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.
$40 fucking Billion??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
At $4Bn annually, that’s comparable with Egypt’s entire annual military spend (of which $1.3Bn also comes from the US, resolutely backing its army against its people)
It would keep Turkey’s military off the taxpayers’ backs for a couple of years, too. And their army is gigantic.
This one, Nevermind?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPmHhswbk_g
Or shall I take the spare?
Settlements – this is just the first course…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/10242923/Israel-planning-even-more-settlements-as-Middle-East-peace-talks-begin-in-Jerusalem.html
Separately, Uri Ariel, the Israeli housing minister, defied growing Palestinian anger over settlements by predicting that recent announcements of around 3,000 new settlers’ homes in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem would be followed by even bigger projects.
“This is just the first course, and you know that usually the first course is the smaller course, it’s the appetiser, it’s not the thing itself,” Mr Ariel, himself a settler, told Army Radio.….also….
In a further gesture, Israel has agreed to hand over the remains of dozens of Palestinian prisoners who died in Israeli custody, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported on its website. Israel classified the prisoners as “terrorists”. The Palestinian Authority is waiting for DNA tests to confirm the identities of the body before the handover is completed.
Gruesome. How many dozens? And how? Like this?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/25/palestinian-arafat-jaradat-funeral-custody
Jaradat was arrested on 18 February on suspicion that he had thrown stones at Israelis. He died on Saturday at Israel’s Megiddo prison after several days of interrogation by the Shin Bet security service.
The Israelis, despite this initial (but unequivocal)autopsy report claim Jaradat died of a heart attack: this is specifically given the lie by the autopsy:
The preliminary autopsy, to which there are links below, found that Arafat displayed severe bruising on his upper back, deep bruising along the spine, and significant bruising on both sides of the chest. The postmortem also discovered bruising on both arms and inside the mouth, blood around the nose and three fractured ribs. In addition, the examination discounted the claim by the Israeli authorities that Arafat died of a heart attack. His heart was completely healthy and there was no evidence of damage or weakness of any kind. The report concludes that all injuries were the result of very recent, severe and direct torture. The undersigned organisations reiterate the demands made by UN representatives for an immediate international investigation into the death of Arafat Jaradat with a view to holding those responsible for his death accountable.
http://mondoweiss.net/2013/03/palestinian-accountability-detainees.html
Egypt
Over 464 people executed in two protest camps and what does the “international community” have to say?
“US Secretary of State John Kerry said the events were “deplorable”. They were “a real blow to reconciliation efforts.”
“EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also criticised the use of force.”
Up to now I can’t find a statement by William Haig or the Foreign Office.
They must be working it.
Breaking news:
“UK calls Egyptian ambassador to Foreign Office to express concern over deadly storming of protest camps”
I wonder what 14 pints Haig will say?
“Now look here Ambassador Her Majesty’s government disapproves in the strongest terms the incidents of yesterday. Now sign this arms contract.”
Doug Scorgie said:
Billy fourteen pints will congratulate the Egyptian Ambassador, in democratising Egypt like never before, and pat him on the back for his Dear Leaders sending in the Caterpillar Bulldozers to do go ziofuckwit on all the those pesky MB supporters who were camping and making a nuisance of themselves.
Still trying to sort my systems out after apparently 3 different attacks were mounted against my laptop, desktop and phone.
Contemplating going to the police (which will cause a big mess). Will do with certainty if it happens again.
(Probably trumped-up) potential massacre in Benghazi, Libya – the UK attacks the alleged aggressor.
Actual, documented massacres in Egypt – the UK “express[es] concern”, but supports the aggressor.
Somehow these “humanitarian” concerns seem always to create more conflict, and thus sell more weaponry.
What has happened in Egypt is a military coup, but our politicians don’t want it to be called that because they’d then be restricted by international law from selling armaments to the Egyptian military.
International condemnation of the Egyptian military action – Egyptian ambassadors being called in, projects like the two Denmark had in Egypt cancelled, etc. Current reports say that 525 people have been killed.
Approval though from the UAE and Bahrain who ‘understand the need to keep control’. Quite so King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa recent visitor to Cameron at No 10.
Latest toy of the UAE royal despots, a mere 590ft in length and reputed to cost between $400m and $600m.
http://hereisthecity.com/2013/08/15/uae-royals-mega-yacht-knocks-abramovich-off-top/
Clark,
In my opinion President Obama is by far the worst president the USA has ever had. Makes George Bush look like an angel. Of course the world is totally fucked up with him at the helm.
AlcAnon Said;
What sort of attacks have there been? Can you elaborate?
It wasn’t even Billy 14 Pints.
It was a Mr Gass.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We called in the Egyptian ambassador to express our deep concern at the escalating violence and unrest in Egypt.
“Simon Gass, the FCO political director, condemned the use of force to clear the protests and urged the Egyptian authorities to act with the greatest restraint.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/people/simon-gass#biography
I should think Mr Ashraf Elkholy was quaking in his boots. I remember when we protested outside the embassy in South Street in Murbarak’s time when the Gaza tunnels had been closed down and Rafah shut in collusion with the Israelis. The staff kept peeping from behind the blinds to see what we were up to. They would not answer the door or speak with us.
http://www.mfa.gov.eg/English/Embassies/Egyptian_Embassy_London/Ambassador/Pages/Biography.aspx
Passerby,
First “Ghostery” addon for Firefox on my Linux laptop started running when it shouldn’t have been and accessing files it shouldn’t have done (I was willing to accept that as a bizarre bug as others have reported a problem). Then something started accessing files on my Windows system (including low level stuff in Windows). Then suspicious network activity. Then my phone crashed after something tampered with startup files.
I now have a corrupted Windows system (my desktop is now all black despite the license being valid)) and phone and will reformat and re-install.
Latest alert from Medialens:
All Journalism Is ‘Advocacy Journalism’
http://www.medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=738:advocacy-journalism&catid=51:alerts-2013&Itemid=202
AlcAnon,
I am sorry to hear about your problems. How long has it been since you installed “Ghostery” out of curiosity?
Passerby,
I’ve had it for a while but bizarrely it updated itself yesterday from 2.9.6 to V5.0.1. Immediately after that update it started misbehaving. 2.9.6 is the official current version but it seems a few people got a dodgy beta update called V5 pushed at them for no apparent reason.
Had that been my only problem I wouldn’t have worried too much.
AlcAnon,
That is an interesting jump in versions, it would be interesting to find out how many others have experienced your difficulties, and who is behind these attacks?
By the way my Android phone is rooted and has customised startup scripts for my convenience. Things aren’t where they would be on “factory” ROM.
Passerby,
One person has posted on the Ghosteery site that they also got V5 and it caused them problems. Apparently there is now a V5.0.2 – I can’t explain why the author would jump from V2 series to V5 and I can’t explain how and why I (and whoever else) was selected to get it pushed on me.
And it’s really creepy to boot up a Windows system and get an all black desktop (which is what Windows does when it is unlicensed). The machine is licensed though and I do not have the message in the bottom right corner that I may be a victim of piracy.
So again I can’t explain why my desktop wallpaper suddenly changed to all black. My android is complaining about “damaged SD card”
“JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli official involved in government public relations has been suspended from his work for writing crude Facebook posts …
“In one of his posts published by Haaretz newspaper, Seaman said he was “sick” of “self-righteous” Japanese and international commemorations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki victims.
“Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the consequence of Japanese aggression. You reap what you sow,” he said.”
http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-official-suspended-facebook-posts-130229707.html
I was very much looking forward to pictures of A-level students (from some decent girls school, naturally) jumping in the air with excitement, upon receiving their results. Showing lots of mid-riff, you know the standard procedure.
The Mail has edged ahead of the Torygraph this year, but it must be a real disappointment to connoisseurs that we’re not in a heat-wave right now.
I commend you ‘Nevermind’ for getting off your backside on Egypt. The explosive ‘bull-dozing’ of lives in Egypt by government forces backed police thugs prods us of the smashing of Gaza by Israel, the Iraq genocide and stirs memories of the massacres in Libya and Syria.
Reuters reported the ‘crushing’ of Egypt’s protest camps and hospitals were quickly overrun with the dead and wounded.
Eyewitness reports described hallways slick with blood and lines of corpses with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and chest. By the end of the siege, nearly 300 people were reported dead—including women and children. Further ‘sit ins’ reported today August 15th, will put the lives of more Egyptian families at risk of injury or death. We will mourn MANY losses.
Britain’s agent Cameron and American leaders fail to recognise this bloody coup instead pushing the feeble line of ‘promoting democracy’ while USA reiterated another decrepid statement, “It is not in the interests of the United States to make that determination.” [Jen Psaki]
Fucking disgusting…
While Egypt burns I remember the brutal evacuation of ‘Occupy’ camps. The events in Syria are.. close to home. Your eyes will soon witness the same frustrations, the same barbarous, merciless and inhuman control of struggle against rule by divide in Britain’s cities, towns and villages as suffering poor, exploited, depressed and constrained working families and ‘fracked off’ communities take to the streets, turf and arteries of England to protect future generations from a government that DOES NOT CARE for you, for humanity and for the people of Egypt.
Agence France-Presse @AFP 4h
#BREAKING At least 464 killed in Egypt violence: ministry officials
(number going up all the time)
Jon, thanks for fixing my “slash-bold” tag (15 Aug, 9:32 am).
Habbabkuk (La vita è bella!)
13 Aug, 2013 – 9:54 am
“Oh, sorry, I was under the impression that being a Jew means that the person adheres to the Jewish religion. How about “The Judaic State of Israel” (cf “The Islamic Republic of Iran”)?”
Doug Scorgie:
You don’t have to be religious to be Jewish Habbabkuk I thought you would have known that!
As to Zionists, most in the world are Christians living in the west particularly the USA. And you don’t have to be religious (Christian, Judaic or others) to be Zionist; some are Atheist.
@Habbabkuk:
“More rascist than a state run by Moslems for the benefit of Moslems (cf “The Islamic republic of Iran”, again)?”
Doug Scorgie
Habbabkuk Islam is not a race it is a religion you cannot be an Atheist Moslem or a Christian Moslem.
@Habbabkuk quoting me:
“In other words Habbabkuk non-Jews will be second class citizens”
@Habbabkuk
“How does that follow?”
Doug Scorgie:
Habbabkuk you have taken the discussion full circle.
The Zionists insist that Israel must be recognised as a Jewish state; Jews are a race not a religion.
So going on about the Islamic Republic of Iran as if that is the same is futile.
On another point; Israel does not belong solely to its citizens but to the entire Jewish race world-wide.
Any Jew even if they and their family have never been to Israel can move and live there.
Non-Jews (in particular Palestinians) do not have that right EVEN IF THEY HAVE LIVED THERE AND ARE NOW IN REFUGEE CAMPS.
You seem very confused; perhaps a wider range of reading material is in order?
Mark
The Muslim Brotherhood took 6 million quid from the council to renovate their centre, but were then used by City College to insert anti-Islamic subject matter into their ESOL classes, e.g. A married man decides to take a girlfriend, and his wife is not happy, what should he do? Discuss. or a man is suffering the effects of drinking alcohol or smoking.
I complained to the management about their introduction of haram subjects into the curriculum and they replied that their female students would not be affected by this type of subject matter. The Muslim Brotherhood are fully equipped to spy on the ordinary Muslim citizens who cross their path. Two Arab gentlemen in a khaki jeep delivered a device to my next-door neighbour which I suspected at the time was possibly connected to me. For what purpose I have no idea except that it was collected by the police later.
We are talking about an organisation that has climbed to the top of the slippery pole of politics by every fatal compromise. It is supported by the believing segment of Egyptian society who would like to be represented by an Islamic party. But it has been taken over by a type of militancy and ruthlessness that took all of those Muslims who have reservations about mixing Islam with the compromise of politics as enemies against their interests and party.
Not only daft, but also totally against the rules of Islam which forbid the formation of sectarian parties, on the pain of causing chaos to the Muslim community.
The politics of the destruction of Islam is to first beat up the Muslims, until they accept compromise in exchange for peace, and then divide them by backing opposing sides of the community, and then get them to fight amongst themselves. If the Egyptians haven’t worked that out from what happened to India, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia etc, then they will have to learn the hard way never never never to trust political Muslim leaders who think they can advance Islam down the path of prostituting their backsides to their enemies, the Zionists, the Camerons, the Fid Def UK Royals, bought oil sheikhs, the sold of NATO, UN, or any other vacuum cleaner dustbags of anti-Islam ideas.
When will the Muslims learn the lesson that God only changes the Muslims’ situation when they change themselves? After 500 massacred? 500,000 in Libya? 1.5 million in Iraq? When?
[Mod: commentary on who is a troll, or a w***er, is probably not helpful – stick to issues please]
I was accused last night by the carpet-bagger of being harsh with the young man. I clearly stated that I understood his emotional fragility, I just don’t understand how it will lower his sentence.
I guess this explains some of that.
““The only currency this military court will take is Bradley Manning’s humiliation,” the group said. “In light of this, Mr. Manning’s forced decision to apologise to the US government in the hope of shaving a decade or more off his sentence must be regarded with compassion and understanding.”
In 2010, Manning leaked State Department cables and war battlefield reports. He escaped the harshest of the charges against him — aiding the enemy — which would have carried a life sentence.”
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/317145-wikileaks-describes-mannings-apology-as-forced#ixzz2c34aKl5c
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook
[Mod: removed, abusive – please stick to issues]