I have never ruled out the possibility that Russia is responsible for the attack in Salisbury, amongst other possibilities. But I do rule out the possibility that Assad is dropping chemical weapons in Ghouta. In this extraordinary war, where Saudi-funded jihadist head choppers have Israeli air support and US and UK military “advisers”, every time the Syrian army is about to take complete control of a major jihadist enclave, at the last moment when victory is in their grasp, the Syrian Army allegedly attacks children with chemical weapons, for no military reason at all. We have been fed this narrative again and again and again.
We then face a propaganda onslaught from neo-con politicians, think tanks and “charities” urging a great rain of Western bombs and missiles, and are accused of callousness towards suffering children if we demur. This despite the certain knowledge that Western military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have had consequences which remain to this day utterly disastrous.
I fear that the massive orchestration of Russophobia over the last two years is intended to prepare public opinion for a wider military conflict centred on the Middle East, but likely to spread, and that we are approaching that endgame. The dislocation of the political and media class from the general population is such, that the levers for people of goodwill to prevent this are, as with Iraq, extremely few as politicians quake in the face of media jingoism. These feel like extremely dangerous times.
Truth and justice has no place in the west America agent orange in Vietnam And uranium shells in Iraq along with their British lapdogs their record on human rights ask the red indians ???or aberigenes or the people from Diego Garcia and they have stood by for YEARS and watched the Palestinians being murdered and their land stolen from them and done nothing about it yes these champions of freedom it makes me ashamed to belong to the same species as them we are being ruled by liars and cheats and advised by people who should be in jail roll on Sottish,independence
I was just on the phone to the offices of my congressman and two senators expressing my opposition to military action in Syria. I urge all Americans reading this blog to do likewise.
Summary of Syrian Girl link:
Victims from Assad aligned Shia area, taken hostage some time ago by Sunni militant faction deemed moderate by the US, kept as human shields.
the Sunni/Shia/Alawite factional divide is a red herring (at least in Syria) – Assad’s wife is Sunni, as are most of his inner cabinet and army top brass. Before the “Colour Revolutions” Syria was not only a secular country (far more so than e.g. Turkey), but minorities such as the Druze and Christians co-existed quite happily with various flavours of Muslim
The critical point is that many of the Jihadi’s are not Syrian
Thats a good point Ophelia. I read that in fact the majority of the SAA soldiers were Sunni and they are fighting Sunni extremists (whether from home or abroad) in defence of a secular Syria.
Assad and his army are fighting Salafi Jihadists from the same stable as AQ and IS – and we side with the terrorists. It’s sickening
“Assad and his army are fighting Salafi Jihadists from the same stable as AQ and IS – and we side with the terrorists. It’s sickening”
_____________________________________________________________________
It’s all sickening. Assad is vile, but his jihadi opponents (backed by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Israel, the United States and Britain) are even more vile. For an excellent summary of this grotesque situation, see:
http://moderaterebelsradio.com/tag/gareth-porter/
Thanks for that link snickid will give thatva listen
Here’s Seymour Hersh
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n08/seymour-m-hersh/the-red-line-and-the-rat-line
The CIA were in this right from the beginning – pouring petrol on the flames
@Crackerjack
Thanks for the Seymour Hersh article.
The point is if it had been a Syrian government attack Sunnis would have been killed too, so that fact the victims are only Shia indicates that they were killed by the sectarian jihadi/wahhabi/takfir terrorists who wish to exterminate the Shia as they view them as kufir.
Bizarre interview with Salisbury Hospital Hospital Boss, surrounded by Stasi minders
Russian spy: Yulia Skripal discharged from hospital
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43710126
I see the BBC hasn’t taken a notice of German investigation into Litvinenko that where the German prosecutors said there’s no case to investigate because Polonium was in the UK before the Russian “suspect” arrived to the UK, and the UK authorities knew of that… So the BBC in the above-referenced article still pretend Litvinenko died by “Putin’s hand”
Russian prosecutor general provided papers, dates and names on Litvinenko investigation. I thought it will be at least somehow covered with western media
1. “Russian Spy Poisoning” – she wasn’t a spy, and he was an MI6 asset, not a Russian spy
2. “Yulia Skripal discharged from hospital” – cut to gratuitous photo of Litvinenko on life support, without any attendant narrative
3. “Whitehall officials have compiled a list of 26 alternative explanations for the attack that have been put forward by Russia’s government and media. So far they have attached blame to Ms Skripal’s mother-in-law, Theresa May, and a drone, among others.”
Is there ANY indication that the Russian government have attached blame to either Theresa May or Skripal’s mother-in-law? In the absence of any concrete evidence, why would any of these allegations be any more absurd than the 27th – “Putin dunnit!”?
Nonetheless, it’s important to contaminate a prima facie Good News story with a cheap political jibe – after all, that’s what we pay a £150 annual licence fee for
4. Keep the best for last: “The Home Office said the application did not comply with immigration rules, but a government source told the BBC it appears Russia is “trying to use Viktoria as a pawn”…. Viktoria later told the BBC she did not have enough money in her bank account to satisfy the visa requirements.
Wow! Those sneaky Russians! Manipulating poor old Viktoria by nicking all her money! Three cheers for the pluck UK Immigration Service for seeing straight through that cunning ploy!
Please don’t pay your licence fee – that makes me sad. You can legitimately ditch it and get all your needs on the net – just don’t watch the BBC iplayer!
I was about to give the same, basic, simple advice.
Why does the BBC persist in saying that “samples of the nerve agent have been tested by Porton Down in an attempt to verify its source” when the CEO of PD said specifically that it was “not our job” to identify (let alone verify) its source?
And why does the BBC keep claiming that he said the agent was probably “deployed” by a state actor, when the word he used was “create”? (The mujahideen “deployed” Stinger missiles, didn’t they, though they couldn’t have created them in a million years.)
And am I being pedantic in wondering why they refer to him as “Mr Skripal”? Is he not still entitled to be called “Colonel”?
If you’ve never seen it before this video pretty much sums it all up. General Wesley Clark: Wars Were Planned – Seven Countries In Five Years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXS7IsOdu-A
Shocking! How come those people are not in jail for these crimes is beyond my understanding.
GHW Bush once remarked “If the people knew half the things we have done in their name, they would chase us down the street and hang us”
I remember that, I thought he was talking about the October Surprise, the Iran-Contra Arms scandal and flooding the streets of Miami with Cocaine
Russia manages a stay of execution, as the OPCW heads to Syria on a fact finding mission. Russia could yet pull this one out of the bag, and avert a Syrian tragedy.
It all now lies in the hands of the OPCW investigators.
I suspect someone had a talk with them along the lines of “are you a legitimate body or a rubber stamp for the Western adventurism?”
Watch yesterdays UNSC, it was so surprising to know the UN archieved and classified papers on Iraq WMD investigation, to be opened not earlier than in 60years.
don’t get your hopes up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Ritter#Commentary_on_Iraq's_lack_of_WMDs
“so, Mr Ritter, after your illustrious career as a UN weapons inspector and all-round Good Guy, are you looking forward to a comfortable retirement, fame and fortune, or are you troubled by those allegations of sexual abuse?
What allegations? Oh, I don’t know, we haven’t made them up yet, but I expect they will be pretty lurid…..
Anyhow, on an entirely different topic altogether, don’t you think that [Saddam] might perhaps have WMD after all?……..”
I think Scott Ritter did have sexual allegations made against him, just as virtually all whistle blowers against the Imperial State do. Easiest way of discrediting them in the public’s eye.
Craig did a post about it years ago I seem to remember.
Yes it’s called kompromat by Russians: “the use of sexual allegations to denigrate a person perceived as a threat to the state.”
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2010/12/ludicrous_attac/
“In January 1998, [Scott Ritter’s UN] inspection team in Iraq was blocked from some weapons sites by Iraqi officials stating that information obtained from these sites would be used for future planning of attacks. UN Inspectors were ordered out of Iraq *** by the United States Government ***, shortly before Operation Desert Fox attacks began in December 1998, using information which had been gathered for the purpose of disarmament to identify targets which would reduce Iraq’s ability to wage both conventional and possibly unconventional warfare. UN Weapons Inspectors were thereafter denied access to Iraq……
Public perception is that the Iraqis were confrontational and blocking the work of the inspectors. In 98% of the inspections, the Iraqis did everything we asked them to because it dealt with disarmament. However when we got into issues of sensitivity, such as coming close to presidential security installations, Iraqis raised a flag and said, “Time out. We got a C.I.A. out there that’s trying to kill our president and we’re not very happy about giving you access to the most sensitive installations and the most sensitive personalities in Iraq.” So we had these modalities, where we agreed that if we came to a site and the Iraqis called it ‘sensitive,’ we go in with four people. In 1998, the inspection team went to a site. It was the Baath Party headquarters, like going to Republican Party headquarters or Democratic Party headquarters. The Iraqis said, “You can’t come in – you can come in. Come on in.” The inspectors said, “The modalities no longer apply.”
those DEVIOUS Iraqi’s!!!!! Concealing non-existent WMD in the Baath Party headquarters! They remind me a bit of the Syrians (though the Syrians are far more beastly) – and I bet the Syrians don’t trust the inspectors either! I wonder why not?
ritter was setup
True, but you never know, many Syrian lives are at stake over the findings of the OPCW.
Here’s the OPCW’s statement on the mission.
https://www.opcw.org/news/article/opcw-will-deploy-fact-finding-mission-to-douma-syria/
I hope everyone is lobbying friends to email their MPs. I sent my MP the Syrian Girl link
https://russia-insider.com/en/what-really-happened-gas-attack-syria-syriangirl-back/ri23023
and said that HMG should be able to 100% refute it before agreeing to action.
I also told him that he doesn’t need to wait for a recall of parliament to voice his opposition to any bombing. TM may be able to bypass Parliament but that doesn’t have to mean that she bypasses the stated views of MPs. Individual MPs can make public statements now and we should urge them to do so. Make them aware that they can be judged not just on their voting records but also on their opportunity-to-make-statement records as well.
In the 1970s I knew someone who was friends with the Labour MP Gerald Kaufman, Gerald told him that anyone who writes to their MP automatically gets a file on them by MI5.
would that be in addition to the one started by GCHQ when you take out a mobile phone contract, or are they all linked via your Facebook account, Google ID and NHS medical records?
Sounds likely.
Little old ladies who wrote to the Chelmsford Argus about a missing budgie got a file!
Quoting from the SS (security service website) Bulk data includes bulk personal datasets and bulk communications data , … challenging task of defending the UK’s interests and protecting its citizens in a …
So it is now not a file but a multi sourced GCHQ/credit_agencies etc BULK_PERSONAL_DATASET , and we all have one, (‘CUBEyou’ anyone?), sorry for foaming at the mouth over protecting the UK interests . . . and if there are any resources left then they might protect the odd citizen or two. By third-world-война , sort of protecting the citizens?
A file on you should be perceived as a badge of honor.
Dear Craig, I very much respect and admire your courage, endurance and all your hard work in putting across your view and sharing your experience with British people.
I follow your publications and fully support your position.
It is extremely important what you do.
There must intervention in Syria or else “we give carte blanche” says Tony Blair. The man who gave George W Bush carte blanche in Iraq.
Blair seems also to be keen on the new Brit centre party idea and his think tank is reportedly working along the lines of one being set up. With Blair as the eminence grise behind such a venture it would completely validate Tariq Ali’s concept of there being an “extreme centre” in Western politics.
reel guid
Only one problem, Blair isn’t even remotely in the centre. He’s more right wing than Tory totem-pole Tereeza. And he actually todld us winning an election meant he could do anything he likes, which so far Tereeza has had to mind her p’s and q’s. “Centre politics ” is just one of those absurd slogans politicians use to lure the unsuspecting punters into a trap of illegal invasion and get-rich-quick gravy trains.
I wonder how much netanyahoo paid him to promote war on Damascus. Look we are only killing hundreds in gaza. Here is the godfather of murder. We are the good boys.
Giyane
That basically is the concept of the extreme centre. That so many Western politicians who identify as moderates are really neocon or whatever.
I listened in shock today as two (seemingly) informed professional postgraduates basically debated when and how many bombs should be dropped on Assad. Neither even stopped for a second to consider if there was any actual evidence suggesting that his regime conducted the attack.
Do mention the war.
Craig – why do you “rule out” the possibility that there has been a chemical attack by Syrian government forces in Douma?
Why do you think Assad would do it, when it’s been made plain to him that it’s something the west would use as a justification for regime change?
Alistair Granham, why do you “rule in” the possibility that there has been a chemical attack by Syrian government forces in Douma? Mrs May lied to us about Russia poisoning of the Skirpals in Salisbury. Nothing for her to get caught with her knickers down, they’ve never been up. Mrs May has been in this conniving , lying government from the start, all through the staged destruction of the richest country in Africa because Gadaffi wanted to start an African bank; all through the curiously lost intelligence trails on Libyan extremists in Manchester. The lot!
I just wanted to ask the question, given that (as Craig has said in his next post) “neutral verified evidence from Douma is non-existent”, particularly given Craig’s relative caution about Russia and the Skripals.
The rush to war is terrifying and I’m finding everything so hard to understand. Is it really possible that the current government would enter the war in Syria without evidence, without a UN resolution and without the agreement of Parliament?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, the Children are playing nicely with each other: https://www.rt.com/news/423730-china-blasts-us-submarines-taiwan/
this is not going to end well
There is a very interesting and elucidating article by Martin Berger titled Britain and its Deadly Chemical Games. It gives historical insight into Porton Down and the diabolical warmongering and destruction of human life since its inception.
https://journal-neo.org/2018/04/10/britain-and-its-deadly-chemical-games/
Potent stuff –
From an Expert –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pldx3o4GdLc
I just stumbled across this more or less by accident, and it has upset me https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mass_Appeal
Ophelia, thank you for your very informative and interesting posts, I read them carefully.
Don’t know if you know of him, but look up Udo Ulfkotte as well (it might make you angry).
Paul, it’s difficult to get hold of Udo’s book on bought journalists.
Here Udo explains a few things about dodgy journalism.
https://www.rt.com/news/196984-german-journlaist-cia-pressure/
RoS, thanks for the link. I found out about him here:
World class journalist spills the beans & admits mainstream media is completely fake
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/12/03/world-class-journlaist-spills-the-beans-admits-mainstream-media-is-completely-fake/
At the above URL he does mention the pressure to cause a war with Russia.
Thanks, i never heard of that before, very interesting.
Ophelia, if that upset you, then you’d better not read this then.
A wee taster.
“Since the early 1950s the CIA “has secretly bankrolled numerous foreign press services, periodicals and newspapers—both English and foreign language—which provided excellent cover for CIA operatives,”
https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-cia-and-the-media-50-facts-the-world-needs-to-know/5471956
See also
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Operation_Mass_Appeal
That was the link Ophelia Ball posted
The government constantly repeats that the poisons in this case are from the novichok ’family’ of nerve agents. Simple truth is that all nerve agents are from the same ‘family’, they are all organophosphates of one sort or another. And that includes ‘military grade’ nerve agents.
As everybody poisoned has recovered, it has to be suspected that it could be nothing more than a ‘military grade’ pesticide that was used…_
[url]https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130718-organophosphates-pesticides-indian-food-poisoning/[/url]
At the moment all Polish MSM spread warmongering. Guest stars: “experts” from Atlantic Council and similar. All of them call: “Bomb Assad, this horrible childkiller! Putin and Russia are behind chemical attacks!”.
a bit OT
BBC War Crimes
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/04/10/the-alleged-bbc-apparently-posts-an-alleged-article-allegedly-alleging-that-allegedly-alleged-israeli-soldiers-apparently-allegedly-celebrated-the-alleged-killing-of-an-apparently-unarmed-palestinian/
This reminds me of when the history exam expectation changed half way through the academic year. Rather than a waffle a few pages long we were asked to write a succinct piece over a few paragraphs.
The government constantly repeats the rhyme that the poisons used in this case are are from the ‘same family’ as ‘military grade’ nerve agents.
That’s true, they are all organophosphates of one form or another, so what exactly are they claiming?
As everybody poisoned has recovered, it has to be suspected that it could be nothing more than a *military grade* pesticide that was used…_
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130718-organophosphates-pesticides-indian-food-poisoning/
Carbamate produces similar symptoms but clears from the body more completely leaving significantly less lasting damage. Same treatment of those suffering from carbamate or organophosphate poisoning.
The remarkable recovery of both Yulia and Sergei Skripal points to carbamate poisoning – the OPCW report should be arriving at No.10 tomorrow, maybe this is why May is now throwing her weight behind a US plan to bomb even more Syrian civilians, more dead cat distractions.
Exactly what moral compass did she learn from her Dad?
You really would have to be very stupid not to realise who is behind all this unrest in Syria and it certainly is not Russia or Assad’s regime. Who has the most to gain in the long term. We need to look closer to home and at our allies. I wonder who is pulling the strings?
You would have to be really stupid to continue to pay the neocon BBC their licence fee after all their propaganda spouted over recent events.
Yulia Skripal now discharged from Sailbury hospital.
Not bad for someone exposed to a military grade nerve agent more deadly than VX or Sarin.
Sailsbury is the new Lourdes, where miracles can happen.
That would be a great and legal way to show our contempt for their lies, organise a coach of disabled people to turn up outside the hospital waving placards “Cure Me!” “If you can heal Julia, you can heal me!” “We demand a miracle!” “Lourdes is too far, we can’t make it!”
Brilliant Idea!
We can start a new religion called the ‘Church Sailsbury and Latter Day Novochocks, who worship (or should that be warship) Staff at the Miracle Hospital.
I only question the idea of the rush to war when it’s the rush to greater war which might result in Syria, Iran and Russia responding in more than just token ways when the Americans, Israelis,and Saudis are sitting ducks all over the place.
Yes Trow This too..WHO GOT TO Tricker??????
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSGf2ZpDENU
Can you please give at least some minimal description of the links you are throwing in?
Thank you.
I thimk my Response to Trowbridge Just did Exactly that
Professor Martin McCauley’s interview on BBC News 24 @ 18.52 prises open Pandora’s Box.
“Do you go along with the view that Russia is responsible?”
“No.”
Not an analogy, but a reality. Think about it, if you have any scriptural knowledge.
Looks like the Russians aren’t bluffing as an Su-35 fighter with anti-ship missiles is seen over Syria-
https://southfront.org/russian-figter-jet-currying-kh-35-cruise-anti-ship-missiles-spotted-over-syrias-tartus/
your link is busted TJ
Link works fine over here.
Government communications has gone to defcon5.
The media has been invaded by their now ex Syria Campaign mob. ‘Martin Chulov’ is now reporting on Syrian plane numbers and targets with full graphics as deployed in the Iraq escapade, in the Guardian. He and a few others seemed to go from reporting from the ground in Syria to strategic knowledge of Syrian targets – what about how many planes the Rudssians and Iranians have?
The Guardian has gone into lockdown mode
No Politics Live column, no articles to comment on, regular btl commentators strangely barred (me included) – there appears a very clear attempt to silence the vox pop. The columnists seem to be away regrouping and being briefed, to return next week with a common media campaign to back up the ‘coup’ or martial law – coordinated in some way.
Israel has just shut out of Corbyn, the deliberate attempt to get him to comment on unarmed Palestinian killed, even a story of laughing IDF snipers -filmed and posted on Social media. Now a rush to war to force Corbyn to chose between his leadership and a stop-another-war campaign as well as the pincer movement of a new party of the ‘sensible’. Is it really only about the council elections? Duh no.
This is a long planned end game – which has been threatened by Corbyn and funnily, Trump to refuse to go along with the play book.
A call to protest by the millions who oppose is inevitable. But this time just as the beligerent have upped their game – so should the populace. Not just millions marching but smarter, more economic boycotts, more online complaints to firms involved and yes an actual GENERAL STRIKE.
Kick them where it hurts – their pockets – to stop their madness.
Finally, time for more whistleblowers and refuseniks to find their conscience – pick your sides – your employers or your family, friends, neighbours and most people in this country.
Truly a Suez /Cuban missile crisis/ Vietnam proportion moment in history.
Dungroanin, whistleblowers are about our only hope in ever knowing the truth about the Skripals incident. But with Julian Assange now in solitary confinement (no phone, no visitors, no internet, no fresh air, no sunlight), potential whistleblowers may well think the price of truth and integrity is too high. And who could blame them.
Coordination of French and German strikes this month?
https://www.travelagentcentral.com/transportation/more-strikes-disrupt-air-rail-travel-france-germany
Spare a thought for Corbyn. Much interest from ‘progressives’ in USA about the Labour Leader eg. see ‘Jimmy Dore Show’ and ‘The Real News’
Stephen F. Cohen, Professor Emeritus of Russian Studies at New York University & Princeton, assesses Corbyn’s role in the Skripal saga. A good piece but for speed go straight to about 3 mins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY9-c4M7UhA
Here’s an american mainstream media journalist saingy Assad might not be behind the latest chemical attack. OR the one a year ago. Then ask a Republican Senator what does the US gain from bombing Syria. Then pushes for clear answers and information. Then goes on to interviews an american journalist who had been captured bu al-nusra. I couldn’t believe what i was watching. Unfortunately the journalist is Tucker Carlson and the news station is Fox News. So this kind of helps the US warmongers “bomb the bastards” rhetoric?
http://theduran.com/stunning-fox-news-segment-tucker-carlson-blows-up-the-entire-syrian-chemical-weapons-false-flag-video/
Channel 4 News just referred to doctors in Salisbury
“battling the effects of this Russian-made, weapons-grade nerve agent”
There’s no excuse for that. That is deliberate.
I saw that. Not good.