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
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/10/lost-shelley-poem-execrating-rruling-class-public-poetical-essay-on-the-existing-state-of-things
If he was only alive today . What a fantastic blogger he would be !!
Fred says:
“Great, more oil on the world market, just what we needed.”
George Osborne says:
Great more revenue from tax oil receipts.
Remind me Fred never to ask your opinion on economic matters.
……………….
Kempe says:
“The words “drop” and “ocean” come most readily to mind.
Besides more oil coming onto the market at the moment will just depress the price even further and make the North Sea even less economically viable, investment and jobs have already been cut and further cuts look inevitable.”
…………..
A drop in the ocean…hmmm a drop that other countries would love to posses.
Depresses the oil price even further, which in turn is good for the consumer, so it’s not all bad is it.
But jobs will go says Kempe:
Surely not, afterall we were constantly told during the indy-ref, that remaining in the union, would save jobs due to the UK’s “broad shoulders.”
Surely after decades of taxing oil companies to death the Westminster government will help save those jobs.
It’s a good thing consecutive British governments had the acumen to set up an oil fund for times like these.
Oh! Wait…….they didn’t.
Westminster = incompetence.
Roll on indy.
Hi Mary
“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}”
__________________
Another couple of points about the video:
How do you know the footage is taken in Syria or Iraq?
How do you know the vehicles belong to ISIS?
How do you know the helicopter is an Apache? It looks like a Hind.
How do you know it is a US helicopter?
I look forward to your answers.
“Yes that SNP White Paper was a total load of bullshit wasn’t it. If they had told the truth about oil income going to negative I think there would have been a lot more voting against separation.”
………………..
Fred, criticising the Whitepaper, this from a guy whose camp came up with the “Vow” written on the back of a fag packet, and punted by the ultra unionist rag the Daily Record, and the “Smith Commission” and its b#stard fetus, the “Scotland Bill” not worth the cheap paper it’s written on.
Next to that lot the Whitepaper, resembles a literary masterpiece.
North Sea job losses:-
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/555cd072-5c54-11e5-9846-de406ccb37f2.html
Name me one oil company that has been “taxed to death”.
Cheap oil might be good for the consumer in the short term but the damage to health and the environment in the longer term could be far worse.
It always makes me chuckle when the Nat Scots rub their hands with glee at the thought of the old dying off, and with them, it is hoped, all opposition to Scotch nationalism.
They appear not to have factored into their calculation that the young grow old, in increasing numbers, and they tend to hang around for longer.
The SNP are going to need to lower the voting age to 12 to keep up with this trend. Young, ideological and stupid should be their core demographic.
Workers’ rights have gone down the tube.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/TUBill?src=hash
Britain is a fascist state.
Firstly Kempe I know North sea oil jobs have been badly impacted, my parody of the British government as astute and caring government, “broad shoulders pooling and sharing” must’ve went over your head.
You know someone as antagonistic as you must really learn to develop a sense of sarcasm.
Anyway back to subject at hand.
The oil and gas sector is the UK’s largest corporation tax payer, contributing 16.4% of total Government corporation tax receipts – more than many other significant industries combined. Our report shows that the industry’s contribution to UK tax revenues extends far beyond the taxes North Sea firms pay themselves.
Including taxes they collect – such as employee taxes and for those with a downstream business, fuel duties, the Total Tax Contribution (TTC) is estimated at £30.1bn, which is 5.5% of total UK government tax revenues. If the taxes paid by companies in the supply chain were included, the figure would be even higher.
The Budget measures announced by Government to the oil and gas industry tax regime are significant and have the potential to impact the industry commercially and its supply chain.
Kempe says: The damage to health and the environment.
Very noble of you, very noble indeed, exhaust fumes do cause breathing problems, and more must be done to capture those insidious particles and gases, especially in urban areas.
But I cant help thinking, that Britain’s role in fuels regarding the environment, and protecting it has been fatally damaged due to subsidies being removed on renewables by Westminster.
Secondly and just as important, countries such as China, Russia and the USA, and India to a certain extent, have no real intentions of slowing manufacturing down to accommodate climate change.
The legalization of same-sex marriage is an example of how the young eventually prevail over the old.
Very good assertion Anon1, especially this sentence.
“Young, ideological and stupid should be their core demographic.”
A bit like the British government’s soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The oil and gas sector is the UK’s largest corporation tax payer, contributing 16.4% of total Government corporation tax receipts”
I think you will find those figures are 5 years out of date.
What are the figures since the price drop?
“The legalization of same-sex marriage is an example of how the young eventually prevail over the old.”
_________________
Nonsense.
Many of those pushing for same-sex marriage were homosexual and lesbian couples who had been together for some length of time and who were of a certain age.
Stick to what you know about (500BC Athens, the USS Ronald Reagan and child abuse in the UK 🙂 )
Anon1
10 Nov, 2015 – 8:46 pm
pontificates
The black flag bearing a white circle in the middle with black writing is the emblem/insignia/identification of daesh/isis/isil/is/……. But earning ten dollars a day spamming the joint with unconscious drivel, leaves little time for any other activity, such as reading and observing reality outside of the solipsit world of ziobots raging away with their “anger” (a prerequisite for these virtual vermin).
Anon1
““I wonder if “Republicofscotland” will up sticks and move to Scotland should Scotland become independent. And once there, perhaps even renounce his British citizenship and acquire that of Scotland?”
It is hilarious that this most extreme of Scots nuts is neither Scottish nor lives in Scotland.
Something of the zeal of the convert in there I think.”
___________________
I think that’s exactly right.
George Orwell had a few things to say about the zeal of the person who has transferred his nationalism to another country.
I suppose you have noted that “Republicofscotland” has not confirmed that he’ll be upping sticks and moving north of the border if and when Scotland becomes an independent country?
I wonder if that is because he will stay in fascist England?
He’s really all bluster, isn’t he. 🙂
Republicofscotland
““Or will he continue to hunker down in fascist England”
___________________
Steady on old boy, it’s a bit over the top to call the good people of England fascist”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just quoting your friend Mary, old boy.
So : will you move up to Scotland when Scotland if and when it becomes independent?
It is worth pointing out in the middle of what I return to discover is another tedious spat here, that the oil and gas sector accounts for core holdings of equity income funds in the Footsie. The largest dividends (and these are very significant in a UK fund management context) are accounted for by Shell and BP, which were the second- and fourth-biggest payers in the UK respectively in 2014. BP has recently sustained its dividend yet again (December quarter, 2015) in spite of the oil price fall. It is worth thinking about why this might be, when the share price has fallen significantly. I look forward to reading well informed opinion.
Fedup
Could you confirm:
A) That the trucks are carrying ISIS insignia.
B) That the helicopter is a US Apache.
Thanks.
The Chief of the General Staff who unwisely criticized Jeremy Corbyn’s stance on Trident is now named as one who is criticized by Chilcot. It is said that he is one of several causing the delay in publication.
The military should not enter into political frays even though slimy Marr encouraged him.
Biter bit.
The Army boss and his private legal team who could (add) years to Chilcot delay: General Sir Nicholas Houghton believed to be one of those whose objections are holding up the inquiry
Sir Nicholas among senior military commanders facing criticism in report
The Chief of Defence Staff ‘s objections among those holding up inquiry
The inquiry into Iraq has already dragged on for more than six years
Chilcot ‘preparing to tell families of soldiers he understands their anguish’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3206684/The-Army-boss-private-legal-team-years-Chilcot-delay-General-Sir-Nicholas-Houghton-believed-one-objections-holding-inquiry.html
So will you move to Tel Aviv after your probation period at GCHQ, Surreyphobe?
Hopefully you might end up in an IDF boot camp.
Thanks Brian for info above. Must do some further delving….
“The Chief of the General Staff who unwisely criticized Jeremy Corbyn’s stance on Trident is now named as one who is criticized by Chilcot. It is said that he is one of several causing the delay in publication.
The military should not enter into political frays even though slimy Marr encouraged him.”
___________________
A typical bit of knee-jerking from our ignorant friend Mary. Will she never learn to think for herself?
Firstly, no one is entering into a political fray because there is no political fray. What we have is a Conservative govt that will probably decide to renew Trident and a Labour leader who has said he would never press the nuclear button. Since it would be rather risky to assume that Mr Corbyn is announcing Labour Part policy rather than his pêrsonal view and since there is at present no official Labout Party policy on Trident renewal, one cannot talk aboiut a “political fray”.
Unless, of course, one is being either ignorant or dishonest.
Secondly, Sir Nicholas made the rather obvious point that a deterrent which the enemy knows you will never use is not a deterrent. Now, even the nutters on here and further afield would have to agree with that logic, whatever they think about the usefulness or advisability of a nuclear deterrent.
Why do the Eminences and Israel-deniers on here think that the State of Israel maintains a constructive ambiguity about its nuclear capabilities and why do they think that eminent Israeli military thinkers like Professor Martin van Creveld have not hesitated to state that they believe Israel will, if it has to, take the Samson option?
No evidence, in other words.
I love the command to ‘think for yourself’ coming from one who works to a Hasbara/Camera script.
~~
It’s hard to differentiate one of these reports from another. They all commence with:
‘Israeli Navy opens fire on Palestinian fishing boats’
The latest for 7 November 2015
IOP – 07 November 2015
While the Occupation is business as usual for Israel, there should be no business with Israel
In Occupied Palestine – Zionism in practice
Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property
Israeli Navy opens fire on Palestinian fishing boats
Israeli Army position opens fire on Gaza refugee camp farmland
Israeli Army raids Hebron clinic and assaults staff
Night peace disruption and/or home invasions in 8 towns and villages
5 attacks (1 Israeli ceasefire violation)
21 raids including home invasions
6 injured – 1 abducted (aged 15)
2 acts of agricultural/economic sabotage
23 taken prisoner – 9 detained –
*103 restrictions of movement
http://palestine.org.nz/phrc/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2949&Itemid=44
Well done the Syrian Arab Army (and others) !
The siege of Kweires air base has finally been lifted.
I agree with your earlier comment on Shelley Monteverdi.
He would have seen off this lot currently in power.
‘In the poem, Shelley calls for “a total reform in the licentiousness, luxury, depravity, prejudice, which involve society”.
A fiery denunciation of war and oppression, the abuse of press and dysfunctional political institutions, his poem goes even further, asking if “rank corruption” shall “pass unheeded by”, mourning how “Millions to fight compell’d, to fight or die / In mangled heaps on War’s red altar lie”. He also fulminates against the “cold advisers of yet colder kings … who scheme, regardless of the poor man’s pang, / Who coolly sharpen misery’s sharpest fang, / Yourselves secure.”’
Michael Rosen is quoted
‘“The poem has great topicality for now with its mention of ministers supporting war and foreign oppression … Edward Said was at pains to point out that he couldn’t find any objection to colonialism and imperialism in English literature. Here it is. Shelley spends a good few lines on pointing out the oppression of British imperialism in India,” said Rosen, highlighting how Shelley writes that “The fainting Indian, on his native plains, / Writhes to superior power’s unnumbered pains.”
Rosen pointed out that the poem also sees Shelley write of government advisers, “To whose fell breast no passion virtue brings”, who have the power to “breathe / O’er all the world the infectious blast of death”, and to “Make a tired nation bless the oppressor’s name”.
“Even as Lynton Crosby comes up with yet another phrase to sustain this government in power (‘we must live within our means’), this poem appears. Wonderful reminder that ’twas ever thus,” said the poet.’
Lost Shelley poem execrating ‘rank corruption’ of ruling class made public
Poetical Essay on the Existing State of Things, a ferocious attack on war and oppression, becomes Bodleian Library’s 12 millionth book
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/10/lost-shelley-poem-execrating-rruling-class-public-poetical-essay-on-the-existing-state-of-things
Always the easy life, isn’t it? Steal land instead of buying it with hard earned cash, steal homes, and houses, and shops belonging to generations of Palestinians instead of stying back in some western sink town and building them or buying them with hard work and hard earned cash.
Earn tenner a day cutting and pasting the bullet points sent from HQ hasbara, taking screen shots as proof of “work” done. Then ask for the answers, always ask for answers, it is a ziobot thing, kind of a cybersettler code of conduct.
Use this “www.google.co.uk” and find the answers for yourself!
The top what’s new article on the CMI homepage at the moment, an interview with JM:
http://www.cmi.fi/en/media-en/news/eecca/137-sc-increasing-confidence/1118-from-entrenched-conflict-to-sustainable-peace-%E2%80%93-lessons-learned-from-northern-ireland-and-scotland-cases
Great news. Having become an economic powerhouse, I guess that means Israel should soon wean itself off off its need to keep sucking on the hardpressed US taxpayers’ teat and stand on its own two feet.
Oops! Looks like I spoke too quickly.
Mary
“Israeli Army position opens fire on Gaza refugee camp farmland”, “assaults” staff, 5 “attacks”, “raids”, “acts of agricultural/economic sabotage”, etc…
All a tad vague, wouldn’t you say? Does your source give more detail and perhaps you’re just being a bit lazy? Or is the vagueness deliberate?
Anyway, all a long way from the ravings on here about Israel being a fascist state, or an apartheid state, or Gaza and the West Bank being a gigantic open-air concentration camp, I’d say.
Silvio
Oh, the clunking irony – it was an attempt at irony, wasn’t it?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But more seriously (if you don’t mind) – good defence costs money these days, as you well know, and even economic powerhouses can do with a helping hand.
$5 billion a year to keep the Middle East’s only functioning democracy safe from those who wish it ill is a price well worth paying in my opinion.
But I can understand that the American taxpayer might prefer to have those $5 billion spent on the US and for the US.
By the way, Silvio – are you an American taxpayer?