It is ten years since I ended my FCO career by going on the Today programme and blowing the whistle on CIA/MI6 complicity in torture. It was on my 46th birthday, and I was in my second year as an Ambassador and my seventh as a top Whitehall civil servant, a member of the Senior Civil Service.
Looking back now, what is most striking are the blatant lies by the FCO that they were not obtaining intelligence from torture. As the BBC reported:
In one he claimed MI6 had used information passed on to it by the CIA but originally obtained in Uzbek torture cells – something strongly denied by the Foreign Office.
I do not think there is a single person in public life or social media nowadays who would not accept that the FCO were simply lying. Jack Straw was blatantly to lie about it to parliament. But ten years ago the public and media knew much less than they know now. Nobody outside secret circles had ever heard the words extraordinary rendition. It was a year later – May 2005 – before the New York Times revealed the CIA was sending people to Uzbekistan to be tortured, precisely as I had stated.
It sounds incredible, but in October 2004 many people believed it was Craig Murray who was a liar, not Jack Straw. Again I do not think there is a single individual today who does not understand that Jack Straw was lying through his teeth. But back in 2004 life was hard for me.
After going on the Today programme I went on the run, in fear for my life. I am not paranoid, remember David Kelly. I first stayed with my old friend Andy Myles in Edinburgh, then I think Chief Executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats. He was phoned the next morning by the FCO. When he denied knowledge of my whereabouts, they not only said they knew I was staying with him, they said which bedroom I was sleeping in. Ten years ago today I was hiding in Aviemore in the house of my old friend Dominic.
That was the start of a decade as a dissident where I have devoted my life to exposing, and trying to counter, the evil of the neo-conservative policy pursued by our political class at the behest of the corporations who fund them. I have suffered a huge loss in money, status and most of the other normal aspirations. But what I have gained is invaluable. I have respect and love, while Blair and Straw will forever be despised.
By contrast, it seems easy for most to ignore the spam.
https://www.emptywheel.net/2014/10/24/maybe-the-spooks-dont-want-ftc-to-know-nsas-tricks/
In awesome news, the Federal Trade Commission has hired Ashkan Soltani — the tech expert who helped Bart Gellman on many of his most important Snowden scoops — as its new Chief Technology Officer.
The news has elicited wails from NSA’s mail mouthpieces, Stewart Baker and Michael Hayden.
“I’m not trying to demonize this fella, but he’s been working through criminally exposed documents and making decisions about making those documents public,” said Michael Hayden, a former NSA director who also served as CIA director from 2006 to 2009. In a telephone interview with FedScoop, Hayden said he wasn’t surprised by the lack of concern about Soltani’s participation in the Post’s Snowden stories. “I have no good answer for that.”
[snip]
Stewart Baker, a former NSA general counsel, said, while he’s not familiar with the role Soltani would play at the FTC, there are still problems with his appointment. “I don’t think anyone who justified or exploited Snowden’s breach of confidentiality obligations should be trusted to serve in government,” Baker said.
Lamont announced she was resigning as leader in an interview published in the Daily Record on Saturday in which she claimed “colleagues need to realise that the focus of Scottish politics is now Holyrood, not Westminster.
“Any leader whose general secretary can be removed by London without any consultation is in an untenable position. That has to change. The Scottish Labour Party should work as equal partners with the UK party, just as Scotland is an equal partner in the United Kingdom. Scotland has chosen home rule – not London rule.”
McLeish, one of Lamont’s predecessors as head of Labour in Scotland, said on Saturday: “I think Johann is absolutely right to make the comments she has made.”
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “For a decade now the party have been in decline and the SNP have been in the ascendancy. There has been a failure to rise to the devolution challenge. Overall though there has been a suffocating atmosphere of control that Westminster have been trying to put on Scotland. That’s what led Johann, I think, finally to leave.”
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/25/johann-lamont-quits-scottish-labour
As RoS said, that’s what we had a referendum for, silly, silly woman.
” Banning does work even if anonymizer is used. Exhaust the available IP’s and VOILA !.”
It doesn’t work like that. Most people have dynamic IP addresses, their IP is assigned to them when they log on to their ISP. Ban all the IP addresses for that ISP and you ban everyone who uses that ISP.
That is true Fred for your garden-variety IP. If I want to change it, I simply have to turn off the router for a couple of hours until that number is re-asiigned to someone else.
Anonymizers allow you to move from one IP to another (TOR, as an example) but they have limited IP’s. for usage. Once they’ve all been banned, that’s all folks.
“That is true Fred for your garden-variety IP. If I want to change it, I simply have to turn off the router for a couple of hours until that number is re-asiigned to someone else.”
That is how the vast majority of users in the UK work now. If I want a static IP I have to pay extra for it. Very few people do.
Node (15h30)
Are you as sentitious as that in real life, Node?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I recommend Habbabreak – you know it makes sense!
+++++++++++++++++
PS to Ben Gestated, Macky and Mary: it’s always you three calling for a ban, isn’t it. Ben who got angry because Craig told him off a few times and because the Mods don’t jump to his imperial command; Mack, who left in a huff because Craig’s views on Ukraine/Russia displeased; and Mary who, like every fighter for Truth and Justice worth his salt, cannot abide dissent from her own take on things. Losers all.
TOR is free Fred. Many others as well, I suspect.
Optimism that the US and world powers can, after all, strike a nuclear deal with Iran by or shortly after the current November 24 deadline appeared to grow here in Washington substantially this week. Such a deal also gained a critical endorsement, one that should provide a lot of political cover to shaky Democrats, as well as voices in the US Jewish community who, in contrast to the right-wing leadership of AIPAC and other “mainstream” Jewish organizations, have long favored President Obama’s diplomatic efforts.
In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Amb. Stuart Eizenstat, who played a key role in promoting sanctions against Iran under both Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and who succeeded Dennis Ross as chairman of the Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), challenged Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz’s recent claim in a New York Times op-ed that the failure to reach an agreement “can be regarded a qualified success, because it would represent the integrity of an international community adhering to its principles rather than sacrificing the future of global security.”
http://www.lobelog.com/as-optimism-grows-possible-iran-deal-gains-key-endorsement/
Ben Gerberit
“As I said Node, you can’t expect everyone to ignore a turd on the sofa.”
______________________
Yes, Ben, your sayings (I hesitate to call them comments)often refer to the nether regions, don’t they: arses, tumescence, turds…..
That, together with the often impenetrable nature of your sayings, makes me suspect you are the anal retentive rather than the oral type.
***************************
Habbabkuk recommends a good dose of Eno’s salts.
Ben, it was me that eventually got rid of Larry from St Louis. I had to become obsessional about it to succeed. I’d wake up and log into the mod’s interface as soon as I could see the screen in focus, block his IP, get the kettle on, delete some of his latest comments, put coffee on to brew, delete some more comments, notice him under an alias and block it by IP, remove the previous IP from the block list, look for comments I’d missed, remember I’d made coffee and go pour it lukewarm… Then the dog would need a walk, and by the time we got back there’d be more comments from Larry, and replies to him from others. Now what? Should I delete Larry’s comments leaving the replies orphaned? Is it right to delete Larry’s insults but not his opponents’? So I’d delete what I could and ponder further action while catching up with latest comments and ongoing arguments on up to a dozen threads…
After few days of this Larry gave up. Ultimately, any moderator has more power than any commenter, but without registration it’s a marginal difference.
Tony M, if you think that this site should be hosted and served by dedicated equipment maybe you could offer to pay for it, and for someone to configure and maintain it – one or two thousand pounds a year would cover it. But I’m pretty sure that Craig would reject your offer, because then his blog would be indebted you; you yourself would have become one of the overriding influences that you want kept away from the blog.
You are a pit-bull Clark. Cheers.
The West could also take a lesson…
“Tunisia is bracing itself for the second open and free elections since its revolution and the toppling of its dictator in January 2011. While the rest of the Arab spring countries – Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen – have slid either into chaos and civil strife or back into the bleak and brutal era of military coups, Tunisia seems to have withstood the powerful storms raging around it and will elect a representative parliament on Sunday.
The country has adopted a modern democratic constitution that won the approval of 93% of its diverse political parties. It is the most progressive constitution in the Arab region, enshrining women’s rights, freedom of belief, conscience, and worship, and banning incitement to violence and religious excommunication.
Tunisia has set up an independent commission tasked with overseeing the elections and the presidential polls due to be held next week.
The country is not out of the woods yet, though. Libya at its southern border is in turmoil, with rampant anarchy, proliferating arms, and disintegrating state structures; Mali further down in the sub-Saharan desert is in the grip of terrorism. More menacing is the presence of a Gulf block determined to annihilate what remains of the Arab spring, via the power of petrodollars. Though Tunisia is fortunate enough to be geographically remote from this centre of counter-revolution, it is not entirely immune to its destructive effects.
Tunisia’s strongest asset may be its cohesive society”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/25/tunisia-arab-world-democracy-elections
As a solution Habbabreak has some merit, but doesn’t that make the thread rather cryptic at times? Why should commentators be required to take steps at their inconvenience?
An excellent piece from Newsnet Scotland, on why Labour leaders in Scotland are constantly put in their place by Westminster, and why the Panglossian lies, of Labour have left Scotland’s poor and disabled on their knees.
Here’s a snippet.
Remember London ministers calling Jack McConnell to account? If he did something they were unhappy with, they didn’t just come north to put him in his place, they came into my studio on Good Morning Scotland to tell the whole country first – to ensure he was stuffed back in his box.
Why didn’t he go public in outrage, get the support of the Scots and warn London off? He’s waited seven years out of office to get angry. Indeed, McConnell’s failure to stand up to the bullies was precisely whey he lost the 2007 election.
http://www.newsnetscotland.scot/index.php/scottish-politics/9824-has-lamont-kept-the-best-till-last
Clearly, Johnny Rotten doesn’t understand anarchy.
http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/sex_pistols_john_lydon_on_russell_brands_revolution_20141022
Node; “Banning doesn’t work”
Wrong, it’s “don’t feed the trolls” that doesn’t work; human nature being what it is ensures everybody including yourself are occasionally tempted to response, but the main reason why it doesn’t work it that the like-minded pro-establishment troll supporters will always engage with, and egg, each other on; we also have the sad spectacle of others posters siding with trolls because of personal vendettas against other posters, then we have the posters who are too dim to realize that they are dealing with a troll, and then there’s always the newbie posters who engage because they don’t know any better.
Node;”Habbabkuk was banned once before – he carried on posting under various aliases until the ban was rescinded”
Yes, we will always be eternally grateful to Jon the Mod for gifting us back the HabbuClown when he resigned ; I tend to think it was a deliberate poisonous departing present, in payback for the hassle he endured as mod !
Node; “Larry from St Louis was banned – Craig himself said that he believes Larry still returns from time to time under an alias”
Proves that banning does work, as we are not even sure or even notice that he may still ocassionally return.
Node; “Medialens require registration, which requires time-consuming supervision”
Irreverent, many blogs such as the Ssker’s don’t require registration but still operate an effective banning policy.
Node; “He thrives on attention”
That’s exactly why the attention-seeking egoist will quickly go elsewhere to get his much needed naccistic fixes, if all his recognisable alias were promptly banned for a while.
Ben
“As a solution Habbabreak has some merit, but doesn’t that make the thread rather cryptic at times? Why should commentators be required to take steps at their inconvenience?”
______________________
Possibly. But as they say : no gain without pain.
Macky (16h48)
You really have it in not only for Craig but also for Jon (Mod), don’t you.
Why?
And why do you – who left this blog in a huff, accompanied by sonorous declarations – return occasionally to rabbit on about banning people?
H should be banned because it contributes nothing to the conversation? Hmm, but there is some sort of signal there, perhaps what historians call ‘unwitting testimony’. H tells us – from a position of authority – that what we are thinking ought not to be thought.
I’ve no idea what guides the judgement of the moderators here (/heavy sarcasm) but one possibility is that if Larry from St Louis, Angrysoba (remember it?) and H are upset by what you are saying, then perhaps you have it on the very best possible authority that you are on the right track.
But hush! They don’t know that we know that…
Vronsky
That’s an interesting theory but I do feel that you are merely trying to dignify a rather childish and intolerant reaction to my various commments.
Macky
“Proves that banning does work, as we are not even sure or even notice that he may still ocassionally return.”
Clark is the expert:
“I had to become obsessional about it to succeed.”
…. and even then, only partially (English Knight? Black Jelly? …..?).
Macky
“many blogs such as the Ssker’s don’t require registration but still operate an effective banning policy.”
Clark again:
“Ultimately, any moderator has more power than any commenter, but without registration it’s a marginal difference.”
Macky:
“Wrong, it’s “don’t feed the trolls” that doesn’t work; human nature being what it is ensures everybody including yourself are occasionally tempted to response, but the main reason why it doesn’t work it that the like-minded pro-establishment troll supporters will always engage with, and egg, each other on; we also have the sad spectacle of others posters siding with trolls because of personal vendettas against other posters, then we have the posters who are too dim to realize that they are dealing with a troll, and then there’s always the newbie posters who engage because they don’t know any better.”
Choose a thread at random. Choose a page from that thread at random. Separate all the people replying to Habbabkuk into two categories : those you describe as ‘occasionally’ tempted to reply’ into one, and the pro-establishment troll supporters, the posters siding with trolls because of personal vendettas, the dim and the newbies, all together into the other. I rest my case.
Right, he’s had enough of my attention on this occasion, I’ve made my point, I’ll leave it there. And for the record, I’ve responded to Habbabkuk once since I sussed him, and that was to correct a serious lie he made about me.
I wish to add my voice to those who have called for the banning of those who want H. banned.
🙂
[caigmurray.org.uk – this comment appears to be from Habbabkuk.]
“and that was to correct a serious lie he made about me.”
There you go. That’s his intent.
“Everytime I think I’m out, they pull me back in”
=Godfather
sock puppet afoot.
Vronsky; “H should be banned because it contributes nothing to the conversation?”
No, there are two clear reason why he should be banned 1) he is a classic troll, here only to disrupt conversation, & 2) he is constantly vulgar & abusive, deliberately offensive, and constantly engaging in on-line bullying, especially against Mary.
Vronsky; “H tells us – from a position of authority – that what we are thinking ought not to be thought”
There’s no need for an offensive, insulting clown for that, all that’s needed is to turn on the BBC.
Micah; “I wish to add my voice to those who have called for the banning of those who want H. banned”
What’s this, some sort of Stockholm Syndrome ?! 😀
Thanks for your principles. Thanks for recording the whole tawdry episode.
Here’s my book review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1075161990
18.24
As a solution Habbabreak has some merit, but doesn’t that make the thread rather cryptic at times? Why should commentators be required to take steps at their inconvenience?
Because it works? And retains the voluntary element? Banning x usually means that his tagteam mates y and z immediately start spamming the board with reams of complaints, which take up as much bandwidth as x did. In any case, Craig appears to want this arsehole’s opinions (possibly to provide a conspicuous contrast), and it’s not going to get banned.
Reading between the (Habbabroken) lines above, I gather that the troll has been trolling. Nothing new there. In the circumstances, it would be appropriate to wait until it develops a life-threatening ailment requiring extensive and uncomfortable treatment, with dangerous side-effects, and offer it the sympathy it deserves for its plight at that time.
Though it may be that it is already suffering from some trauma. One which forces it, willy- nilly, to expiate the humiliating years spent crawling its way up the FCO promotion ladder, toadying, licking backsides and stabbing colleagues in the back, by being unpleasant to the sick and elderly. A strange expiation, but one which fits its psychopathology, I think.
Westminster under the control of Pro-Israel donors.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/14752-how-money-from-pro-israel-donors-controls-westminster
Node; “I’ve made my point, I’ll leave it there”
Rather, you’ve once again done your bit for dear old Craig !
Ba’al Zevul; “Craig appears to want this arsehole’s opinions (possibly to provide a conspicuous contrast), and it’s not going to get banned.”
He certainly does, especially when it chimes with his own, ie Ukraine, Left-bashing; I suspect he quite enjoys it when Habbu-Clown is being very offensive to some Posters here.