The BBC led their 10 O’clock News today with a five minute piece on the delay to the Chilcot report. It gave a retrospective on the Iraq War that did not mention, once, Weapons of Mass Destruction as the raison d’etre but told us the war “removed a brutal dictator”. They said the dead of the war were in thousands – not hundreds of thousands, not even tens of thousands. “Thousands died”, they said. Literally true, but diminishing the scale. They could equally have said dozens died, also literally true – just an awful lot of dozens.
Then they allowed Blair unanswered and unquestioned to speak sincerely to camera about how much he wanted the report published, and the reporter stated without challenge that Blair had not delayed publication and had not objected to the publication of his correspondence with President Bush – both statements which are a very long way from the whole truth.
Even by recent BBC standards, it was the most vomit inducing production. They compounded it by finishing with Ed Miliband in parliament demanding publication, when he has a shadow cabinet packed with the very criminals who launched the illegal war – a fact they did not note. Anti-war opinion was briefly represented by – Nick Clegg!!!
I do not recognise what the British state has become. Or rather I do recognise precisely what kind of state it has become, and it bears no relation to the democracy it claims to be.
The BBC 10 o’clock news I watched (in London) led with an item about the surprise government announcement on plain packaging for cigarettes, followed by Chilcott.
Perhaps you were watching the six o’clock news which *did* lead with Chilcott?
(And of course we can only speculate that a “surprise” announcement like that was intended to knock Chilcott off the top spot?)
We are now completely in the world of Orwell and Lewis Carroll.
Blair is an incurable liar. Who can believe anything he says now? Who can believe how much is in his bank account and pension-fund? No coincidence.
The BBC (post Blair) are incurable liars because they fear for loss of the licence fee revenue if they do not comply.
Chilcot Report is seen by Whitehall as a menace which must be postponed as long as possible. Mustn’t rock the boat, nor upset the Yanks, you know. Definitely kicked into touchtill as long after the May election as imaginable. It remains buried and will stay that way thanks to the BBC, and to all our main media unless those who have ethics act very swiftly.
John Rentoul was particularly odious on Ch4 News this evening.
Yes I saw what sounds like exactly the same stuff on the 6 o’clock news (I was at work and someone else put it on, I would never have it on at home). Even by BBC standards they hit a low today. Politicians allowed to make extremely dubious assertions unchallenged, politicians self-proclaimed motivations reported as fact. It boggles my mind that these journalists are so proud of their own rationality and ability to hold power to account. And Nick Clegg coming on all reasonable and principled? Oh my poor head.
It’s an oft asked question: how could Germany, the land of Schiller and Beethoven, be taken over by a bunch of mass murdering lunatics?
I’m both saddened and horrified by what the UK is becoming.
Tomorrow belongs to me…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Mg6Gfh9Co
There is no news in the news.
beebeecee is Fox on valium. It’s anti Muslim undertones include the discount of the dead Muslims, in continuation of a nasty trend it has been following for a long while.
At this point you could easily show that an ICC case is admissible under the criteria of Article 17(1a) that the UK is unwilling genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution. The jurisdiction of the court would not extend to aggression per se, but to UK complicity in derivative crimes against humanity: in particular, widespread and systematic torture to extract pretexts for war. Applying the Updated Set of principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity shows the UK investigation to be a sham, and the UK to be a criminal enterprise with a vital interest in getting away with it. Non-governmental organizations and other reliable sources can provide information indicating proprio motu investigation by the prosecutor. All the tedious work has been done.
You could pack your carpetbag for some arbitrary race, for the Blah! Party, the Home Rule League, the Pro-Life Alliance, the Silver Badge Party, under any old dropped banner, and light your stink bomb. What better way to clean house than to send the fuckers up the river?
Airdrieonian: “John Rentoul was particularly odious on Ch4 News this evening”.. ! ‘Odious’. is the default setting, of most of Rentoul’s idolatrous, oleaginous, and sycophantic intimations and interventions(in Print, or on Camera), where the venal, Vicar of Albion, is concerned… 🙂
I find BBC ‘News’ almost impossible to watch, such is the level of skilful manipulation and cynical misrepresentation. Watching it is like sipping poison, knowingly, from a cup, but without knowing how strong, or exactly what, the dose is. You have to take it, to find out what they are trying to do to you, but by taking it, you let them do it. No wonder everyone is so stressed out. It makes me twitch, just thinking about it! Keep up the good work, Mr Murray.
Anti-war opinion was briefly represented by – Nick Clegg!!!
That, and the use of the euphemistic term ‘thousands died’, really stuck in the craw. The latter had a whiff of Reagan’s euphemistic retrospective mea culpa on Iran/Contra- namely. ‘serious mistakes’ were made.
‘Thousands died’ re Iraq, and ‘serious mistakes’ re Iran/Contra are not outright lies, but they belittle the enormity of the deeds to which they refer.
Channel 4 was quite good, I thought.
To think we pay the BBC handsomely to propagandise and otherwise distort the truth (!) It was a breath of fresh air to hear an SNP politician speak… at lunchtime… on radio… he seemed to be talking a different language to the pundits from south of the border (!) SNP seem to be our main hope for restoring democracy and public control of our BBC.
John Rentoul was particularly odious on Ch4 News this evening.
Wasn’t he just. Any more of a gut wrenching experience would be hard to imagine. The way Blair’s “biographer” and apologist for the greatest crime of the century, pretended to show concern for Rose Gentle was one of the most nauseating experiences I’ve seen for a long time.
Well Craig, You Did Ask
A point of order for you Military Types…
Lets get serious here The EU couldn’t get a bunch of Boy Scouts to faart together in tune..what on earth are these idiots thinking
This ain’t je Sans frontier’s IOts a Knocjkout..We Just Want To Kill The Americans
Go On fck Off Back Home To The USA and Take All Your American Dollars Back Home With You
No One Else Wants Them
We will stay on The ÂŁ if that is O.K,
Can The Rest of You Morons Please F@CK OFF
BYE
Tony
“Channel 4 was quite good, I thought.”
It wasn’t too bad. At least they had Caroline Lucas contribute. But even she specifically avoided any mention WMDs in reply to Rentoul’s “we got rid of a dictator didn’t we” mantra. And Snow was far too soft on the warmongering apologist, I thought.
But did you see their adaption of “Wolf Hall”? I bet Russia Today couldn’t produce anything that good.
sake (s) Head…
Thanks for these Posts Craig…and For not leaving it at the Shakes head moment…But posting about these Crimes, and taking them on.
I can’t Bear to watch bbC .. in fact i have seen more of them recently from outside their front door, in Glasgow… Bastards
These are the heydays of the yentobians who control the Beeb. One a PM, another the Labour leader, another the Speaker and a rifkind to chair the intelligence committee with a wellby bringing up the “rears” in the CofE to boot. Why the Mendelsons dont even need to go to Brazil for young boys anymore, Fry just “bagged” one in Southampton. And all along we are being told mo the turkish kebabist is the bad guy who holds all the power in England !! It must be a satanic spell.
The Results Got Her into University..it was one of her “A” Level Projects..
Katy, aren’t you top Girl now for stuff like this..so why can’t I post on Jane Odone’s
How will Her Mum win over Green voters? story..
I reckon Glenda doesn’t like me.
Who’s The boss Here Kids (Personally I would Choose Dan))
Well you can’t really argue with a Jelly Baby
I am writing for free.
I know Katy doesn’t have a clue..I think the things he thinks are true..like 9/11..He doesn’t actually know yet..Dad is still innocent but even so he is a Great Writer..and I really do want to meet him with my daughter in a go kart and race him..shiit..I am by far the oldest here..but I am up for it..I have already asked him Dan Hodges numerous times over the last 2 or 3 years..and he thinks I’m a troll.
Just think how Dan Hodges Will Write When He Knows…
He might be a [email protected] he ain’t been let out yet..yes I know about that
The Difference is That My Daughter Has a f*cking Great Camera Well She Skipped School and Dressed as One With Her Mum’s Ben&Jerries Ice Cream Badge
She dressed the part..they all thought she was a press photographer..and she photographed all the riot police…and they all looked at her….and the peaceful protestors looked at her in the middle spinning round taking their photographs..
and they all thought well we can’t Just Look at Her Embarrassing All Of Us
The Girl Has Got More Balls Than Me
She is My Daughter and She Knows How To Take Photographs
Tony
Sorry, it was my fault..she tried to fake it with her mates (and one of them went to film school)…the boy who really fancied her went to Channel4 and Mum and Dad would go away camping for a few days and leave the kids at home..with her older brother supervising..and we would come back..and they had cleaned up nearly all the fake blood in their horror film..but even so I kept seeing traces)..and I said to her..look the fake’s don’t work…you are going to just have to do it for real..so she did.
Tony
Haven’t i said once that the UK is sleepwalking into USSR style regime? Give me another 5 years to prove this completely.
I am usually in bed by 10, so I didn’t have to worry about that. 🙂
However I recall a report in an earlier news programme that said that the UK government is as open as they get in this world, though nthe www foundation would certainly agree that there is a long way to go.
Great stuff, fun, I feel the same pinch in my stomach when I hear the news come on, my two BS filters automatically drop in front of my eyes. I shall ask Caroline Lucas to mention WMD’s the next time she makes a point about Iraq, mention the true figures that have been massacred because we could, because if we do not cooperate and support those few who clearly still speak some sense, then we will loose the last few voices we have.
Norwich North candidate, Jessica Asato has just received funding from a Lib Dem Peer, now that should encourage the SNP a little more to work at their future coalition partners. Put the spurs in Nicola…..
Suck it up folks because its the truth!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Qt6a-vaNM
What make me choke yesterday was when David Cameron said that Chilcot was the importance of the inquiry “being fully independent of government”. If you believe that lie you’re one of the biggest fools on the planet, or a government asset. Who was it, I ask myself and you, who closed down the Gibson Inquiry into torture? The spokesperson who broke the news on Cameron’s behalf was Ken Clarke. Jack Straw said the decision was “absolutely right.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16614514
I felt exactly the same watching it. So the war was to remove a brutal dictator, was it? I thought Blair said Saddam Hussein could stay in power if he handed over the WMD. Pure Memory Hole. The ‘thousands died’ remark reminded me for some reason of Obama saying ‘we tortured some folks.’
It is better for your digestive system/blood pressure if you go in with the notion that it is all b”llsh!t.
Regard it as an exercise in spot the manipulation techniques used.
If you can get friends to do the same you can make it a friendly competition to see who can spot the lies, sins of omission and misrepresentations.
Maybe someone could start a blog or a forum with the various programs and comments. It would be good to record it.
But did you see their adaption of “Wolf Hall”? I bet Russia Today couldn’t produce anything that good.
Alan Campbell- your gold star for producing that pointless non sequitur is in the post.
I did not see it thank goodness, just the bit earlier where he slithered off from Davos and failed to slip on the packed snow. Shame.
This is the piece by Kamal Ahmed who moved seamlessly from the Torygraph to the BiBiCee.
Kamal Ahmed
Business editor
Blair: I’m not to blame for Chilcot delays
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30925834
Note the Business sub heading. Monkey business…. Dirty business…. more like.
~~~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamal_Ahmed_(journalist)
Note the stint at the Equality and Human Rights Commission!
Blair knew two weeks before he attacked that there were no WMD’s in Iraq, the evidence is damning and he does not want it to unravel like a tatty jumper.
http://rinf.com/alt-news/war-terrorism/blair-%E2%80%98knew-iraq-had-no-wmd%E2%80%99/
PMQs 21.1.2015.
Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth and Horncastle) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend fully recognise the contrast in efficiency of the inquiries into the Crimean war and the Dardanelles campaign compared with the disgraceful incompetence of the Chilcot inquiry into widely held suspicions that Mr Blair conspired with President George W. Bush several months before March 2003, and then systematically sought to falsify the evidence on which action was taken?
The Prime Minister: I obviously bow to the knowledge of the Father of the House about the previous inquiries. I would say that the one thing all three inquiries have in common is that I am not responsible for the timing of any of them. The truth is that it is extremely frustrating that the report cannot come out more quickly, but the responsibility lies squarely with the inquiry team. It is an independent inquiry, and it would not be right for the Prime Minister to try to interfere with that inquiry, but I feel sure that when the report does come out, it will be thorough and it will be comprehensive. Let me repeat again: if the Labour party had voted for the inquiry when we first put it forward, the report would be out by now.
~~
Sir Richard Ottaway (Croydon South) (Con): I share the Prime Minister’s disappointment over the delay to the Chilcot report, particularly given that the issue in 2009 was whether it would be published in time for the 2010 election, let alone the 2015 election. Does the Prime Minister agree that the invitation of the Foreign Affairs Committee to Sir John Chilcot to give evidence to us, not to point the finger of blame, but to give him a chance to explain the reasons for the delay, should be accepted to ensure that this situation never happens again?
The Prime Minister: Obviously, my view is that when people are asked to appear in front of a Select Committee, and when they are public servants, they should try to meet that obligation. How that is processed is a matter for the House and my right hon. Friend’s Committee. The most important thing right now for Chilcot and his team is to get the report ready and ensure it can be published as soon as possible after the election.
~~
Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North and Stoke Newington) (Lab): The delay in the publication of the Chilcot report is widely considered to be a scandal. Does the Prime Minister appreciate that it is important to find out exactly what has gone wrong? We have a major forthcoming inquiry into child sex abuse. The public would not understand if powerful people that might be named in that report are able to delay publication year after year, as seems to have happened with Chilcot.
The Prime Minister: I agree with the hon. Lady that it is important that the inquiries are done thoroughly and rapidly. My understanding is that there is no mystery in why it is taking so long. It is a thorough report. The people who are criticised in a report have to be given the opportunity to respond to all those criticisms. That is what is happening at the moment. From what I understand, I do not believe that anyone is trying dodge or put off the report—we all want to see it—but we have to go through the proper processes.
Let me make one other point clear. There is no question of the report being delivered to me and of my deciding not to publish it before the election. The whole report will not reach the Prime Minister’s desk, whoever that is, until after the election.
~~
Sir Menzies Campbell (North East Fife) (LD): As someone who voted with his colleagues against the Iraq war, I have sought to follow the Chilcot inquiry very closely. May I tell my right hon. Friend that I am aware of no evidence that any witness has sought to alter the progress of the inquiry by delay? I am aware of reports of instances of illness, including in one case a severe illness, among members of the inquiry. After the experience of the Saville and Chilcot inquiries, is not the lesson that the proper template for future inquiries should be Leveson—judge-led, but with a strict timetable?
The Prime Minister: My right hon. and learned Friend makes a strong point in the stance he takes. I agree with him. I have not heard anything to say that anyone is trying artificially to delay the report. He is absolutely right about some of the things that have happened to the inquiry panel members, most notably to the most brilliant biographer of Churchill, Martin Gilbert. I am sure the best wishes of everyone in the House go to him. My right hon. and learned Friend makes the fair point that, as inquiries are set up, we should give more thought to trying to ensure they are completed in very good time.
~~
Creep.