Good luck with the those who are supposed to listen and act.

Do not be surprised if they are all very nice to you at first, it'll be only to make you feel at home and is usually followed by pouncing on some unsuspecting comment of yours.

They will try and tie your personal problems into the thread and make out that you cannot be taken for full, my guess, anything to throw you off course and confuse facts with some spin.

I wish you well, 'do different', as they say in Norfolk.

Good luck. Had planned to be there, but have to travel for work. Hope it goes well and don't let them side track you.

Mind Hacks has analysed the CIA psychology through the declassified memos:

link here http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2009/04/cia_psychology_throu.html

They even did the Orwellian cliche,

"The memo also notes that Zubaydah "appears to have a fear of insects". Assuming that detainees would not voluntarily disclose their phobias, we can assume that likely phobias are detected by exposing the detainee to photos or situations related to common fears and then monitoring the detainee for abnormal stress responses."

Of course, for Winston it was rats rather than insects.

The analysis is incredible.

Remember the Golden Rule of negotiation Craigmeister: when things seem bleak, take hostages!

:))

Good luck soldier.

Good luck.

We also still don't hear about the thousands of American soldiers who are jailed in Iraq for putting down arms and refusing to fight, do we?

The revolution will not be televised.

My apologies. Last post was meant for the Alyssa Peterson section.

I wish you luck Craig, you are a very brave man. I just wish more were like you.

Here's a link showing how to get to the Thatcher Room at Portcullis House: http://www.w4mp.org/html/library/guides/0902_booking_rooms.asp#2. _Locations

Very Best of Luck Craig.
I'll be there.

All the best, will be thinking about you,
Celia

A quiet cheer from east London, and a louder one from the majority of people in this country.

Very best wishes for Tuesday, Craig. Remember you will know a great deal more about the subject than anyone else in the room [unless Straw is lurking somewhere...]

ps am I right in assuming you'll have covered the major columnists?

Technicolour,

No, I haven't covred anybody - except Ian Cobain at the Guardian

I will contact my local rags tomorrow. Every little helps. I don't see why they shouldn't run with something national every once in a while.

May I suggest taking a look at Responsesource? www.responsesource.com?

They offer a press release distribution service at a reasonable cost. I use them as a journalist and use the stories they carry.

Matt

I just had a look, and it seems more geared to promoting commercial product - there isn't a politics category

Emailed to Simon Carr (Independent) & Simon Jenkins (Guardian) but have no time to phone them today, if you'd like to follow up.

Hi Craig
Have sent a copy to Channel 4 news .All the best Keith

Posted to Indymedia UK:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/428643.html

I have just spoken to the supporter team at Amnesty UK, and after some persuasion they expressed some interest. They have promised to talk to their media team to see if they can take some action.

I have suggested that they:

* Write their own press release
* Cover the item on their own website
* Cover the story in their monthly supporter magazine
* Send an official AI representative to monitor the evidence session from the public gallery.

I will also be speaking to the AI International Secretariat office later today, in case they have any researchers on Uzbekistan interested in pressing for action within AI internally.

The very best of luck Craig.

Craig – I would be pleased in you addressed the torture question via references to use of the Chagos Islands, and more particularly Diego Garcia as a torture centre. On the 6th April, 2009, I presented a set of recommendations to Her Majesty’s Government, and share here an extract from that presentation:-

“The Chagos Islands: can be termed the colony that Britain disposed of. Following the Napoleonic wars Britain took the Chagos Islands from France. The islands are an archipelago neigbouring Mauritius, and include Diego Garcia. In 1965 Britain politically detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and established the British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT). In 1971 Britain struck a deal with the United States of America to receive a $14m discount on the acquisition of Polaris missiles from America by making Diego Garcia available as a US military base. However, a small problem existed in that the Chagos Islands were inhabited. Britain simply forcefully expelled all the islanders and dumped them into Mauritius solving that impediment to the deal with the US. The islanders took Britain to court. They won cases at first instance and in the Court of Appeal. But, in the last quarter of 2008, the House of Lords by a 3 to 2 decision ruled against the Chagossians right of return to their homeland. The strong indications are that the legal dispute will continue on to the European Court of Human Rights. A central part of the legal issues will be the effecting of two orders in council on the 10th June, 2004 which banned the islanders from returning home.”

By reference to the Orders in Council, there is a deliberate legal dodge to avoid addressing the obvious wrong. You might very well weigh questions, submissions and an approach that brings this issue to the front burned, in light of the presentation you are about to make.

All the best for your presentation.

I have also sent the press release and some covering notes to Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, here:

http://www.torturecare.org.uk/

Have you gone to TASSC Craig? That would be a great platform to highlight your activities.

http://tassc.org/

Have you gone to TASSC Craig? That would be a great platform to highlight your activities.

http://tassc.org/

Surprises me that someone hasn't created a page somewhere online that list the newsdesk contacts nationally and locally somewhere. Even perhaps with a way for you to paste an item and hit send and forward to all..

Perhaps someone with some time to spare could create one?

Or put up a publically available Google Document online that we all add to when we have time? http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html

@Jaded, following Craig's request, would you be able to give them a call, or drop them a line? :o)

Well, my knowledge on torture is sketchy at best. Not one of the issues I have delved into. I only came across TASSC after researching the unfortunate Dianna Ortiz who I saw in this Pilger doc:

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-3739500579629840148

1hour 6 min 30 secs to 1 hour 9 min 30 secs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianna_Ortiz

I just thought that, as an international organisation, they might be keen to hear from Craig directly - or from someone with greater knowledge than I - if they were unaware of him. I will of course contact them on your behalf if you don't have the time Craig. Let me know.

I can't speak for Craig, and nor do I have any special working knowledge of torture/HR issues, but I'd suggest you just give them a call or drop them an email. You don't need to be a lawyer to be aggrieved at what has been happening :o)

As I've previously noted, I rang Amnesty International today. Since I am not experienced at dealing with media reps I find it helps to print out the press release and/or make some notes about what I want to say. As it happens the AI media rep was quite suspicious, but I was put through to someone who was in the end much more helpful.

All the very best to you, Craig.

Good luck!

Actually appears some are here, will send to a few: http://www.epuk.org/Resources/206/newspaper-email-addresses

i.e. Big Issue news@bigissue.com
edit.scot@bigissue.com
Daily Express News Desk news.desk@express.co.uk
allpublications@express.co.uk
Daily Express Features featurespix@express.co.uk
Daily Mirror News Desk mirrornews@MGN.co.uk
Evening Standard News Desk
newsroom@standard.co.uk
Financial Times News Desk
news.desk@ft.com
Independent News Editor
newseditor@independent.co.uk
Metro News Desk
editorial@londonmetro.co.uk
Sunday Business Post
contact@sbpost.ie
Sunday Post
mail@sundaypost.com
Sunday Telegraph Review
streview@telegraph.co.uk
Times News Desk
home.news@thetimes.co.uk
TNT Magazine
enquiries@tntmag.co.uk
The Voice
newsdesk@the-voice.co.uk

More here: http://www.mediauk.com/newspapers/

I've emailed the release to some of the major US blogs - the Daily Kos, Huffington Post, Raw Story etc. A couple more messages to them should catch their attention.

Good luck, Craig.

I've emailed the press release to the contents editor of the Birmingham Mail, which doesn't seem to have been mentioned in the posts here. Don't know whether they'll do anything about it, but good luck in London on Tuesday.

Bit late now but sent to all those above and as the Standard one is no longer working to these too: geordie.greig@standard.co.uk, editor@standard.co.uk, managingeditor@standard.co.uk

The main enterance to Portcullis House can be found at number 3 on the map you will find if you follow this link: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/colmap.pdf

Can I precis? Man, you are getting screwed for detailing utter shite strategy. I think the greater extent of its shiteness is known to all. The sheer temerity.

I need a gardener, my hedge is turning into a triffid.

Soz, meant to mention - will do stuff from 3 ish. News here first yeah? There's a live bloggy thing function ability somehow?

This is the link to the live video transmission of the JPCHR hearing tomorrow at 1.45 pm

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=3978

Mr.Murray

SOLIDARITY!

There is a Facebook group that has just been created that proposes that you are made our Foreign Minister after the General Election.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=77284278307

Yes, Mr.Straw will face criminal charges.

Good luck - and SOLIDARITY.

BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION 2009:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=62004532668

Best of luck and hold your head up!

You are representing the honour of this country which as been dragged though a cesspit in the name of political expediency.

I sent a copy of your statement to the obvious man...

Micheal Moore. He dont take no shit from these slugs, and he loves evidence to use against them.

Hope my email reaches him.

Craig

You will be speaking for the many against the few today.You will do just fine.

fortiter in re, suaviter in modo

@Christopher - he is sure to have a spokesperson or agent; get an email reply from him. Naturally bear in mind that MM - all high profile political figures - are very busy, but the representative should be able to ensure your email reaches him.

Hi Craig,
I've contacted Iain McWhirter (of Herald, Sunday Herald) via his blog.
Hope it went well.

"I am sorry I am always asking you for help, but there is only one of me!"

Indeed - when they made you, they broke the mould !! Have only really recently come across you and I will try and get my paws on your book, and help in any way I can.

I thought you did a good job. I was aorely disappointed to discover you didn't have a strong Jock accent. :-0

Folks, I have totally exhausted the Amnesty International UK angle, with little luck. A supporter team representative was quite helpful, but AIUK appears not to be taking much immediate action - no press release!

If there are AI members reading this thread, give the supporter's team a call. It may not come to anything, but OTOH it will not hurt to try.