going to get killed.”

    These are powerful words, and ones that ring increasingly true as reports continue to emerge about Monsanto’s intimidatory tactics against foreign governments that refuse its offerings. Confidential documents recently made public through Wikileaks, for instance, revealed a plan by government officials to “retaliate” against nations that refused to accept GMOs, even when the people of those nations wanted nothing to do with the technology.

    All the sordid details of the U.S. government’s collusion activities with the biotechnology industry are available in the full, English-translated SZ report, which you can read here:
    http://sustainablepulse.com/2013/07/13/the-sinister-monsanto-group-agent-orange-to-genetically-modified-corn/#.UgGrH9KoqSo

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/groundbreaking-investigation-reveals-monsanto-teaming-up-with-us-military-to-target-gmo-activists/5344496

  • BrianFujisan

    Mark

    there must be some truth in this –

    BEFORE WE BEGIN, LET US ESTABLISH 3 UNDENIABLE, IRON TRUTHS REGARDING THE MSM (Mainstream Media)
    IRON TRUTH # 1
    The mission of the Global MSM is to steer the peoples’ thoughts and opinions in the direction desired by the ruling class. The MSM would NEVER hype a story, or an individual, that poses a true threat to the ruling class which it serves. Remember the silent treatment given to Ron Paul?
    IRON TRUTH # 3
    When all of the MSM start pushing/hyping the same given narrative, of any given issue, all at the same time, understand that the ruling class is selling you something!
    APRIL 2010 / WIKILEAKS BURSTS ONTO THE WORLD STAGE

    The release of a video, showing Iraqis being murdered,
    gave WikiLeaks credibility as a whistle-blowing operation.
    In April 2010, Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks publishes graphic gunsight footage from a 3 year old Baghdad airstrike in which Iraqi journalists were murdered by a U.S. helicopter. Though these types of incidents were already well known, the MSM treats the video as if it is the breaking story of the century!

    2011 / WIKILEAKS RELEASES MORE DOCUMENTS
    A good con-man must win the people’s confidence before he makes his sting. By exposing a certain amount of wasteful military spending and U.S. brutality (limited hangout), Assange’s WikiLeaks wins the trust of many liberty loving, justice seeking Americans, as well as Europeans and Arabs. He is also condemned by certain U.S. politicians & journalists. This condemnation (some of it feigned, some of it genuine) is known in intelligence circles as “sheep-dipping”, and also serves to build his credibility.

    The MSM makes an instant international super-star of the shady Austrailian Assange!
    LATE 2010 – 2011 / WIKILEAKS SWITCHES GEARS!
    After gaining the world’s trust with his controlled attacks against the U.S. government, Assange, a CIA (and/or Mossad) operative, aims his WikiLeaks whistle-blowing weapon at the true intended targets. Leaked documents no longer embarass America. But very damaging information about corruption within the governments of Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen are “leaked” to “assets” within the Arab press.

    GOOGLE: WIKILEAKS EGYPT
    GOOGLE: WIKILEAKS TUNISIA
    Leaks aimed at embarrassing Syria and Algeria are also released.
    GOOGLE: WIKILEAKS SYRIA
    GOOGLE: WIKILEAKS ALGERIA
    Wasn’t the original mission of WikiLeaks to expose U.S. aggression and oppression in the Middle East? Why did Assange suddenly target certain Arab states?
    “ARAB SPRING” TOPPLES TUNISIA, EGYPT, YEMEN & LIBYA – WAR ALSO BREAKS OUT IN SYRIA – WIKILEAKS CLAIMS CREDIT!
    What a coincidence! All of the governments targeted byAssange’s WikiLeaks become victims of the “Arab Spring”. The MSM Fairy Tale tells us that the “Arab Spring” was a “spontaneous” uprising of the people, that started in Tunisia, and later spread to other nations.
    The reality is that the Globalist-Zionist Axis had targeted certain government for regime change. Expansionist Israel benefits from weakened Arab states in turmoil. The Globalists also seek to crush any state that either dares to assert some degree of independence, or that gets to chummy with Russia and/or China. The NWO Gang’s formula for conducting “regime change” within the targeted states is as follows:
    STEP 1: Assange’s WikiLeaks feeds very embarassing leaks to “assets” within the Arab press.
    STEP 2: The targeted regime suddenly becomes very unpopular.
    STEP 3: Internal subversives (provacateurs) kick off the “spontaneous demonstrations”.
    STEP 4: Ordinary citizens swell the ranks of the protestors.
    STEP 5: Paid traitors within the government and military force the government to resign. 5a: (In Libya & Syria, paid terrorist mercenaries (“rebels”) fight against the loyal military.)
    STEP 6: The MSM then claims that “people power” has triumphed over tyranny.
    Amnesty International hails WikiLeaks and Guardian as Arab spring ‘catalysts’
    (The Guardian is the same newspaper now working with “whistle-blower” Edward Snowden!)

    just throwing this out there…. Who knows what the fuck is going on

    http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/07/08/fake-and-faker-assange-and-snowden/

  • mark golding

    Ben – The launch by Israel of a B61/W84 derivative tactical nuclear weapon max dialled to 150 Kt on Umayad Square in central Damascus is still expected.

    It is intended to break the moral of the Syrian army.

  • mark golding

    Thanks Brian – we must remain objective. What is clear in the midst of fuzzy logic is the neutering of Hezbollah as a precursor to a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

  • guano

    OK The BBC says a suicide bomber finished off the Assad defence of a military airport near Turkey. Lies. UK forces working with their mercenaries achieved that objective.
    The BBC says 200 Alawites have been killed by Al Qaida in North West Syria. Lies. So now they need to send a Shi’a army over there to avert a genocide/ secure the area from which they want to pump water under the sea to Israel.
    The BBC attributes Syrian opposition success to Chechnyan fighters. Maybe, or maybe UK forces are on the ground with all the stuff they brought back from Afghanistan.

    easy. With liars you reverse what they say, and you get a lot closer to the truth than what they want you to believe.
    Yemen. 100% psyops to divert attention from their Syrian end game + Assad bombed to shit unpopular because unable to defend his people; UK/NATO forces in Alawi country guarding new Israeli water supply. Political Islam in power in Damascus + Saudi happy. Then political Islam attacks Lebanon and loses. Saudi dictatorship overthrown for collaborating with Israel and selling out political Islam. UKUSIS sends security forces to govern Syria. Queen sends messages of congratulations and condolences for inconvenience to all.

    I am not a political person. Just I know that the Queen and her UK establishment are the biggest liars in the universe and anyone who believes anything the BBC says is likely to be blown out its backside with the rest of the world news.

  • John Goss

    Mark @ 5.17 am. I’d already worked out that STUXNET was a joint US/Israeli initiative. My understanding however was that Snowden had left the airport last week but that article still puts him there.

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella!)

    @ Ben Franklin from the USA :

    ““But why have you not yet provided reasons/evidence for your assertion that Gaza is like the Warsaw ghetto?”

    Just to be clear I asked how they were different. It’s up to your and yours to propound.”
    ______________

    A somewhat curious approach, surely?

    You are in effect asserting that they are the same….and then you ask us to “propound” why they are not.

    Wrong way round, surely : up to you to back up your assertion and then if we disagree why shall respond telling you why.

    I might as well say the sun moves round the earth and then ask you to tell me why it doesn’t.

    Smoke away…..

  • fedup

    Now that silly season is upon us, let us help to make some headlines for the poor, poor, unimaginative stenographers.

    Schroedinger is to be prosecuted by RSPCA.

    This exclusive news story given to this blog confirms what many have suspected over the years.

    The big burly bearded Dane, who has come to be a Great Dane is in fact a cat murdering cad. This heartless cad stands accused of killing his cats many times over the years. In fact fifty percent of the times, by poison gas. The poison gas which Assad of Syrian regime uses too. Our anonymous source in IAEA confirming the poison gas story added the terrible fate of the Schroedinger’s cat has not deterred Assad from buying the stuff from Denmark Al Kaidy franchise.

    The first anonymous source in RASPCA further pointed out that not only the drunken lager lout, has killed many cats by poison gas which is believed to be some terrible never agent as yet little known about. But also killed the other cats who were not affected by the terrible nerve agents, because of Catwoman of the Batman who had supplied the antidote to the gas delivered by the US Navy seals into the box that the poor cat was being held. The shocking truth is the shameful Great Dane starved the cats and killed them off with thirst because he was drinking lager in the pub, and forgot he had left the cat in the box.

    This blog tried to reach the Danish Ambassador, and confront him with these shocking allegations. As we approached the Danish embassy in London, we were stopped and searched by the police under the anti terror legislation, and then UK Border Agency arrived and started to harass our Indian Cameraman Sanjid, and his Afro Caribbean sound man Darcus, and search them again, and we were made to wait for another fifteen minutes just off the Danish embassy approach.

    Finally as we arrived at the gate of the Embassy a burly Danish guard stopped us from filming. Alas we could see from in between the iron railings the Danish ambassador who was tamping an Earth mound down in the east garden of the Danish Embassy! The shocking fact was; at least three kittens tales were still sticking out of the hastily buried cats. This a clear attempt in burial of the grisly cat murders, could not be filmed. As we were departing we came across Mrs Fanshawe who was looking for her Cat Harry. We did not have the heart to point her in the direction of the Danish Embassy.

    However this egregious crime can not go unanswered, and in the coming UNSCR meeting later this morning, a resolution is to be passed to attack Denmark with Nuclear and Thermonuclear bombs, Ban Ki Moon has already drafted his speech to be delivered just soon after the attacks on those blood thirsty Danes.

    End of item

  • Komodo

    Glenn…

    (a) No mountains round here. Flat, but winding, narrow roads which encourage bicyclists. Bicyclists per se are obviously easy to pass (thank you for the bleeding obvious, with a hint of condescension, appreciated), except when (as they persistently do) they are riding two or more abreast and there is traffic in the opposite lane. It is however fucking impossible to overtake a line of cars stuck behind a single velocipede under similar conditions. I trust this makes my position clear.

    (b) The fact that bicyclists have so far caused me no damage is arguably due to the fact that I am looking out for them, not they for me. They are generally unaware of (no mirrors) or indifferent to my presence. Perhaps I should get a loud farty Harley, with bull bars?

    (c) Some car drivers are very good, some are rotten. Ditto motorcyclists, ditto bicyclists. My occasional rants are directed at the rotten bicyclists, who believe the road is their exclusive property, and interpret their self-chosen vulnerability as license to ignore the conventions every motorised road user – even a rotten one – is required by law to observe. Usually identifiable by their clothing, and very expensive machinery designed to extract an extra 1 mph from a method of propulsion which is primitive at best. Also the twats on recumbent bikes, whose position makes them both invisible and blind in traffic.

    But enough. Even for me.

    Thank you for your guess as to my former service. Having told Phil I really didn’t want to discuss it, it was kind of you to try to answer his question on that. But you are always informative, even when it is none of your damn business.

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella!)

    @ Technicolour re “To shoot an elephant” :

    It was remiss of me not to get back to you sooner on your question and, at the risk of spoiling your fun I’ll now do so.

    No, I have not watched it and I shall not do so. For the following two reasons:

    1/. Your suggestion (or perhaps it was someone else’s) was made in the course of a discussion on whether Gaza was a concentration camp and was accordingly a bit of a red herring; you (or that someone else) appeared to be suggesting that an event (Cast Lead) proved that Gaza was a concentration camp (a ‘state of being’). I disagree : it is pointless to say that a one-off event, deplorable as it was, and its immediate aftermath (I seem to remember something about women trying to cook in the open air?) is representative of everyday life over time, in Gaza. Which is why the discussion broyght up various facts like water use and socio-ecomonic conditions more generally.

    2/. I’m already conversant with Cast Lead, its effects and its immediate aftermath; having seen and read sufficient info at the time. There is therefore no need for me to see yet another video (or whatever it is) on Cast Lead.

    Hope that clarifies and I wish Céléstine a nice day despite all 🙂

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella!)

    @ Komodo et al re cyclists :

    An interesting, amusing and I suspect at times not entirely serious ‘discussion’ which can be summed up as follows :

    1/. There is a minority of cyclists which, not content with the health and financial benefits of cycling, sees this activity as one way of putting up two fingers at motorists;

    2/. It is nevertheless incumbent on motorists to keep their temper even in the face of evident provocation and, on the basis that ‘the weaker must be protected’, do everything possible not to endanger their safety.

  • karel

    fedup,
    in my presenile state I am unable to grasp the significance of the Danish connection to the crime as there is nothing more than the rather abstract “Copenhagen interpretation” attributed to Niels Bohr of the ensuing wave function describing the probability of the hypothetical cat being dead or alive. Erwin Schrödinger was born in Vienna so why not to try the Austrian embassy. Please explain. Concerning the crime, just described, you may also address your enquiries to Pardo of the mossad, who will probably tell you that Iranians offered to provide the radionuclide for the thought experiment.

  • karel

    Hallibabacus
    fucking hell! Before I finished my reply to fedup, you have already stitched up two silly texts. Cannot you occasionally try to relieve yourself at some other outlets rather than polluting this blog? Calling the “Cast lead” an event provides a refreshing pespective of your skewed mind.

    I vaguely recall that someone at this blog tried to draw a parallel between the Warsaw ghetto and Gaza, something you will probably find difficult to swallow. My rather insignificant view of the matter is that Warsaw Ghetto must have been a better place to be in as the inhabitants were neither bombed or singed with white phosporus, nor were they frequently woken up by overflying jets breaking the sound “barrier”. Above all they were protected by the their own and very nice Jewish Ghetto Police. Their own police was undoubtedly the greatest human asset of the ghetto. If you ever been to Israhell you must have noticed that no human being can be kinder to the fellow men than a Jewish policeman. Or do you dare to disagree?

    It is unfortunate that to make any meaningful comparison, we just have to wait what the “die Endlösung” is in store for the people of Gaza.

  • Komodo

    Ok, Habbakuk. You reckon Gaza is just a temporary inconvenience and a one- off event at that. That’s presumably the official line? I know you like pedantic, so let’s do pedantic.

    First what’s a ghetto? Wikipedia doesn’t mention Gaza in this context (though it’s very hot on Jewish ghettoes), but its definition clearly applies to Gaza:

    A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure.[1] The term was originally used in Venice to describe the part of a city to which Jews were restricted and segregated.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghetto

    Oh. Part of a city. Maybe Gaza isn’t a ghetto because it’s a whole city With the highest population density on earth? Plus some land, some of which may still be farmed? Maybe a new term is needed. Or maybe we can extend the definition to “part of a country”. With your kind permission…

    The Warsaw ghetto was walled off from the rest of Warsaw. Back to Wiki [Warsaw Ghetto]:

    The Warsaw Ghetto was established by the German Governor-General Hans Frank on October 16, 1940. Frank ordered Jews in Warsaw and its suburbs rounded up and herded into the Ghetto. At this time, the population in the Ghetto was estimated to be 400,000 people, about 30%[7] of the population of Warsaw; however, the size of the Ghetto was about 2.4%[8] of the size of Warsaw.

    Granted, the Palestinians weren’t rounded up so much as herded out of the attractive bits of Israel into the then refugee camp of Gaza. Here you go:

    http://www.palestine-studies.com/enakba/exodus/Cheal,%20refugees%20in%20the%20Gaza%20Strip.pdf

    The Germans closed the Warsaw Ghetto to the outside world on November 16, 1940. The wall was typically 3 m (9.8 ft) high and topped with barbed wire. Escapees could be shot on sight……

    Israelis prefer the term (separation barrier – K) to “wall” since only five[2] to ten percent of it consists of wall and most of it is barbed wire or non-wall structures [Wiki: Separation Barrier]. A rose by any other name. The barrier has been in existence with one interruption since 1994 – 19 years. The Warsaw Ghetto lasted 3 years until its final destruction. With the rest of Warsaw.

    Palestinians largely tore down the barrier between Gaza and Israel at the beginning of the Second Intifada in September 2000. Israel rebuilt it between December 2000 and June 2001 and added a one-kilometer buffer zone.[30] In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip, but it still exercises control over most of Gaza’s land, air and territorial waters, including through operation of the barrier

    Gaza’s population is around three times that of the Warsaw ghetto, incidentally, although it has to be admitted they have 100 times the area to play with. Excluding the perimeter exclusion zone, that is. 300 metres -instant death. Several hundred more metres – depends if the guard had a row with his wife.

    http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_ara_factsheet_july_2013_english.pdf

    So, Israel is still in control throughout this walled enclave containing a minority group, just as Germany controlled occupied Poland and everyone in it. And, while Frank had mere fallible men to shoot escapees, the Israelis have mechanised the process-

    http://www.demotix.com/news/910643/israeli-gun-towers-along-gaza-border-zone#media-910502

    The aim of the Nazis was to produce an exclusively Aryan state. The Israelis have clearly stated they want an exclusively Jewish one. Though the Israelis for whatever reason balk at building gas chambers. That much has to be admitted. Instead, they have bought the economy humanitarian pack of Ethnic Cleansing ™, and are doing the job slowly, by attrition. Gaza gets just enough to eat, not quite enough fuel, and not nearly enough water. And just enough of it is periodically reduced to rubble to keep life interesting, absent much in the way of construction materials. Gaza’s sewage system is nonexistent, ditto. Sooner or later anyone wanting to leave (though not to Israel, obviously) will be encouraged to go, and this will be presented as a humanitarian measure. Watch this space.

    I still think a bit of reasoning, and maybe a few references might help us to understand why (IYHO) Gaza stands no comparison to Warsaw, eh?

  • Komodo

    Habba – summary re bikes covers it, I think. Please note I haven’t killed one yet. Peace.

  • karel

    komodo
    the problem are not the cyclists on the road but those riding on the pavement silently behind you ready to kill at any moment, especially if they have have a hill behind their arses that helps them to increase their speed. I have been hit four times and almost killed twice by these louts going downhill at great speeds. They seemed blind to me but in a soliptic sense in that they could not imagine that others might be in front of them. Opthalmologic examination will not reveal such mental defects but castration of such offenders would be a rather useful pacifying instrument even though I do not know what to do with the females of this kind. Can someone help?

    Yet you somehow missed the connection to the “respectabilty of the torture” komodo. In my opinion a cyclist riding quitely behind you on the pavement is an instrument of torture as you can never be sure whether he will hit you or not. It is not unlike a mock execution and that is a torture without any doubt.

  • Komodo

    Karel, I completely agree. Don’t start me on being on foot with a lurking cyclist. However, a walking stick or umbrella inserted between the spokes of a psychopathic killer bicycle can have rewarding results. Use an old one – it may get damaged.

  • doug scorgie

    Yemen

    US drone policy has consequences:

    “Yemeni officials quoted by AP news agency said they believed the motive for the latest threat was retaliation for the killing of senior AQAP figure Said al-Shihri, who was critically wounded in a November drone strike and later died of his wounds.”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23597043

    Supplying rebels with weapons also has consequences:

    “Did the fall of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime, aided by U.S.-NATO airstrikes, contribute to the proliferation of anti-aircraft weapons now in the hands of al-Qaida?”

    “The question looms amid reports militants in Yemen shot down an army helicopter flying over the al-Qaida stronghold of Wadi Ubida, killing all eight people on board, including a military commander.”

    http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/did-al-qaida-swipe-these-missiles-from-u-s/#Lp7gbuQpiIlF51fc.99

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