FCO Finally Admits To Receiving Intelligence From Torture

Initially I mentioned this on Twitter, but decided it was too important to eave it there.

From Craig Murray:

Tucked away at Page 15 of its annual Human Rights report, the FCO has finally made a public admission of its use of intelligence from torture. Despite the Orwellian doublespeak about "unreserved condemnation of torture", this is the clearest statement the government has ever made that it, as a policy, employs intelligence from torture.

You need to read his full post. Tweet

The Barclays Memos

A few days ago the Guardian published documents which supposedly show that Barclays Bank have been helping their customers to use off-shore tax havens in an alleged scam.

Barclays then obtained a High Court injunction against the Guardian
on grounds of confidentiality, not libel, which has been upheld.

The Guardian gives more details here and has further claims about how Barclays made £1 billion in this manner.

Sunny over at Pickled Politics is asking people to link to the documents in an attempt to show that they are not longer confidential.

I'm more than happy to oblige.

What concerns me is that I did a post on my Twitter feed yesterday afternoon, linking to the WikiLeaks article, but I can no longer find it. Tweet

The Sun Lies: Saucer People

I have another post up on the Sun Lies. This time it is about how London has been invaded by Aliens.

Naturally I dismiss such a claim, but, then again, I am on the CIA's pay-roll... Tweet

The Sun Lies: "Satan's footprints"

I have a new post up on the Sun Lies. This one's about how Satan has been discovered roaming the fields of Devon. Tweet

One in Ten

Posted because it's appropriate as of midnight:



Those who know me will understand... Tweet

Me on YouTube

Just realised that I've not mentioned that I've given my first broadcast on You Tube:



It's nothing special though... Tweet

Premier League prediction

The BBC's football section has a page in which you can predict the outcome of the remaining Premier League games.

Here's how I predict the league will finish:



Speaking as a Blackburn fan, I'm happy with how it turns out and I don't think it affected my predictions... Tweet

The Islamic Republic of Bulgaria

... or more accurately, not quite.

Mad Mel is having one of her usual paranoid rants about how Europe is falling into Dhimmitude. This time she uses the frankly bizarre actions of a school headmaster as proof.

Naturally I think that she's talking our of her arse (as per usual) have have left the following comment:



Will it be published, or like my comment on the Daily Mail's website, will it be disappeared?

UPDATE: Yay! It's there:



From the comments there are some who do see that it's a complete load of rubbish, but unfortunately we're being out-numbered. Tweet

Galaxy Zoo

I've recently signed up for Galaxy Zoo (an on-line astronomy/galaxy classification website).

The idea is that they give you pictures of various things throughout the universe and you have to choose which option best fits the photo in question.

This is one question that I have been given:


If you can't tell, the problem is that it's the same picture! Tweet

The Daily Mail vs the NHS

The Daily Mail has one of its usual scare-mongering articles about NHS rationing.

Today's article says that new anti-cancer treatments have been "banned" from the NHS due to the cost. However, the Mail does not bother to give any details as to the figures involved and so in response I wrote and submitted this comment:



I'm not expecting it to be published - mine never do, presumably because I do not toe the Mail's official line - but I live in hope.

BTW, you should read the re-launched Mail Watch website which will be covering these sort of articles.

UPDATE: As of 15:34, all of the comments have been deleted!



Of course this may just be a temporary problem... Tweet

Help Craig Murray testify on torture

From Craig Murray:

On Tuesday 10 March the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights will discuss whether or not to hear my evidence on the UK government's policy of using intelligence from torture. They discussed whether to hear my evidence on 3 March but failed to reach a conclusion.

The government is lobbying hard for my exclusion. I need everybody to send an email to jchr@parliament.uk to urge that I should be allowed to give evidence. Just a one-liner would be fine. If you are able to add some comment on the import of my evidence, or indicate that you have heard me speak or read my work, that may help. Please copy your email to craigjmurray@tiscali.co.uk.

Please also pass on this plea to anyone you can and urge them to act. Help from other bloggers in posting this appeal would be much appreciated.

The evidence I am trying to give the parliamentary committee is this:

I wish to offer myself as a witness before the Joint Commission on Human Rights on the subject of the UK government's policy on intelligence cooperation with torture abroad.

I appeared as a witness in person before both the European Parliament and European Council's enquiries into extraordinary rendition. My evidence was described by the European Council's Rapporteur, Senator Dick Marty, as "Compelling and valuable".

The key points I wish to make are these:

• I was British Ambassador in Uzbekistan from 2002 to 2004
• I learned and confirmed that I was regularly seeing intelligence from detainees in the Uzbek torture chambers, sent me by the CIA via MI6.
• British Ministers and officials were seeing the same torture material.
• In October/November 2002 and January/February 2003 I sent two Top Secret telegrams to London specifically on the subject of our receipt of intelligence gained under torture. I argued this was illegal, immoral and impractical. The telegrams were specifically marked for the Secretary of State.
• I was formally summoned back to the FCO for a meeting held on 7 or 8 March 2003 specifically and solely on the subject of intelligence gained under torture. Present were Linda Duffield, Director Wider Europe, FCO, Sir Michael Wood, Chief Legal Adviser, FCO, and Matthew Kydd, Head of Permanent Under-Secretary's Department, FCO.
• This meeting was minuted. I have seen the record, which is classified Top Secret and was sent to Jack Straw. On the top copy are extensive hand-written marginalia giving Jack Straw's views.
• I was told at this meeting that it is not illegal for us to obtain intelligence gained by torture, provided that we did not do the torture ourselves. I was told that it had been decided that as a matter of War on Terror policy we should now obtain intelligence from torture, following discussion between Jack Straw and Richard Dearlove. I was told that we could not exclude receipt of specific material from the CIA without driving a coach and horses through the universality principle of the UK/US intelligence sharing agreement, which would be detrimental to UK interests.
• Sir Michael Wood's legal advice that it was not illegal to receive intelligence got by torture was sent on to me in Tashkent (copy attached). http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/documents/Wood.pdf
• On 22 July 2004 I sent one further telegram on intelligence got by torture, with a lower classification, following FCO communications on the subject. Copy attached. http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/documents/Telegram.pdf
  

It was my final communication before being dismissed as Ambassador.

In conclusion, I can testify that beyond any doubt the British government has for at least six years a considered but secret policy of cooperation with torture abroad. This policy legally cleared by government legal advisers and approved by Jack Straw as Secretary of State.

Craig Murray
2 March 2009

He has to testify to show how, for the lack of a better word, evil the government has been. Tweet

The Sun Lies: Skeptics vs the Sun

I have a new post over on the Sun Lies. This time about the Sun science coverage. Tweet