My last post did not signal a return to blogging but rather explained why I need a few days’ break. But I have to share with you my joy at the release of the Brazilian edition of Murder in Samarkand, translated from the US edition and entitled Diplomacia Suja.
This is the first foreign language edition and I am childishly excited to hold it in my hands. I was actually jumping up and down a few minutes ago. There seems something magical about seeing your work in a tongue which is mysterious to you. Many thanks to Companhia Das Letras and especially to the translator, Berilo Vargas, whom I am yet to meet.
http://www.companhiadasletras.com.br/detalhe.php?codigo=12648
Good progress is being made on a Turkish translation.
Congratulations, Craig. I wish you further success with many more translations. I’ve just booked a trip to Uzbekistan in September with a trusted walking holiday company. Normally whilst abroad I find that pointing out to locals that I am Scottish, not English, has a very positive response. Has your reputation within the country made it unwise to admit my nationality in official situations ??!!!
What about an audio version? is that possible
The Uzbek and Russian editions are in the pipeline I trust.
pdb
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2004/12/americans_are_n.html
MJ
Annoyingly not. I have encouraged Uzbeks to produce a free internet version but nobody has done it yet.
I dare say that cheeky chappie whose name eludes me for the moment will be demanding a free copy of this translation as part of his human rights or some such….
Enjoy one of your Con-Dem people go up in flames. Tosser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UovcMQXxmoE
I don’t like the title much – Dirty Diplomacy. Better the original. But well done on the publication and the increase in readership in Portuguese.
We’d love to translate it into Uzbek but afraid of doing so.
Ishmael. It’s a pity that we cannot listen to the Radio 4 dramatisation which was excellent.
Whilst I condemn BBC News and the BBC generally for their biased reporting of Israel and Palestine, for their refusal to air the DEC appeal for Gaza and for refusing to air the play Seven Children by Caryl Churchill, I have to applaud whoever produces the Saturday Plays.
This afternoon was pleasurable as I listened to Christopher Hampton narrate his wonderful play The White Chameleon. It was rather sad as he recalled his childhood in Alexandria at the time of the death of the British Empire and its colonisation and what was going on in Eqypt during Suez and afterwards. It was also poignant. When he was returned to a jingoistic boarding school in Surrey, he was called a wog lover. The head had confiscated the fez that Ibrahim, his parents’ servant, had given to him as a leaving present and then proceeded to set fire to it in front of the boy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t32mb
Earlier I heard the wonderful Tam Dalyell (there +was+ a great Parliamentarian) speaking from Linlithgow to Any Answers recalling the aftermath of the Lockerbie plane crash.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00t32m8 7mins 20secs in. Do listen.
“Mr Dimbleby, Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi is an innocent man”
Conmgratulations to your Portuguese language copy, a spanish one would go down well in Mexico I recon, they like an underdog as much as anyone.
Been meeting 20 people today in front of Bethel Street police station in Norwich for an impromptu vigil for Ian Tomlinson. We will do this every month and advertise it inbetween, until he will get some sort of justice and the police changes its gung ho habits towards the general public, protesting or not.
We will also ask people to meet in their town and join in simultane, the more the better.
I invited some local Green Party councillors to come and join in, they must have been busy.
Members of the public stopped and agreed, a few cars bipped their horns.
Some firefighters, situated next door, took also notice and one of them waved as he left his shift by car.
So please debate and plan your own, wherever you live.
here is were one can contribute to the fighting fund for a civil case, they are in need of a very good barrister indeed. Someone who is fluent in medical jargons.
This issue cuts through all and sundry, it points to all the reform worthy agencies and establishment bastions that can be targetted for some serious savings in the autumn.
The CPS and DPP Keir Starmer must surely be up for reform, the latter is in need of a lenghty holiday, ideally forever.
To come back to the issue at hand, how about a German translation? They will enjoy your style of writing,
‘Mord in Samarkand’
Eine Herz ergreifende real Zeit biographie aus Uzbekistan,
bei ex UK Ambassador Craig Murray
How does that sound?(;-)
Forgot to post the Ian Tomlinson campaign site, please bung them a few quid so they can get a QC and/or barrister of substance, ta
http://www.iantomlinsonfamilycampaign.org.uk/2010/07/launch-of-campaign-fighting-fund.html
Ishmael
Somebody,
there are two links to torrents of the radio play of Murder in Samarkand on the February 20, 2010 thread:
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2010/02/david_hare_and_1.html
Congratulations on the first foreign-language translation of your book. A few languages more and you may be able to hire workers to finish doing up your house for you!
@ Craig,
Now I will have to learn Portugese to read it…huh?
CONSERVATIVE PARTY MEMBERS THAT VOTED TO MURDER, MAIM & GENETICALLY IMPAIR (DEPLETED URANIUM) INNOCENT CHILDREN BY AN ILLEGAL INVASION & WAR AGAINST THE SOVEREIGN COUNTRY IRAQ – A COUNTRY THAT NEITHER HURT US OR THREATENED TO HURT US:-
OVER ONE MILLION IRAQ DEAD – FOUR MILLION DISPLACED IRAQ FAMILIES – TEN FOLD INCREASE IN IRAQ CANCERS – EIGHT FOLD INCREASE IN BIRTH DEFECTS
David Amess (Southend West)
Michael Ancram (Devizes)
James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East)
David Atkinson (Bournemouth East)
Peter Atkinson (Hexham)
Greg Barker (Bexhill & Battle)
Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West)
John Bercow (Buckingham)
Sir Paul Beresford (Mole Valley)
Crispin Blunt (Reigate)
Tim Boswell (Daventry)
Peter Bottomley (Worthing West)
Mrs Virginia Bottomley (Surrey South West)
Graham Brady (Altrincham & Sale West)
Julian Brazier (Canterbury)
Mrs Angela Browning (Tiverton & Honiton)
Simon Burns (Chelmsford West)
Alastair Burt (Bedfordshire North East)
John Butterfill (Bournemouth West)
David Cameron (Witney)
William Cash (Stone)
Sir Sydney Chapman (Chipping Barnet)
Christopher Chope (Christchurch)
James Clappison (Hertsmere)
Tim Collins (Westmorland & Lonsdale)
Derek Conway (Old Bexley & Sidcup)
Sir Patrick Cormack (Staffordshire South)
James Cran (Beverley & Holderness)
David Curry (Skipton & Ripon)
Quentin Davies (Grantham & Stamford)
David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden)
Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon)
Stephen Dorrell (Charnwood)
Alan Duncan (Rutland & Melton)
Peter Duncan (Galloway & Upper Nithsdale)
Iain Duncan Smith (Chingford & Woodford Green)
Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley)
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)
Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks)
Mark Field (Cities of London & Westminster)
Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs)
Adrian Flook (Taunton)
Eric Forth (Bromley & Chislehurst)
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring)
Mark Francois (Rayleigh)
Roger Gale (Thanet North)
Edward Garnier (Harborough)
Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton)
Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham)
Paul Goodman (Wycombe)
James Gray (Wiltshire North)
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell)
Damien Green (Ashford)
John Greenway (Ryedale)
Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield)
William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)
Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge)
Nicholas Hawkins (Surrey Heath)
John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings)
Oliver Heald (Hertfordshire North East)
David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells)
Charles Hendry (Wealden)
Mark Hoban (Fareham)
Michael Howard (Folkestone & Hythe)
Gerald Howarth (Aldershot)
Michael Jack (Fylde)
Robert Jackson (Wantage)
Bernard Jenkin (Essex North)
Boris Johnson (Henley)
Robert Key (Salisbury)
Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove)
Greg Knight (Yorkshire East)
Mrs Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest)
Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham)
Oliver Letwin (Dorset West)
Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East)
Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater)
David Lidington (Aylesbury)
Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden)
Tim Loughton (Worthing East & Shoreham)
Peter Luff (Worcestershire Mid)
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York)
Andrew Mackay (Bracknell)
David Maclean (Penrith & The Border)
Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire West)
John Maples (Stratford-on-Avon)
Michael Mates (Hampshire East)
Francis Maude (Horsham)
Sir Brian Mawhinney (Cambridgeshire North West)
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead)
Patrick Mercer (Newark)
Andrew Mitchell (Sutton Coldfield)
Malcolm Moss (Cambridgeshire North East)
Archie Norman (Tunbridge Wells)
Stephen O’Brien (Eddisbury)
George Osborne (Tatton)
Richard Ottaway (Croydon South)
James Paice (Cambridgeshire South East)
Owen Paterson (Shropshire North)
Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar)
Michael Portillo (Kensington & Chelsea)
Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford)
John Redwood (Wokingham)
Andrew Robathan (Blaby)
Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Kent Mid)
Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury)
Mrs Marion Roe (Broxbourne)
Andrew Rosindell (Romford)
David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds)
Andrew Selous (Bedfordshire South West)
Mrs Gillian Shephard (Norfolk South West)
Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills)
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness)
Keith Simpson (Norfolk Mid)
Nicholas Soames (Sussex Mid)
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden)
Sir Michael Spicer (Worcestershire West)
Dr Robert Spink (Castle Point)
Richard Spring (Suffolk West)
Sir John Stanley (Tonbridge & Malling)
Gary Streeter (Devon South West)
Desmond Swayne (New Forest West)
Hugo Swire (Devon East)
Robert Syms (Poole)
John Taylor (Solihull)
David Tredinnick (Bosworth)
Michael Trend (Windsor)
Peter Viggers (Gosport)
Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne)
Mrs Angela Watkinson (Upminster)
John Whittingdale (Maldon & Chelmsford East)
Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone & The Weald)
Bill Wiggin (Leominster)
John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood)
David Willetts (Havant)
Mrs Ann Winterton (Congleton)
Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)
Tim Yeo (Suffolk South)
Sir George Young (Hampshire North West)
SHAME ON YOU
Thank you Mark for reminding us of the treachery of the Conservatives. The Labour list would be too long, into hundreds, and I don’t think any Liberal Democrats voted for the illegal war but I might be wrong there.
Have you read this from the still burningly angry Layla Anwar?
http://arabwomanblues.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-english-filth.html
My brother said –
…..Layla is dead right and her most un-Islamic invective is understood. But the people at Wootton Bassett cannot see it and some other millions besides. That includes the British Legionnaires dipping their colours. They will not say’ we fought in a defensive war, but Iraq and Afghanistan were aggressive wars. Figleaf of Ssecurity Council resolution where the five major nuclear powers control decisions….
He refers to the British Legion. This morning’s junk mail (left by the poor overloaded postman) included one from the British Legion in a white A4 envelope with the legend in large red print – Help a Hero. Alongside just the photo of a legless soldier in uniform in a wheelchair. Inside a window sticker ‘I helped a Hero’, an appeal letter, a flyer and the return envelope. I had a good mind to stuff it all back into the envelope and post it without a stamp but didn’t.
PS Thanks anon for the torrent link to Radio 4’s Murder in Samarkand.
Somebody,
thank you for the link to Arab Woman Blues. I looked for a way to leave a comment there, but I couldn’t find one. I wouldn’t know what to write anyway.
Layla used to take comments but had to stop. You can imagine what nastiness was left there.
This is a list of all who voted for that war.
http://www.holdthemtoaccount.com/who-voted-for-the-war/
and there is a comment on this Medialens thread about Carne Ross and Craig having been on their ‘roads to Damascus’! Carne Ross wrote on the obstruction he has encountered from the Chilcot enquiry and from the FCO.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1280038991.html
Somebody (4.54pm yesterday) and Mark Golding (1.15am today) have added valuable reference material to this thread. I was annoyed at just catching the last few words of Tam Dalyell’s “Any Answers” contribution.
Mark’s name-check of Conservative MPs who voted for the invasion of Iraq prompts me to ask: has anyone tried to list (from election literature etc) how the new Conservatives MPs say they would have voted had they then been in Parliament?
Like other, I prefer the original title of Craig’s book (even if that led to its being stocked in the crime section of some bookshops). “Dirty Diplomacy” does, however, provoke the thought – what’s “Clean Diplomacy”? I’m looking forward to reading Jeremy Black’s “A History of Diplomacy”. It was given a good review in the TLS by Sir John Ure, a former Ambassador with a deserved reputation as a writer of thoughtful and entertaining official despatches.
I hope Craig can persuade a few publications to ask him to review Black’s book. Extensive reviews by other blogging diplomatic retirees such as Brian Barder and Charles Crawford would also be welcome.
I guess the political establishment are doing their best to avoid debate on illegality because it would fall back onto them (and then all of us as their subjects?) if the illegality argument gained momentum.
If that scenario were to occur, surely fingers would point and those who signed up for it would be answerable. Their only defence would be to (belatedly) say they were deceived/lied to in parliament. What would happen then, I wonder…
A sensitive and somewhat sad comment Clark – thank-you – in so little words you have captured the thoughts of most of us.
Britains “Deep State”
Has the ‘damage control’ torture inquiry eclipsed David Cameron’s and Nick Clegg’s support for an independent inquiry into the July 7th London bombing attacks?
Why are the ‘dynamic duo’ coalition regime challenging attempts to explore the preventability of the attacks?
Importants questions that a succinct British public is asking and yet we continually learn of the governments attempts to protect the ‘deep state’ revealed in a letter to Gibson from PM David Cameron that made clear most of the evidence in the torture inquiry will be heard in private and the inqiry board’s powers will be limited as non-statutory.
We witness another ‘Butler type’ hand-picked, member subservient, Whitehall whitewash – (Sir Peter is a thoroughly acceptable figure to British spies because he has been Commissioner of the Intelligence Services since 2006, and was reappointed only last year and Riddel celebrates Bush/Blair relationship in his book!) – that hides the truth of official guidelines to intelligence officers for handling detainees which applied while during the periods detainees were disgustingly abused.
I have learnt the ‘trick’ will be to publish new ‘consoldidated rules of interrogation.
Robin Cook spoke to me in depth about ‘deep state’ collusion with radical Islam and about covert operations over the last twenty years intended to acheive foreign policy objectives, overthrowing roque governments and controlling resources.
I will shortly reveal British complicity in Iraq death squads and the role of facilitating British social engineering projects in the geopolitical arena by using ‘useful’ militants.
Nobody is beyond justice even in the name of National security and I understand clearly why Robin was silenced.
I will not be silenced.
A ‘useful’ militant – the first of many to be uncovered.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uncovered-britains-secret-rendition-programme-2033450.html
Simply “Awesome”
Translated to English
“When it came to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray was a diplomat on the rise, and assumed a strategic position. The ambassador’s mission was clear: to strengthen trade relations between this former Soviet republic and Britain and, if possible, lend a hand to Americans in the War on Terror.
Encountered, however, with thorny surprises. After witnessing a fraudulent trial of dissidents, Murray receives photos staggering, in which an opponent of the regime appears literally boiled to death. When relaying information through the canals of Britain, the answer was even more outrageous, and message, though overshadowed by the political jargon, was clear: the Uzbekistani government is our ally in war on terror, do not interfere.
Fond of a glass (or three) and womanizer stubborn, Murray was little accustomed to bloated code of diplomatic conduct, and was far from being a role model. However, soon found himself in the role of unwitting hero and went public to reveal embarrassing facts that his colleagues and bosses stubbornly ignore.
In the midst of political persecution and a lot of dirty diplomacy, Murray also speaks of his troubled personal life and love for a stripper from Tashkent, together this unlikely activist who accidentally threw away a brilliant career to devote himself to a cause that no one dared to defend.”
Congratulations Craig!
What is all the religious mumbo jumbo about on Solomon Adeleye’s website?
The Redeemed Christian Church Of God
Israel 2009
The Redeemed Christian Church Of God
The Redeemed Christian Church Of God: Next Holy Ghost Service
The Conservative Party (“A Radical Distribution Of Power”)
Support Rt Hon David Cameron For A Reliable And Lasting Change (Yes) Yes We Can
MEMBER) Christians United For Israel
Isaiah 62:1 “For Zions Sake I Will Not Keep Silent, For Jerusalem’s Sake I Will Not Remain Quiet, Till Her Righteousness Shines Out Like The Dawn, Her Salvation Like A Blazing Touch.”
Jesus Is Lord
I admire Craig, he has done a lot for this great country and even more for Africa.
He is a man with courage!
Solomon Adelaye says in his blog: “In the Christian life we battle against rulers and authorities (the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by satan, who is a vicious fighter)”. I say “what a hypocrite!!!”
Did Jesus eat? – Yes.
Solomon,
Did Jesus sleep? – Yes.
Dis Jesus go to toilet? – Yes.
Did Jesus have flesh? – Yes.
Well, definitely he was not God, neither son of God. God is Eternal, The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks, He begets not, nor was He begotten, And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.
“And (remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, God has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the mankind and jinns.”
43. O Mary! “Submit yourself with obedience to your Lord (by worshipping none but Him Alone) and prostrate yourself”
44. This is a part of the news of the Ghaib (unseen, i.e. the news of the past nations of which you have no knowledge) which We inspire you with (O Muhammad ). You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam (Mary); nor were you with them when they disputed.
45. (Remember) when the angels said: “O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, God gives you the glad tidings of a Word [“Be!” – and he was! i.e. ‘Iesa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)] from Him, his name will be the Messiah ‘Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honour in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to God.”
46. “He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous.”
47. She said: “O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.” He said: “So (it will be) for God creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: “Be!” and it is.
48. And He (God) will teach him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] the Book and Wisdom, (and) the Taur’t (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).
49. And will make him [‘Iesa (Jesus)] a Messenger to the Children of Israel (saying): “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I design for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s Leave; and I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I bring the dead to life by God’s Leave. And I inform you of what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely, therein is a sign for you, if you believe.
50. And I have come confirming that which was before me of the Taur’t (Torah), and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear God and obey me.
59. Verily, the likeness of ‘Iesa (Jesus) before God is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: “Be!” – and he was.
60. (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.