The End of the Affair 918


At the High Court today the following joint statement was agreed.

On 29 April 2016, Jake Wallis Simons and Craig Murray appeared together on Sky News to debate anti-Semitism in the United Kingdom. Following that debate, Dr Wallis Simons issued libel proceedings against Mr Murray. Dr Wallis Simons and Mr Murray have now settled these proceedings.

By this statement, Mr Murray accepts that Dr Wallis Simons is not a liar, and Dr Wallis Simons accepts that Mr Murray is not an anti-Semite. They are both pleased to have resolved this dispute amicably.

I am genuinely happy with this outcome, which would never have been remotely possible without the incredible 5,000 plus people who donated to my defence fund and enabled me to be represented by a top legal team. It continues to be my view that the libel laws are appalling – had I lost the case I was very definitely looking at a cost of £350,000 plus.

I am also very grateful to the band of readers of this blog who arrived to support me, and in the end saw very little. When invited to open the case the other side immediately asked for an adjournment to discuss a settlement. The hour of delay which followed was occupied on our side almost entirely by my agonising over whether it was morally acceptable for me to agree this statement and use the defence fund to pay my lawyers, or whether those who donated did so in the expectation I would fight the case whatever.

There were a number of supporters at hand who had donated, many of whom were personally previously unknown to me, and the opinions I could canvass were unanimously that this was a good result and a good use of their money.

Having agreed to settle in this way, I have arrived at this following decision. If anybody who donated feels they have been unduly sold out, please let me know through the contact button above and your donation will be refunded to you.

When we started the defence fund, our “realistic” projection was a total of £12,000. That we eventually raised over £100,000 is astonishing. Equally astonishing, but in a bad way, is that my own legal team’s cost almost amounts to that – I will publish full accounts in due course. After all is settled and refunds issued to those who wish, if anything is left over I propose to split it between Andy Wightman’s defence fund and Neil Clark’s case against Oliver Kamm. Again please do let me know if you object. It’s actually your money not mine.

I did not realise how this has been weighing me down, until the threat has been lifted today. I have never claimed to be entirely without fault, and I would ask you to refrain from any comment here which detracts from the amicable spirit of the joint statement. It is a time for celebration not recrimination, and please confine any rudeness to remarks about me.


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918 thoughts on “The End of the Affair

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  • Republicofscotland

    Meanwhile Westminster’s/Royal’s, great friend and ally Saudi Arabia has surrounded Yemen blocking all sea ports airports and land crossings.

    The UN has condemned the action as 20 million people, suffer from the effects of disease and starvation. The Saudi’s are backed up by a coalition, UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock said that the Yemen famine will be the worst in many a decade.

    To think a Saudi heads/headedup, the UN Human Rights Panels, is well astonishing if not disgraceful.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/anger-after-saudi-arabia-chosen-to-head-key-un-human-rights-panel-10509716.html

    • reel guid

      In the latter half of that customary piece of Massie tripe he talks about how the media was right to subject the Yes campaign in the indyref to far greater scrutiny because Better Together was offering the status quo.

      The status quo Mr. Massie is so sure has been maintained is forced loss of EU citizenship for the people of Scotland and Westminster grabbing Brussels powers that belong at Holyrood. Also the drastic reduction of Scotland’s block grant to keep in line with the drastic reduction in Westminster health spending that has resulted from privatisation south of the border. That is not the status quo. If Alex and Tasmina highlight this on their show then great. Because you won’t hear about it all on the BBC.

      Alex Massie also throws in mention of Salmond’s bid regarding the Johnston Press and tries to portray it in negative terms. Massie fails to mention the context of the bid. That Scotland, a country in which at least one half of the population want independence, has a situation in which about 97% of daily and sunday newspapers are strongly anti-independence. There is no other democracy in the world in which there is such an unrepresentative situation regarding newspapers as there is in Scotland. But then is Scotland democratic anymore?

      • fred

        For years I’ve been telling RoS that Salmond was no different to people like Farage and Galloway.

        Now finally he’s had to admit I was right.

    • joel

      The Spectator, telling the truth and looking out for the interests of ordinary people since 1828.

    • JOML

      Fred, Salmond will have complete editorial control and therefore if his shows are of any use to Russia, this will be down to Salmond. If Russia doesn’t like it he content of his shows, I suspect the contract will not be renewed.
      I suspect Massie is jealous and has an inferior chip on his shoulder. I’ll wait to view the shows before making any judgements, and avoid making any stereotypical and predictable responses.

      • fred

        He doesn’t need to spread the propaganda himself. The ex-First Minister working for Putin’s propaganda arm gives it credibility.

        Not the first SNP leader to side with a foreign power against Britain and no doubt he won’t be the last.

      • Ba'al Zevul

        Salmond needn’t worry about his contract. Anything that polarises the US, UK or EU is grist to Russia’s mill, just as anything that sows dissension in the FSU is grist to ours. Offer publicity to anyone with an axe to grind, and they’ll snap it up. If Salmond wishes to be mildly critical of his hosts, that will be fine as long as he remains highly critical of the union.

    • laguerre

      b is Bernhard, a German who lives in Hamburg. I’ve contributed to his cause too, as the blog seems to be the main activity in his life. He does the moderation himself.

      I’ve followed it since near the beginning, more than 10 years ago. There have been various attempts to install a resident hasbarist, but for some reason they have never stuck. And now Israel seems less interested in paying roomfuls of students to write comments on every blog in the world, probably, I would guess since the rise of the mythical Putinbot, which gives traditional hasbarism a bad name.

      • Tony_0pmoc

        laguerre,

        I have only posted on The Moon of Alabama once, though I have been reading it for several years. The quality of both his articles and the comments are just so good, I didn’t feel worthy…

        But one article he wrote, was just so good, I posted a few words asking how I could send him £10.

        In the end I didn’t cos I was getting into big trouble with my bank for trying to send $10 to Tom Feeley of Information Clearing House.

        I do not like my bank account being frozen…I have to phone them up..yes it is me trying to send this money to a person in The USA.

        To be fair, I had no problems whatsoever sending Craig Murray £10 – but the bank probably likes him.

        Tony

      • Macky

        Quite ironically, his anti-EU view was taken as support for LePen by Craig “anti-fascists-unless-Ukraine” Murray.

  • Chris Ferguson

    Hi Craig,
    I did make a donation to your fund. Yes the libel laws are terrible and will always favour the rich! But my primary concern was for your and your family’s welfare and that you would be able to continue this blog- which personally I find extremely useful and informative – and losing it I’d personally lose access to information and opinions that I value.

    Thought yes you could have gone on with the case, I personally agree with the advice you were given by others and decided to take. If you had won it would have been a moral victory and yes you may have been awarded costs too, but that was not guaranteed. So going for the course you did in the end, personally I feel was the best move. As far as moral victories, that your accuser asked for a settlement is in itself a moral settlement. it shows that they were not sure of their chances of winning, and that can always be brought up in future – that the essentially buckled – not you! You took up the stance.

    As for repayments, I know others would have been able to contribute far more than me, but I personally would not want it reimbursed and would fully endorse it going to Andy Wightman and Neil Clark. You/we should not see this is any sense a loss – but a victory (it was them who buckled at the last minute!) and now any funds left over as going to continue to fight for justice and right over the overwhelming imbalance in the legal system that would silence those whom we appreciate there to fight the causes we believe in and to help inform us of issue we care about!

  • reel guid

    Just because the paranoid style of politics in the US has recast the Russians as the international bad guys in a sad and dangerous attempt to recreate the Cold War doesn’t mean we in These Islands Ltd have to follow suit. RT has a lot of interesting shows. Discussions you wouldn’t get on the BBC or even ITN. And people who work in the various international bureau of RT are not endorsing the views and policies of the Russian Federation government.

    Also Nicola Sturgeon might do well to remember that Salmond delivered the people of Scotland a chance to vote on independence. Something she’s yet to deliver.

    • Republicofscotland

      reel guid.

      The problem appears to me anyway, that RT has made a dent in the British propaganda machine. RT is if I’m not mistaken the most viewd on YouTube as well.

      So of course much noise has to be made by the establishment and their useful idiots to decry RT. Of course RT is a propaganda machine but only now that it’s making inroads in the UK do we hear all manner of accusations that RT is the bad guy whilst the BBC et al in the UK are the purveyors of the unadulterated truth.

      They’ll be no mention of course from the BBC, that Salmond will produce his shows without RT imput, and it will rise or fall on his making only.

      Unwisely by drawing attention to RT, the British media, will have awoken many peoples curiosity and some may become avid viewers.

    • Shatnersrug

      I know someone that works for RT in london and someone for the BBC, from our chats the BBC is far more controlling over its message, and that’s from the horses mouth, both of them are uncomfortable with some aspects but the BBC person believes news and current affairs has been gutted and is overrun with ex Murdoch employees.

      • Macky

        Oh contraire Old Chap, don’t you know we like to consider ourselves the wiser older Greece to the new Pax-Americana Rome; it’s more a case of Melusine, than of a case of Cerberus, if you get my drift.

  • reel guid

    Just think.

    Scouts get a badge for helping little old ladies across the road.

    Guardia Civil get a medal for skelping little old ladies across the nose.

    That’s the Francoists folks. The Tories’ and Labour’s – never publicly admitted – friends.

  • reel guid

    FOI has shown that House of Commons staff used government credit cards to pay for things like cinema visits.
    They also bought £200 worth of football strips. MPs were probably telling them to get their kit off.

    • JOML

      Reel guid, perhaps David Mellor is back in town! He was fond of a football strip, in certain situations… ?

        • Shatnersrug

          He was nuts for Chelsea,

          Yes I have s friend who used to work at the nation records archive – his boss had an expense account card from HMG used to put his Christmas shopping on it and take everyone from lunch everyday.

          It’s not tax payers money btw, it’s new money, there really is no such thing as tax payers money, we only pay tax to control inflation – when it’s returned to the treasury its cancelled out. We could all live like this. The NHS could easily be funded with new money, and we could all have a grade health care. That the establishment choose not to should be instructive. People are kept in their place. Deliberately.

  • Republicofscotland

    Oops, Jeremy Corbyn also appeared on RT, as did BoJo’s dad, and since some are on a witch hunt regarding those who feature/ed on the dispicable Russian propaganda machine, then surely Corbyn can now never ever be considered for PM.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-russia-today-jeremy-corbyn-rt-father-stanley-news-channel-a8006436.html

    It has also came to light that six Brexit minister’s have also appeared on RT, if they haven’t already resigned or been sacked (very likely) over other sleazy scandals they too must now surely be charged with treason, sedition rebellion, and a whole host of other bollocks charges that the almost virginal BBC see fit to apply.

    I think I’ll watch the film the Crucible tonight, to get me in the mood for finger pointing at anyone whose been seen on the devils channel RT.

      • Republicofscotland

        Yes Alex Salmond will now be taken to the Tower of London, where he’ll be hung, drawn and quartered, and then beheaded, his rotund remains will then be set on pikes and send to the four corners of these islands, as a warning of what happens to those who flirt with RT.

        • Tony_0pmoc

          Republicofscotland,

          Alex Salmond is on our side. You guy’s need to get rid of that stupid cow. At first I couldn’t understand, the animosity I got from a bunch of Scottish people, when I mentioned her name. They really don’t like the other fish.

          Tony

          • JOML

            Tony, you must have been speaking to our red/blue Tories. She doesn’t get good press, but that says more about the press. She gets enough abuse from the yoons, without unaffected bystanders joining in. She’s a talented and decent individual, although lacks the guile of Salmond.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    As it is 6pm on a Friday night, and he has survived yet another completely outrageous attack on him, for merely telling the Truth, I would like to raise a glass of the Finest Scottish Whisky To

    Craig Murray

    Well Done Sir

    (Actually its Bells £15 a litre in Sainsbury’s this week – I can only afford the really good stuff when not in The UK)

    Tony

    • glenn_nl

      T: “(Actually its Bells £15 a litre in Sainsbury’s this week – I can only afford the really good stuff when not in The UK)”

      We’re in for some cracking posts from you tonight then, eh Tony?

      • Tony_0pmoc

        Well, Glenn, you first have to confess how fast you were going.

        I too once had to turn up in court to be prosecuted.

        The policeman turned up too, to give evidence (he said next time look in your mirror)

        I pleaded guilty.

        I was coming back home from Ashton-U-Lyne College of Further Education – completely sober, legal, decent and honest,and I had passed my test.

        I was 16 years old and travelling at 42mph on My BSA250 C15.

        My older brother gave it me (once I found all the bits and put it back together)

        ..,now come on..I just want the number…142mph?

        There are no secrets here.

        How’s Holland?

        Tony

  • freddy

    Hassan Nasrallah said Saudi Arabia had declared war on Lebanon, and was holding Mr Hariri against his will.
    He also accused the Saudis of inciting Israel against Lebanon.
    BBC

  • Tony_0pmoc

    I do realise that a lot of people with very similar political views to me, really do not like Boris. However, before people I had never seen before, started calling me Jimmy (which was very hard to defend), a lot of people used to call me Boris ( I won’t mention Rick)

    So I briefly researched Boris and the Iranian girl – in jail in Iran. She has been heavily defended by Amnesty International (controlled by The CIA)

    I think she was telling the truth – she really was on holiday in Iran visiting her Mum and Dad, with her Baby…

    But Boris was telling The Truth too – it might have been a bit indiscreet of Boris, but he wasn’t lying.

    The Iranian Girl working in London as a Project Manager producing anti-Iranian propaganda for the BBC and Reuters…almost certainly didn’t teach any Iranian Journalists in Iran, how to do propaganda against Iran..She was just on holiday.

    I think The Iranian Government should release her – so that she can be reunited with her Mum and Dad and Baby in Iran. If her British husband wants to move to Iran, to live there, then I think that will improve her chances of release.

    Unlike the Priti girl, I don’t think she did anything wrong…

    But the Iranian Government, although they have not accused her of that, may think she has committed Treason.

    I sincerley hope Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is released soon.

    As I think it will go a long way to improve relationships between The UK and Iran..and I really like Iranians – some of the nicest and cleverest people, I have every worked with and met down the pub.

    And I really like my Boris Bus Pass – Now Upgraded to a Freedom Pass.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/09/british-iranian-woman-jailed-in-tehran-faces-new-charges-says-husband

    Tony

      • Tony_0pmoc

        Well, they never recruited me..and I thought I was really good looking once I swapped my geeky specs for contact lenses. Maybe it was because my Mum was still dressing me when I was at university.

        • Shatnersrug

          I think she might be a spy you know, I also think Boris has deliberately thrown her to the lions because the Americans want a repeat of observer ‘journalist’ Farad Bazoft who was executed “falsely” by Salam Hussein for espionage.

          https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2010/mar/14/farzad-bazoft-20-years-saddam

          Thatcher threw him under the bus much like Boris is doing now. Of course there is nothing like the wrongful imprisonment or better, execution of a British citizen but the current ‘worse than hitler’ country that America want to invade.

          I don’t think Boris is bungling this one at all, I think he is playing bungler on orders from the US. The public sigh and moan, a British spy gains sympathy, a war is waged. The the invasion of Iran is about about 7 years away I’d say…

    • nevermind

      So what should happen to BoJo if Iran takes this faux pas and Mrs. Radcliffe gets another 5/10 years added to her sentence, Tony?
      Does a Foreign secretaries job description include raising the prison sentences of UK citizens by loose talk? or should they do their best to get them out of jail, behind the scenes?
      Forgetting his latest rabble rousing for Israel, because that what it amounts to, by increased tensions with Iran he is not helping an already volatile situation, Boris has very little credibility with his peers in the global diplomatic world and his trademark bumbling outbursts in his best faux Churchillian demeanour, his ignorance of facts, are barely raising smiles, nor are they currying favours.

    • Shatnersrug

      It’s bizarre isn’t it. Mainstream media IS bullying, its entire culture survives on it and is based on it, it’s cut throat and cynical. The idea that they can clean it up is ridiculous.

      I cannot believe for one minute that Katherine Viner has reached editor in chief of a major(although duff) British news paper without bullying and harassing people on the way up, maybe not sexually but there are plenty of other ways to make people feel vunrable and render them useless

  • Republicofscotland

    Meanwhile the unionist establishment is so unnerved by Alex Salmond’s coming RT show, that one has even submitted a motion to Holyrood to try and stop Salmond continuing.

    Bear in mind Alex Salmond is a private citizen now, not a politician, unionist politicans are attempting to interfere with a private citizens career.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/_/status/928995491802681344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwingsoverscotland.com%2Fsomething-we-need-to-talk-about%2F

    • reel guid

      Cole-Hamilton has, with the wording of that parliamentary motion, calumniated a private citizen who is breaking no law. No member of the Scottish parliament has any business to be doing such a thing and it could bring the parliament into disrepute. I hope this is taken up by an MSP with the Presiding Officer.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    I guess its fairly safe to do Facebook (which does have some uses) providing you are over 40 years old and have read The Facebook Creator’s Warning…
    (Don’t Post This on Facebook)

    Tony

    http://nypost.com/2017/11/09/sean-parker-on-facebook-we-created-a-monster/

    “Sean Parker, who played a pivotal role in turning Facebook into a money-minting juggernaut, admits that he is now “something of a conscientious objector” to the social networking giant. Facebook “literally changes your relationship with society, with each other,” Parker told Axios in a Wednesday interview. “God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains.”

    The 38-year-old tech tycoon — whose hardball exploits as Facebook’s first president were depicted in Aaron Sorkin’s 2010 Hollywood flick “The Social Network” — said Facebook is designed to exploit “a vulnerability in human psychology” to get its users addicted.

    “The inventors, creators — it’s me, it’s Mark [Zuckerberg], it’s Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it’s all of these people — understood this consciously,” he said. “And we did it anyway.”
    Parker, who is now founder and chair of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, explained that Facebook uses likes and shares to create a “social-validation feedback loop” that keeps users coming back.

    “We need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever,” Parker said. “And that’s going to get you to contribute more content, and that’s going to get you … more likes and comments.”

    Parker said he never anticipated the consequences of what would happen when Facebook grew to have 2 billion monthly users.

    In its first few years, Parker said, people would tell him they didn’t use social media, and he would assure them that they would join the fold sooner or later.

    “The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them, … was all about: ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’” he said.

  • freddy

    A lawyer whose firm represents two imprisoned former Catalan ministers says their situation was made worse by the self-imposed exile of deposed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont.
    Pau Molins told the BBC he believes Mr Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium, should have stayed in Spain to fight his case.
    He says it meant the justice system was able to justify jailing the ministers.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41947295

    There is more than a hint here, from his compadres, that Carles Puigdemont
    has over-played his hand,
    making things worse for those remaining in Catalonia?

  • Republicofscotland

    “A man who is widely regarded as the most tortured prisoner in the history of Guantanamo Bay has been released without charge after nearly 14 years.”

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mohamedou-ould-slahi-guantanamo-bay-most-tortured-man-freed-without-charge-a7371666.html

    Fourteen years of captivity and torture, then released without charge, isn’t this the kind of think a extreme regime would do?

    There’s still 61 people held in Guantanamo prison, I wonder if they’ll be released without charge as well.

    NK, Iran, Russia, China and the USA, which country is the most likely to destablise the world, which country has a history of destablising other nations, (through mostly proxy wars and coups) which country has used nukes in earnest, and which country has the most military instalations around the globe.

    Of course the “wild card” hasn’t been mentioned yet, Israel, thankfully it doesn’t possess nukes or nuclear subs…officially that is.

    • Paul Barbara

      @ Republicofscotland November 11, 2017 at 11:47
      And we maintain friendly relations with this abomination of a Regime, and extradite anyone they ask for.
      US bases out of the UK! Boycott, Sanctions and Disinvestment from the United States of Abominations!

  • reel guid

    Labour peer George Foulkes has had a go at his fellow Jambos fan Alex Salmond. Foulkes says that Salmond should lose his privy councillor status because his new talk show is “near to treason”.

    Thanks for the extra publicity Lardy!

    • freddy

      i can not understand how a person who wants to break up
      The Unitewd Kingdom
      can be a privy councillor,
      what is he, a spy.

          • reel guid

            Many senior politicians in Canada and Australia etc become privy councillors. You don’t have to be governed from London to be in the privy council.

          • Republicofscotland

            Freddy.

            There used to be separate Privy Councils for Scotland and England.

            Alex Salmond is bound by oath not to divulge anything from Privy Council meetings.

            John Prescott, once a Privy Councillors stood down in protest, Chris Huhne, and Denis McShane resigned under dark clouds.

          • Republicofscotland

            “Yes but Alex Salmond
            wants to break up
            The United Kingdom

            is he a spy?”

            Freddy.

            I really shouldn’t reply to this nonsense, however, if any political party needs to be held to account it’s the one currently known as the British government.

            Years of false promises, vote no stay in the EU, the Vow, McCrone Report, illegal Iraq war, BBC propaganda, the list goes on and on has not produced Scottish spies, but awoken a nation, to a degree who don’t trust Westminster.

            Incidently Freddy Daniel Foe, was a spy sent to Scotland to monitor the country’s mood with regards to the union.

    • Republicofscotland

      reel guid the old trecherous, I mean Scottish Labour guard are trembling in their boots over Salmond’s show.

      Now all we need is Reid and Robertson to join Foulkes, in his condemnation of Salmond, and the triumvirate will be complete, no doubt McConnell will add his tuppence worth as well.

  • Peter Beswick

    “Give Priti Patel a break, we all know what it’s like to meet a foreign head of state down the campsite”

    https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/mark-steel/give-priti-patel-a-break-we-all-know-what-its-like-to-meet-a-foreign-head-of-state-down-the-campsite-36307892.html

    Good in depth analytical piece here but it is the last sentence that should put the gollywobbles up Mrs May

    Before, during and after the last election we were advised with a running commentary from the Tories that no one should ever forget that Corbyn was first, last and eternally will be an IRA appeaser and then the DUP came along and the childhood darling sweethearts fell into each others arms.

    But there is only so much you can take from a deceitful, abusive and disloyal partner.

    “Surely, it will end soon, when the DUP says: “We may be bigoted, creationist, shrieking loyalists, but being associated with the Tories is ruining our reputation.” “

  • reel guid

    Salmond’s talk show should bring a good deal of much needed glasnost to media coverage of Scottish politics.

  • Peter Beswick

    In an alternative universe …………. Mrs May increases her lead by cleverly calling a snap election that all her advisors told her not to call because it was a bit stupid and unnecessary. But she was right and they were wrong (even mental deficiencies transcend dimensional shifts in the multiverse)

    Knock Knock ( at Mrs may’s office door No. 10 )

    “Enter”

    ” Prime Minister I have Arlene Foster outside she said she needs to speak with you urgently on a matter of grave mutual concern ”

    ” Would you mind asking her very kindly to fuck off, who let her in the building anyway? You know we don’t deal with minority parties, And don’t disturb me again I am coordinating the British element of the invasion of Iran, not an unsubstantial element in the precursor to the destruction of that despotic Regime, we have been assigned the task of destroying 3 post offices and a launderette, lets see how they like that!”

    • freddy

      The Conservative MP for Portsmouth North Penny Mordaunt has taken over Ms Patel’s post.
      Like her predecessor, she had also backed Brexit in last year’s referendum.
      Mrs. May is to ensure we leave the European Union by enshrining the Brexit date in LAW.

    • Peter Beswick

      She went to Israel
      She met the entire Israeli Cabinet and senior civil servants
      She wanted to know if they wanted some medical supplies, the NHS has a glut of the stuff and will have to throw it away if they can;t find a good home

        • freddy

          This snippet, might, give a glimpse into the doings of
          The Golan

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Disengagement_Observer_Force#Mandate
          The defunct Trans-Arabian oil Pipeline (Tapline) crosses through the southern half of the zone. Israel had permitted the pipeline’s operation through the Golan Heights to continue since the territory came under Israeli occupation as a result of the Six-Day War in 1967. However, this section of the line beyond Jordan had ceased operation in 1976 due to transit fees disputes between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon and Syria, the emergence of oil supertankers, and pipeline breakdowns.

          • freddy

            Well, well, well
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Arabian_Pipeline

            The Trans-Arabian Pipeline (Tapline), was an oil pipeline from Qaisumah in Saudi Arabia to Sidon in Lebanon. In its heyday, it was an important factor in the global trade of petroleum—helping with the economic development of Lebanon—as well as American and Middle Eastern political relations.

      • Habbabkuk

        @ Beswick

        Fact check : Ls Patel did not meet “the entire Israeli cabinet”. Far from it.

        On the more general question : presumably the disapproval voiced by a number of people is about the fact that proper procedures were not observed by Ms Patel and not about the meetings per se. It could not be about the meetings per se given that it seems unremarkable for politicians of different countries to talk to each other.

    • nevermind

      merely an indication showing the influences the FoI have had on an old parliamentary political system, it was easy to pray upon and install split loyalties via the Yad Vashem signing of visitors book/ paid for Holiday experience, a doddle.

      Time to get rid of split loyalties in political parties and for political parties to stop controlling their future candidates with non disclosure clauses, although they call this accepting the whip, something out of a BDSM initiation ritual.

  • Republicofscotland

    This should interest Freddy, former British spy George Blake, has said “Russian spies now have the difficult, and critical mission of saving the world.”

    Blake has lived in Russia since his escape from Wormwood Scrubs in 1966. He wasn’t one of the Cambridge spies, however he knew Philby and MacLean.

    Blake’s statement was released yesterday by the Russian intelligence service SVR.

    Blake claimed he switched sides after witnessing the annihilation of whole villages by US B52 bombers during the Korean conflict.

    George Blake turned 95 years old today.

    • reel guid

      There was a repeat of a 2015 BBC documentary about Blake on during the week Ros. If you haven’t see it it’ll probably be on the iplayer. It’s interesting. But it glosses over the US bombing in Korea with just a brief allusion and saying nothing about the huge scale of it. Or the use of napalm. Nor does it say anything about how Blake was influenced by his witnessing of it.

      • Republicofscotland

        reel guid.

        If the bombing of Vietnam was anything to go by, then it must’ve been a truly horrendous sight in Korea to see whole villages of people killed by US bombers.

        • reel guid

          Ros

          In his book Killing Hope, about US postwar foreign interventions, William Blum has a chapter on Korea. He cites the words of US Major General Emmett O’Donnell to a senate hearing in 1951. On the subject of US bombing in Korea O’Donnell admitted “Everything is destroyed. There is nothing standing worthy of the name”.

          Blum tells of how even worse US bombing followed in 1952, even though truce talks were taking place.

          • Republicofscotland

            reel guid yes, it’s all very tragic, it reminds of the the reason Picasso painted the giant canvas Guernica, which in Picasso’s own unique style, brought across the pain, suffering and loss, of mostly women and children.

            As the men folk of Guerica were mostly already away fighting against fascism.

    • Kempe

      Well he’s not going to say anything that might upset his hosts and paymasters. Who would?

      The B52 didn’t enter service until 1955, two years after the Korean war ended.

      • Republicofscotland

        Blake’s called them “flying fortresses” I added the B52, assuming that it meant B52’s, however I recall B45’s used by the US in Korea.

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