The problem with the Geneva Communique from the first Geneva round on Syria is that the government of Syria never subscribed to it. It was jointly chaired by the League of Arab States for Syria, whatever that may mean. Another problem is that it is, as so many diplomatic documents are, highly ambiguous. It plainly advocates a power sharing executive formed by some of the current government plus the opposition to oversee a transition to democracy. But it does not state which elements of the current government, and it does not mention which elements of the opposition, nor does it make plain if President Assad himself is eligible to be part of, or to head, the power-sharing executive, and whether he is eligible to be a candidate in future democratic elections.
Doubtless the British, for example, would argue that the term transition implies that he will go. The Russians will argue there is no such implication and the text does not exclude anybody from the process. Doubtless also diplomats on all sides were fully aware of these differing interpretations and the ambiguity is quite deliberate to enable an agreed text. I would say that the text tends much more to the “western” side, and that this reflects the apparently weak military position of the Assad regime at that time and the then extant threat of western military intervention. There has been a radical shift in those factors against the western side in the interim. Expect Russian interpretations now to get more hardline.
Given the extreme ambiguity of the text, Iran has, as it frequently does, shot itself in the foot diplomatically by refusing to accept the communique as the basis of talks and thus getting excluded from Geneva. Iran should have accepted the communique, and then at Geneva issued its own interpretation of it.
But that is a minor point. The farcical thing about the Geneva conference is that it is attempting to promote into power-sharing in Syria “opposition” members who have no democratic credentials and represent a scarcely significant portion of those actually fighting the Assad regime in Syria. What the West are trying to achieve is what the CIA and Mossad have now achieved in Egypt; replacing the head of the Mubarak regime while keeping all its power structures in place. The West don’t really want democracy in Syria, they just want a less pro-Russian leader of the power structures.
The inability of the British left to understand the Middle East is pathetic. I recall arguing with commenters on this blog who supported the overthrow of the elected President of Egypt Morsi on the grounds that his overthrow was supporting secularism, judicial independence (missing the entirely obvious fact the Egyptian judiciary are almost all puppets of the military) and would lead to a left wing revolutionary outcome. Similarly the demonstrations against Erdogan in Istanbul, orchestrated by very similar pro-military forces to those now in charge in Egypt, were also hailed by commenters here. The word “secularist” seems to obviate all sins when it comes to the Middle East.
Qatar will be present at Geneva, and Qatar has just launched a pre-emptive media offensive by launching a dossier on torture and murder of detainees by the Assad regime, which is being given first headline treatment by the BBC all morning
There would be a good dossier to be issued on torture in detention in Qatar, and the lives of slave workers there, but that is another question.
I do not doubt at all that atrocities have been committed and are being committed by the Assad regime. It is a very unpleasant regime indeed. The fact that atrocities are also being committed by various rebel groups does not make Syrian government atrocities any better.
But whether 11,000 people really were murdered in a single detainee camp I am unsure. What I do know is that the BBC presentation of today’s report has been a disgrace. The report was commissioned by the government of Qatar who commissioned Carter Ruck to do it. Both those organisations are infamous suppressors of free speech. What is reprehensible is that the BBC are presenting the report as though it were produced by neutral experts, whereas the opposite is the case. It is produced not by anti torture campaigners or by human rights activists, but by lawyers who are doing it purely and simply because they are being paid to do it.
The BBC are showing enormous deference to Sir Desmond De Silva, who is introduced as a former UN war crimes prosecutor. He is indeed that, but it is not the capacity in which he is now acting. He is acting as a barrister in private practice. Before he was a UN prosecutor, he was for decades a criminal defence lawyer and has defended many murderers. He has since acted to suppress the truth being published about many celebrities, including John Terry.
If the Assad regime and not the government of Qatar had instructed him and paid him, he would now be on our screens arguing the opposite case to that he is putting. That is his job. He probably regards that as not reprehensible. What is reprehensible is that the BBC do not make it plain, but introduce him as a UN war crimes prosecutor as though he were acting in that capacity or out of concern for human rights. I can find no evidence of his having an especial love for human rights in the abstract, when he is not being paid for it. He produced an official UK government report into the murder of Pat Finucane, a murder organised by British authorities, which Pat Finucane’s widow described as a “sham”. He was also put in charge of quietly sweeping the Israeli murders on the Gaza flotilla under the carpet at the UN.
The question any decent journalist should be asking him is “Sir Desmond De Silva, how much did the government of Qatar pay you for your part in preparing this report? How much did it pay the other experts? Does your fee from the Government of Qatar include this TV interview, or are you charging separately for your time in giving this interview? In short how much are you being paid to say this?”
That is what any decent journalist would ask. Which is why you will never hear those questions on the BBC.
The Western Powers need to realise that Catch-22 was a satire not a manual.
The madness,lies and incompetence masquerading as foreign policy and conflict strategy in Syria would stagger even Joseph Heller id imagine.
“Scotland: the police state”
http://socialist-courier.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/scotland-police-state.html?q=Radical%27s+Road
“poverty and desperation”
http://socialist-courier.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/panic-in-high-street.html?q=Radical%27s+Road
Nevermind from War Criminals:
“If he would had made such a guesture playing in Germany, he would have acted unlawful. I despise public expressions such as this, regardless of whether they come from Anelka or from anybody else, as they are giving voice to fascists who argue with each other, but are essentially out to commit the same attrocities and justify them to the world with some inane crap, are essentially supressing views that are contrare to their regime.”
Anelka is out to commit the same atrocities as Zionists?
If it do come to pass
That any man turn ass,
Leaving his wealth and ease
A stubborn will to please,
Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame.
Here shall he see
Gross fools as he,
An if he will come to me.
Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
http://shaksper.net/archive/2007/254-october/25838-observation-about-ducdame
I cannot understand why Nevermind thinks that minding about the Anti-Islam politics of Zionism will turn into another Fascism.
Muslims should just accept the War on Terror?
And yet when Al Qaida strikes back at the utter jelly of Neo-Liberalism which has allowed Assad to bomb his own citizens for 3 years, and torture them for decades, the West points the finger at them.
If Zionist militancy is the same as Islamic militancy, why is the zionist state war on terror okay, and the Islamist response not okay?
I’ve a mind to add BrianFujisan to my list of trolls for this idiotic comment above: “f free and fair elections were held tomorrow in Syria ……President Assad would likely win.”
We all say daft things from time to time but this is surely the most wishful of wishful thinking of Islamophobes.
I sat yesterday among a group of UK electricians who exuded embarrassment at the presence of a bearded Muslim. They were so busy covering up their delight at the excesses of Al Qaida and the plight of Assad’s victims they could hardly sit in the same room. What better solution to the Muslims’ miseries than for the UK to legitimise his criminal regime?
Also Mark Golding seems to have gone into mad Shi’a mode, which is surprising since he has experienced them in Iraq at first hand.
I apologise to Someone, for putting him on my list of trolls.
Clark/Jon: More than I intended. Last paragraph and link are all that are necessary to contradict my biblical friend’s snark re a John Goss post. Please delete the rest if you see this.
“Scotland: the police state”
Yes, it is most worrying the direction Scotland is going in. Especially the amalgamation of the police forces into one and the attempts to abolish corroboration.
“poverty and desperation”
I don’t think the people’s reaction could be shown to be a result of poverty and desperation. Just human nature.
@ Beelzebub (in respect of his inordinately long post):
“Clark/Jon: More than I intended. Last paragraph and link are all that are necessary to contradict my biblical friend’s snark re a John Goss post. Please delete the rest if you see this.”
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What a relief to see that there is at least one other poster as inept as I am when it comes to manipulating computers and using a blog! 🙂
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“Life is getting better, life is getting merrier” (J.Stalin, ca. 1932)
“..“there is a report in the State Department files that names Kuhn, Loeb & Co. (the long established and important financial house in New York) as the financier of the First Five Year Plan. See U. S. State Dept. Decimal File, 811.51/3711 and 861.50 FIVE YEAR PLAN/236.””..”
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There are, I suspect, many inaccurate reports in the archives of State and, indeed, in these of many other Foreign Ministries.
There are reports in the FO and without doubt in various European Chancelleries which assert with confidence that Adolf Hitler was merely a German gentleman who represented no threat to peace in Europe.
Not to mention a report from our host Craig, written while en poste in Warsaw, that Polish emigration to the UK post-2004 would be measured in the thousands…
Clark
Thanks for that. Have you ever thought of a career as a mental health nurse? Give them a link to your contributions here and I’m sure you’ll get an invitation.
Thanks Doug – good response.
Syricide @Syricide Jan 20
@ShoebridgeC Check out Carter-Ruck & Co the law firm that commissioned this report – a lot of Saudi customers
http://www.carter-ruck.com/International%20Law/Recent_Work.asp …
Charles Shoebridge
@ShoebridgeC
Listen (at 9.40) to eminent author of #Qatar funded #Syria abuse report. Q.Could photos be faked? A. No. Well, maybe.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03q8z45 …
H – Looks like the whole piece was removed. Ok, leave it. It’s rather hard to find any reference to Schiff’s activities other than on rightwing nutter sites or NWO sites. This link- http://reformed-theology.org/html/books/bolshevik_revolution/appendix_02.htm gives what looks like a sane assessment of Schiff/Loeb’s alleged funding of the Revolution and its aftermath. The accusation of circular citation is correct: most of the allegations seem to have been based on the observations of a White Russian general who may just have had an axe to grind. One very plausible reason for Schiff’s involvement may have been that he is on record as having believed (against Herzl et al) that there should not be a Jewish state, that Jews should remain in the nations in which they lived, and that the Bolsheviks would encourage this by ending the persecution of Russian Jews which was routine under the Tsar.
The conclusion of the piece raises a question which may still be relevant.
Good to see you “back in action”, Craig 🙂
Cheers from Finland
Brian
Once again our corrupt and perverted state broadcaster is complicit in a pre-emptive media offensive by launching a dossier on torture and murder of detainees by the Assad government just before Genever II.
How hypocritical is that? The BBC report is a disgrace!
There would be a good dossier to be issued on torture in detention in Qatar, and the lives of slave workers there.
The report was commissioned by the government of Qatar who commissioned latent scientologist **Carter Ruck** to do it. Qatar is an infamous suppressor of free speech.
What is reprehensible is that the BBC are presenting the report as though it were produced by neutral experts, whereas the opposite is the case. It is produced not by anti torture campaigners or by human rights activists, but by lawyers who are doing it purely and simply because they are being paid to do it.
Indeed, Mark. In his most recent article, Robert Fisk made similar points, and asked why the likes of HRW and Amnesty were not involved.
Curveball/Caesar; tall tales and “incontrovertible” proof. The M.O. is pretty familiar by now.
Those who think that the support for millitants is always due to principled knowledge have only got to look at the money bags who support slaughter.
In the 1930′ fascists Germany’s car production of GM cars, Opel for that matter, was not compromised as much as the allies wanted to cut off Germany from its suppliers.
Zionists have an interests to support islamic militias in the commercial aims. And those who, like Guano, think that an islamic militia has no fascists tendencies, when they are confronted daily with the excesses of religious righteousness and singleminded stubborn killing of ‘otherthinking’ are deluding themselves.
It was easy for Guano to spread his fertile mind here, our liberal ears are open and responsive to all and sundry. How would we fear on his favourite blog, I wonder….
‘The report was commissioned by the government of Qatar who commissioned latent scientologist **Carter Ruck** to do it. Qatar is an infamous suppressor of free speech.’
So is Carter Ruck. Allegedly. Which usually means the legal firm specialising in suppressing….err… allegedly…rather than its founder, Peter Carter-Ruck.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter-Ruck
NGO Propaganda: Who is Behind the Massacres in Syria? Avaaz Spreads Media Disinformation
By Prof Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research, January 22, 2014
Avaaz, which presents itself as an alternative media and an independent voice, is part of a corporate public relations campaign. Avaaz will report on civilian casualties in Syria without mentioning the influx of US-Saudi sponsored terrorists.
Who is behind the atrocities in Syria?
Avaaz will casually blame the government of Bashar Al Assad for killing civilians. It will accuse the government of using chemical weapons when the evidence amply confirms that the US-NATO-GCC supported rebels were behind the August 21st chemical weapons attacks.
The deployment of death squads supported by the Western military alliance is never mentioned.
Avaaz does not acknowledge that government forces are fighting a terrorist insurgency.
Nor do they mention that the US government has direct contacts with Al Qaeda affiliated rebels.
Avaaz calls for an opinion poll ahead of the Geneva talks.
Avaaz calls for a ceasefire.
/..
http://www.globalresearch.ca/ngo-propaganda-who-is-behind-the-massacres-in-syria-avaaz-spreads-media-disinformation/5365813
Justification for having nothing whatsoever to do with Avaaz.
Nevermind
I have often said that the Fascist tendencies of individual Muslims are excusable if they have been hung upside down, electrocuted in the private parts, beaten to pulp with cables, left in detention in a crowded cell for years.
What’s to excuse about the Fascists tendencies of a senior political UK figure, educated to the hilt, paid to the hilt, but wants to gravy-train the Zionist anti-Islam agenda?
You see, in my mind there is no excuse at all for priveledged people to sacrifice their principles and consciences for more, while I can excuse the control=freak mentality of those who have survived utter subjection to the tyranny of their human brothers.
Not that you care.
Mary “Avaaz does not acknowledge that government forces are fighting a terrorist insurgency.”
The only reason there is an insurgency in Syria is because, being outside the fold of all its neighbours, Jewish, Christian or Muslim, the Alawis have remained solidly unmoved by compassion to the people that France put them in control over as a colonial power.
The normal response to an individual who has no remorse or compassion is life encarceration, in liberal societies, or death in others. This Geneva 2 is the Assad regime’s last chance. They are arguing that no-one has the right to intervene with their rule. OK let’s just let the paedophiles and criminals take over. The international community can only restrain itself from intervention until Assad has openly proved his intransigence in an international arena.
Kerry will be telling Obama that it’s time for war.
Syria regime ‘may quit Geneva II talks’
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has threatened to walk out of peace talks in Geneva just hours after they began, state media have said.
Mr Muallem told UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi he would quit if “serious” discussions had not begun by Saturday.
The regime and the opposition have refused to meet face-to-face and are communicating through Mr Brahimi.
Diplomats say they are now aiming at small concessions such as local truces rather than an overall peace deal.
Both sides blame each other for the lack of progress.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25880727
Later in this piece, it is apparent that the BBC are still using the man in the flat above a shop in the Midlands for a situation report on Syria!
“I have often said that the Fascist tendencies of individual Muslims are excusable if they have been hung upside down, electrocuted in the private parts, beaten to pulp with cables, left in detention in a crowded cell for years.”
Thanks for explaining your personal preferences in dealing with individual Muslims who don’t confer to your ideals, I find engaging and showing the error of their ways to be far more effective in exposing their simple minds.
“Not that you care.” Well, Guano, not in the way you care.
@ Mary, thanks for that, AAvaz has got through to me on occasions, but I always found their petitions to be polished and failing to be to the point, vague even. I must scrutinise more…….
Human Rights Council
Twenty-second session
Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories
Report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
Summary
The present report is submitted pursuant to resolution 19/17 in which the Human
Rights Council decided to establish an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the human rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
The new UN report is the result of a mission investigating Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Information gathered by the mission shows that private firms have enabled, facilitated and profited, directly and indirectly, from the construction and growth of the settlements. It identified a number of business activities that raise particular concerns about abuses of human rights. They include:
• The supply of equipment and materials facilitating the construction of settlements and Israel’s wall in the West Bank;
•The supply of surveillance and identification equipment for settlements, the wall and military checkpoints;
• The supply of equipment for the demolition of housing and property, including the destruction of farms, greenhouses, olives groves and crops,;
• The supply of security services, equipment and materials to businesses operating in settlements;
• The provision of transport and other services to support the maintenance of settlements;
• Banking and financial operations helping to develop, expand or maintain settlements and their activities, including loans for housing and business development;
• The use of natural resources, in particular water and land, for business purposes;
• Pollution, dumping and transfer of waste to Palestinian villages;
• The way Palestinian financial and economic markets are held captive by Israel, as well as practices that disadvantage Palestinian businesses, including through restrictions on movement, and administrative and legal constraints.
According to the new report, companies active in the settlements are fully aware that they are abusing international law and contributing to violations of human rights.
It also states that Israel labels all its export products as originating from Israel, including those wholly or partially produced in settlements. Some companies operating in settlements have been accused of hiding the original place of production of their products.
The mission also notes that some businesses have pulled out of settlements because it harms their image and might entail legal consequences.
The mission urges private companies to cease operating in the settlements and calls upon all Member States to comply with their obligations under international law and to assume their responsibilities in their relationship to a State breaching peremptory norms of international law – specifically not to recognise an unlawful situation resulting from Israel’s violations.
The report also notes that private companies must assess the human rights impact of their activities and take all necessary steps – including by terminating their business interests in the settlements – to ensure they are not adversely impacting the human rights of the Palestinian People. The Mission calls upon all Member States to take appropriate measures to ensure that business enterprises domiciled in their territory and/or under their jurisdiction, including those owned or controlled by them, that conduct activities in or related to the settlements respect human rights throughout their operations.
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/FFM/FFMSettlements.pdf
Note item in bold.
@ Beelzebub
Yes, let’s leave it. I don’t know whether Schiff financed Bolsheviks or not at the beginning of the 20th century and don’t care very much either. My point was merely that Mr Goss was in error when he once confidently asserted that Schiff financed Stalin….which seems unlikely given that Stalin was hardly a leading light in the party at the time. And my larger underlying point was that Mr Goss has a tendency to play fast and loose with the facts.
So, although you are in the flames of Hell and I am ascended unto Heaven,….peace!
🙂
“It also states that Israel labels all its export products as originating from Israel, including those wholly or partially produced in settlements. Some companies operating in settlements have been accused of hiding the original place of production of their products.”
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This issue has been kicked around in EU fora for at least a decade now (in the context of the EU-Israel Association Agreement). The practice is of course in the last resort, fraudulent but although everyone knows that it goes on, the Council and Commission have never seen fit to make a public issue of it, preferring instead to to “talk about” the matter with the relevant Israeli authorities. I will leave it to your imagination how effective that has been.
The Angels must be passing overhead, given this silence.
Jiddu Krishnamurti: In Total Silence The Mind Comes Upon The Eternal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7aLnJtZgyY
Jiddu Krishnamurti – Why Are We So Separated In Society: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JNrvujpVFk
Happy and peaceful weekend to all!
The continuation of tragedy in Iraq (especially the pock-marked and genetic maelstrom, Fallujah) brings home the role of extremist religious attitudes and wars throughout history. Christian sect against sect, Islamic schisms, even Buddhist and Hindu, where focus on almost unmeasurable distinctions can lead to hysteria and mass murder for it’s own sake, leaves us with little to celebrate as members of the human race.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304027204579334790882001988?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304027204579334790882001988.html
When Marx said religion is the opiate of the People, he forgot to suggest how they might OD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPOfurmrjxo
“I will leave it to your imagination how effective that has been.”
Not very, is the short answer. That’s because the EU is afraid of Israel, just like most kids are afraid of the school bully.
Is it inevitable that people stop being afraid, and speak out?
Do you have these kind of MoFus in the UK as well? Un-flipping-believable.
DeBlasio is the Second Coming for lib/dems, if that’s not an oxymoron, Daniel. He’s from NY so you know AIPAC has him by short hairs.
From Nevermind to Guano:
““I have often said that the Fascist tendencies of individual Muslims are excusable if they have been hung upside down, electrocuted in the private parts, beaten to pulp with cables, left in detention in a crowded cell for years.”
Thanks for explaining your personal preferences in dealing with individual Muslims who don’t confer to your ideals,..”
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You’ve totally misunderstood what Guano was getting at as well as the intention of the sentence you quote.
Dummkopf!
Und ‘mal Klappe zu!