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
Alcy1
you’re the one who believes in an after-life.
OT: Funny how the British regime is frantic to stop child sexual exploitation in the electronic ether. When their social superiors like Brittain and Savile are fucking children in the real world right under their nose, they shrug and shamble off.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/uk-govt-tackles-dark-web-with-new-cybercrime-unit/
Clearly this is a US-directed tactic to divert attention from the pedophile blackmail CIA uses for elite control in their UK puppet regime. CIA is touchy about that now, because Dennis Hastert is their domestic Leon Brittain: a crooked kiddy-raper who did CIA’s dirty work for decades.
Brennan’s Butlers
“social superiors like Brittain and Savile”
wow! does personal acquaintance with Mrs Thatcher convey social keudos?
She was a swivel-eyed looney like Hillary Clinton. I’d swab down the decks with disinfectant after coming into contact with either of these two.
Fwl Yes..but that was not meant as a cheap shot
It goes further..Much further…as RoS mentioned NGO’s
dependent upon their donor support, NGOs cease to be the neutral, unbiased ‘humanitarian’ organisations they publically purport to be, and instead become actual covert tools for foreign intervention and regime change. By default, they are assimilated into the Western modus vivendi of “waging war by way of deception” and their purpose is to alter public perception of a conflict via a multitude of media and “marketing” channels.
Following this formula, let’s examine, once more, the role of the Syria Civil Defence aka,’The White Helmets’ currently operating in Syria and take a closer look at their financial sources and mainstream media partners in order to better determine if they are indeed “neutral” as media moguls proclaim these “humanitarians” to be.
White Helmets: Follow the Money
The White Helmets were established in March 2013, in Istanbul, Turkey, and is headed by James Le Mesurier, a British “security” specialist and ‘ex’ British military intelligence officer with an impressive track record in some of the most dubious NATO intervention theatres including Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine. Le Mesurier is a product of Britain’s elite Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, and has also been placed in a series of high-profile pasts at the United Nations, European Union, and U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The origins of The White Helmet’s initial $300k seed funding is a little hazy, reports are contradictory but subsequent information leads us to conclude that the UK, US and the ‘Syrian Opposition’ [or Syrian National Council, parallel government backed an funded by the US, UK and allies] are connected. Logistical support has been provided and given by Turkish elite natural disaster response team, AKUT.
A further $13 million was poured into the White Helmet coffers during 2013 and this is where it gets interesting. Early reports suggest that these “donations” came from the US, UK and SNC with the previously explored connections to George Soros in the US.
However, subsequent investigations reveal that USAID has been a major shareholder in the White Helmet organisation.
The website for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) claims that “our work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting: economic growth, agriculture and trade; global health; and, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance.”
In a USAID report update in July 2015 it is clearly stated that they have supplied over $ 16m in assistance to the White Helmets.
The USAID track record as a primary US Government/CIA regime change facilitator is extensively documented. From South America to the Ukraine and in the Middle East, USAID serve a malevolent and ultimately destructive role in the dismantling of sovereign nations and their reduction to Western hegemony vassal states, as always, all in the name of freedom and democracy.
“The United States does not lack institutions that continue to conspire, and that’s why I am using this gathering to announce that we have decided to expel USAID from Bolivia” ~ Bolivian President Evo Morales
With possible infringing comment removed – if there is still a problem contact me at [email protected]
Whatever you do Craig – & my best wishes and appreciation go with you – keep this blog going with articles like this. People who care need to know who different groups agencies people journalist are linked to so we can evaluate what they say.
A misstep or difference re our own ideological purity – should not rule them out for ever or if at all:
e.g. George Galloway – whatever your or Scottish feelings about his stance on the union: it is not ridiculous – not my field I’m Aussie – even if it were look at his record of bravery and achieve meant – against the establishment which has tried to crush him:
Sure he is a self-promotor – but you know yourself you have to earn a living to pursue a good cause – i.e. unlet you have inherited the moula
When I’m really down I don’t even turn on the radio or the computer … … But to feel better I watch George on YouTube – despite being formally respectful – taking down that US Senate committee – especially the smug Republican Chairman.
But I also like the real respect he shows to Senator Levin indicating that he does respect his quality and principles – compared to the main inquisitor. Fantastic performance he’s in my good books for that forever.
A good example of the service re “knowing your enemy is your info on Baroness Valerie Amos.
Back in 2012 I started researching the Syrian situation. I found the 4 biggest boosters of the attack on Syria [using the name Assad] as shorthand were: Ken Roth-HRW; Valerie Amos – UnderSec UN and the duo of Martin Chulov – Guardian + Michael Weiss – HJS.
Wikipedia is very useful especially by following the foot notes. This had Clare Short dissing Amos.
I remembered from reading some of the Chillcott papers that Clare Short told some truth and had at least resigned – even if after the invasion. She provided the info that Amos – who replaced her, had previously gone round Africa, trying to strongarm and bribe states to support Blair-Bush on the UN Iraq resolution.
I checked Amos out at the UN and found that 70% of Amos’ media releases were on Syria, 25% on South Sudan and 5% everything else in her portfolio. Petty strong evidence what her full time job was.
*** BUT then a post of your gave extra info about … about … Amos was and the unelected nature of her Parliamentary career. … …
**** So even your anecdotes come in useful. Keep making them – keep referring to them and repeating them – “AS THEY ARE GOLD DUST ***.
Also you site attracts knowledge people who have information to share [as well as cranks].
BIG warning always try and verify information from several sources you trust -run it down to the start – as often multiple sources ultimately come from one place.
This is especially true if the info matches you own biases. That is why extra info like the stuff you supply is very useful – given your history – and bravery like Galloways. Of course you have some deep set bias yourself – as do I and most of the people who comment on the blog.
… …
Concerted MSM Deflection – repaired tail, al-Jazeera ATC Cairo landing,Thompson missile,8200 allahakbar chatter,Brum n jihadi john accents,Charlie Hebdo,etc
Revealing Silence – sayanim/canaries eg habba, all SoS instinctively know whodunnit.
London timely visit – satanyahu cameron face-to-face not just a Balfour Declaration tourist visit.
Conclusion – conspiracy theory = ehud brog
Did Blair arrange it?
Johnstone is in Israel
Familiar pose? Yesterday at the CBI.
http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2015/11/9/428949/default/v1/rts6407-1-736×414.jpg
@Monteverdi (Green Hills) 19:46
With the World Anti Doping Agency [ WADA ] announcing today that Russia should be banned from International Athletics
I think it’s an attempt at a media storm, trying to make a news story – that undoubtedly has *some( truth – go viral and kick Russia.
Lord Coe, who is ever competent, has just completed his first one hundred days in charge of WADA or is it the IAAF, or both?
it strikes me as a sports-gnostic that he now represents a very small organisation, subject to influence, which featured previously former (foreign) rogue administrators, having now been replaced by our ’competent’ administrator! – whoever he *actually* works for?
Strangely though, and seemingly worrying for the ‘viral uptake’ of this pushed story is that German media (who produced two documentaries on doping allegations since around Christmas) have continually requested a meeting with Lord Coe, but he refused to talk to them.
Perhaps the timing wasn’t quite right, maybe Russia needed to have a higher-profile, with other news events before this OPERATION MUNCHEHAUSEN could be launched (please insert your own GCHQ JTRIG project name)
OK, a Lord Coe direct quote – to show his focus, delight on bouncing a sovereign nation into a ‘shock’ situation,
“I’ve given the Russians 24h/48hours to respond – but they must reply by Friday” (Friday is nearly 4 days away, that shows a mastery of time? 24 or 48 to just 90hours) – hasn’t he thought it would be simply better to bomb them!, oh, sorry that’s just been done
Searching the news monitors I have found Articles: 578 News Items (worldwide) on this doping story
thankfully for the sanity of the world this kick-Russia story is overshadowed by many others e.g. Articles: 725 “Missouri : The University of Missouri’s president announced he would step down on Monday after protests over his handling of racial tensions on campus” and the worrying news from Burma, Articles: 1541 “Myanmar opposition says election panel delaying results intentionally to ‘maybe play a trick'”
I think we can leave the PSYOPS to one side and look at real news that isn’t about: small organisation – subject to influence, telling us that global sports have a problem, they are MONEY focu$ed. Right, OK, never mind , carry-on.
Another one of these long lists. Golden all the way since those gold medals he won in Moscow and Los Angeles.
Category 1: Directorships
Chairman (salaried), The Complete Leisure Group Limited (CLG) (formerly the Member’s private company for his commercial activities, now owned by Chime Communications plc)
Executive Chairman, CSM Sports and Entertainment LLP (sports/entertainment division of Chime Communications plc)
Chairman, Sebastian Coe Ltd (dormant company; no remuneration)
Member of the Board of Directors of Chime Communications plc
Non-executive Director, Vitality Health and Life Group of companies
Category 2: Remunerated employment, office, profession etc.
Remuneration from the employments listed below is paid to Complete Leisure Group Ltd:
Special Adviser, Nike International
Consultant, Chelsea Football Club
Columnist, Daily Telegraph
Speaking engagement, 11 November 2014, Investor AB Network Conference, Stockholm
Strategic adviser and ambassador for Vitality life and health insurance
Speaking engagement, 19 March 2015, after-dinner speech for Insight Investment, Hampshire
Speaking engagement, Asian Pacific Cities Summit in Brisbane, Australia, 6 July 2015
Speaking engagement, 11 September 2015, keynote speech at Rexam’s Forum, Nice, France
Speaking engagement, 23 September 2015, keynote speech at the Pulpit Summit, Stavanger, Norway
Speaking engagement, 22 October 2015, keynote speech at Global Transformation Forum, Kuala Lumpur
Speaking engagement, 29 October 2015, at an internal Deloitte conference, Luton Hoo Hotel, Luton
Speaking engagement, 30 October 2015, International Advisory Board Meeting of Mastercard, Rosewood Hotel, London
Category 5: Land and property
House in London W6
Category 10: Non-financial interests (a)
Vice President, IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) (interest ceased 31 August 2015 when Member became President of IAAF, see below)
Chairman, British Olympic Association (a company registered in England and Wales)
Member of Co-ordination Commission for Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Director, London 2017 Ltd (set up to run the World Athletic Championships being staged in London in 2017) (interest ceased 7 October 2015)
Member, European Olympic Committee Executive Committee
President, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) (wef 31 August 2015)
Category 10: Non-financial interests (b)
Member, UK Government Honours Main Committee and Chair, Sport Honours Committee
Pro Chancellor, Loughborough University
Category 10: Non-financial interests (e)
Trustee, British University in Egypt
Trustee, Sebastian Coe Charitable Foundation
Chairman, International Inspiration (registered charity; transforming lives through sport) (interest ceased 23 July 2015 when member became Patron)
http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-coe/783
~~~
His interest in Vitality Health is of interest. Cameron used one of their GP practices when he announced the plan for increased working hours.
http://www.gponline.com/david-cameron-promises-investment-training-new-deal-gps/article/1347506
‘VitalityHealth, formerly PruHealth, is a United Kingdom-based company specialising in private medical insurance sold to the UK market. Since 2014, the company has been a subsidiary of Discovery Limited.[1] The company had approximately 680,000 customers in the UK by 2014.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VitalityHealth
Discovery is a global financial services company based in South Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_Limited
Cameron is speaking about the UK’s EU membership at the Royal Institute for International Affairs aka Chatham House.
The council
All the usual connections
https://www.chathamhouse.org/council-and-directors
Fraser/FCO Wyatt/BBC Maddox/Times and Ditchley Lyne/Chilcot Spelman/Accenture Greenstock/too many to list………..
One senior Labour insider who worked alongside Murphy said: “It’s totally ridiculous. Jim can’t even resolve his own conflict – between the belief that he’s good and his actual ability.
“He was divisive in the referendum and inside Labour. He could start a row in an empty house. The odds on civil war breaking out in Armenia and Georgia have just shortened considerably.”
(from Craig’s Herald link)
Still, it’ll get him out of Corbyn’s hair.
if anyone, such as Habb, or other interested blog personalities has the time next week – remember that
Social Media within the Defence & Military Sector interactive workshops will be held on the
so it should be a very professional meeting!
what could that lot *need* social media for?
Thanks for that YKMN, one place to steer clear from then, it’ll be screaming with peeps and spooks and trallala, unless, off course, one would consider coming in a tank, right after an all night party/rave.
Maybe a few outside loudspeakers to be heard to be heard, which should be admired and welcomed by all war mongers who visit such events.
Once again, today news from the military social sector is that’ the RAF is on a full readiness program ensuring that all of its pilot are completing their regular flying training, in all weather conditions’ and above my head.
http://www.giiconference.com/smic338398/
It would appear that TERRORISTS use SOCIAL MEDIA, YKMN. This poses a threat almost as great as that of TERRORISTS TALKING TO EACH OTHER*. All your i/p are belong to us, incidentally.
*countermeasures under consideration. May contain drones.
Scottish MPs are about to vote on Sunday shop opening hours in England and Wales.
Does this mean the SNP believes MPs in England and Wales should have the right to vote on Sunday shop opening hours in Scotland or is Scottish Nationalism, like other Nationalism, based on a belief Scots MPs are superior?
Did Tony Blair arrange Netanyahu’s visit? Quite likely. Blair tends to be concealed under the diplomatic pondscum whenever HMG wants to deal with dodgy regimes. Here he is again:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/nov/09/uk-secret-group-of-top-officials-enable-uae-investment-united-arab-emirates
It was noticeable, though, that while Cherie Blair and Samcam shared a balcony at the Cenotaph ceremony, Samcam was standing as far as she could possibly get from Cherie. (Tony, having denied responsibility for our casualties in Iraq, was able to lay a wreath and look Serious and Concerned, below)
One of the reasons that I’m passionate about privacy – I’m not completely anti-military as they represent sovereign governments who frankly can do whatever they feel like – and do! – but it’s rarer events like this link below that worry me:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3311558/Countdown-champion-travelled-500-miles-Scotland-bottle-teenager-gave-book-bad-review.html
An alleged attempted murder in Glenrothes ASDA, Scotland by a Bedford Countdown champion who stalked a teen over an online comment!
I despair when I hear of Tim Berner’s-Lees fabulous collaborative tool being misused, typically you find that aspects of Social Media have been subverted by the spooks, making pseudonimity difficult, if not impossible to achieve, and this is done deliberately, it does carry a small danger chaps.
They go further with social media, trying the first-steps to manipulation of society in general, by GCHQ, the details of their contracts with UK university psychologists are now public, I went to a major UK uni last week and talked to the prof of the psychology unit about it. She explained that they don’t teach the JTRIG techniques at first degree level, need to be very experienced, the PhD required is best obtained a decade after the first degree. Naught in UK media looking at this.
Does this mean the SNP believes MPs in England and Wales should have the right to vote on Sunday shop opening hours in Scotland or is Scottish Nationalism, like other Nationalism, based on a belief Scots MPs are superior?
Neither. Liberalising Sunday trading would drive down shopworker wages throughout the UK. As a result, Scots would lose the wage premium they get for working on Sunday. The SNP are doing what the vast majority of Scots voted for them to do – sticking up for Scotland.
If Scotland was independent, these voting anomalies wouldn’t exist. If you want to end this situation, Fred, vote for independence.
“Neither. Liberalising Sunday trading would drive down shopworker wages throughout the UK. As a result, Scots would lose the wage premium they get for working on Sunday. The SNP are doing what the vast majority of Scots voted for them to do – sticking up for Scotland.
If Scotland was independent, these voting anomalies wouldn’t exist. If you want to end this situation, Fred, vote for independence.”
Then the converse is also true, Sunday trading in Scotland affects the shop workers in England and Wales.
To end the situation shop opening hours in Scotland should no longer be devolved and be standard over all of Britain. Independence would alter nothing, the same supermarket chains operate north and south of the border.
A nice long convoy of ISIS pickups (they look newish) entering Syria from Iraq all watched over by an American Apache.
LiveLeak video: “US Apache helicopter follows ISIS convoy” {from 1.10 in and more visible towards the end}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFFb5E22TvE
Independence would alter nothing, the same supermarket chains operate north and south of the border.
Are you suggesting we let the rest of Europe vote on the UK opening hours of Aldi and Lidl?
“Are you suggesting we let the rest of Europe vote on the UK opening hours of Aldi and Lidl?”
That seems to be what the SNP are suggesting.
JK Rowling and friends protecting Israel through fantasy story of ‘co-existence’ and ‘hilltop engagement’
http://johnhilley.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/jk-rowling-and-friends-protecting.html
10 November 2015
Why support Israel Ms Rowling? Perhaps it stems from her friendship with the Browns. Gordon Brown once stated that he was a Zionist like his father who visited Israel regularly.
‘Rowling is a friend of Sarah Brown, wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, whom she met when they collaborated on a charitable project. When Sarah Brown’s son Fraser was born in 2003, Rowling was one of the first to visit her in hospital.’
‘In September 2008, on the eve of the Labour Party Conference, Rowling announced that she had donated £1 million to the Labour Party, and publicly endorsed Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown over Conservative challenger David Cameron, praising Labour’s policies on child poverty.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling
This reports Brown’s fourth visit to Israel in 2008 just before the Cast Lead terror was enacted on the Palestinians in Gaza.
Brown: U.K. a True Friend of Israel, Will Work Toward Terror-free Future
British PM, on two-day visit to Israel, says amazed at Israel’s economic strength in face of regional hostility.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/brown-u-k-a-true-friend-of-israel-will-work-toward-terror-free-future-1.250032
That seems to be what the SNP are suggesting.
No, Fred, the SNP want an end to these electoral anomalies while you fight to preserve them. You are the problem, not the SNP.
“No, Fred, the SNP want an end to these electoral anomalies while you fight to preserve them. You are the problem, not the SNP.”
Then it’s simple. The SNP should not vote on matters concerning England and Wales which they would not want MPs in England and Wales to vote on in Scotland.
That is easy enough isn’t it.
Anything else is sheer hypocrisy.
Rowling’s literary agent, Neil Blair, is the driving force behind the so called Culture for Coexistence move.
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/sarah-irving/harry-potter-fans-heartbroken-author-urges-engagement-israel
http://cultureforcoexistence.org/
Minted.
http://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/node/1142
Then it’s simple. The SNP should not vote on matters concerning England and Wales which they would not want MPs in England and Wales to vote on in Scotland.
That is easy enough isn’t it.
Anything else is sheer hypocrisy.
They don’t unless it also affects Scotland.
Talking of hypocrisy, how would you describe someone who moans about NHS underfunding in Caithness but advocates spending £100 billion on Trident?
“They don’t unless it also affects Scotland.”
If shop opening hours in England affect Scotland then shop opening hours in Scotland affects the rest of the UK and the matter should be reserved.
Not only do you advocate imposing independence on the people of Scotland against their wishes you seem to think Scottish MPs are superior to other MPs.
Don’t you think people in England and Wales have the right to self determination?
I’ve already answered that load of self-pitying tripe.
NHS … Trident … hypocrisy … ?