Ian Blackford MP, investment banker and now SNP Westminster parliamentary leader, has received an “intelligence briefing” from the security services and is satisfied with MI6 assurances that Assad attacked Douma with chemical weapons. The whirring sound you hear is Willie Macrae spinning in his grave.
The other whirling sound you hear is Charlie Kennedy spinning in his. Charlie – who was a friend since 1979 – once told me that the scariest walk he ever took was to get the security service briefing on the Iraq War. He was scared in case the intelligence was actually convincing on Iraqi WMD – what would he do then? Charlie said that when he saw the actual intelligence he was astonished by how weak it was, and left with a clear mind – and a lifelong distrust of MI6.
But Charlie Kennedy, though we disagreed on Scottish independence, was a very decent man of great principle. Not an Establishment hack like investment banker Ian Blackford MP.
The SNP is attempting to be all things to all men by attacking the government for not having a parliamentary vote on the attack on Syria, while accepting the British establishment narrative. I am not sure if Blackford is saying there should have been a vote because he missed the chance to vote for the war, or if he is going to accept that the attack was illegal in international law.
Nicola Sturgeon joined Boris Johnson on day one of the Salisbury attack in blaming Russia with no evidence and cheering for Britnat jingoism. Blackford promotes the entirely dodgy Douma narrative. The SNP leadership could not be more divorced from the views of its own grassroots membership.
This cannot last.
Yet another journalist dead in the land of the free – nothing suspicious there move along and keep listening to RT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43781351
I hope you were just as scathing about the journalist the IDF just murdered, and then tried to smear by falsely accusing him of being a Hamas terrorist?
Of course – all demonstrates how MI6 is much more measured and better behaved than the Russian and Israeli security services – which of course demonstrates to Agent Green (or is it Zeloniy) the relevance of my initial point.
Completely irrelevant to the subject at hand now.
And on the other side of the pond Ferguson activists keep on being found in burned out cars with bullets in their brains.
I’ve voted SNP my whole life, since long before they achieved any kind of popularity. I never supported the party, I much prefer the greens’ policies, but the nats seemed like the best bet for independence, and the most pragmatic destabilising option. I’ve been doubting them even since the day after indyref, but now there is no doubt: they have become an organ of the British state. I will never vote SNP again.
I don’t feel betrayed, because I never trusted them, but I am a little saddened. We need a Scottish Sinn Fein.
Agreed. Very depressing for an Indy-minded Scot.
Not at all depressing. Opportunity. Find out who’s serious and who isn’t.
Elect McEleny.
No. He’s lazy. Plus standing again, not because he thinks he will win, but to further his chances of being selected to stand as an MP.
Says who?
If you think you’ll achieve independence without the SNP then dream on. The LibDems the Tories and Labour, are all Westminster branch offices in Scotland.
You’ve never had it so good in Scotland under the SNP.
As for the Greens, well Patrick Harvey, whom I quite like, vociferously denied that he appeared on radio Sputnik, even though he did. Harvey also helped kick into touch the OBFA, which of late has emboldened the sectarian neanderthals in Scotland.
Interesting hearing people not getting it that it is the Tories creating these situations and any other party in Scotland will simply leave them with Tories deciding for Scotland nearly all the time, even when not in power.
If you can’t see beyond one issue then you are either a fake or are stuck with the Tories.
Completely agree and have said so on Nicola Sturgeon’s page. I don’t think I could bring myself to vote for them again!
Unionists queue up to get on Radio Scotland to proclaim that they have voted SNP for the last time. Never again will they be duped.
Thank goodness you did not join them.
The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG – one nuclear powered aircraft carrier, six destroyers, one cruiser, with support from one German frigate) is on its way to Syrian waters, arrives Wednesday.
All hell could break loose, and we need to act. Now.
At the very least, please join the protest, one branch of which will be at Parliament Square, this afternoon (Monday) 17:30.
There are so many parties that want this conflict. Saudi Arabia and Israel want Syria decapitated. The Neocons want control of the oil. All the arms manufacturers want a live test of the capability questions Squonk raises above, and don’t give a shit about trashing yet another Middle Eastern country in doing so. Trump, bless him, wants his place in history.
They are the impulse to violence and we are the inhibitory system. We have to give it all we’ve got. Now.
– “…the capability questions Squonk raises above”
Sorry, I mis-posted because I’m hurrying. The comment I referred to is elsewhere.
I think the real target of Israel and Saudi Arabia is Iran. To get at them, Russia has to withdraw.
I think thee is a strong possibility that we are being asked to act as mercenaries (self funding) for those two states.
Very good short summary of what this is about. I would have added Iran, though it is already implicitly mentioned.
Calm down Clark….The Harry S. Truman will replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group, which wrapped up its four-month deployment to the Middle East last month, and is operating in the Western Pacific. You have nothing to worry about, your in good hands Trump, Bolton, Haley and ‘Mad Dog Mattis.
The SNP are losing it, Sturgeon was on TV the other week saying iScottish foreign policy won’t be very different from UK policy, in which case what’s the point of independence? I’m horrified to watch them slowly transform into full blown members of the establishment, repeating all the same talking points.
Scotland would be a member of NATO and looking to join Europe. That wouldn’t leave too many options regarding foreign policy.
Really Fred, I’m under the impression that votes could be held on Nato membership and full EU membership.
Quite agree . I was really disappointed and shocked that Nicola Sturgeon didn’t respond to the Salisbury poisoning in the measured way Jeremy Corbyn did.
We’re you disappointed and shocked also by Corbyn not responding to the dismantling of democracy in Catalonia?
Corbyn’s “not responding” to Catalonia … would that be his not responding by saying (tweeting) that he hoped that Catalonia would vote to remain part of Spain but supported its right to leave; and his condemning the violence that erupted and calling on TM to speak out to the Spanish?
Well if Spain is beating up Catalans for voting and jailing Catalan politicians in unheated cells for holding that vote, and Corbyn is against state violence, why does he want Catalonia to be ruled by Spain?
Us Socialists do believe that the rich should subsidise the poor, the fortunate help the less fortunate. For the richest part of a country to decide to leave and keep all their wealth to themselves, making the poorest parts poorer wouldn’t be a Socialist policy.
reel guid wouldn’t understand.
Us socialists? You’ve always maintained Fred that you are a Liberal Democrat voter. And you are invariably a Tory apologist. Now you’re also a socialist.
Are you a green, a communist, a fascist and an anarchist too?
But of course you’re never a nationalist. Right Fred?
Here’s me thinking London is the richest part, but ifbecoming independent meant leaving London behind, I’d gladly vote aye.
Where were all these “socialists” when the Guardia Civil were beating civilians in Barcelona. They were not in Barcelona but lots of Scottish independence supporters were! Where was the wonderful Westminster condemnation of the Spanish police? None – they were siding with their fascist friends in Madrid.
Oh he tweeted did he all very nice, well SNP MSP’s and ex MSP’s and SNP MP’s went to the Catalan region on October 1st when the fascist Guardia Civil beat the living daylights out of the Catalan voters.
The SNP MSP’s etc monitored the balloting places as the Spanish thugs smashed their way in stealing ballot papers, and ballot boxes whilst intmidating the voters.
Some Catalan people gathered around the likes of Sandra White SNP MSP hoping that they wouldn’t be manhandled by the fascists if they did so.
But hey Corbyn tweeted, how nice.
Yeah Ros. Corbyn tweeted twice.
It was very (Guardia) Civil of him.
Yes reel guid that was very good of him, of course we know Corbyn is against Scottish independence, so backing the Catalans, without backing the Scots right to independence wouldn’t have gone down too well in Scotland.
I’d imagine Corbyn is a bit like George Galloway, (and I quite like Galloway) who stands up for independence for every group of people in the world seeking autonomy, except his own in Scotland.
Ros
When it comes to Scotland George can’t see the Galloway Forest Park for the trees.
It appears the SNP government is just keeping the seats warm for unionists
Does Scotland require a new nationalist party? The current one is showing its age.
I think they need at least two new Nationalist parties, the more the merrier, you can never have enough Nationalist parties.
There’s only one nationalist party for you though Fred.
The ultra-British Nationalist Tory Party.
You’ve already got three at Holyrood, three Britnat parties, the LibDems, the Tories and Labour.
Wee ‘Eck would have roasted May if he was in the commons tiday. But this bankster Blackford just wants to huddle with the Tories and Blairites and bang the war drum.
Sushi’s latest technical analysis of the Skripal affair, updated for BZ news, is now available at the Saker:
http://thesaker.is/a-curious-incident-part-x/?inmoderation
Very much worth studying.
“Continual mendacity of the type developed at Eton” <- best line ever!
While I couldn’t argue with the sentiment that Ian Blackford’s mother should have drowned him at birth and sold the milk I wouldn’t rule out the possibility MI5 does have some very compelling evidence.
I think we’ve seen all the evidence there is ie zilch.
We were assured that MI6 had all the evidence of WMD last time out.
Sorry MI5 and MI6 are not to be trusted, they’re corrupt to the core.
Social media, ‘s what they said.
Vidkun Quisling knew which way the wind blew and upon which side his bread was buttered — and so do the Scotch trough-feeders.
“Scotch trough-feeders” ??
Whiskey Pigs?
I don’t understand??
unless you meant Scottish Trough-feeders
tip: – Scotch is what you drink, the Scottish are the people who made it!
In your tweet yesterday you were rather oblique about Independence and being/remaining a member of the EU. Care to clarify?
Craig,
I hold no brief for the SNP, but the presumption of Russian guilt also colours the response of Jeremy Corbyn, about whom I am more enthusiastic. It’s one thing to point out the obvious flaws in procedure, narrative and policy, it is quite another to row back (with so little solid, publicly available counter-evidence) against a decade (or century) of Russophobic (dis)information, particularly if the most likely alternative looks a lot like a false flag instigated or covered for by the UK spy apparatus itself.
I think their party membership will be collapsing. I wonder what Alex Salmond is thinking about all this. Shocking.
What? You think people will be leaving just because of something Ian Blackford said?
The SNP just has to get real and know that if you don’t practice swimming against the tide then your muscles atrophy. There’s a naïve belief among many of the party’s elected and salaried that the SNP just has to sit in there, being the SG, not being strident or offensive to anyone, and it will result in a majority for independence appearing one day. That’s not a strategy, but merely wishful thinking.
The Britnat Tories are planning to take down Scottish democracy. So in the meantime the SNP MPs should be getting themselves thrown out the Commons chamber for telling the Tory bastards that they’re bastards. That pompous wee berk Bercow and his nasty Labour deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle – they both despise Scots, although Hoyle can’t hide it like Bercow can – will oblige by calling the Sergeant-at-Arms. The SNP have to out aside worrying about respectability and be up for the contest of protecting Scotland from the autocrat colonialists.
Collapsing? I think not, the only thing collapsing in Scotland is Labour’s membership.
The SNP are controlled opposition, the shock absorber for Scottish nationalist sentiment. They represent the very groups that oppose Scottish independence: pro-EU, pro-Monarchy, NATO membership, shared currency.
“The SNP are controlled opposition, ”
That’s a new slant on things, at Holyrood, the SNP and the Greens are the only parties not controlled.
At Westminster, it’s the SNP only that aren’t controlled.
The advantage for the ‘Intelligence Services’ is that although they lie professionally, rather than being treated like the used-car salesmen they are, their word is instead thought by many to be unquestionable. At least the general public is increasingly waking up to the lies of their politicians. Reading first hand accounts of whistle-blowing ex-operatives like Richard Tomlinson and Victor Ostrovsky should make any sane and honourable politician extremely skeptical of anything presented by the spy agencies. Such is the mystique promulgated by the MSM that even supposedly rational people put their faith in clearly fabricated narratives because its ‘secret’ and there is ‘classified’ information that cannot be divulged. It may sound ridiculous, but ‘Trust us’. I strongly recommend reading Steven Dorril’s excellent MI6 : inside the covert world of Her Majesty’s secret intelligence service to have an idea of how far the narratives presented by S.I.S. have differed from reality.
Canexpat
You seem to be mixing up Stephen Dorril, academic, with Steven Dorrell Tory dregs, who famously said that nobody could have predicted that feeding cows on sheep’s brains would lead to billions of pounds of cow slaughtering because of mad cow disease. When fracking seriously pollutes the water supply he can come back, much greyer and unfortunately not wiser and say that nobody could have predicted …. Tory scum always putting profit before common sense.
@giyane
Not that you will see this as it’s so long after my original comment, but why would you think I was mixing those two up? Is it because I used the wrong Stephen? I got the spelling of the surname right I hope. I read Dorril’s book years ago and am very aware that he is different from the odious Tory M.P.
The Intelligence mob can only provide accurate information if they have networks on the ground. Faced with what is a war zone, and Russian counter intelligence that is at least their equal, its entirely likely that MI6 have practically no conduits on the ground and have to rely on social networking 🙂
There’d be the eavesdropping they can employ, but that probably provides more information on the so called Syrian Opposition groups. I’d imagine the Syrian government people are well aware of the possibility of what they say being overheard.
They have some social media clips and tweets. Clips & Tweets.
“Tweet tweet tweet… we’re Mi6!”
In the Far East banking is a highly respected profession because it enables business to invest, which provides jobs. We shouldn’t be like the 1780’2’s home stocking-makers and stand against all banks. However the Tories have made it clear that they do not want Syria to have a choice of banks to rebuild their shattered infrastructure.
Recently there has been a flood of Chinese bankers visiting Syria looking for business. For this reason only an investment banker commenting on Syria clearly has vested interests in the outcome of the war. The opinions of investment bankers should be rejected out of hand in this context. is he representing his own interests or the interests of peace? USUKIS should be prevented from profiting from this war they have conducted in secret using UK special forces. It would be highly immoral if Western bankers were allowed to touch Syrian reconstruction. The proxy war against Syria was highly immoral by itself, without letting UK bankers make money out of re-building a country our government has deliberately wrecked.
Q. Why has the text of the comments on the previous thread become ‘ bold’. Jet black. Hard on the eyes.
M, not seeing this on an iPad, Restart your device? (Usually solves everything font related)
SkyNews talking head (Dominic something) was on just now saying the OPCW weren’t being allowed to look for evidence in Syria. Said the Russians had denied that. Then explained that this was a concern because:
“the evidence of chemical weapons does degrade over time”
Which I thought was rather relevant to the Skripal case.
Looking ahead to the Maybot’s expected statement about the attack on Syria, the same person made sure to mention the outrage over Diane Abbott’s tweet showing a symbolic air raid scene which the rabid media immediately went ape shit about, conveniently overlooking the fact that she never ever claimed it was meant to represent Syria or the RAF.
Dominic something’s precise words re. Diane Abbott were:
“she needs to come up with an explanation for that, clearly”
No you malicious arse, you need to become acquainted with journalistic ethics.
It was Dominic Waghorn, who helped manufacture the outrage over the non-story of Diane Abbott’s tweet by retweeting this:
https://twitter.com/BillNeelyNBC/status/985847602720772096
https://twitter.com/DominicWaghorn/with_replies
Might Scotland be heading for a potential Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael type split?
How long will it be before Westminster smears all supporters of Scottish independence as Russian ‘agents’ and enemies of the state?
Paper takes on anything, had you not noticed?
There is no longer a political party worth voting for in Scotland. There never was in England.
My message to the SNP is, UPU2.
Well it is good to hear that the SNP is a constipation-free zone…..
Murdoch promoted SNP scum turn out to be lying scum, shock.
If you’re dumb enough to blindly trust MI6 you probably shouldn’t be allowed outside without a helmet.
Here is what Paul Craig Roberts have just written about the US, Sadly it applies to most western countries. MUST READ:
Once Upon A Time Long Ago Truth Was Important
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2018/04/16/upon-time-long-ago-truth-important/
Thank you for this. It’s excellent.
On Saturday 14 April I emailed my MP Mr Blackford, subject “Syria Matters”, as follows: ”In view of the PM’s disgraceful flouting of international law and protocols, not to mention her total disregard of the Parliament of which you are a member: I hope that when the Commons resume you will take the very earliest opportunity to condemn utterly her actions, with your gloves removed and all niceties ignored.” His reply, next day, was this: “We are wholly opposed to what has happened and will be making our opposition clear as well as trying to secure a proper debate for Tuesday, not just a statement from the Prime Minister.” Today Mr Murray tells us that Mr Blackford “is satisfied with MI6 assurances that Assad attacked Douma with chemical weapons.” Was Mr Blackford disarmed by others or has he thrown down his weapons unassisted? I fear he has lost a voter and the SNP a member unless both he and they can redeem themselves very, very quickly.
It all depends on what Ian was shown.
Ian could have been shown information that was factually incorrect, however without information from another source to compare it with, then he could have been duped.
In addition, I’ve tried to find the link about Ian Blackford receiving the briefing from MI6. Do you have a statement from Ian available, please?
How would he know the people who gave him the briefing were MI6 anyway? Do they all carry ID cards? Or do they just rock up and announce ‘I’m from MI6’?
Presumably it was through his (Blackford’s) membership of the Privy Council.
Which would be less than reassuring.
I agree. Same as the SNP boycotts the House of Lords, they should refuse privy council membership for their senior politicians.
reel guid.
When did we suddenly put the SNP on a pedestal, with regards to making perfect decisions. I don’t know if Blackfords seen confidential documents on Syria or Sailsbury for that matter, unlike us Blackford can’t speculate and must believe what he’s told at first hand.
However I do know that the concensus around parliament is not to agree with the SNP period. Sturgeon like Corbyn is stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.
Yeah Ros, it’s true the SNP can’t win playing the Westminster game. I just think Angus Robertson though would have kept his distance from the Westminster Government better than Blackford, if he’d still been in his old job and dealing with the Syria thing.
You cant trust OPCW, thats for sure,
OPCW-accredited Swiss lab can ‘neither confirm nor deny’ BZ toxin was used in Skripal poisoning
https://www.rt.com/news/424278-opcw-spiez-lab-
Mindblowing comment, its tells you alot of the bias of these organs.
You have not read the article properly. The laboratory is a contracted analytical agent which reports under strict confidentiality to OPCW.
Reporters asked the laboratory to comment and they quite rightly referred them up to their OPCW contractors.
It is the reporting that is incompetent, deliberately troublemaking…..
Well then OPCW could easily refute or approve Russia’s claim, they arent and you know full well why thus the report makes perfect sense.
The OPCW are pwned. That has become clear in preset weeks and days.
Alex Salmond was a principled and tenacious leader of the SNP, who made a political broadcast condemning the NATO bombing of Belgrade.
No politician would ever be so brave nowadays.
With hindsight, Kosovo and Clinton was where it all started. The manipulation of a compliant media, embedded reporters, and lies delivered with the BBC drumbeat.
“The SNP leadership could not be more divorced from the views of its own grassroots membership.
This cannot last.”
Well I suppose in a party of 100,000 members you’re going to have differences of opinion. Even within the SNP hierarchy you see a difference of opinion, with Pete Wishart wanting to wait longer for indyref2 whilst Angus MacNeil wants to call a indyref in 18 months or so.
I personally don’t agree with Ian Blackfords stance on Douma, however Sturgeon did jump the gun on apportioning guilt. I don’t see what’s wrong with changing your mind on Syria, which Sturgeon and Stewart MacDonald did wanting a parliamentary debate on Syria.
It would appear Sturgeon can’t win, if she doesn’t decry theTories stance on Syria, or Sailsbury she’s a establishment puppet, if she does, she’s a Putin/Assad sympathiser.
As for a second indyref, I hope Sturgeon calls one before we leave the EU, but like any other political party, they’ll be those who want to wait.
RoS
What better issue to call another referendum over than Mrs May dragging the UK to illegal war? There are no advantages in remaining in a EU which supports Mrs May’s lies against Russia and Syria. Better leave England on a point of high principle , that once again, a mealy-mouthed mediocre bag of shit in Westminster wants to break all international law on the basis of lies and dodgy evidence. Why wait? I think you vastly underestimate the British public’s annoyance at this government trying to play the same old trick, when Cameron was booted out for handing Libya to terrorists. People only voted for Brexit to get rid of Cameron, the lying zionist sleaze-bag. mrs May is only in power thanks to the bungs mrs may is giving the DUP.
I’d say this illegal declaration of war is going to blow up in the Tories’ faces. Better to go now than get tarnished with the same brush.