I put Straw, Blair and Blears in the dock for torture. My article on the leader page of the Mail on Sunday.
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Senate Report on CIA Torture is a Whitewash
“Nobody is to be held responsible. The report is in essence a political whitewash. In substance what the report says is:
We are clean and moral people, it was an administrative error to torture the terrorists. But under the circumstances with our nation under attack, it is understandable that we acted in that way. Let us learn from our mistakes. It will never happen again. (paraphrase)
“But history will judge us by our commitment to a just society governed by law and the willingness to face an ugly truth and say ‘never again.’”
Never again? The ugly truth underlying the “Global War on Terrorism” has not acknowledged.
The fact that torture has been routinely applied since the establishment of the CIA under the Truman presidency, extensively applied in Latin America, Africa and South East Asia, is casually dismissed.
President Bush is not alone. What he did was to implement a policy which was already firmly entrenched in the intelligence community. Blaming Bush is a convenient scapegoat. it avoids opening up a can of worms.
Every single administration since the end of World War II has endorsed the practices of torture.
What distinguishes the Bush and Obama administrations in relation to the historical record of U.S. sponsored crimes and atrocities, is that the concentration camps, targeted assassinations and torture chambers are known to the public and are openly considered as legitimate forms of intervention, which sustain “the global war on terrorism” and support the spread of Western democracy.”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-role-of-911-in-justifying-torture-and-war-the-criminalization-of-the-us-state-apparatus-senate-report-on-cia-torture-is-a-whitewash/5419222
The big problem is the admission and acknowledgement of torture so late in the day means it has given parliament a long time to prepare. Probably the main purpose of the Justice and Security Act (2013) was to protect the perpetrators of torture from appearing in open court. Evidence given in camera is just another means of redacting the truth. It also offers the “I don’t remember/recall” alibi. While the US and UK has seemingly moved away from torture (though according to Reprieve it is still going on in Guantanamo) they have moved into actions even more horrific.
Regardless now of whether a suspect has committed a crime the new policy is to drone them off the face of the earth, and anybody in the vicinity.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203327043965731&set
Congratulations,Craig. The Mail,along with The Independent and Mirror under Piers Morgan were the only anti Iraq invasion papers,and have been the only newspaper that I’m aware of that has been consistently against the anti Islam invasions since.
It is surprising to me that the left was so supportive of these invasions.
I heard Craig Murray mentioned in the R4 prog ‘Broadcasting House’ this morning. The presenter was interviewing Malcolm Rifkind. Presenter said: Craig Murray has claimed that the situation is tantamount to Hazel Blears investigating herself. (Not sure what situation – I had only been half listening up to that point). MR said: Well, that’s curious. And he then went on to explain how redoubtable Ms Blears is and how everybody should be afraid of her and how he is afraid of her himself. This is my paraphrase of what I heard; I’m sure the iplayer will oblige. The main thing that I thought was curious was Mr Rifkind’s own description of what he thought was curious – which seemed not so much curious as irrelevant. But maybe he was so frightened that he couldnt address the claim that had been made?
Yeahbut. malcolm Rifkind was on a damage limitations exercise, he knew that Craigs article is going to hit the headlines. His curious, or bi curious remarks about Hazel Blairs, she is not in lieu with the Hells Angels, but she probably knows how to switch kick his danglies into a dongle.
She has been privvy to a lot of information and should be required to appear before the next Nuremberg trial equivalent, we must ensure it ‘ll run for at least 6 years.
His remarks were diversion yeahbut, sorry, I’m tired
off to bed now
That’s how I recollect it too,Yeahbut.
Craig.
Wonderful news, and in a newspaper of all places!
I wonder how many of us would have had the courage and persistence to keep going for ten years?
A brief scroll down the comments shows that, even among Mail readers, people already have a strong sense of what has been going on and there is a passionate appetite for justice for the perpetrator.
Given the scale of MSM propaganda and official cover-up this fact is IMO hugely significant.
The space in which they can feel secure has shrunk yet again today thanks to your efforts.
There must be an increasing sense of uneasiness among the more honourable of our law enforcers at the blatent lack of official action over these terrible crimes. You never know. We might even see police officers arresting these dangerous criminals. In the past I would have thought it would be a career-ending action, but now I’m not so sure.
In the meantime here’s how to perform a citizens arrest, http://www.arrestblair.org/performing-a-citizens-arrest
Nevermind love the “Hazel Blairs”. 🙂
Thanks for the laugh, Harry Law, Cheney, “decorated, not criticised.” That in itself is a panicky stab as misdirection. No one’s talking about criticizing torturers – what we’re talking about is PROSECUTING them, as required by CAT Article 7.
“A brief scroll down the comments shows that, even among Mail readers, people already have a strong sense of what has been going on and there is a passionate appetite for justice for the perpetrator.”
Sofia, I can hazard a guess as to who those commenters are. They are people like me, and you, who never wanted Blair’s war in Iraq, who marched on Hyde Park in our mega-thousands (including those sat at home). Tony Blair and Jack Straw must be waking up in the early hours wondering when the tide is going to turn. George W. Bush offered Blair the vice presidency of the New World Order but now these creeps should be contemplating at best a retirement like that of Rudolf Hess.
That is true
Pete Fairhurst
14 Dec, 2014 – 8:09 pm
Robin Cook knew those facts and the Privy State murdered him. Robin became quiescent, tacit even torpid towards the end.
Thankfully Craig found strength in Nadira and crushed the applied consternation. Craig Murray must now be unshakeable.
Bravo!
I sent the following email to the Today programme at 23.59. (It got an automatic reply, so might be read) Too much of the same would probably be counter-productive. However other emails written from different perspectives might help. This is not advised for those who are unable to disguise visceral hatred of the BBC.
Text begins:
Dear Today editors
A continuing major story for the next week (and longer) will be the fall-out from last week’s report on the CIA’s use of torture. I’m a regular Today listener and hope you will give close attention to the UK angles. Last week, with US voices naturally to the fore, there was barely time to deal with these in any detail.
So, two questions deserve full coverage this week. First – How early was HMG alerted to the evidence of the CIA’s deliberate use of torture as a weapon in the War Against Terror? To the best of my knowledge, clear messages about the CIA’s reliance on torture were sent by the UK ’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan , Craig Murray, to the FCO; and were later publicly dismissed by Jack Straw as Foreign Secretary. The failure to listen to our own experts on the spot needs explaining (as it does with the uncompleted Chilcot Inquiry). Surely Today can engineer a confrontation between Craig Murray and Jack Straw? That would really open up the question of whom we should trust, and why. As articles by Craig Murray and Peter Hitchens in today’s Mail on Sunday show, this is not a left/right issue, more one of morality v Realpolitik.
The second question is – What support for the CIA’s use of torture was provided by UK agents worldwide; and by facilities on UK territory? The role of the UK island of Diego Garcia (denied by one Foreign Secretary then admitted by another) is still far too murky. How did HMG get into the position of publicly accepting false US assurances? Were we innocent dupes or complicit willing dupes?
If by the end of the week Today has been able to put these questions to key UK supporters and opponents of the American Way of waging war on terror, you will have performed a public service of great value.
TEXT ENDS
In case any authorities are thinking of rewriting history, I have a good memory, and I’m sure plenty on here also do, and we should all write and publish our recollections. Robin Cook was removed from Blair’s front bench in 2001 and replaced as Foreign Secretary by Jack Straw. He died in questionable circumstances in 2004 shortly after publicly translating the words “Al Quaeda” as “the database”.
In case anyone wonders why Hazel Blears was mentioned, perhaps you should be reminded that she recently spoke out against privacy, in support of Teresa May’s proposed legislation, and that she somehow has a powerful position on one of the select committees. Rifkind was against the Iraq war, and frequently spoke against what was happening. He would probably not be impressed by Ms Blears, who wanted to turn many English cities into mini-Las Vegas casino cities… a move that was abruptly stopped by Gordon Brown when he became PM.
Thanks Mark
we mountain Dudes,,dont die up there, you will find that English traveling Dudes Perish Most..
they done so many miles.. i love it..but its Very danderous
John Goss. 11 41pm
“They are people like me, and you, who never wanted Blair’s war in Iraq…”
Yes. When I read the Mail comments I was surprised that the majority were anti-torture. If that’s what Mail readers are thinking then these sentiments affect a wide swathe of society, including people serving in the police, legal system and military. How confident can Bliar, Straw and the rest be that, once public opinion reaches a critical mass, they won’t be taken into custody by those who they rely on to protect them from justice.
The UK is a signatory of the UN Convention Against Torture. This document could not be clearer on the criminality of the torturers and the obligation of countries to persue them under criminal law.
Article 4
1. Each State Party shall ensure that all acts of torture are offences under its criminal law. The same shall apply to an attempt to commit torture and to an act by any person which constitutes complicity or participation in torture.
2. Each State Party shall make these offences punishable by appropriate penalties which take into account their grave nature.”
As the public become aware of these obligations it will become harder for the hierarchy to take punitive action against the arresting officers.
Let’s not forget the perpetrators across the pond.
Here’s how they feel about the latest story.
http://lowres.cartoonstock.com/-prisoners-iraqi-usa-s-pinheads-gfon81_low.jpg
Dick Cheney says he regrets none of it.
Even cases of tortured or killed due to mistaken identity.
Dick Cheney is clearly very mentally ill, a genuine psychopath.
There can be no other explanation for such disturbing and inhuman behaviour.
By contrast most people if they stood on your foot in a shop would be profuse in their apologies never mind if they’d mistakenly tortured you for years or killed you.
The man is seriously mentally ill, I’m certain of it.
I’m haunted by the thought of that poor bloke dying of hypothermia, chained naked to the concrete floor and left there.
‘We should be considerate to the living; to the dead we owe only the truth’—Voltaire
Dick Cheney actually defended rectal rape, and said ‘he’d do it again’. This is what they call a ‘confession’, and normally results in arrest. Naturally, nobody can arrest Cheney. But it is interesting that Cheney is obviously and clearly a psychopath, has just said the kind of thing that a psychopath would say – but he still gets paid to pontificate on the MSM.
Hey, I’m happy to be proved wrong. Cheney should be taken to a facility, and given the proper treatment\diagnosis. If he’s not a psychopath – unlikely – he should go to prison. If he is, then it’s more complicated, as he is suffering from a mental impairment which is, apparently untreatable. Life long psychiatric care seems the solution.
All a pipe dream.
“Robin Cook knew those facts and the Privy State murdered him. ”
Yes, hypertensive heart disease is so easy to induce.
Can anyone explain why we had to ask the Americans what it was we asked them to redact from their report?
In the midst of a false flag operation in Sydney, not far from where I work actually. As ever, look at the timing: just after the torture report. Paranoid, a conspiracist? Well, possibly. One can never know for sure, of couse, but I simply don’t believe anything coming from the MSM, or the various authorities.
The media discussion has already turned to ‘it could happen over here, not there’, to no great surprise.
More war, death and fraud. A curious dictatorship this is, as perhaps they all are.
Glad your persistence paid off, Craig. The Mail, although basically neanderthal, has good hacks, and, like the Telegraph, is more than happy to attack Blair.
Mr Straw claimed to Parliament that the existence of a CIA torture programme was only ‘Mr Murray’s opinion’.
The police think it will all be quietly swept under the carpet by the CPS
He claimed the Government knew nothing of any torture by the CIA, and still today denies knowing anything about it.
48 hours in a police cell would change his mind, I’d guess. But I think Blair would squeal first.
@Brendan and Jives: Whether Cheney is insane is of no consequence to the perpetuators of the PNAC, via the media matrix. To the common man, they give succour to a medieval view of torture, like guns in the home, as being justified “to protect their security”.
Reality: UN legislation on torture
Media matrix, probably centred on Foxnews: We need to torture for your security
Most people don’t understand politics or the law, and many will think Cheney is right. We know from Peter Kellner’s polls that 34% of Brits also think like this, due to the filtering down of Foxnews reporting into the British media.
What can be done about it? Probably too late now, but… the masses need to be educated. As – in the UK at least – they once were.
Did I say Telegraph? I did:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11293099/Tony-Blair-to-face-grilling-over-CIA-torture-as-his-own-Labour-party-calls-for-evidence.html
It emerged over the weekend that Mr Straw has been questioned by police investigating claims that Britain was complicit in torture of suspected terrorists.
A source familiar with the case said Mr Straw was interviewed as a witness by officers working on allegations against Britain brought by two former detainees, Al Saadi and Belhadj.
The MP and former Cabinet minister was questioned “as a witness” over what he knew, in November 2012. The criminal investigation is ongoing.
@Brendan: you shouldn’t think such things! I doubt if these “game changing” events are stage-managed… what is carefully rehearsed is the response. Hope they all get out safely but the important thing is what happens to this individual after the siege has finished. The Australian arm of Foxnews will undoubtedly say (perhaps subliminally) that he ought to be tortured.
Previous Blairite Alan Johnson, current shadow minister Yvette Cooper and 40 others have now called for Blair&Straw to be questioned.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2873330/Blair-Straw-absolutely-quizzed-British-complicity-torture-says-former-home-secretary-Alan-Johnson.html
Looks like they finally get the message that Blair has been toxic for their party since he became pivotal in the invasion of Iraq, the aftermath of which has been such an unprecedented disaster.
Well it seems this year that X-mas has indeed come early ! Not only are the headlines probably the best X-mas present for Craig, but also for us, and for everybody who has longed to see the responsible for the heinous crimes committed supposedly in our name, begin to be held accountable for their crimes.
Well done Craig, despite our differences on Russia, you rightly deserve praise & congratulations on your long delayed vindication.
Bringing Blair to book would be Rifkind’s chance to destroy Labour’s chances for 2015, and (especially) NuLabourites can see that. Hence, preemptive attacking noises about Blair. Better those honest sons of
Islingtontoil bring their errant colleague to book and collect some kudos, than the Thatcherite eminence grise with the mangled vowels…