Dear President Ahtisaari,
I had the pleasure of meeting you on a number of occasions over the years, including when I was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and I recall your genuine concern for democracy and human rights in a region where they are sadly neglected.
Like a great many people in Scotland I was shocked that CMI is employing Jim Murphy. Of course, in a democracy there are always losers as well as winners in elections, and both are genuine and valid participants in public life. It is not the fact that CMI employs a politician who has been so recently, comprehensively and humiliatingly rejected by his national electorate that will do any damage to CMI. In a sense I think it does you credit.
What shocks many people here is that Mr Murphy is by any standards a dedicated warmonger. He was a major and important proponent of the invasion of Iraq, and is the strongest of supporters of the massive increase of Britain’s nuclear arsenal, in breach of the Non Proliferation Treaty.
Mr Murphy is a member of the Henry Jackson Society, which as you know is a body which exists to promote United States neo-conservative foreign policy in its most aggressive sense, and openly and actively supports and condones extraordinary rendition and the use of torture by the CIA. It has supported every single military action by the USA since its formation, and defends United States exceptionalism in international law, including US non-membership of the International Criminal Court.
Mr Murphy’s belief set is therefore fundamentally at odds with the stated aims of CMI. Indeed, his employment by you can only lead to the suspicion that CMI’s stated objectives are not its real objectives, and that like Mr Murphy and the Henry Jackson Society your overriding goal in the regions where you operate is to promote the interests of the United States.
As you are funded by charitable donations and by governments, I think some explanation of your employment of Mr Murphy is in order, particularly when you have employed him as a conflict resolution expert in the Caucasus and Central Asia when he has no relevant experience of conflict resolution at all, virtually none of the Caucasus, and absolutely none of Central Asia.
I was the Head of the UK Delegation that negotiated the Sierra Leone Peace Treaty, and certainly under no circumstances would I let Jim Murphy anywhere near that kind of negotiation.
With All Best Wishes,
Amb (rtd.) Craig Murray
RadioScotland, at 16h30, more old-hat.
Go on be a deil and watch that Bernard Levin interview of K. You know you want to as you’re so thoroughly bored. Btw is it the nagging wife that drives you to this blog like clockwork everyday. Pity your dreary exixtence; you try so hard to be interesting, find anyone who is at all interested in you. Pathetic.
At least these two are talking to each other http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/11/15/16/article-3319295-2E78260E00000578-756_636x481.jpg
WBO, my security features are denying me access to that link!?
RoSy, plus you work so hard at conveying the impression that you are such a pragmatist contributing so amply to the conflict-ridden unfortunate world as it is.
Can you please tell us precisely what your contribution is? Contributing to what exactly, for God’s sake?
Sorry try http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3319295/Obama-vows-redouble-efforts-eliminate-Islamic-State-end-Syrian-war-Paris-attacks-G20-summit.html
I see Mary in JP the “clear operational link” between the Paris attacks, Thursday’s Beirut suicide bombings and the Oct. 31 downing of a Russian airliner in the Egyptian Sinai is in fact a necessary detail in wiring the script.
We know this from Nevermind’s link to the very fruitful and pragmatic statement by Matthias Schepp which I invite those responsive and sympathetic to the task of preventing ‘terrorists’ from seizing power in Syria, to connect the dots.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/vladimir-putin-and-his-secret-strategy-for-syria-a-1062726.html
For the moment I retain the sorrow of lost love, treasured long after the candles flicker and die.
Mary & RoSy, have you thought of the synergy of doing a merger?
Then you can call yourselves MaryofScotland. Perfect match. Your drones might even, yet, become more creative.
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I can’t believe Craig hasn’t blogged on on the subject of the day, yet. Can only mean he’s still recuperating. So, get well soon!
I’m curious what you’re going to add. Perhaps a silver-bullet strategy to shut down Daesh within ^-months. It can be done. Lets also see what wisdom flows from the G-spot of the 20. which includes the majority Muslim countries of Indonesia, Turkey and The Devil of the ME, Saudi Arabia. Not to forget India which has an estimated population of 175 million Muslims, possibly the most sane ones to boot.
Communications – Al Qaeda did tight control of targeting of attacks with affiliates. I don’t believe this is the case with ISIS. In the case of the ISIS Sinai affiliate, I don’t have any evidence that ISIS Central in Iraq and Syria directed the airline bombing. Instead, I get the feeling the situation is the reverse, an affiliate or some global supporters and former foreign fighters execute an attack and then communicate back to central command (Baghdadi and top aides) what happened. Will we see that in this case, post attack reports of chatter back to Iraq and Syria?
http://www.fpri.org/geopoliticus/2015/11/who-conducted-paris-attacks-stormed-bataclan-theater-isis-al-qaeda
Much chatter about the lack of chatter and some speculate ISIS may have some new form of communication. I think as does the above that they’ve continued the isolated cell tactic, only informing command AFTER the event.
Andres Breivk Model?
Thanks Why BE! About bloody time they knocked heads together. That is one fallout ISIL will be regretting.
Ben, and so?
Take a look at this Economist cover.
http://vigilantcitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/economist_magazine_jan2015.jpg
The numbers on the two arrows in the bottom right hand corner, are 11.5 and 11.3. The Paris attacks occurred 11/13/15. The digits on the arrows can therefore be rearranged to make up the date.
Was this a prophetic warning?
If only Krishnamurti was here, he’d be able to tell us, of course you’d need to fork out for the book first.
Also getting tired of hearing about the ‘coordinated attack’ ‘precision’ ‘highly skilled’…….
Nonsense. They are making these ad-hoc scumbags bigger than they are. It was either rushed because of exigent circumstances they hadn’t anticipated, or they are typical half-measure shoot-from-the-hip street thugs who can’t find their ass with both hands.
The concert and football game were big targets, but all their brain-power and job integrity couldn’t help them enter the stadium. The third group was sent on a Bistro tour….why? How would a few scattered dead give them the glory they seek? No, that was probably a back-up plan for an aborted first choice. They are fucking amateurs. Stop making them invincible warriors.
Republicofscotland gravely informs us that
“Prior to August 2nd 1990 better known as the Gulf War, most Middle Eastern countries were reasonably stable, not particularly democratic, but stable nontheless.”
______________________
In translation from Humbug to English:
“most Middle Eastern countries” = all Middle Eastern countries except Israel
“not particularly democratic” = secular or religious dictatorships and tyrannies
*****************
Habbabkuk’s advice to the Englishman posing as Comrade Independentist Number 1:
get an Oxford English Dictionary, a Fowler and a Roget’s.
Ben
“Yes there is some gender confusion on Haddakok, but one thing is certain; almost lascivious in exchanges with anon and very protective of her so it’s apparent who’s the pitcher and catcher.”
__________________
Spotted any more “bull-dykes”, you Californian piece of shite?
You really dropped a clanger there, didn’t you. 🙂
Wrong again RoSy. Krishnamurti did in fact forecast these attacks in his talk at the UN. Have you watched the video? Or are you too busy contemplating my suggestion of your merger with Mary? Be serious!
Habby’s back so I hope you’re hanging around for your daily caning!
Dang! I must be onto something. Is there a white wedding in the offing? CLANG!
Habba, I’ll repeat my link because it’s the truth, something that terrifies the likes of you. The little boy who washed-up dead on a beach in Turkey came from the Syrian town of Kobani, which has been flattened by American bombing…
“In a 16th round of airstrikes in Syria on October 9, the United States carried out nine airstrikes in the areas in and around the border town of Kobanî that is under siege. The US carried out six airstrikes south of Kobanî that destroyed two ISIL-held buildings, one tank and one heavy machine gun along, a fighting position along with one large and two small ISIL units. Along with strikes south of Kobanî, the US carried out three airstrikes north of Kobanî which struck two small ISIL units and destroyed two ISIL-held buildings.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American-led_intervention_in_Syria#October_2014
Last year, the US military was running special operations in 147 countries, which represents roughly 75% of the entire planet.
According to Special Operations Command spokesman Ken McGraw, the numbers are record breaking and represent a massive jump from the numbers seen during the Bush administration.
US and NATO military operations have grown exponentially over the years, as the Western nations have taken it upon themselves to police the world and use that position to their benefit at every possible opportunity.
The fact that military agents have been deployed to this many different areas in just a year reveals that the US empire is involved in an even deeper war than most American.
“The fact that military agents have been deployed to this many different areas in just a year reveals that the US empire is involved in an even deeper war than most American.”
RoSy are you moking Ben’s spliffs? Or sniffing Mary’s paint?
I think your little-pea-brain is tired; give it a rest.
Republicofscotland
“A judge in Spain has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seven other former and current Israeli officials over a 2010 fatal raid by the Tel Aviv regime forces on a Gaza-bound aid ship.”
_________________
That’s very interesting.
Could you perhaps tell us what are the charges – what is the “judge in Spain” accusing them of?
Thanks.
“In translation from Humbug to English:
“most Middle Eastern countries” = all Middle Eastern countries except Israel
“not particularly democratic” = secular or religious dictatorships and tyrannies
*****************
Habbabkuk’s advice to the Englishman posing as Comrade Independentist Number 1:
get an Oxford English Dictionary, a Fowler and a Roget’s.”
—————–
Good to see you’ve come out of your tantrum, and dropped the threats, you were pretty desperate last night, threatening all sorts of judicial nonsense, still it was amusing to watch.
Maybe a couple of one-to-one sesions with Krishnamurti will resolve your problem, but take cash with you, you’ll need to buy the book first.
There was no world or local news on the BBC Six O’clock News just now other than the Paris attacks and the aftermath. The whole of the main bulletin (25 mins) and the local regional segment (5mins) was given over.
The death toll has risen to 132.
Guilt by association a very easy game to play.
Rob G comes from London the haunt of murderers such as Jack the Ripper and the location of the original Bedlam. He now lives in a region of France famous for its production of cheap and plentiful alcohol. He used to write books that hardly anyone read.
This for Habb, since he’s no longer in his childish tantrum.
More on the possible arrest of Bibi, of course as per usual Israel spews out it’s done no wrong, or it will get the charges dropped….we’ll see.
Former Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, Minister of Military Affairs Moshe Ya’alon and Ehud Barak, the former minister of military affairs.
Former interior minister, Eli Yishai, and former minister of intelligence, Dan Meridor, are among those implicated in the case.
Together with Netanyahu, the officials form the so-called Forum of Seven, which is an ad-hoc committee of ministers that made important decisions on security issues.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, has denounced the judge’s order, with its spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon saying, “We consider it to be a provocation. We are working with the Spanish authorities to get it cancelled. We hope it will be over soon.”
Last month, the family of one of the victims of the raid, who is an American-Turkish citizen, filed a lawsuit against Barak for the raid.
” you’ll need to buy the book first.” Then Strunk and White’s will smooth out his syntax
BTW; How are you holding up under the merciless ‘caning’? 🙂
RoSy, you’re beginning to repeat yourself and show your senility.
Now, do you think Mary is going to be attracted by that? Btw, have you two spoken with each other, at all? Let me introduce you…
You both have so much to say, come on don’t be shy, say something, anything, even the usual blurts will do.
I have not visited this site since 3.35pm but see Villager (Alcyone) is still obsessing about me and filling up the blog with his excrement.
Tony M: “Fact is Glenn, the only person advancing such claims (it’s immediately assumed […] crisis actors etc.) is erm … you.”
You are not telling the truth, Tony M. I advanced no such claims. The rest of what you wrote there is based on that hideously misrepresenting premise, and thus not worth responding to.
RobG
“Habba, I’ll repeat my link because it’s the truth, something that terrifies the likes of you. The little boy who washed-up dead on a beach in Turkey came from the Syrian town of Kobani, which has been flattened by American bombing…”
__________________
And I’ll repeat what others have already told you: there is no connection between the date of the boy’s family leaving Kobani for Turkey (and the reasons why they left) and the bombing of Kobani by the US years afterwards (and the reasons for the US bombing).
You, on the other hand, in your original post, gave the impression that there was a connection in a clear attempt to mislead.
That is why you should apologise and withdraw.
But, as I also said, you can have another bottle instead and grow some balls.
RoSy: ” More on the possible arrest of Bibi…”
Get a grip on yourself RoSy. No, no not there!
Are you having a dream? Is it wet? You really don’t know how to endear yourself to a woman do you? But then, you never know, you’re on to Mary’s favourite subject. Go on don’t be shy talk to her. Do you need an opening line?