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Terror is 'not an election issue'
BBC Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:54:18 GMT
The government's terror watchdog has said the fight against terrorism should not become a party political issue in the general election.
Torture evidence must be revealed
GUARDIAN Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:44:59 GMT
High court ruling compels British government to disclose what MI5 and MI6 knew of refugee's treatment in Guantánamo Bay Three of Britain's most senior judges have ordered the government to reveal evidence of MI5 and MI6 complicity in the torture of British resident Binyam Mohamed – unanimously dismissing objections by David Miliband, the foreign secretary. In a ruling that will cause deep anxiety among the security and intelligence agencies, they rejected Miliband's claims, backed by the US government, that disclosure of a seven paragraph summary of classified CIA information showing what British agents knew of Mohamed's torture would threaten intelligence sharing between London and Washington and therefore endanger Britain's national security. The judges – Igor Judge, the lord chief justice; Lord Neuberger, the master of the rolls; and Sir Anthony May, president of the Queen's Bench - shattered the convention that the courts should not question claims by the executive relating to national security. In damning references to claims made by Miliband and his lawyers, and stressing the importance of the media in supporting the principle of open justice, they said the case raised issues of "fundamental importance", of "democratic accountability and ultimately the rule of law itself". Publication of the material Miliband wanted to suppress was "compelling", Judge said, since they concerned the involvement of wrongdoing by agents of the state in the "abhorrent practice of torture". The material helped to "vindicate Mr Mohamed's assertion that UK authorities had been involved in and facilitated the ill treatment and torture to which he was subjected while under the control of USA authorities". Key to the appeal court's ruling was a recent case in a US court where the judge noted that Mohamed's "trauma lasted for two long years. During that time he was physically and psychologically tortured. His genitals were mutilated ... All the while he was forced to inculpate himself and others in various plots to imperil Americans." The US court, which was hearing a case relating to another detainee at Guantánamo Bay, noted that Mohamed was told "that the British government knew of his situation and sanctioned his detention". An MI5 officer known only as Witness B is being investigated by the Metropolitan police over his alleged role in questioning Mohamed incommunicado in a Pakistan jail. The whole basis of Miliband's case had "fallen away" because of the US court case, said Neuberger, who added: "It is a case which is now logically incoherent and therefore irrational and is not based on any convincing evidence." In his ruling , May said: "In principle a real risk of serious damage to national security, of whatever degree, should not automatically trump a public interest in open justice which may concern a degree of facilitation by UK officials of interrogation using unlawful techniques which may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degradng treatment." In a stinging reference to claims by Jonathan Sumption QC, Miliband's counsel, that high court judges in earlier rulings were "irresponsible" in saying that CIA intelligence relating to ill treatment and torture and Britain's knowledge of it should be disclosed, the lord chief justice said: "No advantage is achieved by bandying deprecatory epithets." Mohamed was detained in 2002 in Pakistan, where he was questioned incommunicado by an MI5 officer. The US flew him to Morocco, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay, where he says he was tortured with the knowledge of British agencies. In the high court last year, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones ruled that it was clear from the evidence "that the relationship of the United Kingdom government to the United States authorities in connection with Binyam Mohamed was far beyond that of a bystander or witness to the alleged wrongdoing". Binyam Mohamed Torture MI5 MI6 Guantánamo Bay Terrorism policy UK security and........
Siddique terrorism charges in detail
BBC Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:12:14 GMT
A Scottish student has been released after his conviction on a terrorism charge was overturned by Appeal Court judges.
How 400 years of legal history were cast aside in the Binyam Mohamed case
GUARDIAN Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:22:39 GMT
Legal principle established in 1637 banned secret talks between lawyers and courts. It was broken by the government When the master of the rolls, Lord Neuberger, decided to retract paragraph 168 from his draft judgment in the case of Binyam Mohamed, he relied on almost 400 years of jurisprudence to assume that the parties in the case had agreed to its removal. The case of Ship Money, brought by Oliver Cromwell's cousin John Hampden in 1637, established the principle that there should be no secret communication between lawyers and the courts in legal proceedings. Representations from one side – in this case, the foreign secretary's barrister, Jonathan Sumption QC – should be copied to all other parties in the case, so that they have the opportunity to respond. On that basis, when Neuberger received a letter from Sumption requesting removal of the paragraph from the court of appeal draft judgment, lawyers say he must have thought he was acting with the agreement of all parties. Neuberger removed the paragraph from the final judgment, watering down the court's condemnation of the security services, described by Sumption as containing "exceptionally damaging criticism". "The master of the rolls' observations … will be read as statements by the court that the security service does not in fact operate a culture that respects human rights or abjures participation in coercive interrogation techniques," says Sumption's letter, now published in full on the Guardian's website. But other parties in the case were not consulted and are furious. "In all the years – I was first a government lawyer and then a liberty lawyer – I have never known the draft judgment process abused in this way," said Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, the human rights organisation which was a party to the case. "The purpose of using drafts is for typographical and factual corrections – minor matters such as names and dates. "It is not to allow one party to re-run substantive arguments and tempt a court to tone down or change its judgments." She added: "I can't believe that the Foreign Office thought they could get away with this. It shows the kind of contempt for the law that this case has always been about." "This is anti-constitutional behaviour of the most disquieting kind," said Mark Stephens,
Binyam Mohamed: text of letter which reveals court's criticism of 'deliberately misleading' security service
GUARDIAN Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:36:23 GMT
Here we publish a lawyer's letter detailing how the Master of the Rolls condemned MI5 for withholding intelligence from the foreign secretary and the courts over complicity in torture
Britain 'complicit in mistreatment and possible torture' says UN
GUARDIAN Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:44:51 GMT
Human rights report indicates clear evidence of UK role in secret detention of British Muslims United Nations human rights investigators have concluded that the British government has been complicit in the mistreatment and possible torture of several of its own citizens during the "war on terror". In a report published today that will make difficult reading for ministers who repeatedly denied the UK's involvement in torture, UN officials have indicated that there is clear evidence of the UK's role in the secret detention overseas of several British Muslims. The officials say that such secret imprisonment – or "proxy detentions" – not only facilitates torture, but may amount to torture in its own right. In one starkly worded passage, they warn that if a state's use of proxy detention had been systematic or widespread it would amount to a "crime against humanity". There was no immediate comment from the British government. The 226-page UN report follows the publication two months of ago a dossier entitled Cruel Britannia, from the New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch, whose researchers interviewed several Pakistani intelligence agents who alleged that they had tortured British terrorism suspects on behalf of their UK counterparts. It also follows a series of disclosures in the Guardian about the role played by officers of MI5, MI6 and Greater Manchester police in the detention and questioning under torture of terrorism suspects held in Pakistan and elsewhere. The UN investigation into torture and rendition across the globe since 9/11 lasted several years and was led by Martin Scheinin, UN special rapporteur on terrorism and human rights, and Manfred Nowak, special rapporteur on torture. In a move that will do little to ease the discomfort of western governments that were the focus of the investigation, the two men and their aides were assisted by members of a UN working party on secret detentions that was first set up in 1979 to investigate the fate of people who were "disappeared" by the Pinochet regime in Chile. Their report concludes that secret detention "amounts to a case of enforced disappearance" and that it is "a manifold human rights violation that cannot be justified under any circumstances, including during states of emergency". Listing those cases in which they conclude that a state has been complicit in a secret detention, the authors highlight "the United Kingdom in the cases of several individuals, including Binyam Mohamed, Salahuddin Amin, Zeeshan Siddiqui, Rangzieb Ahmed and Rashid Rauf". Ahmed, 34, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was detained in Pakistan in 2006. MPs have heard that after evidence of his terrorist offences had been gathered he was allowed to fly from Manchester to Islamabad, and that MI6 then suggested to a notorious Pakistani intelligence agency that its officers should detain him as he was a dangerous terrorist. After MI5 and Greater Manchester police drew up a list of questions to be put to Ahmed, the Pakistani agents who were questioning him ripped out a number of his fingernails. Ahmed alleges he was also beaten, whipped and deprived of sleep. He was later deported to the UK, tried and convicted of terrorism offences and is now serving a life sentence at Full Sutton prison near York. Salahuddin Amin, 35, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was deported to the UK in February 2005 after spending 10 months in the custody of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI). The UK courts have heard that he was questioned 11 times by MI5 officers, and Amin says he was tortured before each session. Human Rights Watch says it has spoken to Pakistani intelligence officers who broadly corroborate his account. Amin was also tried and convicted and is serving a life sentence at Whitemoor prison in Cambridgeshire. The British government is attempting to block the disclosure of classified US documents about Binyam Mohamed, leading to speculation that they contain evidence...
David Miliband warns of terror threat after 'Osama Bin Laden' tape aired
GUARDIAN Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:58:39 GMT
Danger of attack still 'very real' says foreign secretary after al-Qaida leader appears to claim responsibility for Christmas Day bombing attempt The foreign secretary today warned that the danger of a terrorist attack remained "very real" hours after an audio tape was released in which Osama bin Laden appeared to claim responsibility for the attempted bombing of an airliner over Detroit. David Miliband said the Christmas Day bomb scare demonstrated that links could exist between different terrorist groups, but urged caution about the al-Qaida leader's latest message, aired on Al-Jazeera television. "Let's wait to see what he actually says; we know that the al-Qaida senior leadership are in the badlands of the Afghan-Pakistan border, probably on the Pakistan side," he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. "We know too that the Detroit attack was the first time that al-Qaida of the Arabian Peninsula, which is a sub-group of the al-Qaida franchise, it's the first time the Detroit attack that represents an attack on the west rather than an attack within the Middle East." On the tape broadcast on al-Jazeera, a voice said to be Bin Laden addressed words directly to Barack Obama, the US president. "The message I want to convey to you through the plane of the hero Omar Farouk [Abdulmutallab], reaffirms a previous message that the heroes of 9/11 conveyed to you," the tape said. "America will never dream of living in peace unless we live it in Palestine. It is unfair that you enjoy a safe life while our brothers in Gaza suffer greatly." It added: "God willing, our raids on you will continue as long as your support to the Israelis will continue." Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian national, has been charged with attempting to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight as it approached Detroit Metro airport on Christmas Day. But the bomb hidden in his underwear failed to explode. Abdulmutallab told US investigators afterward that he had been trained by al-Qaida operatives in Yemen. Yemen has launched a series of air strikes targeting al-Qaida leaders since the Detroit incident and has declared that some top leaders, including Qasim al-Raymi and Ayed al-Shabwani, have been killed – claims that al-Qaida has denied. The US has been supplying military equipment, intelligence and training to Yemen to destroy suspected al-Qaida hideouts. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula originally took credit for the Detroit incident, but in the latest tape, it is Bin Laden who claims primary responsibility. There was no way of confirming the authenticity of the tape, but it resembled previous recordings attributed to Bin Laden, who is believed to be somewhere in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, Andy David, dismissed Bin Laden's attempt to link Israel with attacks on the US. "This is nothing new; he has said this before. Terrorists always look for absurd excuses for their despicable deeds," he said. The last public message from Bin Laden appears to have been on September 26, when he demanded that European countries pull their troops out of Afghanistan. That audio tape also warned of "retaliation" against countries allied with the US in the war. The Home Office said a raised terror threat level would not cause "any discernible difference" for the British public. The home secretary, Alan Johnson, increased the threat level from "substantial" to "severe" on Friday night – meaning he considers an attack "highly likely". According to the Sunday Telegraph, his move came amid fears that al-Qaida terrorist cells had trained women, who may not be of Arabic appearance, to carry out suicide attacks. The Home Office said it was unable to comment on whether the two were linked, but insisted the threat level was raised only in consideration of an "entire body" of information. Richard Clarke, a former chief White House counter-terrorism adviser, told the paper: "They (al-Qaida) have trained women. "There are others who are still..
PM condemns Kabul terror attacks
BBC Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:03:31 GMT
The prime minister condemns a series of Taliban terror attacks which killed at least five people, including a child, in the Afghan capital Kabul.
Terror control order men to sue
BBC Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:31:49 GMT
The High Court has ruled that two former terrorism suspects can sue the government for damages.
Tories claim Brown 'playing politics' over anti-terror plans
GUARDIAN Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:49:48 GMT
Conservatives have accused Gordon Brown of "playing politics" with public safety after it emerged that a new US-UK programme to tackle terrorism in Yemen which was announced by Downing Street over the weekend had already been established.
The war on terror has been about scaring people, not protecting them | Gary Younge
GUARDIAN Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:00:01 GMT
The ease with which the plane bomber could operate exposes the vacuity and recklessness at the heart of the US response to 9/11 So there was no ticking time bomb. No urgent need ever arose to torture anybody who was withholding crucial details, so that civilisation as we know it could be saved in the nick of time. No wires had to be tapped, special prisons erected or international accords violated. No innocent people had to be grabbed off the street in their home country, transported across the globe and waterboarded. Drones, daisy-cutters, invasions, occupations were, it has transpired, not necessary. Indeed, when it actually came down to it, to forestall a near-calamitous terrorist atrocity in the US the authorities didn't even have to go in search of information or informants. The alleged terrorist's father came to the US embassy in Nigeria of his own free will and warned them that his son, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had disappeared and could be in the company of Yemeni terrorists. Meanwhile the National Security Agency had heard that al-Qaida in Yemen was planning to use an unnamed Nigerian in an attack on the US. If that were not enough, then came Abdulmutallab himself, a 23-year-old Nigerian bound for Detroit who bought his ticket in cash, checked in no bags and left no contact information. For seven years the American state manipulated the public with its multicoloured terror alerts. But when all the warning lights were flashing red, it did nothing. To brand this near miss a "systemic failure", as Barack Obama has done, is both true and inadequate. It reduces the moral vacuity, political malevolence and enduring strategic recklessness that has been the enduring response to the 9/11 attacks to a question of managerial competence. "Terror is first of all the terror of the next attack," explains Arjun Appadurai in Fear of Small Numbers. During the Bush years that terror was routinely leveraged for the purposes of social control, military mobilisation and electoral advantage. Meanwhile, the administrative processes that might prevent the next attack were tragically lacking. In short, Bush's anti-terror strategy was not about protecting people but about scaring them. To galvanise the nation for war abroad and sedate it for repression at home, the previous administration constructed a terror threat that was ubiquitous in character, apocalyptic in scale and imminent in nature. Only then could they counterpose human rights against security as though they were not only contradictory but mutually exclusive.
Akmal Shaikh relatives say Britain abandoned him to execution
GUARDIAN Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:25:15 GMT
Two cousins break family ranks to claim China's economic power meant only token diplomatic effort was made Relatives of Akmal Shaikh have made their first public criticism of the British government's failed efforts to prevent his execution by China yesterday. They protested that his execution by China demonstrated Britain's "powerlessness in the world" and criticised the approach employed by ministers, the media and campaigners. In a letter to the Guardian, Amina Shaikh and Ridwan Shaikh, who are among Akmal's cousins, said Britain had failed to take action against the Beijing government because "China is a powerful country economically". They were "deeply angered and disgusted" by Akmal's death. Shaikh, 53, from Kentish Town, north London, was executed by lethal injection in Urumqi province. His family insist he had clear and demonstrable mental problems and had been duped into carrying 4kg of heroin into China by men promising to help him launch a singing career. Yesterday two other cousins, Soohail and Nasir Shaikh, who visited Akmal briefly in the days before he was executed, issued a statement on behalf of the family praising the efforts of Gordon Brown, ministers and the human rights group Reprieve for their efforts. But today's letter shows that opinion within the Shaikh family is divided. In their letter, Amina and Ridwan Shaikh: • Accuse most of the media of ignoring Akmal's case until it was too late. "We were shocked that apart from Sky News, his case received only sporadic media attention during his two years in prison. Only when news was released of his imminent execution did it get the coverage it deserved. Wouldn't more media attention at an earlier stage have applied more pressure to the Chinese authorities? Wasn't this lack of coverage an injustice in itself?" • Say that while they are "indebted to Reprieve and others for efforts they made on our cousin's behalf ... we were not comfortable with the strategy pursued". They say: "We didn't say anything as we respected the wishes of those concerned. We understand the strategy was based on expert advice that, as the Chinese regime is a brutal one, the best approach is to not criticise it as this may make things worse." They cite the high-profile campaign by Moazzam Begg's family to secure his release from Guantánamo Bay. • Accuse the government of hypocrisy in its dealings with China. "One of the justifications we are told for invading countries like Afghanistan is 'human rights violations'. If it is accepted by all that there are gross violations taking place in China, why aren't they too invaded? This is purely to do with the fact that China is a powerful country economically. Britain's economic dependence far outweighs these 'individual cases'." • Condemn the government's approach to the Chinese. "Did the British government pull out its diplomats in protest? Did it have a hard-hitting strategy to persuade the Chinese authorities to change their decision?" The British government has made clear there will be no formal diplomatic retaliation beyond criticism. The cousins say in the letter: "This is an example of Britain's powerlessness in the world. Their strategy of being shoulder to shoulder with the US in the 'war on terror' has not given them the status they so desperately desire. "We are not mourning simply for our cousin as a lot of other people, including Muslims in China, have experienced and will continue to experience the same fate, without any real justification; our hearts pour out to them too." The Foreign Office minister Ivan Lewis has said that as well as official representations, ministers made 27 separate appeals on Shaikh's behalf in the two years after his arrest. Brown, Lewis and David Miliband, the foreign secretary, all delivered critical statements yesterday. Brown said he condemned the execution "in the strongest terms" and was "appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been........
John Pilger : Welcome to Orwell’s World 2010 - Inverted lies that “passed into history and became truth"
GLOBALRESEARCH Thu, 31 Dec 2009
In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell described a superstate called Oceania, whose language of war inverted lies that “passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past’, ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past’.”

Barack Obama is the leader of a contemporary Oceania. In two speeches at the close of the decade, the Nobel Peace Prize winner affirmed that peace was no longer peace, but rather a permanent war that “extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan” to “disorderly regions and diffuse enemies”. He called this “global security” and invited our gratitude. To the people of Afghanistan, which America has invaded and occupied, he said wittily: “We have no interest in occupying your country.”
Moscow police in pursuit of 'phone terrorist'
PRESSTV Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:44:22 GMT
A prank call bearing a false bomb threat has reportedly sparked frenzy at a large shopping mall in the outskirts of Moscow.
Lockerbie: Megrahi release details could be published
GUARDIAN Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:51:48 GMT
Move comes on 21st anniversary of destruction of Pan Am 103 and reports of worsening health of bomber A body that investigates alleged miscarriages of justice has been given permission to release details of the case of the Lockerbie bomber, it was announced today. But it will be for the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) to decide what – if anything – to release, said the Scottish government. The move came on the 21st anniversary of the Lockerbie bombing outrage, and at a time when the Libyan convicted of it, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, is reported to be in worsening health. A £1.1m investigation by the SCCRC led to a finding in June 2007 of six grounds – some put forward by the defence, others as a result of its own investigations – where it believed a miscarriage of justice may have occurred. This decision opened the door to Megrahi's second appeal against his conviction. He dropped this appeal shortly before Scotland's justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill, granted an application for his release from jail on compassionate grounds on 20 August this year. The commission said that Scottish ministers had made an order that would come into effect on 10 February, entitling it to disclose "to any members of the public" information obtained during its investigations. George Sinclair, the commission's chief executive, said the order allowed disclosure only with the consent of those who had provided the information. He added: "In considering whether it is entitled to disclose information, the commission will also have to have regard to other relevant matters, including ECHR [the European convention on human rights] and data protection legislation and all other relevant law." MacAskill said: "The Scottish government has always been clear that as much information as possible in this case is published where relevant and, where appropriate, consents are given. "The order laid today allows the SCCRC to disclose information it holds and it is now for them to decide what, if anything, they release." The anniversary of the atrocity that claimed the lives of 270 people when Pan Am flight 103 exploded over the Scottish town comes as reports from Tripoli yesterday said Megrahi's prostate cancer had spread and the health of the 57-year-old was worsening. Jim Swire, the father of one of the British victims, said he understood Megrahi may have a "few weeks" left to live. A report issued by the Tripoli Medical Centre yesterday is said to have detailed the bomber's ailing health. Swire, who lost his daughter Flora in the bombing, said: "I've been talking to people who know about his medical condition and the message I get is he's likely to only have a few weeks left. "I think it's another occasion where we should be grateful for Kenny MacAskill's bold decision to allow him to go home." Megrahi was found guilty of mass murder following a trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands in 2001. He abandoned the second appeal against the conviction ahead of his release, and many of the victims' families are still fighting for further light to be shed on the circumstances surrounding the bombing. Another Lockerbie relative, Pamela Dix, told how the reports of Megrahi's worsening condition added to the continuing ordeal of relatives still seeking answers. Dix, whose brother Peter was among the dead, said: "It really builds the extreme sense of frustration that this whole year has brought. "The lack of resolution around the criminal aspect of Lockerbie is almost now complete." She told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland: "With Megrahi's death we will never know whether if he is truly innocent as he protests and as the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Board considered he might be, or guilty as a Scottish court convicted him." And she said: "I just find it immensely frustrating to have to sit here in the middle and not know." Scottish politics Lockerbie plane bombing Abdelbaset al-Megrahi Scotland Scottish National Party.......
'Wrong US policies lead to rising extremism'
PRESSTV Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:05:57 GMT
Iran's foreign minister says wrong US policies have led to the rise of extremism and militancy in Afghanistan and the region.
Castro warns of the empire's new plots
PRESSTV Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:00:37 GMT
Fidel Castro has criticized the US empire for launching an offensive, this time with the help of a “friendly smile and African-American face.”
MoD slashes civilian budget to divert resources to Afghanistan frontline
GUARDIAN Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:29:55 GMT
£150m package to tackle threat of roadside bombs as Brown become first postwar PM to stay overnight in war zone Big defence cuts are to be announced this week by the Ministry of Defence as part of an attempt to shift resources to the frontline in Afghanistan. Ministers will today announce a £150m package to tackle the threat of roadside bombs in Afghanistan, including the establishment of new specialist training facilities in the UK, a senior government official said last night. However, the money will come from a "reprioritisation" of existing MoD spending plans, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. News of the measures came as Gordon Brown left Afghanistan after becoming the first British prime minister to stay overnight in a war zone since the second world war. Brown slept in simple quarters at the Kandahar air base, the headquarters of Nato troops in the south of the country, before meeting President Hamid Karzai. It has become traditional for the British prime minister to visit UK troops in either Afghanistan or Iraq before Christmas. Brown's talks with Karzai included discussions for a wide-ranging international conference on the future of Afghanistan in London on 28 January. The defence cuts are expected to include closure of some bases, cuts in civilian staff, and a commitment to improve procurement in line with a report commissioned by the government from Bernard Grey, a defence specialist. It had been intended the cuts would have been announced in the pre-budget report last week, but talks were not completed in time. The cuts are designed to release extra cash for the troops in Afghanistan, including possibly helicopter equipment. The war in Afghanistan is normally funded by the Treasury from the contingency reserve. But it is understood that the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, needs to find savings due to cost overruns simply to retain the MoD's £38.7bn. A previous attempt to find savings in the territorial army training foundered. Ainsworth said: "I'm being asked to live within my budget and there will be tough decisions that will have to be taken in that regard. I get additional money from the reserve in order to pay for the direct costs of operations, but I want to make shifts within the budget and there is cost growth within the budget. I want to move money towards the Afghan operation, to see what more we can do to support our troops and that means that there may well be tough decisions to be taken elsewhere." The pre-budget report last week disclosed that an extra £2.5bn would be given to the Ministry of Defence for 2010-11 to cover the cost of the war in Afghanistan. It also revealed that Ainsworth is seeking to cut another 5,000 civilian staff by 2011, taking total numbers down to 81,000, a fall of 51,000 since 1997. A total of £14bn in the contingency reserve funding has been spent so far on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, including £5.2bn on equipment. In a joint press conference with Karzai, the prime minister acknowledged that casualty numbers had been high and he paid tribute to soldiers' "bravery, professionalism and dedication". Brown said he felt more confident about the conflict following decisions by the US and Britain to send in more troops. He insisted Afghanistan's border regions "are the location of choice for al-Qaida" and "the epicentre of global terrorism". Both leaders denied suggestions of a rift between them, even though Karzai last week attacked Brown for suggesting Kabul was a byword for corruption. Karzai offered to send 10,000 extra Afghan troops to be trained in Helmand and Kandahar, where most UK forces were based. There would be 10,000 more Afghan police in Helmand and Kandahar, he said. Afghanistan Military Gordon Brown Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Chomsky says Israel 'US military base'
PRESSTV Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:11:44 GMT
Renowned American sociopolitical analyst Noam Chomsky says Israel functions as Washington's main weapons storage base in the Middle East.

"Israel is essentially a US military base, the US positions weapons there, that's a very close military and intelligence tie,"

During his address at Boston University, the recognized professor also warned of the threat that the US and Israel posed to the world and said people may have more to fear from the two than those that Washington tries to associate with terrorism.

"[The US and Israel] consistently and regularly… resort to force and the threat of force… carry out aggression regularly and repeatedly… invade other countries, occupy other countries, [and] invoke terror and violence," he said.

Chomsky also pointed out that the US government and its media had spread exaggerated reports about Iran's nuclear program.

"There has been a massive propaganda campaign that demonizes Iran, that portrays it as a major threat to world peace that has been going on for the past three years," he said.
'Ransom deal blocked' for hostages
GUARDIAN Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:09:26 GMT
£100,000 deal with Somali pirates falls through as UK government says it will not allow payments to hostage-takers A British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates six weeks ago were on the verge of being freed for a £100,000 ransom when the government blocked the deal, the Observer can reveal. The money to release Paul and Rachel Chandler, taken hostage from their yacht on 23 October, had been agreed by a British negotiator two weeks ago. Foreign Office officials rejected the breakthrough, saying that they would not allow payments to hostage-takers. The disclosure will increase the anguish for relatives of the Chandlers, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, after concern that Britain's policy of not talking to kidnappers will endanger their lives. Nick Davis, who negotiated the deal, yesterday accused the Foreign Office of playing "stupid games" after revealing how the Chandlers' captors had agreed to an offer that would have released the couple at a fraction of the £4.3m ransom previously demanded. Davis, chairman of the industry anti-piracy organisation, the Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre (MMWC), accused the government of pursuing a flawed diplomatic strategy that could imperil the couple. The centre was set up last year to educate the shipping trade in anti-piracy measures and is funded by industry groups and insurers. Davis said: "We could have had the Chandlers out weeks ago. The money was available, the pirates were keen to let them go, it was just a case of pushing the button. It was all ready to go. The pirates don't want to keep the Chandlers any longer. It's not good for them either. "A figure of £100,000 had been agreed and put in place. It's still ready the second that I get given the nod. Then I can get them out and we can release the funds and get it to [the pirates]." The Chandlers have been held captive for 45 days in Somalia. They were sailing from the Seychelles to Tanzania as part of a round-the-world tour when their 38ft yacht, Lynn Rival, was boarded by gunmen while they slept. Davis said he had decided to go public because of his frustration at the negotiations and because of contacts from Somalia suggesting that Rachel Chandler, who is 55 and a retired economist, was becoming extremely frail. Her health was under pressure, he said, from constant shuttling between safe houses around the Somalian port town of Haradheere, to prevent the pair being caught by armed Islamist cells. "She can't cope with this. She's very weak and deteriorating; she's in a bad way and we need to get her home," he said. The deal was agreed on 21-22 November but, according to Davis, fell through because the Foreign Office would not deviate from its policy of not paying hijackers nor would it communicate the breakthrough to relatives of the Chandlers in the UK. "The fact that professionals can affect their release should be clearly articulated to the family of the Chandlers so they can decide whether to support it," he said. Davis, who has visited pirate contacts in Haradheere four times in the past two years, said concern was mounting over the government's policy of negotiating the Chandlers' release through middlemen, and that the "third-party" individuals involved seemed incapable of delivering a settlement. A Foreign Office source said it had had little contact with the couple since they appeared on a video link two weeks ago. Davis said: "We're in a situation where the people that can effect a release are being effectively blocked by diplomatic efforts because they [the British government] are just playing another game, that's the problem. There are secret games, just stupid games going on with the government diplomatically that does not work in the families' favour." His exasperation corroborates the frustration of experienced Scotland Yard hostage negotiators from SCD7 command, who are also involved in the Chandler negotiations. Met sources have indicated frustration at lack of progress, with one source saying that...
Brown praises Pakistan on terrorism
GUARDIAN Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:03:11 GMT
Prime minister adopts diplomatic tone just days after saying Islamabad government was not doing enough to find Bin Laden Gordon Brown today praised Pakistan's "impressive" record on fighting terrorism – just days after criticising the Islamabad government for not doing enough to find Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders. At a joint press conference with his Pakistani counterpart, Yousaf Raza Gilani, the prime minister paid tribute to the "huge sacrifices" made by the country, refusing to re-visit his previous negative comments when questioned by Pakistani journalists. On Sunday Brown said the Pakistan authorities had to "join us in the major effort" to break al-Qaida and that "we should have been able to do more" to tackle the extremist group. But, with the Pakistani prime minister standing alongside him, he adopted a more diplomatic tone today. "This is your fight but it is also Britain's fight," he said. He added: "I know that with the support of Britain together we can deliver security not just for every Pakistani but for every Briton and every individual around the world threatened by terrorism." When challenged by a number of Pakistani journalists about his recent critical comments about the country's government, Brown responded by praising Pakistan's military operations against extremists in the Swat valley and Waziristan. "We can all step up our efforts to deal with the terrorist threat," he said. On Sunday, the prime minister told Sky News: "We will want to see more evidence of Pakistan action not just troops in south Waziristan but the whole of the government machine taking action." Brown pledged £60m in aid for Pakistan, which will include funds for education and clean drinking water for children, to be delivered before the end of the financial year. Challenged by British journalists, Gilani rejected any suggestion that Pakistan was to blame for the failure to find Bin Laden, saying that no intelligence had been provided to pinpoint his whereabouts. "I don't think Osama bin Laden is in Pakistan," he said. In his speech announcing a surge of US troops to be deployed in Afghanistan on Tuesday, US president Barack Obama identified the tribal belt between Pakistan and Afghanistan as the "epicentre of the violent extremism practised by al-Qaida". Pakistan Osama bin Laden Al-Qaida Global terrorism UK security and terrorism Gordon Brown Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Counter-terror police 'failed to seek legal advice before arrests'
GUARDIAN Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:55:42 GMT
Lord Carlisle criticises officers over failure to consult lawyers before operation in Liverpool and Manchester Counter-terrorism police were criticised by the independent reviewer of terrorism today for a total failure to take legal advice in advance of their operation to arrest 12 suspects in Liverpool and Manchester. Lord Carlisle's report revealed that police in Greater Manchester failed to consult senior terrorism lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) during the operation. The experienced CPS lawyers were only contacted the day before the arrests last April – not by the senior investigating officer but by an unnamed source who was concerned that lawyers should be consulted. More details soon ... UK security and terrorism Police Crime Sandra Laville guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Republican terrorists 'widening attacks across Northern Ireland'
GUARDIAN Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:27:44 GMT
Policing board member Alex Attwood says two attempts to murder police officers this weekend shows dissidents are 'broadening scale' Republican dissidents are widening their terror attacks across Northern Ireland, a member of the province's policing board warned today after two separate attempts to murder police officers at the weekend. Two men were arrested following a gun attack on officers in Co Fermanagh last night. Shot were fired at a police patrol in the border village of Garrison and PSNI officers returned fire. There were no reports of any injuries. Dissident republicans were also blamed for a car bomb attack at the headquarters of the policing board. A car exploded outside the offices in Clarendon Dock yesterday evening. The vehicle had earlier been driven through a barrier by two men who then ran off. It is understood no one was injured in the incident. Both Garrison and the area around Clarendon Dock were cordoned off this morning. SDLP policing board member Alex Attwood said the scale of dissident attack appears to be widening and organised after simultaneous incidents in Fermanagh and Belfast over the weekend. The West Belfast assembly member said: "The incidents at Clarendon Dock and in Fermanagh are very grave concerns. It appears that the dissidents are broadening the scale of their attacks on democracy. The community must now broaden the scale of its response to the attacks and help the police with all information that may assist the prosecution of those responsible. "The police, policing board and DPPs have been the most resilient institutions over the last decade. They have been tested time and time again. They have, and will, remain strong in their actions and resolve in the face of these latest developments." There has been a marked upsurge in republican dissident terror attacks this year. On 7 March, the Real IRA killed sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, and Patrick Azimkar, 21, at Massereene Army base in Antrim. Two days later the Continuity IRA shot PSNI Constable Stephen Paul Carroll in Craigavon, County Armagh. Since the three murders the International Monitoring Commission has said there have been 11 attempts to kill members of the PSNI across Northern Ireland. The IMC – the body set up to monitor the activities of paramilitary groups – has also warned that the three main dissident groups, the Continuity IRA, the Real IRA and Oghlaigh na hEireann, are now working more closely together than in previous years. Northern Ireland UK security and terrorism Ireland Police Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Craig Murray : New Evidence Jack Straw Guilty On Torture - A Smoking Gun
CRAIGMURRAY Mon, 16 Nov 2009

Finally I have indisputable documentary evidence that the British government had a positive policy of using intelligence from torture in the War on Terror, and that the policy was personally directed by Jack Straw.

Here are the minutes of the meeting at which I was told this:

Download file

All references to the CIA and MI6 have been literally cut out, but the meaning is till perfectly unmistakeable particularly given the heading of the minute.

And here is the absolute smoking gun of Jack Straw's involvement::

Download file

Straw has been lying about this for five years. He dismissed my evidence on this to the Parliamenary Joint Committee on Human Rights as "Entirely untrue".

http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2009/10/either_craig_mu.html#comments

Straw ruined my career over my opposition to torture intelligence, after I had been appointed Ambassador by his predecessor, Robin Cook, who was rather more well disposed towards human rights. It is wonderful that it is Robin Cook's Freedom of Information Act which I have used to finally prove beyond any doubt that slippery Straw was up to his neck in approving intelligence from torture.


Proposals to outlaw rendition in the UK drawn up
GUARDIAN Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:28:00 GMT
All party parliamentary group recommends criminalising the use of British facilities for extraordinary rendition flights New criminal offences to outlaw the practice of extraordinary rendition – secretly transporting terror suspects to places where they are likely to be tortured – have been drawn up by a cross-party parliamentary committee. They will close the gap in English law that has allowed the use of UK territory for the purposes of extraordinary rendition in the past, Andrew Tyrie, Conservative MP for Chichester, said today. The all party parliamentary group (APPG) on extraordinary rendition, recommends criminalising various acts, including the use of British facilities for extraordinary rendition flights and the failure to prevent extraordinary rendition flights using those facilities. The proposal will also ban so-called "circuit flights" – using UK airports for flights passing through the UK to enable a rendition but without a detainee on board at the time. The proposals have been drawn up with the help of the law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringe. Cases currently going through the courts, including that involving Binyam Mohamed, will determine whether existing law deals adequately with the involvement of British officials in interrogating suspects who have been rendered or tortured. This is not covered by the existing proposals. Tyrie said: "English law has been insufficient to prevent UK involvement in extraordinary rendition. These proposals will buttress existing law. If implemented they will give the public greater confidence that Britain is not complicit in extraordinary rendition." Paul Lomas, partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, added: "Involvement in rendition breaches the UK's international obligations. A focused law will make prosecutions easier, deter the activity and show the UK as setting high standards internationally in this area." Clive Stafford Smith, director of the legal charity, Reprieve, said: "Recent events have shown that our law is not effective to prohibit the evils of rendition. If the government is serious about its criticisms of this lawless activity it should consider the APPG proposals immediately." The UK has been implicated in the CIA's extraordinary rendition programme, which has been widely condemned by human rights groups, the Council of Europe and UN investigators. The APPG on rendition said that in February 2008 the foreign secretary confirmed that, despite repeated and express US assurances to the contrary, two rendition flights with detainees on board refuelled at the British island of Diego Garcia. In August 2008, the high court ruled that the UK had "facilitated" the incommunicado interrogation of British resident Binyam Mohamed, and that its involvement "was far beyond that of a bystander or witness to the alleged wrongdoing". In February 2009 the defence secretary confirmed that, contrary to previous assurances, two detainees captured by UK forces in Iraq and transferred to US forces had been rendered to Afghanistan. Law Binyam Mohamed UK security and terrorism Global terrorism Terrorism policy Richard Norton-Taylor guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Councils' surveillance powers curbed
GUARDIAN Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:25:07 GMT
Government rewrites laws to stop local authorities monitoring people for dog fouling or putting bin out on wrong day The "surveillance state" powers of local authorities to snoop on the public are to be curbed under reforms announced by the home secretary, Alan Johnson. Junior council officials are to lose the authority to order surveillance operations including secret filming and eavesdropping for "trivial reasons" such as catching people putting out their rubbish on the wrong day or letting their dogs foul the street. In future only council chief executives and directors will have the power to order covert surveillance operations and a new code of practice will ban their use for minor matters. MPs are to be given assurances that their communications with constituents are confidential and any eavesdropping by police will need high level authorisation. Elected councillors are to be given a role in overseeing the way their local authorities carry out surveillance operations. The changes will be made to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa), which was introduced in 2000 to regulate the use of covert surveillance by the police and welfare benefit fraud teams. The powers have been used nearly 50,000 times since 2002 by local councils and health teams. The Home Office insists that the use of such powers for trivial reasons is not widespread, but in one notorious case a family wrongly suspected of cheating over school catchment area rules were spied on for two weeks by Poole council in Dorset to make sure they lived at a particular address. Other councils have used Ripa powers to investigate dog fouling, check on staff who claim to be off work sick, and even monitor the use of disabled parking badges. The powers were originally publicised as being necessary to tackle terrorism and serious and organised crime. The Home Office says there are other legitimate uses in stopping rogue traders and fly tippers who dump rubbish on an industrial scale. The minister for policing, David Hanson, said: "There is no doubt that a wide range of public authorities need to be able to authorise surveillance under Ripa in order to protect us from those who would do us harm. But it is equally clear that public authorities must respect our right to privacy and only use techniques under Ripa when it is necessary and proportionate to do so." The changes stop short of those requested by the Local Government Association, which wanted elected councillors given the power to authorise surveillance operations. Surveillance Privacy Local government Local politics Alan Travis guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Northern Ireland dissident terror threat hits six-year high
GUARDIAN Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:20:34 GMT
Report by International Monitoring Commission published hours after two men injured in paramilitary 'punishment shootings' The dissident terrorist threat in Northern Ireland is at its highest for nearly six years, the body overseeing the paramilitary ceasefires said today. The International Monitoring Commission's latest report on terror groups in Northern Ireland was published hours after two men were shot in the legs in separate so-called paramilitary punishment shootings in Derry and Belfast last night. Both shootings were linked to republican dissident terror groups trying to build support in Catholic areas by offering the community "summary justice." A 23-year-old man was shot five times in the legs after being dragged into a bedroom at his home in Derry while his child and other family members were present. Five masked men, some carrying baseball bats and others guns, were involved in the attack, which happened on the Creggan estate. A 24-year-old man was shot in the legs at his home in west Belfast. The shootings brings the number of men shot in nationalist areas in paramilitary-linked assaults over the last year to 16. The IMC report covers the period from 1 March until the end of August, when dissident republicans murdered three members of the security forces. On 7 March, the Real IRA shot dead army engineers Mark Quinsey, 23, and 21-year-old Patrick Azimkar at the Massereene army base in Antrim. Two days later, the Continuity IRA shot PSNI Constable Stephen Paul Carroll in Craigavon, County Armagh. There have since been 11 attempts to kill other PSNI officers. The IMC's previous report, published in May ,said that although dissident republicans remained highly dangerous, they were not able to mount a substantial terrorist campaign. Although that document concentrated on paramilitary activity in the six months prior to the killings, it commented on the political impact of the murders. The Independent Monitoring Commission was set up by the British and Irish governments in January 2004. Its latest report will give an assessment of progress by loyalist paramilitaries in decommissioning their weapons. Northern Ireland UK security and terrorism Northern Irish politics Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Afghanistan divides Labour as toll rises
GUARDIAN Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:01:08 GMT
Former minister Kim Howells calls for pullout from Afghanistan and more domestic spying A major fissure has opened up in Labour's support for the Afghan war with a call from the former Foreign Office minister Kim Howells for the phased withdrawal of British troops from Helmand. Howells, who is now Gordon Brown's intelligence and security watchdog, said the billions of pounds saved should be redirected to defending the UK from terrorist attacks by al-Qaida. Writing in the Guardian, Howells, who had ministerial responsibility for Afghanistan until 2008, said: "It would be better to bring home the great majority of our fighting men and women and concentrate, instead, on using the money saved to secure our own borders, gather intelligence on terrorist activities inside Britain." Controversially, he accepts that such an approach would result in "more intrusive surveillance in certain communities" – a tacit acknowledgment that Britain's Muslims would be subject to greater scrutiny by police and intelligence services. He also calls for an expansion of UK intelligence operations abroad, greater co-operation with foreign intelligence services, and more spending on propaganda designed to counter those who encourage terrorism. Howells's comments came as the Ministry of Defence announced the death of five soldiers when a "rogue" Afghan policeman turned his gun on allied and Afghan troops at a checkpoint in Helmand province. Several soldiers were also injured, some seriously. The deaths make this the bloodiest year for the armed forces since the Falklands war. The number of dead stands at 94 for this year, bringing the total number of fatalities since the Afghan conflict began in 2001 to 229. Afghanistan's politicians do not want to see a cut in foreign troops. Abdullah Abdullah, President Hamid Karzai's closest challenger in the disputed presidential election, today called for more, not fewer, foreign troops as the only way to support the regime. Howells's call for a "Fortress Britain" security strategy will have added force because he was a strong supporter of the war during his time as foreign affairs minister between 2005 and 2008. Until now, backbench Labour opposition has been largely confined to the left of the party. His remarks may also provide political cover for one of the two main opposition parties, probably the Liberal Democrats, to go into the general election calling for the withdrawal of British troops. Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, has so far stopped short of calling for withdrawal, but said on Monday that British troops were "being asked to prop up a government in which no one believes". Howells stresses that his call for a UK troop withdrawal is personal, but it is thought to reflect growing doubts inside the intelligence services as to the wisdom of devoting so many counter-terrorism resources to denying al-Qaida a training base in Afghanistan. His intervention comes after Karzai was reappointed president of Afghanistan following the decision of Abdullah, not to compete in an election runoff, arguing that Karzai planned to steal the election through fraud. Deeply embarrassed western governments have been forced to seek assurances that Karzai will finally end corruption and establish a government of national unity. Howells accuses the Kabul government of "largely squandering the opportunity offered to it by the UN-led occupation". He argues: "Sooner rather than later a properly planned phased withdrawal of our forces from Helmand province has to be announced. If it is an answer that serves, also, to focus the minds of those in the Kabul government who have shown such a poverty of leadership over the past seven years, then so much the better. "Seven years of military involvement and civilian aid in Afghanistan has succeeded in subduing al-Qaida's activities in that country but it hasn't destroyed the organisation or its leader, Osama bin Laden. Nor has it succeeded in eliminating al-Qaida's........
‘India must explain its conduct in sponsoring terrorism’
DAWN Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:18:16 PKT
The Indian FO Spokesman also appreciated Pakistan’s actions and commitment to fighting terrorism.
Labour splits over Afghanistan war strategy
GUARDIAN Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:00:02 GMT
Former minister Kim Howells calls for pullout and more domestic spying

A major fissure opens up in Labour's support for the Afghan war with a call from the former Foreign Office minister Kim Howells for the phased withdrawal of British troops from Helmand.

Howells, who is now Gordon Brown's intelligence and security watchdog, said the billions of pounds saved should be redirected to defending the UK from terrorist attacks by al-Qaida.
US charges two over 'terror plot'
BBC Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:22:04 GMT
Two men in the US city of Chicago are charged with plotting to attack targets overseas, says the US justice department.
Bring the Troops Home From Afghanistan Speeches at the demonstration rally in Trafalgar Square
STOPWAR 27 Oct 09
Speakers at the 24 October 2009 Afghanistan demonstration included Tony Benn, Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, Tariq Ali, George Galloway MP, Lindsey German, Seumas Milne.
Thousands demonstrate as 62% in Britain say bring troops home - Watch Channel 4 News report
STOPWAR Sun, 25 Oct 2009
On the day that a new opinion poll showed that two-thirds of people in Britain want the troops brought home from Afghanistan and 84% think British troops are losing the war, thousands of protesters from across the country joined the Bring the Troops Home demonstration in central London on 24 October.

The Stop the War march was led by serving soldier Lance corporal Joe Glenton, who is already facing a court martial for refusing to return to fight in Afghanistan, and who today defied an order by the commander of his regiment not to attend the demonstration. This Channel 4 News report on the demonstration, includes coverage of Joe's speech at the demonstration rally.
US funds terror groups to sow chaos in Iran
TELEGRAPH **Flashback 25 Feb 2007**
America is secretly funding militant ethnic separatist groups in Iran in an attempt to pile pressure on the Islamic regime to give up its nuclear programme.

In a move that reflects Washington's growing concern with the failure of diplomatic initiatives, CIA officials are understood to be helping opposition militias among the numerous ethnic minority groups clustered in Iran's border regions.

The operations are controversial because they involve dealing with movements that resort to terrorist methods in pursuit of their grievances against the Iranian regime.

In the past year there has been a wave of unrest in ethnic minority border areas of Iran, with bombing and assassination campaigns against soldiers and government officials.

Funding for their separatist causes comes directly from the CIA's classified budget but is now "no great secret", according to one former high-ranking CIA official in Washington who spoke anonymously to The Sunday Telegraph.

His claims were backed by Fred Burton, a former US state department counter-terrorism agent, who said: "The latest attacks inside Iran fall in line with US efforts to supply and train Iran's ethnic minorities to destabilise the Iranian regime."
Zardari seeks release of $1.6bn for terror war
DAWN Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:07:35 PKT
President Zardari made this demand in two separate meetings with US officials including special envoy Richard Holbrooke.
IMF gives $150 million to Honduras
PRESSTV Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:20:54 GMT
The de facto government of Honduras has received $150 million from the International Monetary Fund even though President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup in June.
MPs, peers urge torture inquiry
BBC Tue, 4 Aug 09 00:01:36 BST
A parliamentary committee calls for an independent inquiry into allegations of UK complicity in the torture of terrorism suspects.
US on 'intimate' terms with extremists in central Asia
PRESSTV Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:53:05 GMT
A former FBI translator has claimed that the US was on 'intimate' terms with Taliban and al-Qaeda using the militants to further certain goals in central Asia.
US on 'intimate' terms with extremists in central Asia
PRESSTV Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:53:05 GMT
A former FBI translator has claimed that the US was on 'intimate' terms with Taliban and al-Qaeda using the militants to further certain goals in central Asia.
Lecturers may boycott immigration 'snooper' rules
GUARDIAN Mon, 25 May 2009 20:07:05 GMT
University lecturers are considering a boycott of government rules that they say would turn them into "immigration snoopers" on foreign students.
Terror raid men 'fit stereotype' - men felt discriminated against because they are Muslims
BBC Wed, 6 May 09 05:46:18 BST

The lawyer for three men arrested in anti-terror raids said they were targeted as they fit the "terrorist" stereotype.

Solicitor Amjad Malik told BBC's Asian Network that the men felt discriminated against because they are Muslims and he says they are innocent.

He said: "Anybody who has a beard and goes to prayer cannot be considered a threat to national security."

The men held in Liverpool, Manchester and Clitheroe were not charged.

Of the 12 men arrested in the raids, 11 were Pakistani nationals, with 10 holding student visas. One was from Great Britain.


"A Tapestry of Lies" - Harold Pinter to Obama : The US has supported every right wing military dictatorship in the World since World War II
GLOBALRESEARCH Wed, 29 Apr 2009
About a month before Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States, former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski appeared on PBS's Charlie Rose Show and was asked whether he thought Obama would be a good choice for president. Brzezinski paused for a minute, peered at Rose out of the corner of his eye, and answered, "Just think of the symbolism."  As soon as he said that, Brzezinski and Rose broke out into laughter as though they were sharing a private joke.

Brzezinski was right, of course. Obama was the perfect choice for president. Not because of his experience. He had none. He was a two year senator with a resume' small enough to fit on the back of a matchbox.  Still Obama had what Brzezinski and Co. were looking for, symbolism; the kind of symbolism that connected him to people around the world and made them feel like one of their own had finally clawed their way to the top. Even better, Obama was a charismatic populist who could fill stadiums with adoring fans and put a benign face on America's interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. What more could Brzezinski hope for? After 8 years of dragging "Brand America" through the mud, the country would finally get the emergency facelift it needed and begin to restore its battered image as the world's indispensable nation. 

For leftists, Obama has been a total bust. He's escalated the war in Afghanistan, increased the cross-border bombings of Pakistan, hemmed and hawed about prosecuting war crimes, refused to actively lobby House members to make it easier for workers to organize (EFCA), and surrounded himself with bank industry reps who've committed $12.8 trillion to sinking financial institutions with no assurance that the money would be repaid. Apart from a trifling bill on stem cells, Obama has done absolutely zero to confirm his bone fides as a liberal. The truth is, Obama is neither liberal nor conservative; he's simply an inspiring orator and a skillful politician who has no strong convictions about anything. If he achieves greatness, it will be because he was thrust into a crisis he couldn't avoid and reluctantly acted in the best interests of the American people. That possibility still exists, although it seems more unlikely by the day.

UK Complicity in Torture
WORLDPRESSNETWORK Tuesday 28 April 2009
ORIGINAL DOWNING ST SMEARS VICTIM
RETURNS TO HAUNT NEW LABOUR

Thatcher Room
Portcullis House
Tuesday 28 April 1.45pm
Formal Evidence Session on UK Complicity in Torture
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights
Witness: Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan
(currently Rector of the University of Dundee).

In 2004, Craig Murray told us that:

• The British Government was complicit in the most vicious forms of torture
• He had been the victim of a lurid smear campaign initiated by New Labour
• The government was lying about all this

In 2004, much of the public and media was not willing to accept that the government would cooperate with torture or with false allegations against an innocent man. Many still had trust in the basic honesty and decency of government.

The evidence that Craig Murray was telling the truth about torture has now become overwhelming, including from the case of Binyam Mohammed. The UK “benefited” continually from intelligence passed on from the CIA waterboarding programme and from torture in countries including Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Egypt.

Craig Murray suffered the most high profile sacking of any British Ambassador for a century. But in 2005 the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee refused to hear him in evidence, despite allowing Jack Straw to appear and attack him.

Astonishingly, this is the first time Craig Murray will ever have been allowed to give formal evidence in the UK on his grave allegations, and be questioned on the truth of his testimony.

As the Scotland Yard investigation proceeds into MI5 and MI6 collusion in 16 cases of torture, Craig Murray will argue that it is not the security service operatives, but the Ministers who set the policy – and specifically Jack Straw – who should be facing criminal charges.

Contact: Craig Murray on 07979 691085 or craigmurray@mail.ru
Transcript of Craig Murray's formal evidence statement is at http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/ ... in_my.html
Two-week terror suspect released
BBC Wed, 22 Apr 09 09:53:34 BST
The last of three people held under terrorism laws in Hampshire is released after almost two weeks in custody.
Anti-Israel Finkelstein cripples speech ban

"Israel a terrorist state"
PRESSTV Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:23:54 GMT
Clark University President John Bassett fails in his efforts to cancel a lecture by Norman Finkelstein on the Israeli massacre of Gazans.

Finkelstein -- a son of Holocaust survivors -- describes Israel as a 'terrorist state' which unleashed an ongoing ethnic cleansing campaign on the Palestinians in 1948.
EU nations eye prosecution of Bush officials
PRESSTV Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:56:41 GMT
European officials and lawyers seek to criminalize former US officials over torture charges amid the reluctance of President Barack Obama.
Torture and the Banality of Evil
CRAIGMURRAY Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:18:47 GMT

I feel sick. I have that sunk, painful feeling as though my stomach had emptied, and that shakiness though the central nervous system. I feel dirty, like I want to shower for ages.

I have just read all 124 pages of the Top Secret torture memos from Bush's lawyers in the CIA and Department of Justice, which were obtained and released yesterday by the American Civil Liberties Union.


CIA 'amnesty' dismays campaigners
BBC Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:18:47 GMT
Rights groups criticise President Obama's decision not to prosecute CIA agents who used harsh interrogation methods.
US moves to create infrastructure against cyberwar
GUARDIAN Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:19:02 GMT
Congress takes up legislation to bolster response to increasing threat of cyber terrorism
12 MKO members wanted by Interpol
PRESSTV Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:28:34 GMT
Interpol has issued arrest warrants for 12 members of the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) over involvement in illegal operations.
Full List of War on Terror articles
TOP War on Terror Videos
WPN  
Civil Liberties in UK ? Video by cveitch
YOUTUBE 11 Jan 2010
Very funny, yet sickening view of societies "ills", and loss of liberty. Sadly the UK is a little worse off, than here in the U.S....So far.

I urge you to go to his page: His...
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MSNBC: Countdown With Keith Olbermann - Worst Person in the World: 7/7/2009
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Prominent Zionist group attempted COLLABORATION with Nazis
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George Galloway 2009-03-22 CBC [couchtripper]
YOUTUBE 22 March 2009
George Galloway being interviewed about the outrageous ban on him entering Canada.


"War on Terror" (TM) The First Month HD
WORLDPRESSNETWORK 7 Dec 2008
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AP : More Than 160 US, NATO Vehicles Burn in Pakistan
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Militants torched 160 vehicles, including dozens of Humvees destined for U.S. and allied forces fighting in Afghanistan, in the boldest attack so far on the critical military supply line...
Mumbai Terror attacks: False Flag to target Pakistan?
WORLDPRESSNETWORK
With the reports in a frenzy about Terrorists targetting US and UK Nationals, WHERE are the casualties? over 150 dead yet only one British dead! This seems like a False Flag op again comming...
Neocons: Long live the New Cold War
YOUTUBE
The War on Terror is coming to its natural laughable end. The Powers that be realise that the Public are finding it increasingly implausible so they are switching their plans to an Old Enemy...
Terrorist's Daughter is new Israeli Prime Minister!
YOUTUBE Thu, 18 Sep 2008
Eitan Livni and Sara Rosenberg. Tzipi Livni Israels new Prime Minister is the Daughter of a Terrorist who brought wide scale slaughter to the British in the 1940's and 1950's.

Both her...
First month of the War on Terror - HEADLINES
YOUTUBE
The rush to judge and yet we still await the evidence promised. Lots of fake video and audio but still no definite claim to who committed the atrocities on 911

Thanks to
Neocons: Long live the New Cold War
YOUTUBE
The War on Terror is coming to its natural laughable end. The Powers that be realise that the Public are finding it increasingly implausible so they are switching their plans to an Old Enemy...
Olbermann: Republicans have hijacked 9/11
YOUTUBE 11-Sep-2008
This is supposed to be a day of remembrance. Remembrance of the attack, remembrance of the national unity which followed it.

Most important of all, remembrance of the dead.

But...
McCain and Obama need a SPADE to find Bin Laden!
WORLDPRESSNETWORK Wed, 8 Oct 2008
Repeated invoking of a dead nemesis makes the candidates look ridiculous, Benazir Bhutto announced to the world that Bin Laden had been killed and that his SON Hamza had been charged with...
BBC documentary : Daylight Robbery: fleecing Iraq and the USA 1/6 **WATCH THIS BEFORE IT IS PULLED**
YOUTUBE First Broadcast 10 June 2008
The film that ALL Americans should see, how their leaders profited on the Dead servicemen they sent to die for their lies and a nation of Iraq destroyed for their Share profits.

To...
Carlin: 'We Can Bomb the Shit Outta Your Country' ["especially if your country is full of brown people"]
YOUTUBE 30-June-2008
George Carlin gives us his take on the Persian Gulf War. We should honor him forever.
BBC Censors Nelson Mandela's Mugabe comments
YOUTUBE
Got the REAL footage of Mandela's criticism of Mugabe. Interesting what they left out
Prof. Norman Finkelstein on the use of the Holocaust to justify wars of aggression
YOUTUBE
Anas Tikriti hosts Prof. Norman Finkelstein in Al Hiwar's weekly English show "Jousor" translated as Bridges. Part 7 of 7.
Ron Paul publicly names neoconservatives
LIVELEAK 14 May 2008
This is a speech given by Ron Paul on the House floor in which he names the neocons and the views they adhere to.
Texan Neocon rings George Galloway
YOUTUBE
Extract from the 2nd February 2008 show.

Pretty heated exchange between George Galloway and a caller from Texas. I decided to post this not for the value of Galloway's arguments...
How the Neo Cons use the Myth of religion in politics
YOUTUBE
This is part of a "Power of Nightmares", an INCREDIBLE BBC documentary shedding light on the Myth of Religion, Terrorism, and the other elements the neo cons have created to help create a...
David Icke - Big Brother, the Big Picture
EDGEMEDIATV July 6th 2008
David Icke speaks to the constituents of Haltemprice and Howden about the 'Big Brother' election, forced by the resignation of David Davis, and the move towards the global Big Brother...
Galloway speech to Parliament on the new anti-terror bill
SHIATV April 18, 2008
George Galloways speech to the UK Parliament condemning the governments proposals to allow police to detain people for 42 days without charge
Arundhati Roy: Come September (2002)
BRIGHTCOVE
Arundhati Roy's acclaimed Lannan Foundation lecture in which she speaks on the US government's 'War on Terror', globalisation, and the misuses of nationalism. She also contextualises the...
Robert Fisk Talks Middle East Geopolitics
HUMYO
MIT April 9, 2006 - Robert Fisk Talks Middle East Geopolitics, with introduction by Noam Chomsky.
George Galloway 2009-03-22 CBC [couchtripper]
YOUTUBE 22 March 2009
George Galloway being interviewed about the outrageous ban on him entering Canada.


David Icke on BBC radio being interviewed by Russell Brand
SPIDEREDVIDEO 5 January 2008
"Most of us tend to live in a proscribed reality and that freedom is an illusion because the freedom exists in such narrow parameters that ultimately we are enslaved by a very manipulative...
James Whale interviewing David Icke about his new book "Guide to the Global Conspiracy (And How to End It)" on talkSPORT radio station
SPIDEREDVIDEO Wed, 07 Nov 2007
James Whale talkSPORT radio show interviewing David Icke about his new book "The David Icke Guide to the Global Conspiracy (And How to End It)" abut the globalists' plans to impose a single...
ZEITGEIST, The Movie - Official Release - Full Film
GOOGLE
ZEITGEIST, The Movie - Official Release - Full Production (including the 'Overture')

What does Christianity, 911 and The Federal Reserve have in common?

Overture:...
Dont watch this video (if you're happy living a lie)
YOUTUBE
Are these distractions stopping you from questioning why politicians lied,... sacrificing innocent lives, ... to make you safe?

FOOL ME TWICE (Bali bombings)

Rockefeller Admitted Elite Goal Of Microchipped Population. Alex Jones interviews Aaron Russo who died on August 24, 2007
GOOGLE
Hollywood director and documentary film maker Aaron Russo has gone in-depth on the astounding admissions of Nick Rockefeller, who personally told him that the elite's ultimate goal was to...
Oil, Smoke & Mirrors. This film argues that the 9/11 attacks and "war on terror" can be more credibly understood in the wider context of a divergence between available global oil supply and demand.
GOOGLE
"Oil Smoke & Mirrors" offers us a sobering critique of our perceived recent history, of our present global circumstances, and of our shared future in light of imminent, under-reported...
TerrorStorm Final Cut (Alex Jones)
GOOGLE
New and Updated. Has Additional 17 minutes of new footage and interviews. Watch and pass along.
The Great Conspiracy
GOOGLE
The 9/11 News Special You Never Saw
MICHAEL SCHEUER - Former head of CIA's Bin Laden Unit : WE SHOULDN'T BE THE SOLE SUPPORTER OF ISRAEL
YOUTUBE

Arundhati Roy - Bombing for Feminism
YOUTUBE
Arundhati Roy speaking about the US decreed "War Against Terror"
Hannity (FOX News) Compares Democrats To Osama Bin Laden, Pt 1
YOUTUBE
"Great American" Sean Hannity said that Osama bin Laden sounds like Democrats - twice. From the 9/7/07 Hannity & Colmes, Part 1 of 2.

Comment at...
Hannity (FOX News) Compares Democrats To Osama Bin Laden, Pt 2
YOUTUBE
"Great American" Sean Hannity said that Osama bin Laden sounds like Democrats - twice. From the 9/7/07 Hannity & Colmes, Part 2 of 2.

Comment at...
Keith Olbermann & Larry Johnson
YOUTUBE 29 June 2007
Keith Olbermann talks with ex-CIA operative Larry Johnson about the London bomb scare.
EXCELLENT : Robert Fisk on Osama bin Laden at 50, Iraqi Death Squads and Why the Middle East is More Dangerous Now Than in Past 30 Years
DEMOCRACYNOW
Interview with Democracy Now!

http://democracynow.org/
Stop the Clash of Civilizations
YOUTUBE
Stop the Clash of civilizations - demand real Middle East peace talks now! Talk is rising of a 'clash of civilizations'. But the problem isn't culture, it's politics -- from 9/11 to...
Keith Olbermann SAVAGES Dick Cheney on continued interference
WORLDPRESSNETWORK 8 Feb 2009
Dick Cheney You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately ... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!

Keith Olbermann looks back at what...

 Sunday, 21 Mar 2010 16:57:40 UTC/GMT

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