From a British diplomatic source I learn that Britain has lobbied the United States against the publication of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on torture and extraordinary rendition. The lobbying has been carried out “at all levels” – White House, State Department and CIA. The British have argued that at the very least the report must be emasculated before publication.
The British argument is that in a number of court cases including the Belhadj case, the British government has successfully blocked legal action by victims on the grounds that this would weaken the US/UK intelligence relationship and thus vitally damage national security, by revealing facts the American intelligence service wish hidden. [We will leave aside for the moment the utter shame of our servile groveling judges accepting such an argument]. The British Government are now pointing out to the Americans that this argument could be fatally weakened if major detail of the full horror and scope of torture and extraordinary rendition is revealed by the Senate Intelligence Committee. The argument runs that this could in turn lead to further revelations in the courts and block the major defence against prosecutions of Blair, Straw and Dearlove, among others, potentially unleashing a transatlantic wave of judicial activism.
The unabashed collusion of two torturing security states in concealing the truth of their despicable acts – including complicity in the torture of women and minors – and blocking criminal prosecution of the guilty is a sign of how low public ethics have sunk. Fortunately there are still a few people in the British Foreign Office disgusted enough to leak it.
This is not good. Two questions
1/. you say that the UK has lobbied the White House, State and the CIA. Do you know how receptive they have been to this UK lobbying? Have they in turn put pressure on the Senate Committee?
2/. If so, are there any first indications of what the Senate Committe is minded to do?
So Cameron and his cohort are attempting to hold the line to protect Blair, Straw and Dearlove. Incredible. In Felicity Arbuthnot’s piece on the previous thread, she reports on meetings between Blair and Cameron. The latter is now being described as ‘Heir to Blair’.
~~~
The trial of Abu Hamza is about to start in New York. Torture is mentioned in this BBC report.
‘In fighting against the extradition, his lawyers claimed some of the evidence that could be used against him in the US was obtained using torture.
They also claimed he could face inhumane treatment, but courts eventually found that his human rights would not be violated.’
Abu Hamza terror trial set to start in US
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-27015350
There is little news about Abu Qatada in Jordan.
Defence team for Abu Qatada asks for delay in terrorism trial
http://www.albawaba.com/news/abu-qatada-trial–564763
Habbabkuk,
My understanding is the response was that the Obama administration is of the same view that the report should be blocked or watered down to pointlessness. I don’t eexpect Feinstein to do much except bluster.
I hope that Obama will proceed with releasing as much of the report as is possible, and that he will do so in the interests primarily of Americans, as he is paid to. Our lobbying to prevent this is itself clear evidence of our complicity – if we had no part in it there would be no reason whatever to try to influence a foreign government. And cases thrown out on the grounds of security should be retried in the light of any relevant US findings once they become public property.
Craig,
Thanks for that. It would be good if Feinstein found a hitherto hidden pair of cojones (or had a pair grafted onto her by her Committee colleagues).
If the report does get out unexpurgated, it would not be the first time that information unavailable in the UK is dug out via the US (to whom all praise for that).
“The British have argued…”
If we were still a functioning democracy, then we would all share the blame; but the British people were unaware of what these spiteful little Bureaucrats were up to, in our name.
Rather enigmatically, she seemed to speak some sense here.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/15/feinstein-under-fire-for-israel-comments.html
whereas last year, she went along with a similar resolution.
‘Brooks also pointed out that Feinstein voted for a Senate resolution last year, sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), that contained the exact same language. That resolution passed last May by a vote of 99-0.’
She is 80.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Feinstein
Feinstein’s apparent eagerness to open up the report may have something to do with the CIA hacking the SIC’s computers last year. This from Fox News gives another, albeit rightwing, take on Feinstein –
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/03/20/freedom-for-me-but-not-for-thee-dianne-feinstein-cia-and/
Chilcot – (verb) – To Chilcot – to lightly tickle with a feather duster before taking the participant out for a lovely, boozy dinner.
How come i’m not even slightly surprised. I guess there may be electoral cycle issues which could allow publication but I doubt it….
The psychology community was less than exemplary in their response. Mitchell and Jessen were professional psychologists hired to generate torture techniques that would not leave marks and would allow euphemisms to be believed. Now everyone is running around like Captain Reynault in Casablanca, “shocked” to hear that torture has occurred
Don’t forget Jack Straw’s convoluted confirmation of the UK’s over-collecting over-influential corrupt Security State
from Andre Tyrie MP (CON) http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debate/?id=2010-03-18b.1057.0
: I shall quote the then Foreign Secretary, Mr. Straw, who likened what I and others were suggesting to conspiracy theories. He said:
“Unless we all start to believe in conspiracy theories and that the officials are lying, that I am lying, that behind this there is some kind of secret state which is in league with some dark forces in the United States…there simply is no truth in the claims that the United Kingdom had been involved in rendition”
you can see why UKUSA is lobbying hard!
Yes, what IS going on exactly with the Chilcot inquiry report?
It may be that that report, when it finally emerges, will be less anodyne than many suspect. There are some FCO mandarins of the older generation who might not be adverse to putting in the boot into the Blair administrations….
I read the Fox story. Interesting I had never hear of British General Warrants before; I can see why the American colonials were annoyed by them. Whilst reading it up popped up an F Type Jag ad with the line “There’s a new British villain in town”.
Seems much too personalized, and too benign about why Britain is lobbying against the release of the report.
There are assassinations that the UK has to be worried about, like that of GMP Chief Constable Mike Todd who had been completely frustrated in investigating, and the list of individuals would have to be increased to include officials like MI5 Directors, especially Jonathan ‘Bob’ Evans, key officers in the police, and those in GCHQ.
A proper inquiry calls for more than just picking out a few most disliked ones, as Britain has been up to its ears in the process, and its cover up.
Britain has always used torture, subsequent governments have always covered it up.
There was one prisoner who had been held by the Gestapo and by the British at the London cage in WWII who said that the British were by far the worse.
Mike Rogers, who is retiring from the House, is the mirror-image of Feinstein. He’s got big plans for carving his ideal Security State.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/30/mike-rogers-2016_n_5058537.html
“”You know, Ronald Reagan back in 1980 — I don’t have to tell you — used his platform as a radio commentator to run for president,” said Wallace. “So is that a consideration for you? Are you prepared at this point to rule out any interest in 2016?”
“Ronald Reagan used his platform on radio to run for president of the United States? I had no idea, Chris,” replied Rogers with a coy, joking smile.
After a long pause, Wallace responded, “So what are you saying?”
“Listen, I’m going to take it where it goes,” said Rogers. “This is a very unique opportunity that I will be able to talk about issues in ways you don’t hear on a national radio platform today, about the importance of national security, foreign policy and all of the issues facing America. … My goal here is to be as engaging as I can and to get listeners’ opinion.”
Rogers will have a radio show on stations affiliated with Atlanta-based Cumulus Media. His interest in broadcasting dates back to his time in college, when he had a radio show. He has also been a frequent TV guest while in Congress.
On Sunday, Rogers also criticized “celebrity politicians using issues” in a way that is “detrimental to the national security of the United States,” although he declined to name names.
“In 2006, Cumulus acquired control of Susquehanna Radio, with the backing of 3 venture capital firms (Bain Capital Partners LLC, The Blackstone Group and Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P.) for a price of $1.2 Billion.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulus_Media
The usual suspects….
Bain Capital is Romney’s baby.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829
BLACKSTONE is just one tentacle on the Octopus.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/edwindurgy/2012/06/05/the-founding-fathers-of-private-equity-how-mitt-romney-stacks-up/
“Blum’s wife, Senator Dianne Feinstein, has received scrutiny due to her husband’s government contracts and extensive business dealings with China and her past votes on trade issues with the country. Blum has denied any wrongdoing, however.[3] Critics have argued that business contracts with the US government awarded to a company (Perini) controlled by Blum may raise a potential conflict-of-interest issue with the voting and policy activities of his wife.[4] URS Corp, which Blum had a substantial stake in, bought EG&G, a leading provider of technical services and management to the U.S. military, from The Carlyle Group in 2002; EG&G subsequently won a $600m defense contract.[1]
In 2009 it was reported that Blum’s wife Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to provide $25 billion in taxpayer money to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, a government agency that had recently awarded her husband’s real estate firm, CB Richard Ellis, what the Washington Times called “a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms.”[5]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_C._Blum
Blum Capital is associated with CBRE; a Blackstone tentacle.
Is the picture becoming clearer?
Fred
“There was one prisoner who had been held by the Gestapo and by the British at the London cage in WWII who said that the British were by far the worse.”
_______________
After pointing to the fact that not everyone held by the Gestapo was actually tortured (especially before the war, and in Germany itself), I should like to ask Fred to provide more info on the above; for example, who was this prisoner?
{On a historical note, further info for Fred : after the partition of Poland in 1939, there were exchanges between the NKVD and Gestapo of Communists and /or Jews who had fled from Nazi Germany (who were handed over to the Gestapo) and of refugees from Soviet Russia (who were handed over by the Gestapo). Several, writing after the war (Mrs M.Buber-Neumann was one), claimed that their treatment in Soviet Russia was worse than their treatment by the Gestapo.}
Ben
“Is the picture becoming clearer?”
_________________
No. For God’s sake make your point clearly and preferably succinctly.
You can lead a Jackass to water…….
He, of course, is critical of Blackstone Group.
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-courts-private-equity-cash-at-new-york-fundraiser/
Was David Miliband also complicit?
Is the picture becoming clearer?
Yes Ben and it is all so horribly predictable.
Mary; Feinstein is being portrayed as a reformer, but she is jacked-into the same mindset.
Of course, she was upset that her own ox was gored (her credibility?) and she feigns some precious outrage.
” block the major defence against prosecutions of Blair, Straw and Dearlove, among others ”
such as David Cameron and William Hague
Lovely stuff. Spooky!
Artists and council seek to protect ‘Banksy’ artwork in Cheltenham
http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Artists-council-seek-protect-Banksy-artwork/story-20955528-detail/story.html
http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276334/Article/images/20955528/6013143-large.jpg