If bombing a country really made it better, we would have made a paradise of Iraq by now. Instead it is a total disaster, with access to electricity, drinking water, education and health services all far worse than they were before we started bombing it. That is even without the growth of the Caliphate, or ISIS, a direct result first of our deposing Saddam and conniving in the intolerant Shia rule of Maliki, and then of our connivance in arming and funding anyone willing to fight Assad.
So now we are told we have to bomb Iraq yet again, and this time, finally, that will make it all better. There are two extraordinary contradictions in the British position.
1) The justification in international law given by the neo-cons for the current bombing of Iraq is that it is at the invitation of the government of Iraq. But simultaneously they propose to bomb Syria to attack the government of Syria. This is the most astonishing hypocrisy.
2) The Caliphate forces were encouraged and trained by the CIA initially. They continue to be massively financed from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. In fact, the Caliphate is still funded to a massive degree from the very states who are currently bombing them alongside the United States – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. It is the ruling families of those states which are attacking ISIS in an official capacity, who are financing ISIS in a private capacity. The BBC manages to avoid any mention of Saudi funding for ISIS. The interests of the City of London are, as always, the most important factor for the British establishment.
The security state here in the UK needs the “War on Terror” to justify its continued existence and the power and jobs of those who administer it. One thing that is certain to keep the conflict going, and thus keep the security state going, is for us to start bombing the Middle East again.
The right wing old crawler Menzies Campbell just came on the BBC to support British bombing. Stand by to see the Unionist parties united in neo-imperialist brotherhood.
“Not in my Name”
I heard Kay Burley on Sky gleefully saying there was now a majority of public opinion in favour of bombing. Is this true in Scotland? If not, NIMN may be a good way for the SNP to retain their momentum.
I’ve said it before, I think…
if you listen to the current crop of politicians on the radio, ignoring their carefully-choreographed TV appearances, you can judge what an utter bunch of artificial-gold-plated born-again phonies they actually are.F’r instance, there’s a special voice for rousing the uncritical rabble at a party conference -not quite on the verge of cracking, pitched higher than usual, forced, heavily emphasised for the media. It’s the tone Thatcher used for ‘the lady’s not for turning’ and IDS used for his ‘quiet man’ failure. Blair’s ‘education, education…’ soundbite was delivered the same way. And you can sometimes distinguish the speaker’s own feeling that he’d rather not be delivering this mendacious dross tailored for a mental age of 6, but inventing expenses to claim.
The voice, in other words, is a dead giveaway. Miliband – neglecting his problems with articulation, which he can’t help – is as bad as anyone by this criterion. And 56 uses of the word ‘together’ in his conference address ranks with North Korean brainwashing.
Ishmael don’t let the bullies get to you, they try it just about anyone who is new here, your contributions are as valid than theirs, so don’t despair and pop back some time.
IS is the key to Syria’s backdoor and Ba’als point about the zionists plan, from the Nile to the Euphrates, a clean break, has been taken a long time ago, a significant part of it is the war on terrorism, wrongly labelled, it should be war on all who want to be Independent.
We are sleepwalking into one war after the other, line them all up and call it our world war abroad.
How did it feel, daddy? when Britain bombed Syria, how many civilians died, did they bomb our country? how many died here daddy?
we are being led by psychopath and warmongers who’s economies can only function if they sell enough arms, we are up shit creek approaching the rapids.
Since the Arab royal families are helping to fight ISIS, why would they fund them?
The funding came first. This was intended to extend Salafist fundamentalism, to which Saudi Arabia remains committed, and which IS claims to embody. The ‘fight’ -we have yet to see details of how precisely Qatar etc have come to the aid of the party, but I bet it isn’t to embarrassingly effective – is partly for propaganda purposes; the US does not want to be seen as the prime mover in this, as its reputation stinks already (also the domestic vote has yet to be convinced re. more bodybags), and partly because of a belated realisation among even the Salafist Saudis that IS is not business-friendly.
Ba’als point … has been taken a long time ago…
I wish. It has to be reiterated constantly, because it still isn’t general knowledge. And it’s well documented too.
Oh, and, Abe, it might help to remember that before IS became IS, or even ISIS, its disparate membership was wearing white hats, fighting bad bad bad Assad. Probably with the help of USUKIS special forces, Gulf-supplied arms and money, and the blessings of all right-thinking couch potatoes.
Thanks designed for sharing such a nice opinion, piece
of writing is fastidious, thats why i have read it fully
‘Though maybe who knows, if I choose to chat up that forign girl? The end, god fobid shes irish and Darwin followers find out, id be shot “lest evolution march backward into the swirling mists of the dawnless past”. ‘
We have some Irish girls posting here. They seem to me to be just as intelligent as anyone else and decidedly more so than some.
Strange, innit? Before even one page of comments, the spambots have homed in. Is this perhaps a contentious topic?
(I looking forward read ur marvellous blog again discover wealth of jolly chat and buy nearly real handbags)
I wonder again who really is in charge. It doesn’t appear to be the various elected authoritarians who preach to us. Obama has literally never looked like a guy in charge. Agent Cameron is the most connected man in the UK, but not intelligent enough to be PM. Abbott is – obviously and patently – just not PM material. Sponsored stooges repeating their lines.
So, we are about to engage in more murder. Abbott didn’t even have a debate, though Shorten (another stooge) backs him all the way, with the usual fine, mere, words of faux-dissent to placate the masses.
This invasion will be the usual disaster, and most of us know it. I’m afraid actual, genuine psychopaths are in positions of serious power, and they don’t care what any of us think. None of this ends well.
Although the US has not declared war since 1942, this is the seventh country that Barack Obama, the holder of the Nobel Peace Prize, has bombed in as many years.
http://rt.com/usa/190048-usa-bombing-six-country/
Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, said today that President Obama “really ought to consider” returning his Nobel Peace Prize Medal immediately, including the “really nice” case it came in.
IN MEMORY: EMAD & QASSEM ELWAN
http://humanizepalestine.com/2014/07/18/in-memory-emad-qassem-elwan/
Anyone else noticed how both Obama and Blair both wear the same haggard mask of shame. They both possess hearts of stone and souls
of burning embers from which no amount of prayer to their false gods, nor public justification through fake foundations, nor indeed their multi millions in dirty money will EVER alleviate
John Crace impales Ed and watches him squirm today:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/23/ed-miliband-labour-party-conference-speech-sketch
Just so.
creating Khorasan was a means to legitimising war on Syria –
CBS: At U.N., Obama builds support for a mission he’s already started
Still, Rhodes said that when Mr. Obama addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, the message will be for the rest of the world to line up behind the United States’ leadership.
It’s a very important moment for the president to put everything that we’re doing in the context of U.S. leadership in the world,” Rhodes said. “We are leading a coalition of countries against ISIL. We are leading an effort to combat the outbreak of Ebola. We are leading an effort to impose costs on Russia and to support the Ukrainian people… We believe that the constant thread between them is U.S. leadership.”…
In a letter sent to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power laid out the legal rationale for the air strikes. She asserted that the U.S. was acting on behalf of Iraq, which requested the United States’ help in defending itself against ISIS. Power cited “the right of individual and collective self-defense” in Article 51 of the U.N. Charter to justify strikes in Syria.
“States must be able to defend themselves…
The strikes against ISIS were conducted with the help of five Arab nations, but the United States unilaterally went after the al Qaeda-affiliated group Khorasan. Power argued in her letter that those strikes were “to address terrorist threats that they pose to the United States and our partners and allies.”…
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/at-u-n-obama-builds-support-for-a-mission-hes-already-started/
American leadership doesn’t extend to helping Nigeria fight Boko Haram, it would seem! Nigeria tried to buy the helicopters from US & Western Europe but were turned down, & now…
US Blocks Nigeria’s Purchase of Chinook Helicopters from Israel
“They have blocked us from procuring the helicopters and would not provide us with intelligence despite the fact that they have several drones and sophisticated aircraft overflying the North-east of Nigeria from bases in Niger and Chad where the Boko Haram fighters and movements are clearly in their sights.
“This belies their stance they want to help us to defeat the terrorists and help to rescue the Chibok girls.”…
He also wondered why the same US would refuse to assist Nigeria based on unsubstantiated claims of human rights violations, which the military has repeatedly denied and insisted are carried out by Boko Haram insurgents wearing Nigerian military uniforms, yet the same US turns a blind eye to the same human rights violations committed by countries like Israel.
“Look at what happened in the recent war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza strip. Israel repeatedly bombed school compounds and UN buildings and in the process killed scores of women and children.
“Even the UN cried out against the targeting of its facilities by Israeli forces, yet the US did nothing and will continue to supply arms and ammunition to Israel to defend itself against Palestinians and other hostile neighbours in the Middle East,” the security analyst said…
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/us-blocks-nigeria-s-purchase-of-chinook-helicopters-from-israel/189710/
FROM COMMENTS: US has never been any ally to Nigeria. The earlier our people and government realize that the better for us. Look at this two scenarios: US predicted Nigerian disintegration by 2015 and suddenly we have Boko insurgency on our laps and the same US is blocking our moves to fight them. Secondly America wanted troops in Liberia and Nigeria blocked it and suddenly there is a certain disease ravaging Liberia and now US is bringing in 3,000 troops to combat it. My question is, is ebola armed with sophisticated weapons that we need military to combat?
An excellent piece Oddie that puts US bare knuckled hypocrisy, duplicity and lip service in a very large pornographic frame.
Agreed about the bombing but Craig, drop the anti-unionist rhetoric, you lost – move on man.
fred 23 Sep, 2014 – 7:53 pm
“It’s only speculation but to my mind if nuclear weapons had gone missing and if Saddam wasn’t too bothered about people thinking he might have them it would explain an awful lot.”
Would it explain this quote from Project for the New American Century, signed by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz), Jeb Bush, Lewis Libby and others from the GW Bush government which invaded Iraq 3 years later?
“Strange, innit? Before even one page of comments, the spambots have homed in. Is this perhaps a contentious topic?”
You over-estimate your importance, Baal. Like many a deluded Murrayista, you believe the security agencies are desperate to thwart the comments on Craig Murray’s blog for the danger they pose to the international ‘USUKIS’ regime. It’s really quite sad..
Brendan
“So, we are about to engage in more murder.”
Hard to know how else to deal with people who behead, rape and crucify their way across the Middle East.
Btw, I meant to ask – how did your last minute bet on Scotch independence go?
If I have made you sad, Anon, I am extremely happy. Tosser.
Ray
“Agreed about the bombing but Craig, drop the anti-unionist rhetoric, you lost – move on man.”
The constant whinging is about the only thing that leads me to believe Craig may well be Scottish.
Thanks for the encoraging words obove. I dont have a very thick skin atm.
I’m not after uniformity of opinion. And mine are pretty fluid, im really not trying to make myself out to be somthing special. Maybe I shold give it time.
Ba’al Zevul,
I feel like I jumped down your throught a bit at the start. Sorry about that. Guess it’s just feeling out basic intent to sort out who’s who. not easy on the net. I really should’nt rush to stuff with people I don’t know. And even then not very helpfull.
Ishmael – no problem. I do have a thick skin. Recommend you get some practice on a rightwing American forum if you need to get your eye in for this lot. I reserve the right to disagree with anyone at any time; my opinions are my own. Go thou and do likewise.
Don’t let the bastards grind you down
I can just see Anon giving Ray Jhinghar-Don (geddit? Fnaaar) some oral relief…
Thank for the intriguing synopsis! Your thoughts on this subject matter make compelling reading. I was endeavouring though this piece to find suitable attire for Komodo dragons. Discount prices available upon request.
Hard to know how else to deal with people who behead, rape and crucify their way across the Middle East.
Why not leave them to it like Saudi Arabia. I know i’m being stupid. ‘we’ don’t leave them to it do we. Quite helpful it seems to me.
I’m getting board with this hymn sheet.
We could do a little to help. Maybe that involves staying out of oil rich areas under false pretext against international law.
The rest of world is messed up isn’t it, like why arn’t they all in Iraq, Bombing the hell out of people. ‘fighting the good fight’. What an example we are.
I agree with Craig, a pathological rouge state. It constanly upsets me, the harm it does to others and the UK, I guess we won’t see the racist meme drop off any time soon. All this war is screwing up this country in so many ways.
^ I could build a complete conspiracy theory around that alone
( the Bacofoil Hat post)
“Would it explain this quote from Project for the New American Century, signed by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz), Jeb Bush, Lewis Libby and others from the GW Bush government which invaded Iraq 3 years later?”
Well yes. If three nuclear warheads had gone walkabouts Dick Cheney would have been Secretary for Defence at the time, Wofowitz Under Secretary and legally obliged to inform the UN.