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.
Doug @ 6;48 pm
Here’s some ( real ) experts stuff on Dr Kelly Death
The Hutton Inquiry was a good window into establishment tricks; illusion was foremost. On the one hand, my Lord Falconer needed to be served up with a pseudo-coronial verdict so that the coronial mouse, Nicholas Gardiner, would be bound to declare when he re-opened his inquest 16th March 2004, (1) there were “no exceptional reasons” for the inquest to be resumed. He added that an inquest would have done little to halt the controversy over Dr Kelly’s death and he asked that Mrs Kelly and her family be now allowed “to grieve in peace”.’ Instead, a rigorous inquisition would likely have stilled controversy. The request that the family be allowed ‘to grieve in peace’ was oft repeated and especially in the direction of a small group of awkward doctors who urged an inquest pure and simple. That a verdict of suicide is often a pool of sadness for a family was never mentioned.
The illusion that an inquest had taken place, albeit of an ersatz variety, required a smattering of forensic testimony; that one half day out of twenty-one days would be sufficient. Hutton reinforced the likely use of illusion by ruling there would be no cross examination. This was even applied to the ‘evidence’ of the paramount psychopath Blair. The stage was set for a free run by pathologist and toxicologist in that half day. In spite of Falconer’s direction ‘urgently to inquire into the circumstances surrounding ….’ having no forensic implications whatsoever, there had to be a bit of ‘science’ to impress the press.
Toxicology
The illusionist required people to assume that with three foil packs of Co-proxamol empty but for one tablet, the missing twenty-nine tablets had all been swallowed by Dr Kelly. Leave aside his great difficulty in swallowing pills. If all had been ingested and absorbed, the paracetamol component would probably have killed him within a week from its toxicity on the liver. The dextropropoxyphene (DPPP) is a depressant drug, a synthetic cousin of morphine. This would have depressed respiration before all 29 had ended in his blood stream, and death would have been likely. There is an additional and variable effect of DPPP; cardiac arrhythmias can be triggered leading to death. This possibility has been a trump card for the proponents of certain suicide in this man but it was not played at the Hutton inquiry.
Dr Andrew Watt is one of the small group of doctors which persists in urging an inquest. He is a clinical pharmacologist so drug absorption, protein binding, tissue distribution, action, drug metabolism, half life and much else are up his street. He knows a good deal more about how paracetamol and DPPP would have behaved before the subject’s death than Dr Hunt or the toxicologist Dr Allan. He observed that the reported levels (2) of 1mcg/ml of DPPP and 97mcg/ml of paracetamol were in the ratio of 1:97 in ONE blood sample and that was difficult to explain given the ratio of weight in the Co-proxamol preparation was 1:10, a ten fold difference. He also calculated that if this DPPP level was distributed evenly through the Total Body Water then it would have been provided by two tablets of Co-Proxamol alone.
More here –
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-unnatural-death-of-dr-david-kelly-the-illusions-of-the-illicit-hutton-inquiry-the-forensics/5345433
“Washington’s Drive For Hegemony Is A Drive To War — Paul Craig Roberts”
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2013/08/08/washingtons-drive-for-hegemony-is-a-drive-to-war-paul-craig-roberts/
@Habbabkuk (La vita è bella!)8 Aug, 2013 – 10:19 pm
The day that Agent Cameron and Cleggover are my inspiration, pigs will fly.
PS I knew that the Old Testament prophet would make that comment when I posted Patrick Wintour’s piece!
A partei with fewer than 100,000 members is controlling the lives of 63 million people. So democratic.
‘Conservative Party ‘has barely 100,000 members’ – matching recent declines for other parties – as Commons Speaker calls for direct democracy revolution’
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/british-politics-at-a-crossroads-disenchantment-with-westminster-sees-party-membership-plummet-8753054.html
Ditto Cleggover’s partei
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lib-dems-suffer-plunge-in-party-membership-7813556.html
The effect on the flora of the Chernobyl disaster is shown.
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/69183000/jpg/_69183913_pinelogstimmousseau.jpg
Caption – The change in wood colour in these Scots pine logs indicates the year of the accident
What about the fauna?
Chernobyl’s legacy recorded in trees
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23619870
A post from Medialens about fracking and the BBC coverage. I had noticed a very glowing report by their David Shukman on the US operations. The landscapes shown were shocking and similar to that shown here.
http://www.uswateralliance.org/2012/02/07/webinar-hydraulic-fracturing-facts-frictions-and-trends/
~~
What the BBC doesn’t want you to know about the UK’s fracking nightmare
Posted by flash on August 8, 2013, 10:34 pm
“The mainstream media, notably the BBC, has also got its nose in the trough, and is supporting to the hilt what is clearly a corrupt government agenda. There are daily ongoing protests at the first test drilling site, at Balcombe in Surrey, but the size of it has either been under-reported, downplayed or dismissed – the usual tactics, in other words.
Even more tellingly, Ian Crane, a geology expert with more than 20 years in the oil services industry, gave a remarkably informed interview to BBC Radio Lancashire about the clearly high risks to health and safety that fracking will cause, and needless to say, the whole thing ended up on the cutting room floor.”
Full article here:
http://therapybook.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/what-the-bbc-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-the-uks-fracking-nightmare/
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I saw this yesterday about Lord Browne of Riverstone, co-supporter of Cuadrilla with A J Lucas.
Ex-BP Boss Browne Plots Stock Market Return
New role will be the peer’s first on board of a London-listed company since he stepped down from BP in 2007, Sky News has learnt.
http://news.sky.com/story/1126147/ex-bp-boss-browne-plots-stock-market-return
“The US orders non-essential personnel to leave its consulate in the Pakistani city of Lahore, warning of a “credible threat”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23628056
When will the Yanks (and the UK and Israel) realise that their foreign policy creates more terrorists than they can kill and one of these days…
@ Flaming June
“A partei with fewer than 100,000 members is controlling the lives of 63 million people. So democratic.
‘Conservative Party ‘has barely 100,000 members’ – matching recent declines for other parties – as Commons Speaker calls for direct democracy revolution’”
________________
You know perfectly well that the number of paid up members of the UK political parties has nothing to do with democracy or anything else for that matter.
We live in a parliamentary democracy and it’s the votes at elections that count.
We’re not living – despite what some misguided people here appear to believe – in Nazi Germany where people found it necessary or advantageous to become party members.
@ Technicolour
“Habbakuk, have you watched To Shoot an Elephant?”
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Wake up, sleepy-eyes, I answered that earlier on this thread 🙂
“The day that Agent Cameron and Cleggover are my inspiration, pigs will fly.”
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Funny you should say that, the flying pigs appear to be have been particularly active over the last couple of days.
Perhaps just “page 5” boredom, as someone else suggested….
This is how it was worked and we were landed with the Cameron Clegg duo. All done behind closed doors.
A troika of the Queen’s private secretary, the Cabinet secretary and the No 10 permanent secretary, namely Messrs Geidt, O’Donnell and Heywood, decided on the coalition and the Queen ‘approved’ it. At one stage of the ‘discussions’, it was thought that there would be a Lab Lib coalition.
How a hung parliament would put the Queen centre stage
The ‘golden triangle’ (senior civil servants and royal courtiers) – are holding talks about what to do if the Queen has to step up
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/feb/14/queen-power-hung-parliament
Cameron only got 10,703,654 ‘popular’ votes, ie 36.1% of the total.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_2010
So very democratic. NOT. There should have been another election.
I’ve never heard of the Traditional Britain Group (TBG) until today, another racist bunch!
“Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he is “shocked” by comments made by a right-wing group whose annual dinner he spoke at in May.”
“He said he would “entirely disassociate myself with the Traditional Britain Group” (TBG).”
“The group’s Facebook page calls for Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, and “millions of others” to be “requested to return to their natural homelands”
.
“It is also critical of the Conservative Party – saying its current leadership is “liberal left” and “likes” the Facebook page of far-right French politician Marine Le Pen.
It praised a by-election victory by her National Front party in May as “excellent”.
“TBG denies being a far-right group.”
This lot makes Mrs Thatcher seem like a loony leftie.
They don’t like it if they can’t see it. NSA has closed down the ‘safe’ email provider Snowden used to contact Russia. The director cannot speak about the reasons.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/10922173
“You know perfectly well that the number of paid up members of the UK political parties has nothing to do with democracy or anything else for that matter.
We live in a parliamentary democracy and it’s the votes at elections that count.
We’re not living – despite what some misguided people here appear to believe – in Nazi Germany where people found it necessary or advantageous to become party members.”
We are not living in a Parliamentary democracy, but in a stale cesspit of party political making. Party politicians are refusing to reform/evolve the electoral system to anything that could be construed as PR, hence the worst possible option they offered in their ultimatum, take AV or else.
Our party politicians cheat and defraud democracy at every election, these few members are manipulators of the electoral system, the storm troopers, to use the unfortunate and backward comment mentioning the NSDAP.
Not only is this comment seriously deluded, but it also denies that there is something seriously wrong when the electorate is not voting to the tune of 75%.
look into my eyes, look into my eyes, what can you see? a perfect political system……. shit NO!
Doug, it’s good to have these racists expressing their views openly. That way decent people know who they are. Theresa May is of this persuasion. I bet she’s clicked the Like box together with nearly 2,700 other fascists. When trials at the Hague take place these extremists should face justice if they have incited discrimination. Ironically the group which wants to repatriate anybody non-white comprises those with properties all over the world.
I cynically predict that there will be more drone killings in Yemen today. It is Nagasaki Day. The Yanks celebrated their decimation of Hiroshima with what was reported as four drone killings on Hiroshima Day. The last time I know they reported four drone killings the figure was 10 times that (mostly women and children). I despair.
Meanwhile the UK’s population seems to have gained 400,000 over the last year:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2386812/Immigration-recession-boost-UK-population-420-000–fastest-growth-Europe.html
The Wail naturally emphasises immigration*, which accounts for nearly half of it: but isn’t it a little worrying that real incomes are dropping, social services are failing, there’s no public housing programme worth a spit and the NHS is on the verge of being asset-stripped…and we’re somehow happy with a million more people every two years? Whatever the cause?
* net immigration. Presumably discounting tax frauds who have moved to Pakistan, and not including illegals under the radar.
Traditional Britain Group – never heard of them either. But their spokesman on R4 this morning had a comic stereotype posh accent, and the disdain in his voice curdled my coffee. If he’s representative, he’s going to make more enemies than converts, even among Mail readers.
But, seriously, they have as much right to exist and state their views as the far left. And I think that PC has a charge to answer in creating a society in which it is considered evil, if not criminal, to say what you think. Taking John Goss’s comment a little further, perhaps it would be better for all of us if we were allowed to express our opinions freely, and if the moral high ground were not automatically awarded to toe-ers of the PC line.
Hmmm? I await the disagreements with interest. Feel free to be lizardist. You bourgeois prats.
So very democratic. NOT. There should have been another election.
In purely practical terms, what would that have achieved? Which combination of the parties would have better than any other? Don’t we by and large agree that you can’t put a cigarette paper between their actions, and that all their promises become null and void when they assume office?
The questions are rhetorical. I’m not turning into Rubbaduck.
John-
Don’t think the drone swine are bothering with special days for killing people.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/08/drone-strikes-al-qaida-yemen
It’s just ongoing.
Meanwhile the AQ survivors enhance their reputation for being tough, brave, and fighting overwhelming odds. Unintended consequences might save the(ir) day.
9 August 2013 Last updated at 10:38
Zanzibar acid attack reward offered Breaking news
Zanzibar police offer £4,000 reward for information leading to capture of attackers who threw acid at two UK women
Strange coincidence that I should have been in Zanzibar as a guest at one of those beach weddings yesterday. I opted out as I think a) beach weddings are naff, b) fossil fuel getting me there would have been wasted and c) I loathe Heathrow and d) I don’t have a passport!
I was told by my friends who have been going there for years that Zanzibar is strictly Muslim, friendly and very safe so when I heard of the ‘acid attack’ I was inclined to believe that it was some sort of stunt to demonize Muslims. Will await further info.
I should think so too
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23632096
9 August 2013 Last updated at 10:38
Home Office immigrant van campaign to be probed by ASA
Breaking news
A scheme which saw vans drive through London calling on illegal immigrants to leave is to be investigated by the advertising watchdog.
The Home Office said its vans which say “go home or face arrest” had worked but did not say how many people had left the country.
The Advertising Standards Authority said they launched the investigation following complaints.
The pilot scheme had been widely criticised by the Lib Dems and Liberty.
From a very confused Australian woman. Dead ringer for Palin.
!!!
‘I don’t oppose Islam as a country’: Australian ultra-nationalist politician Stephanie Banister in car crash immigration television interview
Also said ‘Jews aren’t under haram. They have their own religion which follows Jesus Christ’
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/i-dont-oppose-islam-as-a-country-australian-ultranationalist-politician-stephanie-banister-in-car-crash-immigration-television-interview-8752754.html
Komodo, thanks, and yes I suppose it is not such a prescient prediction. One of the things everyone might not be aware of is what retaliation takes place against those allegedly guilty of aiding the Yanks. I though crucifixion was a thing of the past. I could not bring myself to watch the video since the stills are gruesome enough. Sharia law is as disgusting as cowardly drone-strikes.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/05/video-sharia-execution-of-the-us-saudi-spy-in-yemen.html
5:33 “Verily, those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive to create mischief in the land, the reward should be killed or crucified, or they should be cut crosswise arms and legs, or they should be expelled from the country. This will be a disgrace for them in this world, and in the Hereafter for them a great torment”
I meant to add that the text in the above reminded me of the Masonic ritual.
Flaming June thanks for the link. I’ve just posted it on the Traditional Britain Facebook Group page with the comment:
“One of your own here. Perhaps you could put her on your banner!”
One of the things everyone might not be aware of is what retaliation takes place against those allegedly guilty of aiding the Yanks.
I’d guessed, thanks. The important thing to either side is that the masses are more scared of Them than Us…the ‘legal’ aspect being largely irrelevant. Sharia law is as selective in its reading of the Qu’ran as the Inquisition was in promoting the Bible…and no more mediaeval.
Traditional Britain Party:
The Western Goals Foundation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Goals_Foundation
…a private intelligence dissemination network active on the right-wing in the United States…wound up in 1986 when the Tower Commission revealed it had been part of Oliver North’s Iran–Contra funding network
…begat:
The Western Goals Institute http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Goals_Institute
under whose aegis, eg, On 25 September 1989, Lord Sudeley chaired a Western Goals dinner at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand for El Salvador’s President, Alfredo Cristiani, and his inner cabinet. The guest list included figures such as Sir Alfred Sherman (policy advisor to Margaret Thatcher), Lord Nicholas Hervey, Antony Flew, Zigmunt Szkopiak, Denis Walker and Harvey Ward.[28]
The group hosted social events including an Annual Dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel at Victoria on 24 November 1989 when the guest of honour was Kenneth Griffith.[29] On 20 November 1990, they hosted the General Franco Memorial Dinner in Whitehall, commemorating the anniversary of his death.[30] This was also chaired by Baron Sudeley. A WGI notice in The Times stated that the late ruler of Spain was “remembered as a hero against communism”. Vice-President – Merlin Charles Sainthill Hanbury-Tracy, 7th Baron Sudely. (Eton, Oxford)
Lord (“Hitler did well to get everyone back to work”) Sudely)is the chair of TGB.
Also former president of the Monday Club.
If he’s the one who writes their website, he’s pretty near illiterate.
Oh look, what fun. Someone in Sweden has filed a police complaint against Barack Obama for war crimes. Filed yesterday.
http://rixstep.com/1/20130809,00.shtml
Delicious visions of Obama’s overnighter being in Stockholm jail rather than the Excelsior hotel. Fingers crossed, everyone.
From the frequent poster :
“Cameron only got 10,703,654 ‘popular’ votes, ie 36.1% of the total.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_2010
So very democratic. NOT. There should have been another election.”
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That sounds like a bad loser talking.
“There should have been another election” is only one notch better than saying “the people voted the wrong way – we must change the people!” (with apologies to B. Brecht)