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.
“Mums ‘selling sex to feed their children as benefit cuts hit Hull’s poorest'”
http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Mums-selling-sex-feed-children-benefit-cuts-hit/story-19650230-detail/story.html
Suhayl says:
“Many Arab states use the Palestinian issue as an excuse to continue to enforce secret police authoritarianism on their own populations and to direct discontent away from themselves and towards ‘the Zionist entity’.”
which works in reverse as well.
“Many western states use the Islamist issue as an excuse to continue to enforce secret police authoritarianism on their own populations and to direct discontent away from themselves and towards ‘the Islamist entity’.”
Hard to have one without the other.
I think you’re being unfair to Abdalqadir-as-Sufi, Suhayl. Isn’t he more an (over-?)enthusiastic convert to Islam, and observer of most of its precepts, than a guru? Do the funds he raises end up in his own pocket? I rather like his proposal that zakat (charitable giving) should return to the gold standard, anyway…doesn’t seem all that entranced by usury either.
This little beauty slipped under the MSM radar, didn’t it?
To impose additional human rights and economic and financial sanctions
with respect to Iran, and for other purposes.
http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th/house-bill/850/text
After all, there is not one reason for passing this punitive bill before the new president takes office, unless, of course, AIPAC’s goal is to insult Rouhani and the Iranian nation in order to push him toward becoming another Ahmedinejad.
Nothing pleased the lobby more than having an Iranian president who spouted obscene nonsense about the Holocaust and Israel, all the easier to convince the United States to go to war with him. But this guy is trouble. If he is a real moderate, AIPAC won’t get its war.
http://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/house-to-pass-new-aipac-bill-this-week-to-promote-war-with-iran-by-mjayrosenberg/
But Suhayl, everyone is a guru; they’re just not recognised as such! Er…
‘Palestinian prisoners ‘moved’ before Israel release’
Were the prisoners fit to travel and to be shunted around in this manner? In this country an animal has to be examined by a vet before it travels and a certificate of fitness to do so issued.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23678238
I thought Rubbaduck had been less conspicuous last week…and incomprehensibly keen to compare Israel with Iran on his return…
http://www.davidproject.org/the-iranian-threat/
Was this deluded lady in a fit state of mind to make this bequest?
Woman leaves £500,000 to coalition
Justin Parkinson
Political reporter, BBC News
A woman who left more than £500,000 in her will to the Conservatives and Lib Dems stipulated that the money should go to “whoever is in government”.
The Tories received £420,576 from Joan Edwards’s bequest during the second quarter of this year, while the Lib Dems got £99,423.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23679967
Cheers Clark. Good to see you back. Hope your stay in Wales was restful and productive and that the water supply problems were sorted.
Yesterday was not a good day here. I got stung on the palm of my hand by a wasp (no laughing in the back please), the lawnmower’s pulley drive mechanism fell to bits and the hedge trimmer lost a nut and bolt on the cutter blade holster which rendered it unusable.
Hi Clark,
Good to see you back, did you mange to finish off your jobs?
===
As ever the immigrants and Muslims are there to help, smooth out the bumpy ride for the politicos as the bad news tsunami is under way.
The way above inflation price rises of the train fares (passengers must share the burden of keeping the shareholders in their champagne life styles), rampant inflation (good news the house prices are at 2006 prices, and the numbers going on holidays at 1954 levels, oh what a joy, by golly by Jingo it is all going ever so swimmingly), Gibraltar confrontation (that is Daigos fault), ……. Fear not all can be solved, just start rolling the presses and and the news today is;
Call centre worker in court accused of making video called Muslim Laughs at British Soldier Killing
This story in the mid page carries a picture of a man and woman of “Muslim appearance” ie bearded long gown for the male and a fully clad and covered female. with the caption “supporters of Royal Barnes arrive at Westminster magistrate”. This of course for just in case those who dismiss the story and flick over, at least they will see the headline and the relevant pictures so they get the message anyway.
Then there is the usual bum’s rush:
These screaming headlines that equate the production of a video clip as an act of terror, are then complimented with the “support our heroes” (the army is still out there and fighting in Afghanistan and could go to Syria and else where) to keep everyone on board;
Although ever the opportunist Murdoch utilises this two minutes hate and the Royalty to plug the Sun:
The two minutes hate fanning the flames of hatred is preached to this bunch:
Cue the Ukrainian Bombers and the rest of the mob itching for a good dust up to target the mosques and the Muslims, that will show the swine, who is the boss?!
In the other news;
Children carry unexploded bomb to west Belfast PSNI station
Today sorted, there is always some other angle on hate is to be found for tomorrow, now the press officers and the editors all can go for lunch break, knowing they have done a great job!
See K @ 12.57…
The David Project’s chairman is one Seth Klarman. A hedge-fund boss, as it happens, and unimaginably rich. And whose wife helps fund Obama….
http://mondoweiss.net/2011/11/why-is-charlie-rose-hugging-seth-klarman.html
Seth Klarman seems to be a good liberal. Martha Minow, dean of Harvard Law School, is on Facing History’s board. Klarman’s wife Beth gives money to Barack Obama, Barbara Boxer, and Barney Frank. The Klarman Family Foundation (with an annual budget of about $40 million) gives tons to hospitals and arts organizations, the ballet, Shakespeare, Big Brother, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL. It has also given money to public television. I bet that Charlie Rose’s show is getting support from Klarman– or that Rose is seeking money from him, and that’s why he’s doing this interview.
But being a liberal philanthropist is just one side of Klarman. He is also an Israel lobbyist who is just as rightwing as Sheldon Adelson, the casino owner who supports the Republican Party.
Klarman gives money to settler groups: the Central Fund of Israel,which pays for settlers’ “security needs” in the occupied West Bank, and Ir David, which is digging up East Jerusalem and displacing Palestinians. He gives $1 million in a year to Birthright, the program to send young American Jews to Israel to fall in love with the Jewish state. He supports the rightwing propaganda organization, the Israel Project (he’s on their board), gives big money to the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, and to top it off, Klarman is chairman of the board of the David Project, the group that has targeted Arab and Muslim intellectuals on college campuses.
Klarman epitomizes the foreign-policy crisis of the liberal Establishment: he supports every traditional liberal cause at the same time as he is a rightwinger on Middle East policy. And he’s hardly alone. I’ve written about other big liberal philanthropists who swing right on Israel here.
Komodo thanks. Good article. I have no idea why the UK mainstream media would not be interested in a story about Arafat having been poisoned by polonium.
“Dreoilin, it’s a difficult situation with a nasty tendency to polarise; people keep deciding whether they’re “for” or “against” Flaming June”
I said some time ago, Clark, that I don’t join cliques, I plough my own furrow. And I’ll continue to do so. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing to call a truce over.
Maybe it’s escaped your attention, but I come under criticism too. I’ve been called an old hag, said to be on a zimmerframe, menopausal, etc. It rolls off me like water off a duck. I’m used to give and take on blogs – some of it a lot worse than here. I submit that Mary isn’t, and takes everything (including herself and her activity here) far too seriously.
Train fares rise. Fares have risen by 40% since 2008.
South West Train’s announcement last year. Same again this year. The well named Mr Shoveller. Shovel them on, leave them standing during the journey and fleece them for as much as you can. An off peak return to Waterloo used to cost me under £10 a few years back. It was nearly £19 the other day.
SOUTH WEST TRAINS CONFIRMS FARES CHANGES FOR JANUARY 2013
‘Rail fares on South West Trains will increase by an average of 4.1% from 2 January 2013, the company confirmed today (6 December 2012).The cost of a single journey will rise by an average of 16p. Customers wishing to purchase season tickets at pre-increase prices must ensure their ticket is purchased and commences on or before Tuesday 1 January 2013.
Passengers can check the new price of their usual ticket or any other fare at http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk or through National Rail Enquiries.
Fare rises are determined largely by government policy, and the Chancellor confirmed the approach for next year in yesterday’s Autumn Statement.
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of the South West Trains/Network Rail Alliance, said: “Railway funding can only come from the taxpayer or from the passenger. The government’s policy remains that a bigger share must come from people who use the train.
“We know that nobody likes paying more for their travel, especially to get to work. That’s why we are working hard with the rest of the rail industry to make the system more cost-efficient and help take the pressure off future fare rises. At the same time, we are investing in our trains and stations to deliver a better railway for our customers.”
For more information on 2013 fares, including how to get the best value deals, passengers can also visit http://www.atoc.org/2013fares/finding-the-best-fare.php‘
That was last year. Same announced for January 2014.
SWT are a division of Stagecoach. Souter and sister Cloag. Revenue £2.5 billion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagecoach_Group
Nationalize the lot of them – the privatised rail companies that is. I heard this morning that Network Rail is virtually broke, as half its revenue goes on repaying debt.
The fare arriving in January will be 40% higher than in 2008
by Tim Lezard – 13th August 2013
http://union-news.co.uk/2013/08/the-fare-arriving-in-january-will-be-40-higher-than-in-2008/
Komodo,
thanks for all the useful info you’ve been posting.
Hm … that was badly timed. But not intentional.
This is horrific (if you care about animal welfare)
Footage of disabled cows stir questions about growth drugs
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/13/footage-of-disabled-cows-stir-questions-about-growth-drugs/
Professor Saree Makdisi – well worth a read on Palestine/Israel and of course, on English Literature. Here he writes about the ‘one state solution’.
http://sareemakdisi.net/blog/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saree_Makdisi
Dreoilin, this is exactly the type of discussion that I wish to avoid; it is purely personal and casts no light at all on world events. I’m sorry that you’ve been insulted (and yes I have missed almost everything here for several weeks), but obviously, that doesn’t mean that I should refrain from offering of a bit of friendly support to Flaming June, who has indeed been targeted (and I don’t mean by you) for months.
My opinion is that the insults you were subjected to arose due to the degraded atmosphere of personal bickering that has developed in the last few months. If we can each decrease our level of personal criticism the atmosphere will improve and contributors will become less snappy. Everyone writes something daft occasionally; it’s better to let it slip quietly into the past than to amplify and extend it by getting into an argument.
Passerby, Flaming June, thanks. My stay in Wales was anything but restful, though it did make a pleasant change. And yes, I did eventually complete the plumbing job to my satisfaction, and then the rain came and added some water to the depleted tanks, which rounded things off nicely.
Clark,
I’m not too far north. I spotted it at about 30 degrees up and watched it until it winked out out. The NASA spot the station link ( http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/) allows you to specify exactly where you are in the UK and will calculate the angles for you. I thinks it’s a fairly recent NASA page.
“Dreoilin, this is exactly the type of discussion that I wish to avoid”
Clark, if you want to avoid discussion, don’t write me a big long comment and expect me not to reply.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/08/2013811131034480853.html
This article on the Israeli/Palestinian piece talks, starting tomorrow, manages to give a reasonable account of what’s going on, something the BBC now never achieves. Israel disputes this.
It seems to have attracted its own habby as well.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/08/13/uk-palestinians-israel-preview-idUKBRE97C0BS20130813
“While pessimists abound, a few optimists still stand up, including Israeli President Shimon Peres.
He argues that not only do Israelis want peace, but that the recent instability caused by the Arab uprisings has left a number of Arab states eager to settle the decades-old conflict.
“People who are sceptical are wrong. There is a difference between this and previous attempts,” he said on Sunday.”
Hmmmmm…
Thanks, AlcAon
Jonathan Cook, Nazareth, also discusses what Mayor Gapso’s racism says about Israel itself:
http://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2013-08-08/refreshing-honesty-from-israeli-right/
Dreoilin, 2:32 pm:
Dreoilin, it was you who initiated discussion with me. I offered support to Flaming June, and you took exception; it was me who was replying to you, not vice-versa.
Would you like me to stop supporting Flaming June? If you don’t reply I’ll assume you don’t.
Very very good documentary, exploring the related themes of myth and history:
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1376394003.html
Getcha luvvly propaganda ‘ere!
http://www.hasbara.com/v2pages/resources.html
MEMRI, IMRA, PMW…no, luv, no rotten bits on these fresh Israeli lemons…
Clark/ Dreolin….with the utmost respect and all due reverence, get a bloody room.
Thanks for posting that hasbara resource, Komodo.
Habby has been running out of script, even recently apologising for using the exact same image twice.
Funding problems, I’d imagine.