Sir Mark Lyall Grant was born with so many silver spoons in his mouth it is a miracle he didn’t choke. The National Security Adviser is, surprise surprise, an Old Etonian. He is also one of the nastiest people I have ever met.
In 1999 within the FCO he tried to remove me from my position as Deputy High Commissioner in Accra because, in a speech at an anti-corruption conference, I had stated that British firms too were sometimes involved in corruption. My speech had in fact been cleared in advance by DFID, and I survived. But Lyall Grant was dismissive of my argument that it was intellectually bankrupt to attend anti-corruption conferences and pretend corruption was just something foreigners did. In a very frosty interview, he told me my job was to promote British interests, not promote the truth.
I survived Lyall Grant’s attack only by appealing to the Head of the Diplomatic Service, John (now Lord) Kerr, in a minute in which I complained directly of Grant’s unpleasantly aristocratic attitude towards me, and used Hazlitt’s words about Byron applied to Lyall Grant “This spoil’d child of fortune…”. The entire episode was published in detail in my memoir “The Catholic Orangemen of Togo.”
Lyall Grant is now National Security Adviser and made responsible by Cameron for persuading Labour MPs to bomb Syria. A disagreement has arisen tonight over whether he admitted or not that a great many of the “70,000” are “extreme Islamists”.
But one thing that should be very well understood, is that I can personally testify that Mark Lyall Grant has no respect for or attachment to the truth. He directly told me that furthering the British interest is more important than truth. In that case, he was taking the interest of corrupt British companies – especially BAE – as being identical with the national interest.
In the current case, I have no doubt he will be conflating the interest of his fellow old Etonians in government and again of the arms industry with the national interest. I can guarantee nothing will pass his lips undistorted to suit that agenda.
That a truly obnoxious man like Mark Lyall Grant is such a senior official is the most complete proof you could have of the rottenness of the United Kingdom.
Early Christmas card. From the counterculture.
http://internationaltimes.it/the-road-to-damascus/
…Credibility down the drain, obviously….
Ah, but you read it, and remember it. Even the credible (who?) sometimes fail in that. 🙂
Angus Robertson SNP making an excellent speech in the House of Commons right now.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2015/dec/02/syria-airstrikes-mps-debate-vote-cameron-action-against-isis-live#block-565ed8dbe4b05c30c3e48d84
Tony M
“To deny that other human beings do not laugh, cry, feel is to deny their humanity. Standard Israeli religious supremacist demonising crap. You are one sick puppy Anon1, a real scumbag. I hope you can get help, perhaps the Samaritans or similarly could help you, their phone number is 116 123 and the call is free. Get well soon Anon1.”
_______________________
It seems to me that when “commenters” post “comments” lie the one above it shows that that they themselves are rather sick (mentally, I mean).
Or, of course, they might have anger management issues. If so, I’d advise Tony M to seek help.
I have had the pleasure of being arrested by a Muttawah in central Riyadh, (that’s a dirty disheveled bearded Sunni Wahabbite with a stick, operating freelance for the Department for suppression of Vice and promotion of Virtue) I recognise his ISIS thugs, supported and encouraged by the neo-shits performing liberation imperialism on other ‘bad guys’ in the MENA area. The kings of the Nejd bow to the Muttawah Wahabbis.
did I mention that all the people I know who live in the former Soviet Union are frightened of imminent war?
I don’t get that from just watching Rus TV, amongst others. Where is that buzz coming from?, Vlad or USAID?
ME(Dubai/Qatar) TV is starting to show short featurette heroic derring-doo’s and fluttering flags instead of the usual diabetes inducing Pizza Hut extra cheesy/Pepsi adverts – so they are a bit spooked also
It’ll be interesting to see how the ‘winners’ re-write history this time
You habbaduk obviously never seen Anon1’s comment which has thankfully been deleted.
” I think Islamic State might have cause to sue. They behead far less people! ”
I doubt that’s true but then they also go in for throat slashing, shooting, stoning, burning alive, throwing from tall buildings and target practice for RPGs.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/isil-executed-dozens-fighters-flee-150830071953308.html
Attempts to play down Daesh by comparison to Saudi Arabia would be contemptible if true, as it isn’t it simply looks ridiculous.
I think what gives the lie to the “70,000” figure is that the Obama administration was only able to support 5 “moderate” rebels. If there were truly 70,000 “moderate” rebels the Obama administration would have supported them.
I only met John Kerr once in Brussels at COREPER and was impressed. Colleagues who have met him were also.