After leaving the British diplomatic service because of my commitment to Human Rights, and horror at their abuse by the US and UK in the “War on Terror”, I applied for a job at Human Rights Watch. I travelled to New York for a job interview, which was chaired by Kenneth Roth. Rather to my surprise, it revolved almost entirely around Israel, and whether I would agree with the proposition that Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israelis were a major threat to human rights, which HRW should work against.
I replied that any criminal attack on a person was in effect an intrusion on their human rights. That in my view “terrorism” consisted of activities which had always been illegal, such as murder or conspiracy to murder, and that the “anti-terrorism” industry was already massive without Human Rights Watch joining in. I felt that HRW could best operate by continuing to expose abuse of power by authorities.
I didn’t get the job.
Anyway, HRW have now produced a useful paper cataloguing the fact that all recent “terrorist plots” in the United States have been agent provocateur operations initiated by the massive anti-terror industry to keep itself in business. Some convicted terrorists were even ideologically opposed to terrorism before being brainwashed into it by FBI agents.
This is all important and true, but the problem is that most of us have known this for years. HRW also steer clear of some of the glaring inconsistencies in the Tsarnaev narrative.
A completely different subject, but another example of the mainstream catching up with this blog eventually, Scotland on Sunday
has noticed the fact that Jean-Claude Juncker supports Scotland’s membership of the EU. The interesting thing is that the journalist, Andrew Whitaker, has apparently spoken to the same source that I spoke to two weeks ago, and got almost precisely the same answers.
“However, a high-ranking EU official last night stated Junker “would not want Scotland to be kept out”. The source said: “He’d be sympathetic as someone who is from a smaller country…
Scotland would be “exempt” from the process as it is already a signatory to core requirements for nation states in areas as such employment rights and equality legislation because of its 40-year membership of the EU as part of the UK.”
The fact is that the source I spoke to (apologies convention is they can’t be named) was absolutely the obvious place to go. Plainly James Cook of the BBC and now Andrew Whitaker eventually got there, but only after the entire media in Scotland had run with the opposite and entirely untrue story. But it was not at all difficult to discover the truth. It took me twenty minutes, ten days before any journalist even thought of it. Now we finally have some belated journalism happening by people who, unlike me, are actually paid to do it.
Gilad Atzmon of the expelling of Professor Falk from HRW
‘In my new satirical work, “A Glossary of Zionist Power,” which I am now completing, I include entries for Soros and his Open Society. In the book, Soros is a ‘Jew who supports a lot of good causes that are also very good for the Jews’ and The Open Society Foundation ‘is dedicated to the transformation of deprived people into Guardian readers’. Surely I will now have to add an entry for the HRW and Roth. Both are nothing short of ‘Zionist fig-leaves’ and, like all Jewish progressive outlets that are dedicated to Jewish tribal and ethno centric campaigning, HRW is there to monitor, control and even stifle any criticism of Israel if it should ever get too close to the bone, i.e. touching on the Jewish character of the Jewish state.’
[..]
‘Professor Falk had little chance of surviving within such a tribal milieu and the reason is pretty simple. Unlike Zionist Neuer, Liberal Zionist Soros, and ‘Anti-Zionist Zionist’ Roth, Professor Falk actually represents the ultimate success of the Zionist project. Early Zionism promised to transform the Jews into ‘people like all other people.’ Zionism vowed to bring to life a Jew who transcends the tribal, a Jew who thinks universally and ethically. Early Zionists also believed that such a transformation could be achieved only in Palestine. Of course, they were wrong, but no one can ignore the fact that the greatest and most prolific Jewish universalists are actually Israelis (Professor Yishayahu Leibovitch, Professor Israel Shahak, Nurit & Miko Peled, Gideon Levy, Amira Hass, Uri Avneri, Ilan Pappe, Israel Shamir and many, many more). But Professor Falk and a few others have managed to achieve a similar goal in the Diaspora. Those Jews whom we most admire and whose integrity we most trust such as Professor Norton Mezvinsky, Professor Norman Finkelstein, Professor Falk – all have something in common — they do not operate within Jews-only political cells. Unlike JVP, IJAN, HRW and Mondoweiss, all of whom are dedicated primarily to promoting Jewish interests, they are dedicated to universal values.’
http://dissidentvoice.org/2012/12/watch-human-right-watch-a-tribute-to-professor-richard-falk/
Prince George was photographed at the Natural History Museum.
Shame that the Director quoted in the blurb
‘Sir Michael Dixon, director of the Natural History Museum, said: “It was a real pleasure to host our patron and her family earlier this month. They seemed to enjoy their visit, wandering through the tropical plants as brightly coloured butterflies took flight around them.”‘
allowed arms dealers from the Farnborough Airshow to hire the museum in 2012 for a function.
‘Natural History Museum hired by arms dealers
The Natural History Museum hosted the official Farnborough International Reception on Monday 9th July 2012. Arms dealers celebrated their first day of business in the shadow of the Museum’s famous Diplodocus.
We took action to ask the Museum not to support the Farnborough arms fair, where weapons sales are promoted to human rights abusers. Our public institutions should not be supporting the arms trade.
http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/arms-fairs/farnborough/nhm.php ‘
~~
My letter
Dear Dr Dixon,
I was very disappointed to learn that the main reception for Farnborough International will be held at the Museum this July.
Farnborough International is an international arms fair which brings governments which abuse human rights together with weapons sellers. In 2010 the delegations included Libya, Bahrain, China, Saudi Arabia and Algeria.
I support the Museum’s mission to inspire better care of our planet; I do not believe that the Museum’s support for events which promote the arms trade is compatible with that mission. Please cancel the reception and end the Museum’s association with the arms trade
Yours sincerely etc
~~
Reply
Dear Mary,
Thank you for your email addressed to Dr Dixon. The Director is aware of your concerns and we have been asked to respond on his behalf.
We routinely make parts of our building available for private hire by charities, companies, government bodies and individuals for a wide range of events throughout the year. These private events are not partnerships, sponsorships, and the hirers do not have any an association with us beyond the rental of the space. Farnborough International Ltd is not a corporate sponsor or patron of the Museum.
The income from hiring our spaces provides a valuable source of revenue which enables us to continue important research into understanding the natural world, as well as provide inspiring exhibitions and events for over 4 million visitors a year. Our goal is to maintain and develop the national collections to promote the discovery, understanding, responsible use and enjoyment of the natural world. We do not campaign or lobby for any other organisation or cause unrelated to that mission.
We appreciate that commercial activities can give rise to a range of opinions and we respect your right to hold different views. Should you have any further queries related to specifically to Farnborough International Ltd activities please contact them directly at enquiries at farnborough.com.
Yours sincerely,
Customer Services
The Natural History Museum
feedback at nhm.ac.uk
~~
ie Get lost!
On the interview – this was back in 2004 and I had not said anything in public (or notably in private) about my views on Israel/Palestine, since my student days. There was no reason to bring it up as regards my agenda. It was solely to do with HRW’s agenda.
On HRW is general, they do some very good work in places. They did in Uzbekistan, and this latest report on agents provocateurs is good.
Craig
“On HRW is general, they do some very good work in places.”
Of course they do some good work. They have to retain some credibility to keep people applauding.
As with all do-good institutions embedded in the corporate state it is the partial focus of their efforts which reveal their allegiances.
For every never read report that speaks slightly counter to the interests of empire there are a thousand essential reports not written. Think of it like the BBC, in that it is the weight of the reporting that influences, if that makes it easier for you.
Keep up Craig. The Sunday Sport is behind you.
“On HRW is general, they do some very good work in places. They did in Uzbekistan, and this latest report on agents provocateurs is good.”
Of course. Same with Amnesty. Alas, the allegations of state department interference seem quite legitimate. I quit Amnesty, after yet another mailout which highlighted a country which was currently in the sights of the neocons. Soft propaganda, it seemed to me. Of course, not everyone in HRW or Amnesty is a spook or a neocon, just a few in the leadership. Much the same as newspapers, I suppose, but they have great influence. I’m personally surprised Craig got an interview. I’m sure he merited one … hence the surprise he actually got one.
Though, reading the bullshit about MH17 over the last few days, I wonder if the spooks have just totally taken over our media, and no journalists at all are left. It’s been … weird. I really am at the stage of just not bothering anymore. I’ll stick to the sport, and maybe the odd Martian landing stuff. That’s quite cool. If it’s real. And who really knows anymore?
On the absence of journalism, Gordon Brown announced that Scotland after independence would be excluded from the organ donor system currently operating in the UK (actually it operates over all of the EU). Many of the major titles ran with this story prominent in their Scottish editions. However a brief phone call to the NHSBT Donor Line reveals that the story is untrue. Of course no corrections will be printed, and those unable or too lazy to check will be left with Brown’s lie. Mission accomplished.
This sort of lying absolutely depends on highly disciplined media compliance – were there the slightest chance that that investigative telephone call would would have been made by just one journalist then the lie could not have been told.
This from a poem by Tom Leonard:
2 a.m.
In a territory without a valid state
where the journalists validate the politicians
and the politicians validate the journalists
http://wingsoverscotland.com/oh-wait-you-wont-die/
Maybe you should found a news magazine. 🙂
Craig
There was no reason to bring it up as regards my agenda. It was solely to do with HRW’s agenda.
_______________________
1/. Re your agenda : perhaps there was no reason, but they may have wanted to see whether you harboured (positive) thoughts on human rights and Palestinian terrorism similar to those entertained by quite a number of your followers on here.
Which leads me to
2/ HRW’s agenda : which may be to condemn human rights abuses universally and, therefore, nit to employ someone who would turn a blind eye to those committed by Palestinians.
The sockpuppets are really scraping the barrel now.
Desperate stuff.