Monday 15 February 2010

Ambassador Who? Says that Straw Knew

Once More Into The Black Hole Of Orwellian Nothingness.

Those of you who have followed the increasing paranoia at the heart of government, against those who tell the truth, will not be surprised.

A simple Graun story with a simple standfirst 'The advice of worldly, well-educated Foreign Office diplomats is simply being ignored'

The article said :

'Yet ­listen to the stretching procession of Sir Jeremys, Sir Christophers and Sir Michaels. Their advice wasn't taken; they weren't consulted; they were spear-carriers on some macabre White House stage; they just weren't there.'


So, I commented on what had been said in the article.

*******

MerkinOnParis; 14 Feb 2010, 7:08PM

'Never mind the former ambassadors!

Craig Murray was in place as Her Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Uzbekistan when he notified the government about the torture, in that country, which was taking place on our behalf.

Did the government listen to him.
No, he was marginalised.

Mr Straw, through Michael Wood, actually told him that 'torture by proxy for intelligence purposes' was ok'


*******

Nothing too strange there because, as Mr Murray points out in his excellent book Murder in Samarkand',

'So there we had it. Torture by proxy for intelligence purposes was legal.
If the so called evidence that resulted could not be used in a court that was of little worry - the government had instituted indefinite detention without charge in the Uk, on the authority of the Home Secretary, citing 'Intelligence Material'.



Now tell me, how has The Graun averted the fall of Western Civilisation by moderating a snippet of truth from The Merkin?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

My guess is that it was the last sentence wot done it. The Graun mods allowed a quote of your second para - they usually scrub quotes of deleted comments.

Maybe an 'allegedly' or two scattered, Private Eye style, would have got it through?

Russbridger's Wig said...

It woz the Mods wot dun It?
Allegedly?

Merkin said...

Thanx guys for the comments.

Anon, you may be right.
In fact, that sentence (as seen in the article) was what I originally drafted - I decided to paraphrase instead, without quoting Craig, and see where that got me!!

In any event, the post remained there for many hours.
The mod scheme at the Graun is sooooo inconsistent.

Barnacle Bill said...

I've given up on the Graun ever since they mod'ed me for only asking politely if Polly had forgotten to take her PMT?

Merkin said...

PMT?

Polly Misses Tuscany?

I would have modded you myself, you scurvy knave.

butwhatif said...

I got modded yesterday, first time for ages. Someone questioned Tanya Gold's accuracy, claiming that they might just as easily believe that story about Marc Almond. I replied that if they were found to have been unfair to Gold, then they should buy her a pint. Scrubbed. The whole thing. Why?

Anyways, Happy New Year Merkin. And what's happened to Zola? Is he nakedly kayaking agin?

Merkin said...

Well, BWI, we are hopeful that Zo-Zo is merely in a state of hibernation and will spring fully clothed from the neck of Finlandia in due course.

bwi said...

Here's hoping.

And Anticant, playing the Quiet Man: I hope it's just another of those phases he likes to go through.

anticant said...

Anticant came home today after nearly six weeks in hospital battling a horrible viral infection which has made him even more of a limp rag than usual. It will be a while before he gets back into blogging form.

Thanks for your concern, bwi.

zola a social thing said...

Now that our Anticant is dead we may think again.

Our grumpy Aunt died on May Day eve.
I was celebrating at the time and singing working class songs.

Damn it I miss that man.

He was a wonderful person.

zola a social thing said...

Damn it.

Anticant is dead.

If there is any kind of sense in death it is - thanks Anticant.

Merkin said...

Well, Zola, the guy is immortal now.

butwhatif said...


I saw Anticant in
The Guardian


today.

He'll always be around.

MerkinOnParis said...

Thanks, BWI, for that ref.

I should really do something about 'Memories of GrumpyAunt' but have been blogging lite for various reasons recently.

Merkin said...

BWI, I followed your link to the Graun.
I actually the photo shown in the article when we were on holiday in Italy.
That's good.
He must have been happy.

I have not been writing much on the blogs recently but am now inspired to get back to biz as usual after a torrid time, for me.