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.
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Mary
“No not cowardly or ignorant. Possessor of the characteristics of a lion and very well informed.”
_________________-
Then prove it to your avid readers by telling them exactly why you think Roderic Lyne’s an “establishment stooge”. 🙂
Guano
“I also heard the plummy Lyne…”
____________-
That mention of “plummy” reminded me of something I’d been meaning to ask you. Do you drink a lot of prune juice? It could just be an explanation…
“Do you believe that Putin is the world’s richest leader?”
He is certainly a liar about his income however – his declared income on his public tax returns is less than the equivalent of £100k per annum. Masha Gessen’s book provides plenty of evidence regarding his personal financial wealth and even if it doesn’t make him the richest leader in the World (his fellow crook in Kazakhstan will be up there aa well)he is certainly a contender.
@Mary
The Russian side was given as “trying to destabilise the Ukraine”. I used to really think the BBC made an effort to be balanced.
So who do you think all those balaclaved types, wearing very similar uniforms without insiginia, and well armed and drilled in Eastern Ukraine at the present are. Google and you can find the photos.
Just a clue their uniform and equipment is very similar to the same types in Crimea.
“Discussing this vote, I found – to my surprise – that even people outside the governing Ba’ath party, including some of Assad’s political opponents, said they would support him.”
Shadows of Iraq, Mary. I guess the people recognize Assad is the best bad idea we have.
I didn’t weep over Saddam’s demise, but in retrospect I think Iraq and the Region have suffered more from ousting a dicktator, than any rape room or evil prescribed by a tyrant’s rule.
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/vladimir-putin-poorest-kremlin-official-declaration-shows-507483
Those who believe this, will also believe everything that Vlad says – I should add that the number of Russians who believe this can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Ah, yes. The regime change magic-bullet.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/131023/two-years-after-gaddafi-libya-revolution-anniversary
“Two years after the capture and death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi, a new saying has emerged in Libya: “Before we only had one Gaddafi, but now we have hundreds.”
As GlobalPost chatted to locals in the streets of Tripoli, all complained of the current situation, but none openly showed any love of their former ruler.
“I’m glad we got rid of Gaddafi of course, but it’s tough now,” said banker Taher Giuma. “Libya is ruled by militias who enforce their agenda on the government, but I hope it will improve in time.”
Others drew comparisons between the old regime and the new.
“There was a lot of talk during the revolution of change, but the new government do not do anything different,” said Radwan Smeda as he sat in Martyrs’ Square. “Before you couldn’t say anything bad about Gaddafi. Now you can’t accuse the rebels no matter what they do. It’s the same old system. Only the faces have changed.”
Zionists going full Jihadist.
http://www.juancole.com/2014/04/settlers-christian-village.html
“Just weeks before Pope Francis’ first official visit to the Holy Land, a number of Christian holy sites in Israel and Palestine have been targeted in ‘price tag’ attacks by the radical Israeli settler movement. These attacks have been increasing since 2008.
Just weeks before Pope Francis’ first official visit to the Holy Land – the first Papal visit in 50 years – a number of Christian holy sites in Israel and Palestine have been targeted in ‘price tag’ attacks by the radical Israeli settler movement. The most recent attack occurred at the Our Lady at Deir Rafat Monastery located on the site of the depopulated former Arab village of the same name, north-west of the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. The graffiti, sprayed in Hebrew on the outer walls of the Monastery, read ‘Jesus is an ape and Mary is a cow’, to which the Latin (Catholic) Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, responded, ‘I don’t believe this is a proper way to receive the Holy Father here next month.’ However, this is only the latest in what the UN High Commission reported was a 150% increase in ‘price tag’ attacks since 2008, with over 788 registered attacks from 2012-2013.
@Resident-Dissident That was my quote, not Mary’s. If you had listened to radio 4 this morning and were anything like of independent mind you’d have seen it as biased. They may be “pro-Russian” or they may be “anti-Kiev” but they are not Russian. Channel 4 tracked one of the balaclava-clad to hospital after he was injured, and later interviewed him. He was clearly Ukrainian. Thank goodness Channel 4 is not as bias as the BBC, which does now appear to be edited by neo-cons.
Thank goodness Kerry and Ashton weren’t similarly looking to raise the anti and achieved a remarkable agreement with Lavrov this afternoon.
Of course, we shouldn’t assume Putin could be bested by neo-nazis in their blood feuds.
We have many examples of how evil dicktators produce a panacea for progress when they are removed.
I expect some pushback on Zios from Cameron; him being a good christian, and all.
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2014/04/camerons-christianity-is-sanitised-and-shallow/#more-82967
“Presumably Cameron and his aides have had a little chat and realised that around this time of year small ‘c’ conservatives are thinking a little more about Christianity than they ordinarily would. And they’ve decided, as they do most years, that it might be a good idea to reinforce their leader’s claims to being a man of religious depth.
Speaking as a Christian and a student of religion who disagrees profoundly with the spirit of Cameron’s premiership so far, I have some serious theological problems with what he’s had to say.
Of course, Cameron’s right that religion can ‘help people to have a moral code’. He’s probably also right that non-believers and hardline secularists may underestimate the importance of this for the health of society (though some would inevitably also say that it is precisely this ‘moral code’ that is the problem).
One of the places where Cameron has pointed people this Easter for Christianity’s ‘moral code’, though, is Jesus instruction to ‘love thy neighbour’. And here he is a little… weak.”
RD as confused as ever. Wonder how many other blogs they have to patro
~~~
In sharp contrast to the Oborne piece on Syria, we discover that Mr Zionist Harper has a plan afoot, in fact several.
As children in post war Britain, we were led to hold Canada in high esteem. Part of the Commonwealth they had come to our aid in large numbers. There was much imagery including handsome Mounties in red and navy.
http://assets.hightimes.com/royal-canadian-mounted-police-marijuana.jpg
All Empire and decency and the beautiful maple leaf. Now it is a rotten imitation of that federation to its south where goodness and principle are rare amongst those with power. And we all know why and say it.
Canada Plans to Invade Syria
The pro-Israeli government of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is making diplomatic and military preparations for military intervention in Syria, leaked documents show.
Canada’s National Defense has drawn up at least five scenarios for the country’s military mission in Syria, according to documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.
/..
http://www.globalresearch.ca/canada-plans-to-invade-syria/5378030
Incredible.
…..patrol and police.
Lurch declares ‘peace in our time’ on Ukraine. lol
http://thehill.com/news/administration/203788-kerry-says-deal-reached-on-ukraine-violence
We should all hope so, Joker. The alternative (money war) will be pretty bad Economically for both Europe and the US.
Kerry has done good. The stumbling block with be the Eastern Ukrainians who have been so outraged by activities in Kiev in recent months that that won’t retreat until the last neo-fascist is purged from the Ukrainian parliament.
Mary.
Exploitation through-
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony
“We should all hope so, Joker…”
We can hope in one hand, and shite in the other, then wait to see which fills first. I don’t trust the useful idiot, beyond his mindless gaffes, as gaffes.
John Pilger
Nato’s action plan in Ukraine is right out of Dr Strangelove
From China to Ukraine, the US is pursuing its longstanding ambition to dominate the Eurasian landmass
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/17/nato-ukraine-dr-strangelove-china-us
17 April 2014
John Stanton
FIDO and General Wes Clark in Ukraine
US Advisors on the Ground, Deadly Messenger
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/04/fido-and-general-wes-clark-in-ukraine/
16 April 2014
FIDO = Foreign Internal Defense Operations
“In 1964, the year Dr Strangelove was made, “the missile gap” was the false flag. To build more and bigger nuclear weapons and pursue an undeclared policy of domination, President John F Kennedy approved the CIA’s propaganda that the Soviet Union was well ahead of the US in the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles. This filled front pages as the “Russian threat”. In fact, the Americans were so far ahead in production of the missiles, the Russians never approached them. The cold war was based largely on this lie.”
I remember the 80’s when Reagan was pushing the MX missile which he double-speak renamed ‘Peacekeeper”
He used pictures of ancient USSR missiles with massive hydrogen powered missiles and compared them to our smaller but more powerful sold-fuel stages to make the enemy appear larger than reality. It’s an old strategy.
I somehow feel some sympathy for our local Authoritarians who must defuse the evidence. 🙂
Yup. Looks like Putin wins again:
““It calls for an immediate commencement of a broad national dialogue which must be inclusive, transparent and accountable,” he said.
Lavrov stressed that measures to disarm illegal armed groups and free seized buildings would apply to all regions of Ukraine without exception.
“The measures we have stated concern all regions of Ukraine without exception and all problematic questions without exception,” he said.”
http://en.itar-tass.com/world/728551
Interesting chap this, Andrii Deshchytsia, who represented the Kiev govt, in his capacity as acting Foreign Minister designate.
Seems he’s a career diplomat:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrii_Deshchytsia
Machine back firmly in control then, eh.
“We can hope in one hand, and shite in the other, then wait to see which fills first. I don’t trust the useful idiot, beyond his mindless gaffes, as gaffes.”
Another one for the downstairs loo
Not quite, Herbie…
It will be interesting to see Svboda (sp?) getting voluntarily disarmed…
Details are starting to leak, but what is really needed is a another brave whistleblower;
http://www.alternet.org/world/5-explosive-revelations-leaked-senate-report-exposing-cia-torture?page=0%2C0&paging=off%A4t_page%3D1
Ah…regime change.
Baghdad now WORLD’S WORST city.
http://news.yahoo.com/once-arab-model-baghdad-now-worlds-worst-city-171513551.html
A trillion dollars in gold, and countless pints of human blood. How long before we can flatten the learning curve?
Snap Ben ! I just posted that link on the previous thread !
Anyhow, there’s another;
http://antiwar.com/blog/2014/04/16/most-reported-deaths-in-syria-have-not-been-committed-by-assad-regime/
Macky;
“Update: This post should be absorbed along with the news that Syrian opposition fighters now have U.S.-made anti-tank missiles given to them by Saudi Arabia with Washington’s consent.”
Because of the economics of warfare. It’s not personal; just bizness.
Weird that we posted just minutes apart, Macky.
A couple more;
Pity there wasn’t any Swedes on Yashika Bageerathi’s recent deportation flight;
http://rudaw.net/english/world/16042014
The Government making full use of the truthism of Dead Men Don’t Talk;
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/16/us-britain-iraq-inquiry-idUSBREA3F1IE20140416