After a 16,000 person petition to the State Department and letter writing and lobbying including by Jeremy Corbyn, Roger Waters and Daniel Ellsberg, I have been granted a 10 year US visa. Following my initial refusal of ESTA clearance and the offer then withdrawal of help from the US Embassy in London, it is only fair to say that the staff of the US Consulate in Belfast could not have been more pleasant and helpful, and my “interview” lasted thirty seconds. It is however a disgrace and an insult that the US issues visas in Belfast but not Edinburgh.
I will be going to Washington in a week to have the great honour to chair the presentation of the Sam Adams Award to John Kiriakou – the CIA agent who blew the whistle on waterboarding, and was jailed for it as part of the disgraceful Obama/Clinton War on Whistleblowers.
I shall also be speaking at the World Beyond War conference at American University, on the subject of peaceful conflict resolution. There are many really interesting speakers I am very much looking forward to hearing. I am sorry to say that the conference is completely sold out so it is now too late to register. But much of it will be livestreamed by the Real News.
Great News Craig
We shall look forward to your report after you return
thank you those who helped keep the petition alive too.
Good to hear. It still stings a bit that uncomfortable people are kept out until the negative publicity gets too loud to ignore. The US is redefining what can pass as non-satirical in its current election antics; it badly, badly needs external scrutiny. Give em hell, Craig.
Congratulations and well done all those who supported you and made the visit possible.Long live democracy – still trying to find out the true meaning of democracy.
‘Conflict Resolution” ?
Conflict >prevention< by tackling (taboo) root causes – that's where the focus always should be/should have been.
Oil and fossil fuel are usually amongst the primary root causes of conflict, terrorism, war.
A transition to a green economy is the only way forward – sadly so many on the vaguely green or fake-green Left just don't seem able or willing to accept this. Craig Murray is a typical example – he certainly was as blindly addicted to the Internal Conbustion Engine as Jeremy Clarkson when he was ambassador to Uzbekistan.
Go deeper and you will find that it is insecurity, ‘beliefs’/organised religions (mine is better than yours) and the stuff of man’s ego that are the real ‘primary root causes’. Which, also lead to the Earth being carved up into ‘Nations’. So our psyche is divided within and that has been given a very strong and rigid expression of an extremely divided World.
There are enough resources on the Planet even now to feed, clothe and house every human being comfortably, and provide adequate fossil-fuel energy to the whole of our Type Zero Global Civilisation.
A human being’s brain which is the product of tens of thousands, or even millions, of years of evolution has the insecurity of animals coded into the physical brain. That elemental insecurity has spilled into our psyche resulting in psychological insecurity, and so-called religions and nations are a result of all that.
A green economy will only happen when we first green our brains through a radically transformation which frees the human mind from the internal conflicts of various forms of ‘belief’.
Ironically our need for security leads to constant insecurity, fear and suffering in our daily lives.
Congratulations, Craig, ten years, wow, they must have felt guilty for looking into the drawer so long trying to find a reason to keep you out.
Paul, I have been a member of the GPEW from 1974 until 2008, and believe me, the amount of Conference addicts, meaning those who always turn up. the wheelers and dealers who cajole and nudged the 9% that make policy inside the green party, who are trying to hide their cars away, they are many.
Greens have never rejected plastic cups and glasses at Conference and they saw nothing wrong when they advertised a flight to Canberra , a flight the French Greens had hired to jet to the world Conference.
Its all very well making loud noises and coming over all aloof, but now and then they should realise that humans have value too. Please try not to be so smug, I will as well.
I am glad to hear that you got the entry clearance sorted out, and I hope you have a good trip.
It is understandable why the USA has a consul in Belfast – Ireland is important politically to the USA in a way that Scotland isn’t. The USA used to have a consulate in Liverpool, but it closed in the early 1980s. Saving money was the reason, and I suspect that there is no consulate in Edinburgh for the same reason.
Ken, but there really is a US consulate in Edinburgh – it just doesn’t issue visas:
https://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/edinburgh/
https://uk.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulates/edinburgh/visas/
Bloody hell, and it’s a consulate general to boot! Only open by appointment, two days a week, according to the website. It seems that they wanted to close it in 1995, then changed their minds, and left it with this sort of half-life.
Thanks for the head-up, Neil.
It’s kept open for Nicola in case she needs to do some strutting.
Trump will change all that.
Congratulations Craig.
Seriously – Well Done….just let The Americans know..we want you back in the UK too.
Tony
Great to hear Craig. People power!
Good news.
It would have been nice for all of us who signed the petition and made representations to have been thanked.
sorry, the acknowledgement was meant to convey thanks but I should have been more explicit.
Thank you Craig for saying that and thank you for all that you do to make the world a better place.
Please consider what happened to many other whistle blowers and truth speakers, they had the content of their laptops copied.
Might be an idea to put your speech/PP presentation on an empty datastick and leave the computer at home.
You can always hire one for a power presentation should you need to.
just a thought.
Surely if he leaves it at home the CIA/Mossad/Illuminati will break in and steal it?
Surely in life we do things for the good and not for the thanks?
This is good news.
Your work is of great value.
Great news Craig , I too had the experience of having to travel to Belfast and was given a 10 year visa , which is actually more convenient than an ESTA at the end of the day. Although be aware that you might be subject to close questioning at airport border control as to why you need a visa and will probably ,like me on occasion be put into a room with a selection of whores, comic singers, and drug couriers, for further questioning before being allowed to pass through the border and being welcomed to the “land of the free”
Excellent Bob – I look forward to meeting the whores and comic singers!
In the interests of combatting endless negativism, I hope that you (Craig) will report back on whether Bib’s dire prophecy was realised or not…
My guess is that you will sail through with your visa.
Bob’s
Now that this visa business is out of the way:
One wonders how many other countries would allow a Sam Adams-type award ceremony to take place on their territory with the same type of awardees.
Certainly not Russia, China, “President” Assad’s Syria, “President” Nicolas Maduro Moros’s Venezuela and so on….
The USA are a truly free, open and democratic society.
“The USA are a truly free, open and democratic society.”
Actually they are a republic into which the founding fathers built certain safeguards to prevent too much “democracy”. For example, despite all the hoo-ha and hullabaloo of the presidential election, the president is actually elected by the electoral college. You know, as in, we have to keep a check on the plebs in case they start thinking too much and electing the wrong leader.
You seem to have Bibbi on the brain!
I read sometime ago a report by a US academic in which he said his boarding pass was marked. It indicated to Homeland Security that he AND ALL HIS FAMILY were on a watchlist. If I remember correctly it was numbered something like 666!
Ten years is a long time in The Land of the Lone Gun Nut. Rather you than me 🙂
So you were not banned for your views, then?
Don’t you think you fired off your original comment a little too soon? A little humility from the great dissident and human rights warrior, perhaps?
“After a 16,000 person petition to the State Department”
US immigration does not decide who enters on petitions. And they haven’t heard of Jeremy Corbyn. This is just a way for you to save face. The reality is that you were flagged for security reasons, most likely because of your visit to Iraq, and after investigation allowed to proceed.
Still, let’s all keep up the pretence that the champion of human rights activism was denied free speech in the ‘land of the free’ because of his dangerously radical views, a decision overturned only after the US State Department buckled under the sheer weight of signatures from his supporters.
Makes a much better story.
My colleague emeritus-professor Senator for life Carlo Rubbia (winner of Nobel prize for physics 1984) was summarily ejected from US border control and deported back to Europe, without having taken any particular stance on human rights. It does seem that there are few rights, just before crossing the border, and I certainly wouldn’t take *any* electronic or memory device across the US border nowadays (perhaps a new clockwork GSM Nokia?, buy new devices/laptops when there, in cash from a random shop). Having said that, once into the US, the people are genuinely welcoming, and it is worth the effort. Have a great trip.
‘Land of the free’? Perhaps a better description would be ‘Land of Abu Ghraib; Bagram; Gitmo; ‘Extraordinary Rendition’; ‘Black’ detention sites all over; ‘False Flag’ attacks and Hoaxes; unrestrained police killing of, particularly, Blacks and Hispanics; illegal War Crime ‘Regime Change’ attacks and invasions; a Satanically subverted military (‘Satanic subversion of the U.S. Military’ by Jeffrey Steinberg: http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/satanic_subversion.htm ); ‘Child disspearance cntre of the world’ (MK-ULTRA); etc.
Sounds just the sort of place you’d enjoy, Anon1; I’m sure many of the commenters would have a wjip-round to crowd fund your fare, provided you promise (with a hefty ‘Bail’ held here in case you renege on the deal) not to return.
Have a good day! No visa problems if you grow a beard and apply through Riyadh.
youm must be sooo pleased that Craig is able to present this award Anon 1.5
Perfectly pleased. My issue is with Craig’s blog post about being banned from the US for his views.
Anon1,
Cos I am a cynical sod too, I half suspected that as well, but I think Craig was genuine in his response. Whilst there was absolutely nothing in the MSM about it – It was completely Brilliant Reverse-Propaganda – all over the alternative media. A massive embarrassment to the “Land of the Free”.
I could tell you a few stories that I know from personal experience – about crossing the border into the USA.
1. My Nephew – attempting to visit his Sister (a Professor at a major US university) – rejected at JFK – because he had long hair and several large earrings in his ear…subjected to a 5 hour interview – he eventually said the wrong thing – “Are you planning to do any work in the USA?”. Well – I’m only planning to be here for 2 weeks – but I might help to paint my sister’s house” REJECTED and sent back on the next flight at his own expense – they didn’t even bother to phone his sister.
2. Internationally famous UK band (I happen to know the young guitarist – he plays in another band too down my local pub). One Saturday he is playing in front of 100 people. The next Saturday he is playing in Quebec in front of 80,000 people headlining.
The band have a full US Stadium tour arranged. US immigration let all the white guys in – but they would not let the drummer in – cos the immigration official – didn’t like the look of him – Dreadlocks – you know the type – think maybe Bob Marley – but they said he looked like Osama Bin Laden…So there was a big meeting with the US Tour Management – with the Drummer still in Canada. The US Management said – surely you can hire another drummer? The band unanimously said – if you don’t let our Drummer in – then The Entire US tour is Off. They didn’t – so they all flew back home to England.
3. Getting out of the USA can be a big problem too. A small Dutch computer company – world renown – complete experts in their field. We hired them in the UK – The Americans hired them in the USA. They speak perfect English but at JFK on the way back – they were speaking and thinking in Dutch. One of them apparently had part of his foot over the yellow border line…and was told in American English – to stand back..He didn’t hear or understand the order…10 seconds later – he had a gun pressed to his Temple and was told -“if you don’t stand back – I will blow your f’ckin’ head off.”
I think Craig is very brave.
Tony
So was Iraq the official reason for the initial rejection?
Like Habby, I wish you smooth sailing, although unlike Habby I suspect you have a higher chance for a ‘secondary’ at the airport which could last a little more than 30 seconds.
The US aren’t quite that afraid of allowing you in; I suspect they would quite happily give Julian Assange a visa.
Glad you are going, Craig, and hope my efforts helped, though I think the denial was just a bit of Democratic Party electioneering so it didn’t look completely like a bunch of autocrats..
Hope you have a great time, and really enjoy it, though I shall be in the wilds of Brittany when it occurs.
Do make a full account here of your visit.
I thought you told us that it was probably your past bad efforts that stopped Craig’s entry….
now its all down to your efforts that he can travel for the next ten years, what a long time that sounds….
thanks for the laugh Trowbridge.
At the outset, I stated that I thought Craig’s denial would not hold up, and I tried to help it along by posting on Consortium News about why it was being done.
No statements about everything being done down to my efforts.
I had nothing to do with Craig posting my posts on his threads, along with his photograph and what it pertained to, on google, for example.
See nothing except your excesses to laugh about here.
It’s fortunate that the perennial activist D.Ellsberg hasn’t had to do his talking from the balconies of foreign embassies etc. like the topical whistleblowers Desange and Snowden. A pertinent indication of how much the noose has tightened since the days of “hell no, we won’t go”.
Assange.
Lauri Love is the latest victim of the uneven U.S.-UK extradition treaty. Love’s hacking took place within the UK, so normally under international law any trial would take place in his country, the UK. But apparently not under the extradition treaty.
Lysias, further to what you say:
“Of the 12, only Abid Naseer, the alleged ringleader, was ever convicted – but that was in the US earlier this year. After the UK case collapsed, Naseer was extradited to the US in 2013. He was prosecuted under a law that allows US authorities to pursue terrorism cases even if they take place overseas.”
https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2015/10/29/wrongly-accused-manchester-bomb-plotters-take-theresa-may-to-court-over-ban-on-re-entering-uk/
The U.S. government seems to think it has the right to prosecute acts that it considers crimes wherever they occur. Under that rationale, why didn’t Iran have the right to issue a fatwa against Salman Rushdie?
@ lysias September 16, 2016 at 15:05
I should imagine that’s the sort of thing that will change if and when Jeremy becomes Prime Minister.
Why on earth would you want to go to that shithole?
I hate to be a party pooper (or popper!), but since Craig is a whistleblower against illegal activities by both the UK and USA, I think he should have refused point blank to visit America, which would have been a powerful statement (Craig could have still attended the conference via a video link).
When Craig’s feet land on American soil, he will have a security service team watching him. Everything he says and does will be minutely recorded, just like East Germany in the old days. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Craig is assigned a ‘conference minder’, who will of course be part of the security services. Likewise, this has echoes of the old Soviet Intourist.
The only reason the US security services have changed their mind about Craig being allowed entry is because of the adverse reaction to the ban on social media – the Strangeloves monitor social media very closely and react accordingly. The Strangeloves have to monitor everything, because they know they are always just a whisker away from the plebs waking up and dealing out some natural justice.
I make no apologies to any Americans who read this: it’s the reality; it’s what you’ve allowed your country to become.
Oh, and I forgot to wave to the security service loons who are monitoring this blog – *two fingers go up*
Further details welcome, Craig, especially if anyone will murmur behind their hand the actual reason for the interruption to your plans.
No doubt all concerned in this (and the Excrescences) would chorus their support for the free movement of labour in the service of global homogenisation. It’s just the free movement of thought that causes problems…
Hope the ceremony goes well.
Not quite sure what point you are trying to make here, Komodo. Craig posted a load of self-righteous old bollocks about being denied entry to the US because of his wonderfuk human rights works and dissident beliefs.
Turns out he was just flagged up like thousands of others trying to enter the US on a daily basis. But Craig being the type he is can’t just admit he got it wrong.
No, he was allowed entry only because a huge campaign of SJW’s (including JC, no less) on Twitter and petitioning websites and elsewhere, forced the US State Department into an embarrassing U-turn and landed Craig a victory for free speech in the so-called land of the free!
It’s really quite a pathetic spectacle. But Craig is like that these days.
@ Anon1 ‘Turns out he was just flagged up like thousands of others trying to enter the US on a daily basis’…
Unless, of course, your an alleged ‘Tewowist Highjacker’ from Riyadh, in which case it’s ‘Come on in, Dude, take the Red Carpet on the right’.
I’m afraid it’s you and your ilk that are pathetic.
Yet another victory for the cock up theory of history over the conspiracy theory of history, although I daresay most here will disagree.
I trust the chair of the CIA’s Board of Trustees will not be sponsoring and attending the award dinner – unlike his equivalent did when it was in Moscow a few years ago.
I trust someone will bring this to Craig’s attention; I received an email, and was asked to pass it on to interested parties:
The film ‘The Good American’ will be shown at the Phoenix Cinema East Finchley 2-4.30 this Sunday (warning Northern Line only goes as far as Archway on Sunday then take a bus). Annie Machon (ex-Mi50 and Bill Binney will give a Q&A after the showing.
http://www.movingdocs.uk/a_good_american_at_phoenix_cinema
‘Before there was Snowden…
… there was Bill Binney, the Technical Director of the NSA turned whistleblower, as well as his colleagues Tom Drake, Kirk Wiebe and Ed Loomis.
Edward Snowden has publicly credited Bill and his whistleblowing friends as his inspiration.
“A Good American” is an inspirational documentary about Bill’s story, why he did what he did and the high personal cost involved.
A screening will be held this Sunday, 18 September and Bill and I shall be taking part in a discussion after the film:
http://www.movingdocs.uk/a_good_american_at_phoenix_cinema
Bill Binney is a lovely guy and I really think that you would enjoy meeting him if you are free that afternoon.
Also, Bill (last year’s laureate) and I are members of the Sam Adams Associates, a global group of intelligence, military and diplomatic whistleblowers who give an award every year to those displaying integrity in intelligence. This year’s award has been voted to ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou, who was imprisoned for exposing the CIA torture
programme:
http://samadamsaward.ch/
I do hope you can make the screening on Sunday. If you can’t, please spread the word!
Regards
Annie (Machon)
Influential former ‘merkan CIA director – check
Rabid Fox News interview – check
Discussing new Snowdon movie – check
Result: Ed Snowden & all his family and relations until the seventh link should be hanged – check!
Here’s Genghis: http://insider.foxnews.com/2016/09/16/ex-cia-director-snowden-should-be-tried-treason-face-hanging
I presume the FoxNews & CIA accidental parody of themselves over this issue of the House Permanent Select Committe on Intelligence secret report on Snowdon – well, rather then issuing and discussing a lying piece of shit CIA propaganda – why didn’t they ask someone serious – such as multi-Pulitzer prizewinning journo Barton Gellman, here:
https://tcf.org/content/commentary/house-intelligence-committees-terrible-horrible-bad-snowden-report/
When in the States, Craig, I hope you will inform all that The Donald is resorting to the Reagan gambit by telling the Secret Service to stop protecting Hillary which the Gipper’s people resorted to, stating with John Hinckley, Jt. stalking Carter so that he would just stay in the White House’s Rose Garden during the 1980 presidential campaign.
.Hiillary has all kinds of places where she can safely hider.
Trump is a vicious thug who no one but CIA types should support.
‘Hiillary has all kinds of places where she can safely hider.
Trump is a vicious thug who no one but CIA types should support.’
Yes, the Killary ‘Snopes Hildabeast’ should indeed hide, perhaps under the slimy damp rock she emerged from under; hopefully, she will soon shake off her mortal coil, and get her just deserts in the afterlife.
Trump is a crook, but of the two, I believe he is less evil.
As for ‘CIA types’, as Webster Tarpley said: ‘CIA is Wall Street, and Wall Street is CIA’.
If Trump were to get in ahead of the PTB’s Clinton, he would soon learn to toe the line; they are both puppets, and muppets.
Nothing about the CIA stalking Carter and Lennon through drugged Manchurian Candidates like Hinckley and Chapman, and Trump aping it now to sideline Hillary.
And the CIA is more than Wall Street, as the Plumbers, under the leadership of William King Harvey, proved with all their assassinations, break-ins, and drugging.
In sum, Tarpley doesn’t know what he is complaining about.
A thought for another imprisoned CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Stirling. In the words of his wife:
“During this morning’s telephone conversation with Jeffrey, he informed me there was a date he was to see the medical specialist. Sadly, that date has come and gone. I remain in complete and utter disbelief that Jeffrey’s dire medical issues continue to be blatantly ignored to the point of medical negligence by the prison.
“To cause further angst, Jeffrey told me a fellow individual recently requested to report to sick call immediately. His request was denied by the corrections officer as it was prior to the “official” sick call time. Tragically, he died a couple hours later. The cause of death, a HEART ATTACK!”
Not as bad as prisons in Uzbekistan, but certainly very much on the wrong side of ethical human values.
I hope Jeffrey will be able to receive the Sam Adams Award soon.
Poster should know that Sterling is locked up until 2018 for leaking information to reporters about the CIA trying to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions by giving it the wrong recipe for making one it encouraged the making of, and them damaging the global communication system by hitting its using centrifuges for enriching uranium with the stuxnet virus.
Of course, Sterling’s problems are less than John Wheeler’s who was murdered by the American spooks for leaking more important dirty tricks against Iran directly to Tehran, and the investigation into his assassination has been completely stopped by the Bidens et al.
And why aren’t we still discussing the Julian Assange saga who is being pursued by Sweden and the USA for seeing to the publication of most damning Afghan File about NATO operations which GCHQ/MI6 hacker Gareth Williams was murdered for supplying?.
Perhaps Craig will revive interest in this most brutal murder, and its continuing fallout when he visits the States.
I wish you well on your travels, stay safe and watch your back. There are plenty who would have you mugsided or accidented.
We should soon be getting an update from Craig, as the event was yesterday:
http://samadamsaward.ch/2016/09/2016-sam-adams-award-ceremony-honoring-john-kiriakou/
‘2016 SAM ADAMS AWARD CEREMONY HONORING JOHN KIRIAKOU
KAY CHAPEL, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
4-5:30 PM
[opening piano music by Tom Dickinson]
4:00 – Welcome to Sam Adams Associates for Integrity Intelligence (SAAII) annual award ceremony by SAAII co-founder Ray McGovern, peace & justice advocate and former CIA Presidential Briefer
4:05 – 4:10 Master of Ceremonies Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan & 2005 Sam Adams Award recipient
4:10 – 4:15 Thomas Drake, former NSA Senior Executive
4:15 – 4:20 Larry Wilkerson, Col., U.S. Army (ret); Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell
4:20 – 4:25 Larry Johnson, CIA and State Dept. (ret.)
4:25 – 4:30 Philip Giraldi , CIA Operations Officer (ret.)
4:30-4:35 Elizabeth Murray, former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East, National Intelligence Council and former CIA political analyst (ret.)
4:35 to 4:50 Ambassador Craig Murray speech
4:50- 5:05 Joint reading of Sam Adams Award Citation for John Kiriakou by Elizabeth Murray and Coleen Rowley, 2002 Sam Adams Award recipient & former FBI attorney
• [Tom Dickinson piano music] John accepts Sam Adams Citation and Corner-Brightener award
5:10 to 5:20 John Kiriakou acceptance speech
5:20 to 5:25 Ray McGovern acknowledgment and thanks to Busboys and Poets owner and social activist Andy Shallal for generous donation to the Sam Adams Associates
5:25-5:30 Adjournment (Craig Murray)
5:30-6:00 Reception (Kay Lounge)