The disgraceful judges of Britain’s High Court – who have gone along with torture, extraordinary rendition, every single argument for mass surveillance and hiding information from the public, and even secret courts – have ruled that it was lawful for the Home Office to detain David Miranda, a journalist as information he was carrying might in some undefined way, and if communicated to them, aid “terrorists”.
Despite the entire industry, both private and governmental, devoted to whipping up fear, it is plain to pretty well everyone by now that terrorism is about the most unlikely way for you to die. A car accident is many hundreds of times more likely. Even drowning in your own bath is more likely. Where is the massive industry of suppression against baths?
I had dinner inside the Ecuadorian Embassy on Sunday with Julian Assange, who I am happy to say is as fit and well as possible in circumstances of confinement. Amongst those present was Jesselyn Radack, attorney for, among others, Edward Snowden. Last week on entering the UK she was pulled over by immigration and interrogated about her clients. The supposed “immigration officer” already knew who are Jesselyn Radack’s clients. He insisted aggressively on referring repeatedly to Chelsea Manning as a criminal, to which Jesselyn quietly replied that he was a political prisoner. But even were we to accept the “immigration officer’s” assertion, the fact that an attorney defends those facing criminal charges is neither new nor until now considered reprehensible and illegitimate.
As various states slide towards totalitarianism, a defining factor is that their populations really don’t notice. Well, I have noticed. Have you?
Civil war awaits?
Yes. If Ms Nuland and Mr Kerry have anything to do with it. Think of how many uprisings have been fomented on several continents.
Hague joins in. He has called in the Ukrainian Ambassador.
70 police have been taken hostage by the protesters.
‘Hague: ‘Emphatic protest’ at events in Ukraine 1 hour ago
The Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has said that the situation in Ukraine is “utterly unacceptable and indefensible”.
Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers, Mr Hague said that the Ukrainian government was putting itself at odds with “reasonable opinion all across the world.”‘
It goes like this.
Yanukovych must go. Ditto Assad and Maduro and before them Mubarak, Gaddafi, Saddam and several others whose names I have temporarily forgotten.
The judge in the Brooks et al case is Mr Justice Saunders.
http://inforrm.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/hackgate-all-rise-mr-justice-saunders-at-southwark/
These are his sentencing remarks in the case of a RN officer who pleaded guilty of planning to pass secrets to the Russians. He had taken photos of the Crypto code system. He was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. Never heard much about the case.
http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/Resources/JCO/Documents/Judgments/saunders-j-sentencing-remarks-r-v-devenney.pdf
Gareth Williams, Dr David Kelly, Stephen Ward and Allan Turing, Suicides?
A sneak preview by Mike Lesser of Heathcote Williams new play, Killing Kit.
http://internationaltimes.it/sneak-preview/
Something that slipped my views three days ago. Congratulations to Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras for winning the Polk award, one of the highest prizes one could be given.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/article/2014/02/17/intercept-editors-win-polk-award-coverage-snowden-documents/
For their brave revelations to each and every US citizen, well, all of us really. Their integrity when faced with harrassments is exemplary.
There is no reason to hold Glenns partner at all, there weren’t any, his mistake was to be the partner of Glenn.
His case is not in the public interest nor should it be pursued any longer, money is tight everywhere and such own goals would not be conducive to anyone’s election propspects.
You just can’t trust judges anymore these days, what is not in the public interest to prosecute in the USA, is hardly a crime here, so why this political farce, fingers wagging, turning David M. into a scapegoat, all their judgement shows is the bendy/stretchyness of the law in hand, pure rubber.
thanks for that preview Dave lawton.
Ba’al, I wasn’t and am not suggesting that the arrest of RB was totalitarian. I always try to remain sceptical about anything and everything even if or especially if it supports what I might think, and I am no fan of the Mail although it does have some surprisingly interesting stories (as well as pics). Your link to the Mail story on how Hutton was instructed within three hours of Dr Kelly’s death did raise both my eyebrows. Sorry if off topic but I thought part of the topic was to do with people being asleep to creeping totalitarianism……Reuters’ use of ‘whitewash’ as a paragraph heading in its RB/TB/Hutton story did seem to suggest some sort of mainstream waking up to acts, which if proven might indicate elements of totalitarianism.
Lithium in your orange juice vanishes your conscience and speaking the truth vanishes your comments. Fortunately no harm done.
Will this do?
http://www.newsmax.com/newswidget/muslim-israel-tired-crazy/2014/02/19/id/553659?promo_code=10DAE-1&utm_source=10DAEYnet_
Shit happens.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-24939386
Very Troll
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/10646421/David-Cameron-Why-the-Archbishop-of-Westminster-is-wrong-about-welfare.html
Dirty tricks or unannounced moderation?
Several posts from me, posted in the last hour or so, have disappeared.
Helena Kennedy explains the problems with the Miranda ruling:
“If someone travelling as part of journalistic work can be lawfully detained like this – questioned for hours without a lawyer present, his electronic equipment confiscated and cloned and all without the merest suspicion of wrongdoing required – then clearly something has gone wrong with the law.
We’ve been here before. Schedule 7 suffers the same glaring flaws as the old section 44 counter-terrorism power that also allowed stop and search without suspicion. Such laws leave themselves wide open to discriminatory misuse: section 44 never once led to a terrorism conviction but was used to stop people like journalist Pennie Quinton. In a significant victory, Liberty took her case to the European court of human rights and the power was declared unlawful.”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/19/david-miranda-press-freedom-race-justice
People need to understand that it’s the Kafkaesque powers available to border guards that are the pressing problem here.
Anyone can be detained for up to 9 hours at UK border points, without suspicion of an offence having been committed, they must answer all questions put to them, even seemingly irrelevant personal questions, there is no right to silence, and there is no right to have a solicitor provided.
It was this power which was used against Miranda. They couldn’t for example have so detained and questioned him at a police station, or in the street or at his residence, or indeed anywhere else beyond the perimeter of a UK border or entry or exit port.
It is very possible and indeed probable that these powers are as unlawful as Section 44, but we’ll have to wait a few years until the European court gets around to looking at them. In the meantime the UK security state will continue to use them to their heart’s content.
In repeatedly taking to itself such dubious powers, and the UK has plenty of form on that score, it is reasonable to infer that the UK takes a rather instrumental approach to due process, and is determined to game the Law, ignoring the best tenets of jurisprudence, and is now in dire need of a post war exorcism itself.
In the meantime, those who want to travel without let or hindrance could do worse than avoid UK ports, especially when they’re only passing through.
@John Goss
Hi John
Thanks for your kind words, nice to see you again.
Yes, I did note with a certain exasperation I was being berated for wasting my time on a comment board by people who were clearly guilty of the same sin.
Point is, I know writing here doesn’t change anything. It’s not meant to. It’s just chewing the fat like talking to your neighbour over the garden fence. Nothing wrong with that.
I also know in my heart why no one does anything against the State oppression: life’s too comfortable. Instead of making Molotov cocktails we’re busy making ones with mini parasols and pineapple chunks on them.
I plead guilty.
Perhaps to chime with the anti-Putin anti-Russian propaganda being put out on the media at the moment with Sochi in the headlines, Gordon Correra, the BBC’s Security Correspondent had a long item tonight on the One Show about the KGB in London in the 60s and featuring Oleg Lyalin in particular.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Lyalin
No link to the item. This is his output on the BBC website. Several pieces about Edward Snowden.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/search/news/?q=corera
A case of ‘top secret’ entrapment Mary using 2012 restricted information; sadly.
“anti-Putin anti-Russian propaganda” yes Mary while Kiev slides towards civil war and Viktor Yanukovych gets the hand on shoulder from America.
p.s. Job vacancies exist in the Ukraine riot police – SAS training an advantage.
Yeah. Some of us noticed at the time of 9/11.
KingofWelshNoir 20 Feb, 2014 – 7:23 pm
To some extent I plead guilty too. Much prefer the parasol cocktails to Molotov cocktails (well actually a real ale or glass or two of merlot) but I’ve joined Left Unity. Never thought I’d get political again. Like you, its founder is a writer. You probably know of Ken Loach, who wrote the moving account of homelessness called “Cathy Come Home”. I would support a writer with a social conscience before any politician who pretends to have one. And the poet Václav Havel was rather good for the Czech Republic. I’m not really all that active in that I miss most meetings. But I’ve subscribed because something has to be done before it’s too late. The main parties are useless.
Torture, and complicity in torture, has to be opposed as does the erosion of human rights and removal of rights in the workplace. Lack of progress brings on a desire to drink, and come nine o’clock, that’s what I intend.
Tell me, in your Aberystwyth novels do you mention a church called Holy Trinity? My great grandfather was the church organist there for fourteen years until 1904 when he moved to Sheffield. They presented him with a gold watch and an illuminated certificate. I’ve got the certificate. Wish it had been the watch!
Ah well, nine o’clock.
I have had all my comments deleted today except the three spoof ones above.
Hint: Ukraine is close to Chechnya and Chechens are fighting for UKUSIS in Syria.
Hint: UK Muslim scholars with historical grudge against the British Raj have failed to condemn predatory sexual exploitation.
I’m not going to be silenced by Muslim pressure groups or Craig or anyone.
Maybe someone who speaks the lingo might summarise what the reporter is saying …
Ex Ukrainian Prime Minister Under Timoshenko Caught With Sniper Rifle and Silencer
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3e0_1392899402#kRwY5ulURFOAAPkr.99
I have noticed.
But it was when our Police forces stopped being public servants and became political tools that I first noticed the tendencies. That was during the miners strike.
The establishment supports the Police by letting them off no matter how blatant Police crimes are. Murder, assassination,theft are allowed to pass by our so called “Judges”.
The same goes for the Politicians…. Aparatchiks….
The Police have been armed and are slowly being militarised. That can only be bad news for us.
Protest in Britain is almost a crime. There are so many “no go” area’s plus you have to ask for permission and then have routes assigned.I haven’t been to Speakers Corner for over 20 years, but I doubt any old sod can jump up on an orange box and shout his displeasure at HM Govt anymore. Those days have gone.
Assange is a prime example of what is wrong with our society. He has been judged guilty by our politicians and police before he has even seen a court.And then there is his very justified fear that it is all an excuse to wheech him off to an orange jump suit in Guantanamo.
And as for this place just being a talking shop…. so what ? Craig is active ! There might even be a few more on this blog that do their bit too.Habbakuk, you really ought to find a woman or a job.You spend far too much time here.
Just holding an opinion that is contrary to what they are trying to push down our throats is something.
I have noticed:
that our police people now spend a lot of their time stuck in very slow or very fast moving cars, or behind desks, which is bad for the mind and the body.
that it is increasingly usual for our police people to be issued with deadly weapons (see police at airports) or weapons of torture (police being issued with tasars apparently at random) with the apparent approval of our society
and that apparently, according to the dictates of the government that the people have elected, they are from then on expected/required to have to use them if necessary
*
Perhaps we should be just as cross about what is happening to our police people as to everyone else. Just a thought.
Of course there is a very strong case against needing police people at all – and an interesting one, which is not, entirely, off topic.
Who is deleting posts on here and why?
And, for that matter, scattering “your comment is awaiting moderation”s around?
Habbabkuk (La vita è bella!
20 Feb, 2014 – 7:01 pm
Dirty tricks or unannounced moderation?
Several posts from me, posted in the last hour or so, have disappeared.
Who’s getting paranoid now Habbabkuk?
Perhaps there’s a conspiracy afoot.
No, that last one’s still here.
@ nevermind
I’ve seen CCTV, taken from bus, and on a railway station. It’s reasonable quality, make no mistake. Whatever these grainy images are, I’ve no idea, but I doubt they are the norm. I strongly suspect that there is high quality CCTV pertaining to the Menzies death on the tube, but it’s probably protected under official secret by now. I’ve whined about street-CCTV before, so won’t go on about it. But there is way too much of it.
“Equivalently David Cameron and his coalition have refused to release information compiled by the Chilcot inquiry that documents formal dialogue between then prime minister Tony Blair and President George W Bush some two years before the start of the Iraq war.”
2 years? Forgive my ignorance, but this actually is a surprise to me. I always assumed the dialogue was during the escalation to war, not a whole 2 years before. I’d ask why Cameron won’t release it, but why bother. He loves Blair, and he’s entirely linked to the establishment; so I’m sure he has his reasons.
As to Blair, every so often a story slips out in which his vile mendacity is shown in all it glory. And yet on some level, I keep being surprised, which is foolish of me. Our Tony is clearly a man with very serious problems indeed, and I vaguely wonder if he was sent to a psychologist when he was a teenager, as can happen in middle-class families. That would definitely be an official secret by now.
Some of my posts were also deleted. Two enquiring about moderation, and one in reply to John Goss, denying that anyone was “attacking” KingofWelshNoir.
Is it Craig, or is there a new moderator? Or an old moderator returned?
Nothing to be concerned about Mr Habbakuk, sir, Ms Dreolin just a security matter. You can always repost or write to the authorities. Move along now please, nothing to see here.
As an observer of deleted comments, my own I mean, it occurs to me that where third persons are not directly addressed in response to a comment, especially in a provocative manner it gets deleted. I suspect also that off-topic comments may well be deleted too. I am happy with this if it is applied universally, but that is a difficult task for the mods. Nevertheless, whoever took this decision may save this blog. Thanks.
Dreoilin, you responded to Phil, agreeing with him, whereas as far as I know neither he nor KingofWelshNoir had recently been on this blog and Phil’s comment suggested that KingofWelshNoir should spend less time here and more time in active protest. I found it a bit funny. But I think there was a misunderstanding. Don’t worry about it. I hope I’ve clarified things. Good wishes.