The problem with the Geneva Communique from the first Geneva round on Syria is that the government of Syria never subscribed to it. It was jointly chaired by the League of Arab States for Syria, whatever that may mean. Another problem is that it is, as so many diplomatic documents are, highly ambiguous. It plainly advocates a power sharing executive formed by some of the current government plus the opposition to oversee a transition to democracy. But it does not state which elements of the current government, and it does not mention which elements of the opposition, nor does it make plain if President Assad himself is eligible to be part of, or to head, the power-sharing executive, and whether he is eligible to be a candidate in future democratic elections.
Doubtless the British, for example, would argue that the term transition implies that he will go. The Russians will argue there is no such implication and the text does not exclude anybody from the process. Doubtless also diplomats on all sides were fully aware of these differing interpretations and the ambiguity is quite deliberate to enable an agreed text. I would say that the text tends much more to the “western” side, and that this reflects the apparently weak military position of the Assad regime at that time and the then extant threat of western military intervention. There has been a radical shift in those factors against the western side in the interim. Expect Russian interpretations now to get more hardline.
Given the extreme ambiguity of the text, Iran has, as it frequently does, shot itself in the foot diplomatically by refusing to accept the communique as the basis of talks and thus getting excluded from Geneva. Iran should have accepted the communique, and then at Geneva issued its own interpretation of it.
But that is a minor point. The farcical thing about the Geneva conference is that it is attempting to promote into power-sharing in Syria “opposition” members who have no democratic credentials and represent a scarcely significant portion of those actually fighting the Assad regime in Syria. What the West are trying to achieve is what the CIA and Mossad have now achieved in Egypt; replacing the head of the Mubarak regime while keeping all its power structures in place. The West don’t really want democracy in Syria, they just want a less pro-Russian leader of the power structures.
The inability of the British left to understand the Middle East is pathetic. I recall arguing with commenters on this blog who supported the overthrow of the elected President of Egypt Morsi on the grounds that his overthrow was supporting secularism, judicial independence (missing the entirely obvious fact the Egyptian judiciary are almost all puppets of the military) and would lead to a left wing revolutionary outcome. Similarly the demonstrations against Erdogan in Istanbul, orchestrated by very similar pro-military forces to those now in charge in Egypt, were also hailed by commenters here. The word “secularist” seems to obviate all sins when it comes to the Middle East.
Qatar will be present at Geneva, and Qatar has just launched a pre-emptive media offensive by launching a dossier on torture and murder of detainees by the Assad regime, which is being given first headline treatment by the BBC all morning
There would be a good dossier to be issued on torture in detention in Qatar, and the lives of slave workers there, but that is another question.
I do not doubt at all that atrocities have been committed and are being committed by the Assad regime. It is a very unpleasant regime indeed. The fact that atrocities are also being committed by various rebel groups does not make Syrian government atrocities any better.
But whether 11,000 people really were murdered in a single detainee camp I am unsure. What I do know is that the BBC presentation of today’s report has been a disgrace. The report was commissioned by the government of Qatar who commissioned Carter Ruck to do it. Both those organisations are infamous suppressors of free speech. What is reprehensible is that the BBC are presenting the report as though it were produced by neutral experts, whereas the opposite is the case. It is produced not by anti torture campaigners or by human rights activists, but by lawyers who are doing it purely and simply because they are being paid to do it.
The BBC are showing enormous deference to Sir Desmond De Silva, who is introduced as a former UN war crimes prosecutor. He is indeed that, but it is not the capacity in which he is now acting. He is acting as a barrister in private practice. Before he was a UN prosecutor, he was for decades a criminal defence lawyer and has defended many murderers. He has since acted to suppress the truth being published about many celebrities, including John Terry.
If the Assad regime and not the government of Qatar had instructed him and paid him, he would now be on our screens arguing the opposite case to that he is putting. That is his job. He probably regards that as not reprehensible. What is reprehensible is that the BBC do not make it plain, but introduce him as a UN war crimes prosecutor as though he were acting in that capacity or out of concern for human rights. I can find no evidence of his having an especial love for human rights in the abstract, when he is not being paid for it. He produced an official UK government report into the murder of Pat Finucane, a murder organised by British authorities, which Pat Finucane’s widow described as a “sham”. He was also put in charge of quietly sweeping the Israeli murders on the Gaza flotilla under the carpet at the UN.
The question any decent journalist should be asking him is “Sir Desmond De Silva, how much did the government of Qatar pay you for your part in preparing this report? How much did it pay the other experts? Does your fee from the Government of Qatar include this TV interview, or are you charging separately for your time in giving this interview? In short how much are you being paid to say this?”
That is what any decent journalist would ask. Which is why you will never hear those questions on the BBC.
John Goss
I must say I agree with ESLO
“Once a child has been so badly-damaged in its primary years, particularly its first, there is no return.”
“have no idea how deeply-disturbed, damaged and abused children have no conscience”
“Sending a child away to prep-school teaches that child that its parents do not love it.”
“There is no cure once the damage is done.”
Such broad brush generalisations show either that you don’t know what you are talking about or just a poor grasp of the English language that you are unable to qualify such absolute statements.
Many children who suffer abuse in their early years are able to recover an live fulfilling lives with proper support – and many throughout it all retain their conscience – in fact many of them have a much deeper social conscience than is the norm. There are also plenty of children sent away to prep school that continue to have a loving relationship with their parents – sending children away to school is not something that I would recommend but some loving families manage to do so.
As for the conclusion that Blair and Hague are sociopaths – I am afraid that is just cod psychiatry – it was disgusting when the Daily Mail did it with Tony Benn and you are just as bad.
As for the latest reference to “sheeple” I think that says it all about your understanding of sociology and politics. Of course there are similarities between any authoritarian act and the Nazis – but if you understood history you would appreciate that it was the extent and depth of such authoritarian acts that singled out Nazi Germany. It was also a distinct economic, nationalist, racist and political system. You remind me of a naughty little boy who calls his parents a Nazi or similar when he is admonished. If you carry on in this vein you will be accusing our rail companies of being (Mussolini) fascists for running the trains on time.
Please try and elevate debate onto a higher level – one might begin to think that such broad and absolute statements were being made just to annoy (or troll if you prefer)
Thinning the herd is essential for the 1%, John. The seed vault is not intended for the masses.
“Habbabkuk, UN member nations, including Germany, recognise the state of Israel as a sovereign state not a Jewish state.”
Please note the reference to resolution 181 in the resolution accepting Israel into membership of the UN which has been posted a number of times previously. As ESLO pointed out we are all happy to accept that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Doug Scorgie (known to its detractors as Great Tit Land) does not recognise the State of Israel. Please give it a rest – you really are adding nothing to the debate whatsoever.
In the meantime we are all waiting to hear your views on the Hamas Charter and Dieudonne.
“especially since the Rothschilds and Rockefellers have called for a vast reduction of the population,”
Well at least they didn’t go as far as some of those who you apologise for and actually bring about a reduction.
Hear the account of Edward Snowden’s lawyer, Jesselyn Radack, of her treatment at Heathrow on Sunday by the ‘Border Force’. The banality of their bizarre questioning completely unnerved her. Shocking and disgusting. For the record, the interrogation was not done in our name Jesselyn.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Attorney for Edward Snowden Interrogated at U.K. Airport, Placed on “Inhibited Persons List”
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/18/attorney_for_edward_snowden_interrogated_at?autostart=true&get_clicky_key=suggested_next_story
Jemand
Thanks for your Pilger link. The story hit our headlines this morning on Radio 4. I didn’t know how bad things had been over there.
“John Goss
I must say I agree with ESLO”
Bloody Hell Res Dis, that’s the biggest surprise of the night!!!
Resident Dissident, you do not think that I have the right to make evaluations based on my experience and reading. What professional background do you have to discount my evaluation of RAD diagnosed children?
OT.
John. 10 33am
Sochi?
I am getting concerned about your increasing sense of disorientation. But I have to confess to some part of the responsibility for the sad state of affairs.
When I refered to Troikaland I was refering to the beautiful land of saints and scholars, of Daniel “The Liberator” O’Connel, dodgy clerics and poteen. This sad island, for 90 years a proud republic, has in recent years become a lesser fiefdom of the disasterous Troika. Our Troika is an unelected commission composed of the IMF, the ECB and various elite EU hench-persons who have kindly reversed 90 years of sovereignty and nationalised the gambling debts of our hapless financial elites who, you’ll remember, rendered the country bankrupt in 2008. This act of mega theft from us and our kids is called our “bailout” FFS!
Your blunder provided a sweet moment for my esteemed colegue ELSO who at 1 11pm was able correctly point out your error.
This wasn’t the only moment of triumph for Dad’s team who, seemingly against all the odds, won a gold at the bob-sleigh (troika minus 3 horses) finals at Sochi.
I’m sure we’d have been hearing them crowing about it all day, had not the medals been stripped from their skin-tight sequined jumpsuits within minutes and awarded instead to the Namibians.
The fuss related to the use of the banned substance, in this case NEPE-75. At first it had been assumed that all the smoke had come from the Jamacan bob-sleigh which had preceded our lads, but forensic analysis of the scorched remains of the Taureg sleigh, which had the misfortune to follow Team Hasbara, had all the signatures of advanced solid rocket fuel.
After ten minutes the fuss seemed to be dying down. Apparently the only other team unaccounted for was the Belgians* and the judjes just wanted to forget the whole business and retire for their lunch.
Dad spoiled it all by barging in and telling them how disappointed he was with their otioseness in not specifying nitroglycerin double-base propellants in the “banned substances” list. After that things turned a bit nasty and Dad and ELSO were escorted to the airport under armed guard. RD escaped by pretending to be one of the North Korean figure skating team. I hope he has a good excuse for Kim Jong-un.
Finally you asked about my favourite Lizard. Alas he’s vanished… the way they all do. Why do reptiles like Komodo have such issues over comittment?
*The Belgians were later found, still behind the starting line, arguing about whether Claude Le Bloc (Waloon) or Joost Vanwaarzijt (Flemish) should steer.
“Well at least they didn’t go as far as some of those who you apologise for and actually bring about a reduction.”
You were the one sticking up for Tony Blair. Imposed sanctions on Iraq knowing they would cause the painful deaths of a lot of children then lied to Parliament so he could do the same to a lot more.
Did you make up the definition of psychopath as well?
“I shall have to write about this. It certainly fits in with the guillotine story, which I did not want to believe.”
John
Q: Why did the U.S. government recently purchase 30,000 guillotines?
A: It didn’t. You’ve been hoaxed.
A June 19, 2013 article claiming the U.S. government recently purchased 30,000 guillotines (yes, exactly 30,000) and that Congress passed a law authorizing their use for “governmental purposes” has sparked a conspiracist feeding frenzy.
Never mind there’s not a shred of evidence to support these allegations. The first clue to their fictitiousness is the fact that the author to whom they’re attributed, retired FBI agent Ted Gunderson, died two years before the article was published.
More at
http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/2013/06/21/government-purchased-30000-guillotines.htm
and this comment
“Any chance there’s a shred of truth, distorted horribly? That is, could it be a major exaggeration and (accidental or intentional) misinterpretation of an order for paper-cutting equipment. Large devices for cutting paper are called guillotines …”
John
I am not discounting your experience of RAD diagnosed children – I am disputing the generalisations you make from such experience.
No professional in psychiatry, or any other profession, would make a diagnosis such as you made with respect or Blair and Hague without direct contact with the parties concerned. I have a number of close relatives involved in the field and I am a qualified professional in another field.
Yeah. Especially laymen should not diagnose anti-socials like Ted Bundy or Citizen X. There really is no way we can identify the Sociopath with our limited education and experience.
‘Anti-semitic, Its a Trick, We Always Use it’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nex-oSKPX2w
My God Sofia, you fooled more than me, I think. Beautiful country, Gap of Dunloe, Killarney, Blarney, Ring of Kerry, and Daniel O’Connell (The Liberator). If you’re in the capital have a look in at the National Gallery and have a look at the paintings of Jack Yeats, and “if you’ve got any money go up to the park and view the Zoological Gardens”. It reminds me in two years it is the centenary anniversary of the 1916 uprising captured in W. B Yeats poem of that name.
So Komodo’s thrashing his tail elsewhere. Hope he’s in good spirits. You too. Your dad’s team is doing a lot better in Sochi than he is on the blog. Painful and pathetic. Sorry I know he’s your dad, but please.
Catch you soon.
Howdy Dreoilin; I wasn’t following the guillotine buzness, but I can understand why some would believe the government might need a cost-effective means of death.
You are probably familiar with the Final Solution, or ‘what to do with the Jews’. Bullets were impractical for that purpose, so the decision was made.
Add extreme acts like this….http://www.forbes.com/sites/ralphbenko/2013/03/11/1-6-billion-rounds-of-ammo-for-homeland-security-its-time-for-a-national-conversation/ and FEMA camps and lacking any reasonable explanation from our betters, the imagination is free to roam.
Dreoilin, yes I was aware of that urbanlegends debunking. However there is so much misinformation I posted this, some of the stories post-date that. That does not make them right, but it does make them worth consideration.
http://somehelpful.info/Articles/20131103-guillotines-in-US.htm
Herbie
“I ask again.
What, if anything, are you disputing?”
_________________
You can ask me ten times, but that will not make your question any clearer. What are you referring to, precisely?
“No professional in psychiatry, or any other profession, would make a diagnosis such as you made with respect or Blair and Hague without direct contact with the parties concerned. I have a number of close relatives involved in the field and I am a qualified professional in another field.”
You may see Tony Blair as normal.
Speaking for myself, as someone who if I had caused the death of just one child would not sleep at nights for the nightmares see him as a psychopath.
Mr Scourgie
I see you’re still in teasing mode.
“Habbabkuk, UN member nations, including Germany, recognise the state of Israel as a sovereign state not a Jewish state.”
__________________________
Well, of course they do; UN recognition refers to states as an entity and pays no regard to/makes no mention of the constitutional form or arrangements of that state.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Furthermore, Israel Basic Law does not define Israel as a Jewish state as you claim.”
_______________________
Not my claim, old chap. It’s the beginning words of the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, passed by the Knesset on 17.03.1992 and they read as follows:
“1. The purpose of this Basic Law is to protect human liberty and dignity, i order to establish in a Basic Law the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.”
Teasing is all very well, but it should not lead you to tell porkies.
********************
La vita è bella, life is good! (Support your local Basic Law!)
“Speaking for myself, as someone who if I had caused the death of just one child would not sleep at nights for the nightmares see him as a psychopath.”
Me too. But there is at least one on this blog who things torture is all right!
things = thinks
Mr Goss
“But there is at least one on this blog who things torture is all right!”
___________________
I think I’ve already challenged you to quote any post of mine which says that torture is alright.
For some strange reason, however, you have failed to do so.
I must infer from this that you are experiencing some difficulties in ridding yourself of your Stalinist mindset. 🙂
************************
“Life is getting better, life is getting merrier! (J. Stalin, ca. 1932)
Goodnight you lovely people (and twats).
A single secular democratic state in Palestine:
A Republic of all its citizens!
http://www.1not2.org/One_State_in_Palestine/Welcome.html
To John and All. You have mighty stamina.
Mná na h-Éireann – Women Of Ireland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb2lHME4tkI
Thanks for all the info and insights.
Goodnight.
Good night Sofia…. Sleep well, and Don’t be dreaming of Long haired, Bare chested Cello plying rock idols – at you’re age…
Are you in Scotland ?… gazing upon the Mighty Paps of Jura…i have been to the top, a little under 3,000 feet… One could build a Palace up there..with all the Granite laying aroon…
Peaceful travels wherever you are.
Mary yes Great news for the City Re Snowden Eh.
Nevermind…it would Be great to catch up again…Let me know dates….I’ll be out on the Outer Hebridean isle of Vatersay – the last inhabited South…and i will be on the isle of Seil ( ellenabeich ) for a week too… Good Plan 🙂
“Howdy Dreoilin; I wasn’t following the guillotine buzness, but I can understand why some would believe the government might need a cost-effective means of death.
You are probably familiar with the Final Solution, or ‘what to do with the Jews’. Bullets were impractical for that purpose, so the decision was made.”
Ben, are you seriously trying to tell me that a guillotine is more practical than bullets and more cost effective than gas??
Obviously (well, maybe not) I’m no expert on mass killings. But that guillotine story is the silliest thing I’ve heard in ages. It’s like something that would come out of the Tea Party.
Baby-face Alex Salmond, clad only in nappy, fights back against the Decline and Fall of the Wholly Woman Empire, i.e. the Gibbering wreck Mrs Thatcher left the western world economy, by declaring the obvious:- most of the world’s economies use a different currency, the dollar, to their own. It’s not a big deal for Scotland if it loses the pound because it will lose its share of UK squintillion existing and future debt in the process.
By doing so he reminded us that Wome, the extraordinary mess left by Mrs Thatcher by creating funny munny in the 1980s, will eventually be conquered not by Visigoths but by Scots stating the obvious:- a system designed to be so complicated that human minds cannot understand it will inevitably lead to the operators Conning the rest of us. Yes capital C for Conservative. The Edward Heath grin lives on in spite of the disappearance of the rest of him.
I hate all nationalism and I have disagreed with Independence for Scotland up to now for that reason. But the unedifying sight of failed Tories like Ian Duncan-Smug pushing through benefit reform for the disabled and unable, and the spooning of extra borrowed trillions to the veeerrrrrrrrrrrrry rich has changed my mind. When the UK drops like an exhausted goose with avian flu into the hands of Milipede and starts to decompose and release the deadly virus, the obvious place to be is Scotland.
What do I have to do to be allowed to settle there? How many years residency or how much bribe do I have to pay to secure my place?
Sofe
I take it Sochi with you is just a metaphor for complete troll irrelevance. That’s not nice. Just because the rest of the world’s snow’s been melted along with their currencies doesn’t give you the right to take the wee. The recipe for Russian Schnapps is same as Sloe Gin, 2 or 3 frozen winkies per litre of Vodka and you pay for it in Roubles so you don’t have to think about the small value of your QE’d currency.
очень хорошо
ochen’ khorosho
“very good” in Russian