Eight days ago I published a leak from an MOD source that the MOD’s Defence Intelligence Service fundamentally disagreed with Cameron’s “70,000 moderate rebels claim” and were incensed about. Today the Murdoch Press – the Times and the Sun – publish as massive front page exclusives exactly what I published eight days ago.
Interesting isn’t it that they didn’t publish it before the parliamentary debate on Syria?
As I constantly point out, this is not just a blog of commentary. It is a source of news the mainstream media does not choose to print (or chooses to delay).
On 26 November I published:
There is a very interesting parallel here with the claims over Iraqi WMD. The 70,000 figure has again been approved by the Joint Intelligence Committee, with a strong push from MI6. But exactly as with Iraqi WMD, there were strong objections from the less “political” Defence Intelligence, and caveats inserted. As the Head of Defence Intelligence, Major-General Michael Laurie, told the Chilcot Inquiry:
“we could find no evidence of planes, missiles or equipment that related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It was clear to me that pressure was being applied to the Joint Intelligence Committee and its drafters. Every fact was managed to make the dossier as strong as possible. The final statements in the dossier reached beyond the conclusions intelligence assessments would normally draw from such facts.”
The truth is the military tends to be much more honest about these matters than the spooks. Rather than make the same mistake again, parliamentarians should be calling Laurie’s successor, Air Marshal Philip Osborn, to ask him the truth about the nature, composition and availability of the 70,000. I happen to know that signals of dissent from Osborn’s staff – quite probably with his blessing – are reaching not just me, but many Tory MPs.
I disagree strongly with the Monbat when it comes to all things nuclear, but he did pen a good piece last month about these secret trade agreements…
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/03/financial-crisis-corporate-power-george-monbiot
With the way the Guardian now is, I wonder how much longer the likes of Monbat will be allowed a voice there?
Even I don’t believe this story about the CIA attacking the pope,
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/book-reveals-cias-role-in-religion-300188230.html?
but then agen?
Nevermind. They will sign up to TTIP, mark my words.
I have done business with some of America’s biggest. They are ruthless! They are bullies!
The same types are here. I know, I have done business with them too.
At one time in my life I spoke to big exporters to America who all said the same thing in praise of America. “If the American economy upturns by half of one percent we are on the gravy train”. They will lobby their MPs to sign. You and I are NOT listened to by our MPS. Don’t you realize that? Come on, when did MPs ever listen to the public?
If we get roped into TTIP we will be wearing shackles stamped, “made in America”.
The Americans can’t force Russia,India or Brazil to sign up, they are nuclear powers who are wise to TTIP.
TTIP is economic suicide!!!
Lysias He’s been cosying up to the PM of Bulgaria seeing how those pesky ‘migrants’ are repelled.
http://sofiaglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/0412_pm-cameron05-604×272.jpg
David Cameron: Bulgaria is an example of how to secure an EU external border
December 4, 2015
‘European countries facing increased flows of migration should learn from Bulgaria how to improve their controls, British prime minister David Cameron said on December 4 during a tour of some of Bulgaria’s border checkpoints and an inspection of its fence at the Turkish frontier, according to a Bulgarian government media statement.
Cameron said that he was impressed by the efficiency of Bulgaria’s border security and said that the country could serve as an example of compliance with the Schengen criteria.’
http://sofiaglobe.com/2015/12/04/david-cameron-bulgaria-is-an-example-of-how-to-secure-an-eu-external-border/
His host
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyko_Borissov#Controversies
Sounds like Karimov.
Murdoch papers have become hate-sheets. I wouldn’t let a dog do his business on one. I wouldn’t do that to dog shit.
Murdoch-owned NY Post just had a front-page headline on the San Bernardino shootings: “MUSLIM KILLERS”.
Murray got it right. Importantly though, I actually believed Murray long before Murdoch graced us with his views. I never believe anything I read in the corporate media, and Murdoch is a depraved old fantasist at the best of times. Curious indeed that we didn’t hear this before the vote, though I’m slightly surprised we are hearing it at all. Probably the lie really couldn’t hold for even a few more days, it was obviously bullshit.
Personally, I think this is a resignation issue, and Cameron should go. I also think there should be another vote on military strikes. Neither option is remotely likely of course.
The whole thing – I mean the whole Syrian bloodbath – has been fronted by mendacity from the start. The narrative of the uprising occurring only because the Baathist regime suppressed protestors in 2011 – that is a lie, it is not an accurate narrative – this ‘uprising’ had been planned, and prepared for, awhile beforehand by NATO and the GCC.
The chemical weapons use too – can one doubt that the so-called ‘rebels’ would not use these to invoke direct NATO ‘intervention’ on their side? And what would have happened if NATO had ‘intervened’ directly and destroyed the Syrian state in 2013? ISIS now would be in total control of the whole of Syria and probably Lebanon too.
Finally, the whole emergence of ISIS has been trailed by a veritable fictional narrative whose primary aim is to obscure massive support for ISIS (and all the other clerical fascist paramilitaries with the exception of Hezbollah) from Turkey and the GCC.
Now one would fully anticipate that an increasing level of NATO ‘intervention’ is designed to compete with Russia over Syria, in effect to define what the ‘area formerly known as Syria’ will become.
Lots of commenters complain about how complicated and incomprehensible the Syrian situation is. I would have thought that the situation is actually simplifying. No great originality on my part.
The basic problem is the Saudi (princes’) hatred of the Shi’a. The rest can be derived from that. Two factors in that hatred:
1) Wahhabism, on which the Saudis came to power, is based on a literal interpretation of the Sunna, in which nothing can come between man and God. The Shi’a maintain that the descendents of the Prophet’s son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, can act as an intermediary. Also, many of the pre-20th century tribes were Shi’a, and were enemies.
2) Unfortunately the Shi’a population of Saudi Arabia are sitting on the oil-fields, all of them. There are none elsewhere. Evidently a Shi’a revolt would deprive the Saudi princes of their income.
There is a kind of mad rage among the Saudi princes against the Shi’a, for fear of the loss of their revenues. it’s gone beyond rationality.
Bandar bin Sultan (bin Bush, as they say) thought that introducing jihadis into the Syrian conflict would be productive, of the same kind who conquered Arabia for Saudi. “We know how to control them” was the word. Unfortunately the Saudis didn’t, and as a result we have ISIS.
Quite why the West (US, UK, France) is so determined to follow Saudi fantasies is not clear to me. I imagine the reason is financial. The saudis can break the financial circuits if they’re discontented. but I leave it to others to comment.
I forgot to add that western radicalisation of Muslims is also of Saudi origin. In the 1970s, with the rise in the oil price, the Saudis began to finance the construction of mosques, with Wahhabi imams. Is it surprising that people already instable are led into extremist acts?
Absolutely spot-on, Laguerre.
@Laguerre
4 Dec, 2015 – 9:16 pm
I agree with Suhayl, in that you’re spot on with the fact that most of the Middle East’s oil and gas is in territory traditionally occupied by Shia Muslims (and that includes Saudi Arabia, which is ruled by Sunni Muslims).
When it comes to the Middle East, and in particular the West’s involvement in it, it just gets madder and madder and madder.
This is complete and utter bullshit (which at the time of posting they are not allowing reader’s comments on)…
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2015/dec/04/san-bernardino-shooting-victims-named-live
“Murdoch-owned NY Post just had a front-page headline on the San Bernardino shootings: “MUSLIM KILLERS”.”
_________________
On the face of it that headline would appear unexceptional and I can’t quite understand why the individual who posted it on here seems so upset.
The two perps were Muslim (as confirmed by the Upset One himself).
And they killed a number of innocent people.
Hence it would appear correct to describe them as Muslim killers.
Habba, walk out of your office (probably in Cheltenham) that’s all paid for by tax payers. Go to the car park that’s all paid by tax payers. Drive along roads that are all paid by tax payers. Then drive off a cliff, which I think that tax payers would be more than happy to pay for, old boy…
Let’s drop bombs on Syria, which cost 100 grand a pop; and I think that those humanitarian Brimestone missiles only cost half a million a pop.
It’s good that we’re so humanitarian that we can apparently no longer afford to fund front line services in the UK.
1789 and all that, Habba.
It’s coming, pal.
One of habbas many problems is he can only ever see the downsside…
Why the fuck would ISIS (isn’t what it ISIS) attack Russia, France, AND the USA!? Forget a two front war, let’s start a THREE FRONT WAR! If you include Iraq and Syria, they are now technically going to fight a five front war…
You would have to be severely mentally disabled to believe this latest bullshit.
So what’s your take on the San Bernadino shootings?
False flag? Conspiracy? A simple row at work/mental instability?
Share your insights, there’s a good chap.
The Ofticial Secrets Act keeps the MSM on line.
The Non Dom tax evader owners pushing their agenda to keep evading tax. The rest are publishing companies printing UK Gov literature and political pamphlets Gov contracts.
The facts are printed on line.
26,000 americans kill each other with guns every year. 6,000 use other means + drug deaths + suicide + road accidents. More Americans died from TV’s falling than any terror acts.
More die from police attacks than any ‘terror’ Acts. UK/US snd French Illegal wars kill and maim millions. The US administration used ‘terror’ as a form of control – they terrorise the people. Americans arm themselves because they do not trust their government. They themselves against their own government.
Can the FBI really be that incompetent that it didn’t secure the home of the suspects in the worst terrorist attack on America since 9/11 and left its contents to be rifled through, missed evidence destroyed (or perhaps injected into the scene), and the home generally trashed by media and curious neighbors and passers by?
Saudi Arabia is an absolute despot monarchy. They keep control by terror.
They use weapons brought from the West to terrorise the people. It is more to do with greed and human selfishness , ‘the divine right to rule’.
If Hilary Benn is so keen to fight fascism everywhere, perhaps he ought nto begin with Saudi Arabia? Not only is it a fascist police state, for the past 40 years+ it has disseminated its brand of clerical facsism far, wide and deep, all over the world. The shootings in California were inspired by Saudi Arabian clerical fascism. 9/11,7/7, Madrid, Paris, Beirut, Russian aeroplane over Sinai, Tunis, Glasgow Airport, most of the terrorism in Pakistan and India, most of the terrorism in Afghanistan – all of it ha sbeen inspired by Saudi Arabia. This is a country to which Hilary benn seel smassive amounst fo ordnance and with whom MI6 and its corporate ooutsourcing entities has a profound and collegiate geostrategic relationship.
So, Hilary and Co., how about some sanction on Riyadh…? No? Shall we wait until Doomsday before this happens? because that is where we are in danger of heading with our strategic relationship with this psychotic clerical fascist regime with global reach.
Typo, line 8: should be, ‘sells’.
‘Christian killer kills doctor’
Not a headline you will see when fundamentalist Christians kill for their radical christian beliefs which are as misguided as those killed by other religious fanatics.
Thing is, a neocon media would never use the term ‘Christian killer’ in any sentence, not even when a defunct methodist preacher killed 246 children, unwilling to die’ with poison, murdered them, they did not commit suicide.
a Christian mass murder….
http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=31976
I’m sure our nonchalant trolls who have nothing at all to say, who only bray, will acknowledge the madness of religious killers all round.
An entourage is met by Theresa. Don’t know who the man in profile is?
Saudi Deputy Crown Prince pays visit to Britain
Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef arriving in London. (SPA photo)
24 February 2015
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince and Interior Minister Muhammad bin Nayef headed a high-level delegation to Britain on Tuesday, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.
Prince bin Nayef met the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, late on Tuesday.
He is scheduled to meet British defense secretary, Michael Fallon, on Wednesday and then UK Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday.
The prince was accompanied by several Saudi ministers and security and military chiefs on his visit to Britain, the channel said.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/24/Saudi-Deputy-Crown-Prince-pays-visit-to-Britain.html
~~
A few days later Fallon was in Riyadh and also Oman
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-secretary-discusses-regional-threats-on-middle-east-visit
.