An Apology 2256

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I am so committed to getting my book finished I really don’t have time or energy to blog at the moment, and realise it has been very desultory the last few weeks. I am well and happy, it is just that writing a properly researched history is incredibly intensive. I realise there is much of great interest happening in the world, but I must sometimes cut myself off from it.

This is why I don’t ask for donations for the blog…

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2,256 thoughts on “An Apology”

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  • Ba'al Zevul

    DIARY:

    Tony Blair will be blairing at the 11th Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (naturally)
    Well down the page, here:

    https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-releases/new-participants-and-attendees-announced-address-future-impact-11th-clinton-global

    So. “The Future of Impact” seems like an out-of-the-box-thinking title, going forward toward a tectonic shift, a quantum leap and a despairing copywriter. Might it be described as “The Consistency of Bollocks”?

  • Ba'al Zevul

    ^26th-29th September, somewhere undisclosed in New York. They’ll probably close NY for the duration and surround it with drones.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    DIARY:

    God knows what this is about. The Nantucket Project is yet another commerce-meets-the peasants shindig, and as entry cost $3400 in 2011, there won’t be many peasants about.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/value-added-the-nantucket-project-is-an-enterprise-in-the-vein-of-the-startup/2012/09/02/478b7eb8-f39c-11e1-a612-3cfc842a6d89_story.html

    …“one of the things about Nantucket that is unique is that it draws wealth,”…

    Tony Blair is drawn by wealth, and will be blairing at the Project today. With Neil Young. How are the mighty fallen (Young, that is)!

    http://www.ack.net/NantucketProject092415.html

    No news yet on what he discussed with Rabbi Wolpe yesterday.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    No sign yet of Tony at the Clinton Foundation bash (see above), although Renzi* gets a pat on the back from Bill and Charlize Theron demonstrates her grasp of international health issues, lol, and -obviously- inspires the Mail with her photogenicity.

    Is Tony there at all?

    http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obama-zuckerberg-back-out-of-scandal-plagued-foundation-gala/article/2572884

    *Blair clone. All mouth and trousers: Blair’s lustre may have worn off as far as the Clinton camp is concerned This guy’s much shinier.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25265945

  • Ba'al Zevul

    At least Tony was in New York. Such a relief to know that he’s safe. Still nothing from the Clinton Global Astroturf, but given the Cheriegate emails, that’s perhaps understandable. He’s made a new friend, too:

    http://cbw.ge/economy/ex-british-prime-minister-will-visit-georgia/

    That’s Georgia, Caucusus, not Georgia, USA, y’all.

    Wholly unconnected item:

    http://cbw.ge/economy/georgia-discusses-new-perspectives-of-economic-cooperation-with-the-united-arab-emirates/

  • Ba'al Zevul

    A crumb of comfort for Gaza:

    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/21302-new-mediator-between-hamas-and-israel

    “Israel refusal to give written pledges and the non-response of Israel and the other sides undermined Blair’s efforts,” he said, noting that Israel had ignored its obligations made in the ceasefire announced on 26 August 2014 which ended last year’s Israeli offensive on Gaza.

    The official also revealed that there have been “many” mediators who exchanged messages between Hamas and Israel, including “senior” Arab and international envoys and Palestinian businessmen.

    He also said that the current “active” mediator is the UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov who is “highly respected” by Hamas.

    “This man is currently holding actual official meetings discussing several important files, mainly the truce, lifting the siege, opening crossings, internal reconciliation and rebuilding the Gaza Strip,” Al-Zaza said. “We hope his efforts succeed to achieve Palestinian interests and completely lift the siege.”

    Mladenov actually has some qualifications for the job:

    http://forum.aljazeera.net/speakers/nikolay-mladenov

    Actually criticises Israeli insouciance:

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/un-envoy-concerned-over-lack-of-arrests-in-fatal-firebombing/

    And actually realises that the two-state solution isn’t in a very healthy condition – though he still supports it.

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/prospects-for-two-state-solution-fading-away-says-un-envoy/

    Realpolitik. At last.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Further to Cherie Booth/Blair’s Omnia contract for the repressive Maldives government (9.27am, 21st Sep):

    http://maldivesindependent.com/politics/podesta-group-hired-to-whitewash-governments-crimes-117711

    “Cherie Blair’s Omnia Strategies has proved to be as incompetent as it is unethical. It has done nothing for the Government other than attract awful newspaper headlines. I call on the Government to reveal how much money they paid Blair.”

    Join the club, friend.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Another government (also employing Podesta, a company with very close links to the Clintons) which is economical with the actualite, but not, it appears, with (this time)Tony Blair’s fee:

    http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Blair-lands-deal-for-key-Jubilee-projects/-/539546/2647018/-/den3vqz/-/index.html

    Compare and contrast:

    A spokesperson of Mr Blair’s firm maintained the deal would not cost the government any money.

    “AGI is pleased to be working with the Government of Kenya. We are a registered charity that does not make a profit. There is no cost for our work,” said the spokesperson identified as Jonathan Tanner.

    “Mr Blair is not advising the government. It is a partnership between the Africa Governance Initiative and the Presidential Delivery Unit. We are not paying anything. Instead we are getting more in return,” said Mr Esipisu. (Kenyatta’s spokesman)

    and

    But highly placed sources in the Kenyatta administration disclosed the government would pay Mr Blair a one-off amount for the contract said to run into hundreds of millions of shillings.

    It will also foot the allowances, accommodation and travel costs of the team and that of technocrats.

    “The government will pay Mr Blair a lumpsum amount. I do not have exact figures, but it is as big as the budget of one of the major parastatals.

    “It takes care of the salaries and allowances of the advisors, as well as their accommodation and travel,” said one of the sources.

    (1M Kenyan shillings currently =6260GBP)

    Conclusion: AGI is paid by Tony from a fee paid to Tony by the government. The government is the recipient of foreign aid. Job done.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Everything gets just a little clearer. Tony is paid through Windrush Ventures No 3LP, and pays AGI through Windrush Ventures No 2 LLP (probably via another subunit of Blair Inc.) Windrush No 2 LP exists to conceal the divvy-up and the other branch of the cash flow – to Tony himself. This does not appear on any accounts.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    CURSE OF BLAIR

    http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/09/29/glencore-how-did-it-go-so-wrong-again/

    In forcing through the 2013 takeover of Xstrata after initial resistance from the target’s shareholders. Glasenberg even had to call on the services of the former UK prime minister Tony Blair in order to persuade Qatar Holding, Xstrata’s largest investor, to back the deal.

    While at this moment there is a small rebound, Glencore investers are down around 75% this year.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Mystic Ba’al’s spirit guide was most insistent, but I ignored her. She was sure that the Nantucket Project (reported only in the Boston Globe, behind a paywall) and even the Clinton Global Astroturf Initiative (Blair’s contribution not apparently reported at all) would be insufficiently magnificent to have lured Tony across the Atlantic by themselves. Surely, said my spirit guide, the Global Dear Leader would be lurking somewhere round the fringes of the UN General Assembly, making contacts with suckers who have not yet realised that all he talks is bollocks. And she was right.

    http://www.gazeterize.com/dunya/davutoglu-ingiltere-eski-basbakani-tony-blairi-kabul-etti-h174138.html

    Here’s Tony, if I’ve got it right, reduced to interviewing Ahmet Davutoğlu in his, Tony’s, hotel room. Davutoğlu thinks Assad should go at the first possible opportunity, so it looks as if Blair is doing a little sidie for Cameron, although it may just be that he will be picking up an advisory contract for the TBFF, or solving the PKK’s current violent insurrection in the southeast.

    There is as yet no record of Pope Francis having kissed the Redeemer’s ring during his coincidental visit to NYNY. Though it is possible Blair Inc received Francis in his hotel room too, Francis is known to be averse to the sort of luxury Blair enjoys, and, besides, Blair’s profound knowledge of religion and stuff would shame any pontiff into silence and repentance.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    This pops up on recent searches:

    https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/sustainable-governance-goals-by-tony-blair-2015-09

    Although it does not say so, and the source submitting this for syndication isn’t credited, the op-ed by Blair looks, or is intended to look, like an address to the UN General Assembly or one of its spinoffs. Neglecting most of the vacuous self-promotion and earnest faux-humanity placed at the service of what amounts to an ad for his Africa Governance Initiative, this is of interest:

    Fortunately, unlike 15 years ago, technology – particularly mobile technology (which is now considered simply a personal technology, even in the developing world) – can revolutionize the delivery of services. This has already begun to happen; examples include Kenya’s mobile money service M-Pesa, and mHealth in West Africa,… (blairdom returns)

    M-Pesa is Vodafone’s money transfer initiative. In Kenya, the service is provided by Safaricom, in which Vodafone has a 40% stake. Safaricom’s former Director of Corporate Affairs is now Kenyatta’s cabinet secretary for ‘delivery’. The Kenyan delivery unit was set up by Blair, and delivers stuff, probably, but also pays well.

    For Cherie’s connections, see also:

    http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/2013/05/20/vodafone-appoints-daryl-fielding-as-brand-director/

    http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/default.aspx?pageid=438&n=vodafone-launches-woman-act-in-technology-2011-06-28

    http://www.norwood.org.uk/News/Detail/A-grand-day-out-at-Vodafone#.VgvGNJfg7xU

    Another connection:

    http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-07-17/news/51657059_1_vodafone-foundation-chief-executive-marten-pieters-women-entrepreneurs

    http://www.triplepundit.com/2014/07/vodafone-grows-revenues-connecting-women/

    Extrapolate what you will from that.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Confirming what we already knew, and indeed predicted:

    http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2015-10/03/content_36738380.htm

    Al-Zahar said that the Hamas equation is “lifting the siege in exchange for stabilizing the truce,” rejecting any connection between the truce and the issue of Israeli soldiers detained by Hamas.

    He added that the detainees issue is not up to discussion unless the detainees rearrested after being freed in the latest swap deal between Hamas and Israel are released.

    Suggesting also that the reason the Great Peacemaker was levered back into the conflict was to get Israeli detainees back.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    As an aside, it is perhaps worth noting that, while Tony was greasing up the very rich in the US last week, simultaneously emitting via his amanuenses a series of diatribes anent the iniquitousness of a socialist leading Labour, he was obviously not within 2500 miles of the Labour Party annual conference.

    Says quite a lot, if not it all.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Dear Global Leader is back in/has remained in the Land of the Fry:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/10/06/tony-blair-speech-911-memorial-islamism_n_8253200.html

    Getting desperate, Tony? Leeching off someone else’s tragedy? Or reminding us that 9/11 was one of your excuses for invading Iraq? Still, the world was waiting to hear that extremism is bad, *we* need to do stuff about stuff like that, not all Muslims are extremists, but they are, y’know, um, Muslims…

    Still,no need to c&p the text. The Blair speech is burned into our memories. At £200K a pop, who wants to hear it twice?

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Airmiles Man does green here:

    http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/tony-blair-speaks-at-sustainable-finance-summit-in-new-york/

    If big (the biggest) banks are to do anything, they have to play a major part in finding a sustainable solution to climate change and corporate irresponsibility. We look forward to some of their cogitation being made public.

    Which is unlikely, as this is very much a private bash for greenwashed predators, and nothing to do with the recent UN Summit.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    It’s nowhere near enough to redeem Blair, but…

    http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/iain-duncan-smith-blames-911-6587535

    More than 100 Tory activists applauded Mr Duncan Smith’s comments at a packed fringe meeting at their party conference.

    Fresh from a speech celebrating welfare cuts , he claimed Mr Blair’s focus on foreign policy contributed to his failure to get a foothold as party chief in 2001.

    Blair, according to IDS,”milked the situation for all it was worth”. And nothing’s changed (see above, 11.37)

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Hear what comfortable words He saith….to Rabbi Wolpe (20 Sep, 2.58 pm):

    http://www.jewishnews.co.uk/blair-we-can-apologise-for-iraq-but-we-toppled-saddam/

    Really shitty end justifies really shitty means. Plainly he sees the coruscating madness across the entire region as the only desirable outcome of destroying a country’s infrastructure, government and nasty but at least stable leadership. And this, inspired by his little sinecure with the ‘E’CTR –

    He also addressed the threat posed by anti-Semitism, saying: “The response has to be clear, you’ve got to be really firm about it from the very beginning… It’s important that people understand what the Jewish community is all about. There’s still a huge amount of ignorance out there. You have to explain your values. It’s important that people know what it’s all about.”

    The religions of the Book really ought to combine his incessant blairings on religion and combine them into another Book for the Old Testament. Profound or what? Solomon was a complete moron by comparison, eh?

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Dear Global Leader’s fragrant Consort clebrated Her 61st birthday* in Manhattan, it emerges. Conveniently coinciding with the UN General Assembly, a much less important occasion, but useful for promoting the monetisation of women in developing countries, the glittering throng surrounding Cherie and her giant bling necklace was summoned by John Catsimatidis (personal wealth $3Bn), on whose radio talk show Tony appeared earlier in the year. Catsimatidis is politically ambivalent – a sort of one-fat-cat Third Way – but is reportedly close to the Clintons.

    Of course.

    http://stewardshipreport.com/cheri-blair-foundation-for-women-hosts-manhattan-soiree/

    No, I don’t know who the woman stroking Cherie’s tits is.

    *23 Sept. Cheques, blocks of flats or share certificates are equally welcome.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    See above for the failed attempt by Spain to have Paul Kagame’s minder, Karake, extradited to face war crimes charges, and now read on…

    http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/spain-dismisses-rwanda-case-abolishes-universal-jurisdiction-breaking-news/article/445944

    In which we learn that while Karake was being defended by Cherie Booth / Blair, the CPS was represented by a former colleague of hers at Matrix Chambers. That the CPS withdrew the prosecution, claiming – very debatably – that it didn’t have jurisdiction, although it was representing the Spanish government. And that the CPS apparently misrepresented the matter to the press,

    Karake, whose defense lawyer was Cherie Blair, the wife of former UK prime minister Tony Blair, was due to appear at an extradition hearing in October. But in a surprise court appearance in August, a British judge dismissed the case against Karake on a technicality, after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) argued that it did not have jurisdiction to extradite the general. Spain vehemently disagreed with the ruling, saying the CPS had not acted on its behalf and failed to inform Judge Merelles of its decision and the legal reasoning behind it, according to Palou Loverdos.
    Aaron Watkins, who currently works for Matrix – a legal firm Cherie Blair worked for until late 2014 – was one of two lawyers chosen to handle the case for Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service.
    Immediately after the case against Karake was dismissed, Watkins told the media that “Spanish authorities accepted the general had not committed an offense that could be prosecuted in both countries.”
    Palou Loverdos said Spain had neither accepted nor agreed on the matter, and that Judge Merelles had not been informed of the ruling beforehand. The Spanish had been blindsided, the lawyer for the victims said.

    Was the CPS leaned on? Looks like it.

    Just Ice.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Whoops. I missed this:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/amal-clooney-wins-the-day-as-un-rules-former-maldives-president-was-unlawfully-jailed-a6680986.html

    Cherie is no longer advising the nearly-ex-president, though the wave function describing her fee has not yet collapsed, so cannot be quantised.

    It’s all the more surprising that Cherie was hired when you reflect that the current and visibly dodgy president, Yameen, is something of a militant Islamist – just the sort of guy that Tony’s Blair Faith Foundation gets its hacks to rant about at length, and operating on the Saudi model, although tourists don’t get to see this.

    “Bikinis, alcohol sales and consumption, unmarried and homosexual sex are all permitted in tourist resorts,” says Velezinee, “but they are all crimes outside resorts.”

    Punishment for such transgressions is harsh. More than 100 public floggings are carried out each year for “fornication”, the majority on women and girls. Last year an international outcry saved a 15-year-old rape victim from 100 lashes. British prime minister David Cameron was urged to intervene, and rights groups appealed to honeymooners to avoid destinations with poor human rights records. The episode did not stop British royal couple William and Kate from holidaying in the Maldives earlier this year.

    But business is business, and Yameen’s just wheeled in lobbyist Tony Podesta, another Clinton confidant, to get the US on side. The US has a splendid record of ignoring or upsetting UN decisions, and it’s unlikely that this will be affected by the Maldivian huiman rights record or its president’s jihadi-light beliefs.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Dear Global Leader continues his inspection of countries bordering Russia with a proposed visit to Georgia. The Dear Global Leader’s beauteous Consort will accompany the Dear Global Leader, and it is confidently expected that contracts with Windrush Ventures No.3 LP and Omnia Strategies will be signed, although money will not be seen to change hands, obviously.

    http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/Tony-Blair-to-visit-Tbilisi.html

    Most unusually, for the Dear Global Leader’s clients, Georgia is not ruled by a demented autocrat who pockets the foreign aid budget. On the other hand, its continued integrity is important, as it stands between Russia and Azerbaijan, a more typical Windrush customer. And Tony’s deeply involved in the transport of Azeri oil and gas to the West. These are piped via Tbilisi.

    Also, although Georgia has not been an oil producer in the past, considerable exploratory work is under way, and subject to solving some technical problems, the outlook for oil extraction looks good. Tony is therefore expected to be representing Mubadala, JP Morgan and HMG while facilitating this that and the other, nudge, nudge.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    More detail on the Fragrant Global Chav here:

    http://agenda.ge/news/44388/eng

    Mrs Blair, who chaired (sic. She still chairs it – BZ) famous British legal company Omnia Strategy, came to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi with company representatives to deliver trainings based on an exclusive program elaborated for Georgia’s state agencies, making special accents on attracting foreign investments…

    …Representatives from Georgia’s Ministry of Economy, Gas and Oil Corporation, Supreme Court of Georgia, Business Ombudsman’s office, TBC Bank, Bank of Georgia and other interested state and private sectors were participating in the sessions.

    Mystic Ba’al’s crystal ball is now cooking on gas….

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Correction:

    On or about the 29th Sept, Mr. Blair was interviewing Davutoglu in Tony’s hotel room in New York. Just like a real world leader. On or about the 30th, the hotel’s security admitted Georgia’s Garibashvili, and it was then he invited Mr. Tony to shed the light of his presence on Tbilisi. This is undoubtedly the location of the pic at 0938*: it would be closer to the MO of the couple if Cherie were already in Georgia, and if Tony visited a little later. So, for Garibashvili, Tony is a pleasure yet to come.

    *Note the nondescript beige but probably pricy wall hanging. Davutoglu got a much more spartan area for his audience, it emerges, and not the same room.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Licking more arse than a terrier with piles and last seen dimly illuminated by Putin’s halo at Beijing’s Victory Day parade (back row, next to cadre comrade of Peoples’ Army)

    http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2015xivisituk/2015-10/15/content_22188140.htm

    Hilarious. Britain’s business mouths dribbling at the smell of China’s investment opportunities will constitute a golden decade? For China? I’d be surprised if Xi didn’t have that on loop to entertain his friends. Or perhaps his political prisoners.

    Blair, 62, …. stressed China’s global role, saying: “How China develops its role in the world has massive implications for everyone today. There is no big global problem that can be sorted without ME China.” Blair said that President Blair Xi is a leader with a very clear view on what he wants to do in China, because he knows that China faces challenges and he is determined to overcome them; the strength of his leadership is combined with a lot of exterior confidence just like ME.

    (slightly edited)

    And, most conveniently:
    http://www.gbcc.org.uk/news/gbcc-appoints-lord-mandelson-as-president.aspx

    Possibly the powers-that-be think Blair and Mandelscum will destroy China as thoroughly as they did Labour’s Blairites by advertising their support. Well, lacking any sizeable military, it’s an option.

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