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.
The US kill and kill and kill…..
http://news.sky.com/story/1358681/us-led-airstrikes-against-is-in-syria-kill-553
US-led airstrikes have killed 553 Islamist militants and 32 civilians in Syria during a month-long campaign, a monitoring group has said.
Most of those killed – 464 – were Islamic State fighters, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Fifty-seven were from al Qaeda-linked al Nusra Front.
Six children and five women were among the civilians killed, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of activists around Syria.
~~~
What you do is also invaluable Craig; it is valuable intention.
Moonlighting MPs rake in £7.1 MILLION in second jobs… with 26 earning more outside Parliament than they do in the Commons
More than 20 MPs earned over £100,000 in outside earnings last year
The salary for a Member of Parliament is £67,060 a year
Gordon Brown was the top earner, but money goes to charity not himself
Biggest earner other than Mr Brown is the Tory MP Geoffrey Cox
Mr Cox is one of three Tory barristers who earned more than £200,000
I’m a Celebrity MP Nadine Dorries pocketed £167,140 mainly for book writing
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2805207/Moonlighting-MPs-rake-7-1-MILLION-second-jobs-26-earning-outside-Parliament-Commons.html
Falkender has a ticket for the gravy train too.
‘However, silence has been lucrative for the former Marcia Williams, who claimed the £300 attendance allowance 66 times between October 2010 and the end of this March — totalling £19,800 — according to recent figures. She also claimed £3,998 for travel expenses in the same period.
Under House of Lords rules, members receive attendance allowance for carrying out ‘Parliamentary business’, but this can simply involve casting a vote and there is no requirement to make contributions to debates.’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2639207/SEBASTIAN-SHAKESPEARE-Harold-Wilsons-former-private-secretary-Lady-Falkender-40-year-silence-Lords.html
@Republic of Scotland
“Meanwhile, back at the lubyanka,”
An excellent reflection – perhaps we might spare a thought for how the current owner of that hell hole has treated his dissidents and whistleblowers over the past 10 years. More power to our own dissenters and whistleblowers they are a necessary condition for freedom and democracy – but only the useless idiots or fellow travellers for the KGB past or present would deny that their Russian equivalents have a rather tougher time.
@Ben
Of course the Government in the Ukraine is now confronting its neo Nazis http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukraine-far-right-extremists-kiev-parliament-clashes-over-wwii-nationalist-upa-group-recognition-1470018
While Putin is doing next to nothing about his more numerous lot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGP4jjBp1g
According to archive.org, the Falkender site has had that enigmatic message up since 2013.
A great post over on bellacaledonia, alas the comments do not live up to the import of the article, as the trolls homed in to spit their venom. http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2014/10/21/an-open-letter-to-the-u-s-and-israel-you-can-rescue-the-rule-of-law-from-laughter/
“Let me end with my old friend Adomnán, the 9th Abbot of Iona. Here is my favourite section of the Lex Innocentium from 1,317 years ago. “It is the same payment (fine for the crime) for someone who does the injury, and for the one who looks on and does not protect the victim with all his might”.
The 9th Abbot of Iona did not have much sympathy for the idle bystander, and I suspect he did not recognise the distinction between violator and collaborator.”
Syria, the cradle of civilisation has been raped Mary. The artifacts that define human progress have been sold for weapons of war.
http://rt.com/news/198496-syria-rebels-antiquities-trade/
On reliable information British SAS/SBS mercenaries are in the suburbs of Damascus to knock the bottom out of the Assad government. They will not succeed; the ‘bear’ is NOT by any stretch of the imagination, “big, brutal and clumsy.”
“Syria, the cradle of civilisation has been raped Mary.”
Yes the Assad monarchy has been raping and pillaging that country for many years. Not that that stops others wanting to join in.
BTW your information has a pretty poor record when its comes to reliability.
I spoke with a Lebanese Christian woman a week or so ago, and she quite agreed that the Assad government has been protecting all the religious minorities in Syria, and that the fall of that government would be a disaster for all of them.
Note by the historian Gerhard Weinberg in his edition of Hitler’s Second Book:
Resident Dissident has a narrative to pound, facts and actual direct experience must not be allowed to contradict the mythical fables he has sunk so low as to be paid to spread.
I still cannot see how a cringeworthy half-apology for impersonating another, respected columnist and contributor below-the-line here, redeems this fraud and chancer in the least.
“Falsus in Uno, Falsus in Omnibus”
Your integrity and unwavering fight for truth and justice is an inspiration to us all Craig and I would like to thank you for that. Hope you continue to be a thorn in their side.
You’ve done very well. Lets hope more can follow in your footsteps. It’s vital for humanity’s future that foreign policy is made openly and subject to public scrutiny, not covertly and with dubious goals.
@ Robert Crawford
CanSpeccy.
What about pulling out of the E.U. and aligning with America. All these talks on trade across the Atlantic?. Very suspicious to me, given Cameron and Farage antagonizing the E.U.
The E.U. is a big opponent if the situation was to arise. America does not like others to be as big or bigger than them. And they would need to make sure their buddies in Englandshire were on side.
Not sure that I altogether get your drift.
If you saying Farage is not for UK independence but for UK integration with the US, you might be right, but I’d like to know what evidence there is of that. Presumably most UKIPpers belive what Farage offers is true national independence, not a transfer of allegiance from one moribund superstate to another.
As for your second paragraph, if you are suggesting somehow a rivalry between the EU and the US for Britain’s loyalty, I don’t see it. The EU looks to me like a vassal of the US Empire. Therefore, the UK out of the EU is out of the grip of the Empire.
@Robert Crawford: I imagine they want the simulation to be as “real” as possible, with the weight and aerodynamics of real bombs/missiles carried outside the aircraft. That way, the USAF can be fully prepared for the Real Thing – dropping ordinance on wedding parties, goat-herders, hapless defenders of a weakly armed nation, or indeed their own allies.
Sorry about the disagreements in the previous thread. No disrespect intended.
Just watched Russel Brand give a masterclass in interviewee technique. He was on Newsnight with Evan Davis who had prepared a list of questions clearly intended to make Brand look well-meaning but naive. Davis lost control of the interview within seconds. It was a joy.
Brand refused to play the part of passive responder, he wouldn’t play the game, he took control.
He turned leading questions back onto the interviewer:
“Now Evan, I hope you’re not going to use this opportunity for you, an Oxford-educated economist, to come on TV and be rude to me, a self-educated man, for simply suggesting that there might be an alternative to corporate hegemony, to our government bending over for the benefit of big corporations….. Evan, are you seriously telling me that the corporate world, companies like Monsanto and Pfizer are operating on behalf of us ordinary people? Is that your argument? Are you coming on Newsnight, a great British institution, to say that corporations like Amazon, Vodafone, who don’t pay their taxes, who are aided and assisted by our government while people fill the squares, arrested for possessing tarpaulins so they can peacefully protest, you want to say that corporates are getting a rough ride?
He refused to fall into the carefully prepared traps:
“Mate, I don’t want to follow you down blind alleys about silly administrative quibbles.”
He dominated Davis:
“What’s your point, Evan, come on mate” [claps his hands twice] “sharpen up mate”.
He repeatedly grabbed Davis by the knee, held his hand, stopped him talking. Davis was demolished. He finished the interview hunched up, mumbling, unable to make a point, furtive eyes glancing at the clock, praying that this torture would soon be over. He’ll have nightmares tonight of being trapped in front of the cameras wearing only his underpants with Jeremy Paxman laughing at him.
Russell owned Evan. Davis is Brand’s bitch.
For those in the UK, available on BBC iplayer now:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04mgxnj/newsnight-23102014
interview starts at about 29 mins
@´`·.¸¸.¸¸.··.¸¸Node: Brilliant, mate. Thanks for the reference. Evan Davis/ BBC/ Establishment stooge totally p0wnd.
Brilliant stuff A Node. Good to see a BBC stooge disintegrate. Brand even got a bit in at the end about the BBC influencing the NO vote in Scotland.
This should be interesting.
23 October 2014
Alex Salmond considers Westminster return
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29750610
Dan Kovalik (Human and labour rights lawyer) takes Samantha Power apart.
Open Letter to Samantha Power
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/open-letter-to-samantha-p_b_6028732.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
Her piece – Statement by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Newly Elected Members of the Security Council, October 16, 2014
http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/233035.htm
In Western nations, lying in politics and diplomacy is no crime. It’s called “kosher” diplomacy.
http://rehmat1.com/2012/05/09/israel-lying-is-kosher-diplomacy/
” Russell owned Evan. ”
No. Brand was his usual borish self-opinionated self and Davis was wondering why he was invited onto Newsnight.
Node
The search for intelligence…WOW Signal… Thank you for that..Fantastic
@kempe: “Brand was his usual borish self-opinionated self and Davis was wondering why he was invited onto Newsnight.”
Maybe you should be asking why Davis was invited on, to represent Newsnight 😉
A more boring, Establishment, “grey-man” figure – almost the embodiment of Spitting Image’s John Major caricature, yet lacking any features worthy of exaggerating – it would be extremely hard to find.
No wonder the Oxford selection process is so rigorous.
Truth or fiction from Cohen?
October 23, 2014 7:23 pm
Isis sells smuggled oil to Turkey and Iraqi Kurds says US Treasury
Sam Jones in London, Piotr Zalewski in Istanbul and Erika Solomon in Beirut
Men work at a makeshift oil refinery site in the Kurdish town of al-Qahtaniya of al-Hasakah Governorate May 11, 2014.
Many civilians in the village, who lost their jobs due to the Syrian conflict, are making a living by refining crude oil to extract useful fuel such as gasoline and kerosene for sale. Picture taken May 11, 2014. REUTERS/Rodi Said
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) is earning as much as $1m a day through the sale of oil to some of its biggest enemies: middlemen from Turkey, Iraq’s Kurdish community and the regime of Bashar al-Assad, according to the US Treasury.
The remarks – made in a speech to the Carnegie Foundation on Wednesday by undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence David Cohen – are likely to raise eyebrows in a region where questions are already being asked over Ankara’s commitment to fighting Isis and Kurdish fighters are battling to avoid being over-run by the jihadis in the Syrian city of Kobani.
/..
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c269c4e-5ace-11e4-b449-00144feab7de.html#axzz3H2dV2k00
Cohen – http://www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-structure/Pages/cohen-e.aspx
“Resident Dissident has a narrative to pound, facts and actual direct experience must not be allowed to contradict the mythical fables he has sunk so low as to be paid to spread.”
And what mythical fables would those be – that Putin and his KGB predecessors and the Assads were naughty boys. As for you argument that I am being paid could you please provide some evidence.
I notice yet again the noticeable silence when it comes to supporting Russian whistleblowers and dissidents past or present. Some people need to remember that justice is a double edged sword.
Node thanks for your written account of parts of the Russel Brand interview on BBC NN .. could not access it (yet) but found this
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p028ndbb
Irony
A welcome and literate antidote to Mr Brand
http://www.newstatesman.com/2013/10/russell-brand-robert-webb-choosing-vote-most-british-kind-revolution-there
The author here reprints the speech made by that good man, John Hilary of War on Want, to Occupy. It is also on a YT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9DsdGKwTIw#t=676
The Return of Occupy London: this Time it’s Truly Political
by Adam W. Parsons / October 23rd, 2014
Occupy is back in London, UK, with a renewed focus on politics and an ambitious vision: to galvanise a mass movement for real democracy and establish a huge People’s Assembly to debate a list of specific demands for radical political reform.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/10/the-return-of-occupy-london-this-time-its-truly-political/
You have retained your humanity, Craig. That’s worth more than any status or wealth that you might have accrued had you sold your soul to the system.