UK Politics Thread

[Federberg]

I agree

 

[teddytennisfan]

U.S. Denies Entry to former British Ambassador Craig Murray


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U.S. Denies Entry to former British Ambassador Craig Murray

The U.S. government, for no stated reason, and after having approved his entry in the past, has denied Craig Murray the usual approval to enter the United States without a visa that is given to UK citizens. Craig Murray was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from 2002 to 2004.

Murray was forced out of the British public service after he exposed the use of torture by Britain's Uzbek allies. Murray is scheduled to chair the presentation of this year's Sam Adams Award for Integrity in Intelligence to CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou, and to speak about diplomacy as an alternative to war at a World Beyond War conference planned for September 23-25 in Washington, D.C.

Please sign this petition to the State Department.

In 2006 Murray was himself awarded the Sam Adams Award, and the citation included the following: "Mr. Murray learned that the intelligence authorities of the UK and the US were receiving and using information extracted by the most sadistic methods of torture by Uzbek authorities. He protested strongly to London, to no avail. He was forced out of the British Foreign Office, but has no regrets. There are more important things than career…Mr. Murray's light has pierced a thick cloud of denial and deception. He has set a courageous example for those officials of the 'Coalition of the Willing' who have first-hand knowledge of the inhuman practices involved in the so-called 'war on terror' but who have not yet been able to find their voice."

Shocked by the denial of approval to enter the United States without a visa, Murray stated: "I shall apply for a visa via the State Department as suggested but I must be on a list to be refused under the ESTA system, and in any event it is most unlikely to be completed before the conference."

"It is worth noting," Murray added," that despite the highly critical things I have published about Putin, about civil liberties in Russia and the annexation of the Crimea, I have never been refused entry to Russia. The only two countries that have ever refused me entry clearance are Uzbekistan and the USA. What does that tell you?

"I have no criminal record, no connection to drugs or terrorism, have a return ticket, hotel booking and sufficient funds. I have a passport from a visa waiver country and have visited the USA frequently before during 38 years and never overstayed. The only possible grounds for this refusal of entry clearance are things I have written against neo-liberalism, attacks on civil liberties and neo-conservative foreign policy. People at the conference in Washington will now not be able to hear me speak. Plainly ideas can be dangerous. So much for the land of the free!"

The following joint statement has been signed by members of the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence listed below:

News that former British Ambassador Craig Murray has been denied entry to the United States under the regular visa waiver program is both shocking and appalling. We Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence (SAAII) had invited Craig to be Master of Ceremonies at our award ceremony honoring John Kiriakou, the CIA torture whistleblower (more details at samadamsaward.ch ), this September as part of the 'No War 2016' conference.

Now we're wondering which agency's long arms have reached out to disrupt our ceremony and to try to silence Craig.

Whatever they intend, it will be bound to backfire, since it only makes the US government look like some sort of monolithic repressive apparatus out to mimic the world's worst despotic regimes. Ambassador Murray notes in his blog that Uzbekistan -- whose government apparatchiks are notorious for torturing its citizens -- is the only other country to have barred his entry. Even Russia - which Ambassador Murray criticizes freely - allows him to travel there trouble-free. What are the implications for US democratic values?

We strongly urge the State Department to reverse its decision and allow Ambassador Murray freedom of travel and freedom of expression without hindrance in the United States of America.

William Binney, former Technical Director, World Geopolitical & Military Analysis, NSA
Thomas Drake, former Senior Executive, NSA
Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.)
Matthew Hoh, former Capt., USMC, Iraq & Foreign Service Officer, Afghanistan
Larry Johnson, CIA and State Dept. (ret.)
John Brady Kiesling, former US diplomat
John Kiriakou, Former CIA Counterterrorism Officer
Karen Kwiatkowski, Lt. Col., US Air Force (ret.)
David MacMichael Ph.D., CIA, US Marine Corps captain (ret.)
Elizabeth Murray, Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Middle East, CIA (ret.)
Todd E. Pierce, MAJ, JA, USA (ret.)
Diane Roark, former staff, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (ret.)
Coleen Rowley, retired FBI agent and former Minneapolis Division Legal Counsel
Peter Van Buren, U.S. Department of State, Foreign Service Officer (ret.)
J. Kirk Wiebe, Senior Analyst, NSA (ret.)

World Beyond War has created a petition appealing to the State Department

World Beyond War, the organization behind the No War 2016 conference at which Murray is scheduled to speak, has created an online petition to the State Department.

David Swanson, Director of World Beyond War, said "This attempt to prevent a truth-teller from speaking in support of nonviolence is absolutely shameful. This is not a policy created to represent any view of the U.S. public, and we are not going to stand for it."

Help support DavidSwanson.org, WarIsACrime.org, and TalkNationRadio.org by clicking here: http://davidswanson.org/donate.

 

[teddytennisfan]

sputniknews.com
‘Dirty and Dangerous’: British Navy Tests Unmanned Spy Speedboat on Thames
Sputnik
Europe
03:43 07.09.2016(updated 10:34 07.09.2016) Get short URL

The currently unarmed watercraft, named the Maritime Autonomy Surface Testbed (MAST), is one of 40 prototypes the Royal Navy will test in the Unmanned Warrior games in October off the northern coast of Scotland. MAST could signal a new generation of watercraft, equipped with sensors for scouting and spy missions, according to Navy commanders.

"The growing scale of Unmanned Warrior is a clear demonstration of the Royal Navy's ambition to lead and win through technological innovation," said Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff. Jones added, "Unmanned maritime systems will change how we operate, but they're just the start. Our pursuit of new technologies and ideas, from big data to 3D-printing, will ensure we remain one of the most capable and successful navies in the world."

According to the Navy, MAST can be manned, or operated remotely or autonomously, thanks to avoidance detection technology.

"This is a chance to take a great leap forward in maritime systems," said Cdr. Peter Pipkin, "not to take people out of the loop but to enhance everything they do, to extend our reach, our look, our timescales, our efficiency using intelligent and manageable robotics at sea."

MAST is based on the existing Bladerunner hull, and was built for the Ministry of Defence. The littoral drone is outfitted with technology that is still under wraps. According to Elizabeth Quintana, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, the new watercraft are built for "dull, dirty, and dangerous" tasks, but could also be used to protect warships from enemy speedboats.

Quintana claims that there is some hesitation, on the part of military chiefs, to arm the boats. "The real issue is the public perception and the nervousness that some in the military might have and the potential legal challenges," she explained.

"The use of unmanned systems to deliver lethal force is still extremely controversial. It’s facing all sorts of legal challenges, so I think going down that road is quite difficult."

 

[britbox]

 

[Mary]

Time we called this PMs answers to remind them it's not about bad jokes and brainless braying and sniggering!

 

[teddytennisfan]

Time we called this PMs answers to remind them it's not about bad jokes and brainless braying and sniggering!

i'll take the british parliament over the US congress blather -- ANY DAY!

 

[britbox]

Time we called this PMs answers to remind them it's not about bad jokes and brainless braying and sniggering!

May's better than Cameron in that respect. I watched a few of the early televised PMQs fairly recently going back to the Thatcher era and it was far more serious... genuine debates over matters rather than the cheap schoolboy scoring system that had been evident in recent years.... something they predicted would happen when the TV cameras were invited to proceedings... Still, I like PMQs and even at it's worst, it's still better than most countries have to offer.

 

[teddytennisfan]

May's better than Cameron in that respect. I watched a few of the early televised PMQs fairly recently going back to the Thatcher era and it was far more serious... genuine debates over matters rather than the cheap schoolboy scoring system that had been evident in recent years.... something they predicted would happen when the TV cameras were invited to proceedings... Still, I like PMQs and even at it's worst, it's still better than most countries have to offer.

of course it's another matter whether the ''administrative and realization" part - the follow-through happens...but that's like everywhere anyway...

what i always thought was amazing and exemplary about the british parliamentary proceedings is the -- direct - on-to-one exchanges

without the ''protocol" nonsense that you will see in the US congress...where to merely state one thing - means having to count ''how many minutes are left in my turn -- i reserve the remainder of my time...blah, blah, blah"

or how only a certain ''frame of questioning" or delivery is allowed by ''house rules". a VERY, VERY rigid way of debate and presentation that basically is a complete waste of time, money and space since what they DO say are really just ''statements" and 'votes' which have nothing to do with what's REALLY going to happen -- from behind closed doors.

imo -- the more DIRECT exchanges and debate in the UK parliament is waaaaayyyyy....better. -- and more adult, really -- notwitthstanding the expected ''heckling" and all that which CAN be part of the whole thing in many ways .

one might even say:

"if the british parliament exchanges are a theatre of emotions to elicit reaction.."

the american congress exchanges are a pretense of ''sobriety" where there is none.

i'd rather have the chaos and ''disorder" of uk parliamentarians...where somewhere in there is REASON...

THAN THE appearance of reason in the usa congress where there is NONE - but just a crypt that only has hollow ghostly sounds...

 

[britbox]

Interesting stuff between McDonnell and Campbell.

 

[Mary]

The Labour Party Purge hits even higher numbers now. It's the last three days of the leadership election so no time for victims to appeal over the decision which prevents them voting. Approx 200,000 members have been purged and as far as we can tell all but 2 (yes 2 ) are Corbyn voters. Pattern seems to be that if you vote Corbyn they chuck you out within 3 hours using flimsy undetailed and unsubstantiated reasons. Members are of course totally furious. Labour MPs are horrendously silent on this, only JC, McDonald, Lewis and Burgon have spoken out. To me the silence equals collusion and it is overt and blatant election rigging. It is also misuse of members personal data using email addresses and IP addresses to check what people write on Twitter and Facebook and to id Corbyn supporters. They are also attacking Momentum members calling us Alien Parasites and Hitler Youth! Some members have received phonecalls grilling them about their values and social media activity. They have also asked members to report on others.

It really disgusts me. How can a party treat its members like this? Some have been in Labour for 40 years plus, have campaigned, knocked on doors, posted leaflets etc for the members who are now openly abusing them in the media. Many members are terribly distressed and shocked by their treatment.

The legal issue is puzzling me. I wonder what law applies to how political parties are run. They are not a company but they take money from us which is not refunded if membership is denied. The Advertising Standards Agency has found against them in numerous cases but seems to have no teeth. If this were a general election it would be unlawful but as it's within the party its unclear.

The Party Conference starts this week. If action is not taken I cannot believe the party will survive. I will not remain a member of a party which is run in this way. Like many I am hoping that the new NEC which takes over on Sep 25 will pursue this at once with a major investigation and fair action. If not I and a lot more will leave the party. In the meantime the Conference is going to be horrendously conflict ridden.

It's a sad time for UK politics. Whatever our political views government needs effective opposition.

 

[Mary]

Interesting stuff between McDonnell and Campbell.

They say there was a fight afterwards! Wouldn't surprise me. I bet McDonnell's dad is bigger than Campbell's!

 

[britbox]

Rewind the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher's last speech in the House.



I didn't agree with her on a lot of things, but she nailed the socialism inequalities argument... albeit an easy defence from a poorly worded question.

 

[britbox]

Brits... which person over time did you think would have made a great PM but never got the job?

I quite liked Heseltine (Con), David Davis (Con) and would have picked John Smith for Lab over Blair. Although in 97 I was admittedly sold on Blair and voted for him.

 

[britbox]

 

[britbox]

Great sum up from Julia Hartley-Brewer on Brexit from at 12 mins in.

 

[Federberg]

Brits... which person over time did you think would have made a great PM but never got the job?

I quite liked Heseltine (Con), David Davis (Con) and would have picked John Smith for Lab over Blair. Although in 97 I was admittedly sold on Blair and voted for him.

I'm with you on David Davis. I wasn't sure about Heseltine to be honest, he wanted it too badly. Always thought Ken Clarke would have made a great no nonsense PM. I like a bloke who enjoys a good cigar .

 

[britbox]

I'm with you on David Davis. I wasn't sure about Heseltine to be honest, he wanted it too badly. Always thought Ken Clarke would have made a great no nonsense PM. I like a bloke who enjoys a good cigar .

Yeah, Ken Clarke came across quite well... but I also heard he was incredibly lazy.

 

[Mary]

Brits... which person over time did you think would have made a great PM but never got the job?

I quite liked Heseltine (Con), David Davis (Con) and would have picked John Smith for Lab over Blair. Although in 97 I was admittedly sold on Blair and voted for him.

Michael Foot and Tony Benn, both true socialists rather than the career politicians we have now. I think there are too many who just want to be on the MPs gravy train and would stand for any party where they have a chance of a seat. I have respecy for politicans on all sides who have integrity but sadly I don't see many! MPs expense claims and tax avoidance/evasion scams illustrate that!

 

[britbox]

Are the Lib Dems totally irrelevant these days... just listening to this guy on Question Time... I really don't see where their voter base is going to come from.

 

[Federberg]

Yeah, Ken Clarke came across quite well... but I also heard he was incredibly lazy.

Lol! All that bird watching I'm sure, but bear in mind he had a lot of enemies as a Euro-phile