The Tony Blair House Journal (editor Alan Rusbridger) reports on Kanye West’s disgusting private performance for the Kazakh dictator and his family, and takes a sideswipe at David Cameron for visiting that country.
But peculiarly they fail to mention that Tony Blair receives US $4 million a year as a consultant to the worker murdering Kazakh dictator, and that Alistair Campbell and Jonathon Powell as well as Blair visit to give this support – which has included a behind the scenes campaign to help Nazarbaev win the Nobel Peace Prize, fortunately with no result to date.
William Batboy Hague has tonight opened the new front, Iran, accusing them of taking part in Assads alleged crimes against humanity, tying up the two.
Syria is not signatory to the OPCW treaty, which gives ample scope for the prince Bandar’s boys to use them against Assad, without regrets or a chance of being prosecuted.
yes Mary indeed, Great posts on all this Syria madness today.
I’m with Dreoilin, when she says she will be pysically sick over it all, that massacre on the bus, just fucking Heartbreaking
Here’s Brilliant take on it all from William Blum
The Anti-Empire Report
By William Blum
Found at last! After searching for 10 years, the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction have finally been found – in Syria!
Secretary of State John Kerry: “There is no doubt that Saddam al-Assad has crossed the red line. … Sorry, did I just say ‘Saddam’?”
A US drone has just taken a photo of Mullah Omar riding on a motorcycle through the streets of Damascus. 1
So what do we have as the United States refuses to rule out an attack on Syria and keeps five warships loaded with missiles in the eastern Mediterranean?
Only 9 percent of Americans support a US military intervention in Syria. 2
Only 11% of the British supported a UK military intervention; this increased to 25% after the announcement of the alleged chemical attack. 3
British Prime Minister David Cameron lost a parliamentary vote August 29 endorsing military action against Syria 285-272
64% of the French people oppose an intervention by the French Army. 4 “Before acting we need proof,” said a French government spokesperson. 5
Former and current high-ranking US military officers question the use of military force as a punitive measure and suggest that the White House lacks a coherent strategy. “If the administration is ambivalent about the wisdom of defeating or crippling the Syrian leader, possibly setting the stage for Damascus to fall to Islamic fundamentalist rebels, they say, the military objective of strikes on Assad’s military targets is at best ambiguous.” 6
President Obama has no United Nations approval for intervention. (In February a massive bombing attack in Damascus left 100 dead and 250 wounded; in all likelihood the work of Islamic terrorists. The United States blocked a Russian resolution condemning the attack from moving through the UN Security Council)
Ahh Sorry Macky
You put up the Bill Blum Piece just ahead of me..i hadn’t noticed, was taking so long over that post of mine,
Gotta dash noo, Very lat for Jui jitsu
“Ahh Sorry Macky”
No need to be, I’m not in the “I posted it first” kudos game 😉 & if something is good, it’s always worth a second posting !
Its coming down to a propaganda fight before a UN Russian “veto” of vote re Syria. We might even get to listen to a Mavi Marmara type “auschwitz” conversation “intercept” between a “panicky” mossad sephardi talking to the “Syrian Central Command” to stop the gas attack BUT they have now come up with an even better conversation “intercept”, that of a Syrian commander being forced to fire with gas shells under threat of execution. It will be fun listening to the Comical Shlomo’s propaganda version of how Arabs talk to one another whilst in panic (Cameron in the Commons wisely dodged an MPs demand that they be privy to these “intercepts”) ! The latest “intercept” the israelis have come up with is that of a hezbo bigwig lamenting to the Iranians all the way in Tehran about Assad’s gassing recklessness. BTW-Surely only gas can be the destination of such satanically cunning devils.
It is good to see Global Research up and running again and Professor Michel Chossudovsky’s latest article on the US plan to be in the Mediterranean before the chemical attack they organised, but what about our naval vessels already being there over Gibraltar, which was part of a long-planned exercise? He does not mention that. I bet those warships have not been brought back.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/massive-naval-deployment-us-and-allied-warships-deployed-to-syrian-coastline-before-the-august-21-chemical-weapons-attack/5347766
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/gibraltar-britain-send-navy-warships-2142385
I wonder whether there is capacity for some surprise still in the Syria story. With the twists and turns of US/UK and perhaps French consultation with their respective legislatures, could we yet see a Russian acceptance of a UN resolution. One extracted on the basis of negotiating it into the ground on content and also ensuring that China does not feel it rubs up their own strategic feathers in terms of Japan and North Korea. But a text nonetheless. The chess game of UN negotiations appears to run a very similar pattern and could be broken if Syria presents a real head scratcher for Russia.
Truthout article that systematically takes apart the Obama/Kerry “evidence” against Assad – and mentions Craig’s blog post about Troodos
‘How Intelligence Was Twisted to Support an Attack on Syria’
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/18559-how-intelligence-was-twisted-to-support-an-attack-on-syria
Anon at 6.46pm: Seconded, despite Jon’s comment.
Jon perhaps you can also check the Murrayistas once in a way?
For example Goss’s whines about shills; ever since i pointed out his accusation of Habby’s Jewishness with a snigger. Offence is the best form of defence.
Fact is Habby has never declared that he’s a Jew. He has if i remember right, stated that he’s catholic, but i may be wrong.
We may not know what people actually are. In fact since the most difficult person to know is one’s self, people will unwittingly, ever so subtly betray their own prejudices.
James, it will be a strategic failure (self-evident in near-enough time) if the US doesn’t take on Al Qaeda in some certain way. They are the real perpetrating thugs in the game. Russia and China will be reminding the US of that, as also their sponsorship by the Saudis. Curbing the Saudis, as root-cause, should be an important part of any Security Council negotiation, imo.
I believe Obama knows what is the ‘right action’ here. Question is whether he is able to negotiate through the scrum of his own advisors and the US political landscape.
Going onto Facebook right now is so depressing, it seems filled with aggression on behalf of the USA/Israel, constantly urging an attack on Syria. The usual Muslim neocons, too…
John You refer to the jolly japes on Cougar 13. When they set off we were told that our boys were raring to go and were scheduled eventually to play at war games with the Albanians. I have been keeping an eye on the website.
This is the latest.
30/08/2013
Two ships deployed on Cougar 13 have met up mid Mediterranean for a swap of supplies vital to the operation. With over 45,000 tonnes of steel between them; HMS Illustrious and Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship, RFA Fort Austin, held a straight course while the exchange took place over a distance of less than 50 yards.
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and-Events/Latest-News/2013/August/30/130830-Supply-meets-demand
When they set off from Portsmouth and Plymouth, HMS Bulwark’s Commanding Officer, Captain Andrew Burns, said:
“Building on the success of last year’s Response Force Task Group deployment, Cougar 13 will present opportunities to demonstrate the wide utility of amphibious forces and the flexibility provided by the Royal Navy, with ships forward deployed in order to respond, should the nation’s interests be threatened.
“At the same time we will develop existing relationships with our allies, deliver maritime security in the Mediterranean and Middle East and we will of course be ready to conduct operations anywhere if necessary.”
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/News-and-Events/Latest-News/2013/August/12/130812-Cougar13-Deployment
Very handy.
An Al Qaeda operative passing through Baghdad and ‘phoning home to speak to his family was taken as ‘convincing proof’ that Iraq was in league with Al Qaeda and was used (among other, similar dross) to justify the destruction of a country and its people. They must think we are stupid. But of course, the truth is, they don’t actually care. They know they can do as they like, they can do as they always have done.
Imagine that someone get the Head of Saudi Intelligence into a small room, administer some truth serum, switch on the Skype, and broadcast globally.
Where is Prince Bandar?
Anyone got his number?
Walter Pincus illustrates how 2013 is different from 2003..
“Based on the administration’s four-page assessment released Friday, the U.S. intelligence community has “intercepted communications involving a senior official intimately familiar with the offensive who confirmed that chemical weapons were used by the regime on Aug. 21 and was concerned with the U.N. inspectors obtaining evidence.”
It is time to produce those intercepts. Who was that senior official? Of course that would show sources and methods, but at this late date who in the Syrian military does not recognize the U.S. capability to intercept its communications? The Obama administration’s problem will be that many probably won’t believe the legitimacy of the intercepts.
The assessment also reports that “on the afternoon of August 21, we have intelligence that Syrian chemical weapons personnel were directed to cease operations.” That again may involve intercepts, or it may come from human intelligence. It needs more explanation and some sort of proof, even if it means losing a source.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fine-print-time-to-show-and-tell-on-syria/2013/09/02/dcd71a90-124f-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html
The regime has launched a gas attack upon me — laughing gas. I must first apologize to President Obama, by claiming he’d circumvent his “no boots on the ground” pledge next year by forcing US troops to wear sandals in Syria.
Didn’t anticipate him placing the boots in Jordan very soon, in the form of training pro-AQ rebels. Hasn’t worked in Afghanistan, where we’ve been training anti-AQ govt. forces for a decade and they’re sustaining 100 casualties per day.
Now that all Congressional leaders are suddenly pro-war it only remains to convince the Congressional rabble representing the nation’s peasantry.
A sweet, heartwarming story:
I trust she’ll allow him to chew his Pop-Tart pastry into a little gun and join the fight.
The pro-war faction are entirely of the geezer class (if I’m allowed an ageist comment). Their drool cups runneth over.
The far-right, not only Rand Paul libertarians, but TeaPartiers/TeaBaggers too are largely opposed. The far-left, the Progressives/ObamaBots thus far also seem opposed.
From far-left dailykos.com:
Snips of headlines: “ABCNEWS-WASHPOST POLL: 59% oppose… PEW: 29% support…” and “BLACK DEM TO DECLARE WAR OUT OF LOYALTY TO OBAMA…” and from the Clinton controlled Democratic National Committee: “U.S. has ‘dozens’ of allies against Syria but they are secret…”
Jon; “I think people are wary of discoursing with you as a result”
No Jon, people are wary of engaging with either Anon or the Hubba-Clown, because they are Trolls; the fact that you cannot realise this, together with two or three others, doesn’t change this blatant fact; people are certainly entitled to post here if they disagree with either Craig’s or with the political leanings of the majority here, but what they should not be entitled to do under the guise of being contrarian, is to simply post aspersions, mostly little more than denigrating smears, without even attempting to substantiate or back-up their comments, if they cannot or refuse to argue their opinions, then they are trolls, simply here for trolling.
Their favorite aspersion which they like to level at the majority of the Posters here, is that of being “anti-Western”, and after weeks, or was it months, of dodging endless requests to explain this charge, they were finally cornered into trying to put their heads together to concoct some sort of answer, the best that these great intellectual wannbe debaters, could come up with, was a nonsense quote from the rambling of the demented Unibomber !
No, these two are obviously not here for honest debate, and the tragedy is that almost everybody can see this, except you, the Moderator, and under your watch, they have been allowed to run riot to the great detriment of this Blog.
The israeli mossad ex-chief who alerted the world as to satanyahu’s delusion about being a latter day “david”, and extending israeli borders a la moshe dayan, needs to revisit his concerns publicly again before we are too far down the road. The stated US position about missile strikes degrading Syrian chemical weapons capability is a nonsense, if just because any strike on stockpiles may actually cause mass gassing deaths instead. Its more a licence to carry out an israeli type trade mark “decapitation” strike on Arab leadership ie Assad. Really the world might be a better place if instead a “decapitation” TNW strike was made on the 28,000 staffed Pentagon, wiping out all institutional capability of the Great Satans war machine in one fell swoop, especially the 1500 strong division that cooks up such delicious spin as Brennan’s “Osama was cowering behind young wife” or equally on the deadly “david” wannabe!!
Ah, the smell of fixing the facts around the policy are sulfur in our noses again.
First we had Racak massacre that wasn’t, and the impossible deal offered to the Serbs at Rambouillet.
Then we had the tiny fact that plans to invade Afghanistan were in place before 9/11.
Next came Iraq. No need to go over that BS again.
Then we had Gaddafi’s troops pumped on Viagra and heading to Benghazi to carry out a massacre. That one reminded me of the Iraqis throwing babies out of their incubators during Gulf War One. That was a lie as well.
And now we have Syria.
Neocon liars and butchers and cognitive dissonance.
“Anon at 6.46pm: Seconded, despite Jon’s comment.” (post by Villager)
_____________________
I too would second Anon’s excellent post at 18h46.
Are Mr Goss and Captain Komodo (cashiered) losing the plot entirely?
Or are they just upset that the bombs still haven’t started falling and that the Tomahawks have still not flown (must be as bad as Mr Manning not having been sentenced to death or to 120 or even 60 years).
But to end on a lighter note! I nominate the following as the silliest (because the most un-self-aware) post of the day :
“Great posts on all this Syria madness today.” (from Brian Fujisan)
Pinch me, someone, and tell me that Fujisan’s got his blogs mixed up? Please!
@ various Excellences and others:
Something that’s puzzling me : why are you so eager to defend Mr Bashir al-Assad, he of the family firm Assad & Son (estbl. 1970 – torture, executions and massacres our speciality)?
Just wonderin’, as Ben Franklin might say.
Sorry jon macky has a point.
Sometimes you got stop longing for a rational response and just deal with things.
@ Macky
Thank you for that most eloquent post. May I take it that the logical conclusion of your screed is that you would like Anon, me and probably a few others banned?
Anyway, just to take up the following comment of yours briefly :
“Their favorite aspersion which they like to level at the majority of the Posters here, is that of being “anti-Western”,”
It would go some way to convincing me that this is not the case if you or your fellow Eminences would just occasionally express indignation (or even just mention) about such trifles as
– the murder of journalists in Russia
– the execution of ‘economic saboteurs’, corrupt officials and prostitutes in China
– the toleration shown by the govts of Brazil, South Africa, India and certain African countries for the horrible and inhumane living conditions in the favellas (or equivalents)
– the killing of Christians in Pakistan and Egypt
– the killing of Moslems in Burma (Madame Aung Su Chi remaining silent)
– the practice of torture in various Middle Eastern countries other than Israel (Syria, Jordan, Egypt, anyone?)
– the active hostility of the Taliban towards educating women
– the persecution of Tamils in Sri Lanka
– the civil war in Sudan
– the rigged elections in Zimbabwe
etc, etc, etc…..
Never a squeak from any of you about any of the above, but acres of guff about the evil West.
@ Habba. 10 44 and 10 55pm
Thanks for so promptly demonstrating, as Macky observed (10 19), your consistent pattern of posting “… aspersions, mostly little more than denigrating smears, without even attempting to substantiate or back-up their comment.”
If he was wrong in this assessment then maybe you could show your genuineness by providing examples to back up your claim that contributors to these threads are “…so eager to defend Mr Bashir al-Assad, he of the family firm Assad & Son (estbl. 1970 – torture, executions and massacres our speciality)”. Can you provide some names and times please?
Saudi Arabia Admits to False Flag Terror
Habby Knows that There’s mountains of Knowledge spread over the people who contribute to this blog, especially re his latest two posts.
PRESS IGNORE BUTTON
Tried to catch the Very End of news to see what the weather was up to this teatime, only hear The evil peace prize winner – assuring americans that ” this will not be an Afghanistan, or an Iraq, there will be no boots on the Ground ”
He has said this before, if we recall Libya, ( Cameron’s date in the Hague )
Oboming the place for a few days, became Oboming the place for 9 months, Total carnage
Nice piece here from Veterans news now
Obama promised that our strikes on Libya would be over in days. Sadly our bombing of Libya went on for months, from March to November of 2011. We bombed Libya into the Stone Age, with one huge difference it’s a radioactive Stone Age.
All this to kill one man, Muammar Gaddafi? What was his crime? True, he tried to operate his country independent of the tight financial orbit owned and rigorously controlled by the International Banking/Monetary Cartel.
But perhaps Gaddafi’s greatest crime was his plan to introduce the gold dinar, a single African currency made from gold a true sharing of the wealth, according to the news agency Russia Today
http://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2013/09/03/227094-shame-are-we-capable-of-it/
Unfair. Prostitutes pay tax in some countries. I doubt Blair pays tax in any.
Oily Brother of Ed is seeing an opportunity today. Has come out for intervention in Syria, to the shock of nobody. Ed has been getting all sorts of stick from the political and media classes, presumably for breaking the un-written rule that we must blow the US every time they make the demand. I suspect, sadly, that this show of independence and spine will cost Ed his job. I have wibbled on these boards before that Ed will never be PM. Despite his healthy lead in the polls, it’s clear that Ed’s realy enemy is his own party, and his show of independence will set alarm bells ringing amongst the various opportunists who constitute the labour caucus, who don’t need much of an excuse. Ed will be out by next summer, I predict.
Also today, Kerry thinks Obama doesn’t need congressional approval for ‘limited action’. He is literally re-defining war as ‘military action that requires congressonal assent’, thus implying everything else is ok. Classic double-speak at its finest.
AIPAC just gave their blessings to Kerry/Obama.
Syrian rebels caught with sarin in Turkey?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/02/syria-crisis-questions-answered
“Secretary of State John Kerry said that if the United States did not respond to the use of chemical weapons the country would become an international “laughingstock”. Yes, that’s really what America and its people have to worry about – not that their country is viewed as a lawless, mass-murdering repeat offender…”
More at , http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_65982.shtml
Sofia; He also said in connection with the intercept (Israel) “I wish i could show you, but the nature of it’s classification is such that you’ll just have to trust us’ OWTTE
@Ben. 11 59pm
Yes, just another version of the dumb parent pulling rank “…BECUASE I SAY!!!”
Except for this time, instead of putting on our wellies this moment, we are being told to allow dad to bomb Syrians because Assad’s bombed Syrians and it’s not fair and the US, should be allowed to bomb them too.
Can anyone explain how bombing CW stockpiles will save Syrians from breathing chemical weapons, ‘cos it beats me.