After UK and US bombs have been devastating the Middle East for over a decade, killing certainly tens and probably hundreds of thousands of people, including many thousands of children, the media have suddenly noticed this morning that bombs kill an awful lot of civilians. But only Russian bombs, of course. British bombs are cheerful, happy and their shrapnel and blast are brilliantly engineered only to go in the direction of bad guys.
The UK/US bombing of Sirte was approximately 500 times more devastating than the Russian bombings yesterday. Yet strangely there was not one single BBC report on the thousands of civilian casualties they caused in just one of many towns they bombed in Libya.
It is worth pointing out that whether yesterday’s bombing by the Russians was against ISIL or against a different bunch of crazed Islamist rebels, one still supported by the CIA and Saudi Arabia, makes no difference whatsoever to the legal position. It was at the request of the Government of Syria and thus legal. That is not to say I support it. I do not. Bombing kills civilians and just causes more hate.
I have the confidence in my fellow human beings to believe that a substantial number will see through the propaganda and realise British bombs do that too.
My optimism extends to the quite astonishing media attack on Jeremy Corbyn. The scorn and bias of the media in dealing with him has awoken many to the fact that we do not in reality live in a democratic society. People are not free to present alternative ideas to the electorate and obtain a fair hearing for them.
But still I think there will be some effect. For an entire generation, broadcast media and print newspapers had never given the slightest indication that there might be a moral dilemma involved in pushing a button to kill a billion people directly, and set off a chain of events that will destroy all human life. The spluttering fury by the establishment at the revelation that there are in existence the kind of people who would not do that, is a wonder to behold.
But all that rage is revealing the existence of the moral dilemma to people from whom it has been effectively hidden as a topic of legitimate and serious debate. People will start to think. That is why Corbyn is so dangerous to the establishment. He has opened a Pandora’s box of ideas.
Report on alleged civilian fatalities in Iraq and Syria with sincere gratitude to the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust who funded Latif Habib in Iraq and Kinda Haddad in their tireless and careful research.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2190250-airwars-cause-for-concern-civilians-killed-by.html
In Syria the UK has conceded no civilian deaths in almost a year of intensive bombing.
Despite significantly fewer UK airstrikes in Syria than Iraq, the number of alleged events is markedly higher, with 65 incidents of concern reported between September 23rd 2014 and June 30th 2015. From these a total of 291-354 civilian deaths have been attributed to so called strikes on ISIL positions.
We will never forget:
The insane, ludicrous and moronic British establishment is apathetic and numb to the truth that according to UNHCR, there are 2.9 million internally displaced people in Iraq and 4 million refugees escaped to neighbouring countries, especially Syria and Jordan. Unemployment and poverty rose sharply, too. According to the United Nations Development Programme, one-third of the population now lives in poverty. Education has broken down. Further, Iraqis basic needs in drinking water, food, sanitation and electricity are not met. Hospitals lack basic medical supplies and are understaffed.
The international relief system has not been able to respond to the growing humanitarian challenges. International agencies have themselves faced serious problems in reaching Iraqis at risk. Iraq’s humanitarian emergency has reached a crisis level that compares with some of the world’s most urgent calamities.
The UK Government is refusing to disclose minutes taken during key governmental meetings preceding the US-UK invasion of Iraq in 2003. Activists are keen to gain access to the Chilcot documents due to concerns about the impartiality of Peter Goldsmith, the UK’s Attorney General and the cabinet’s senior legal advisor. In 2003, apparently under pressure from Prime Minister Tony Blair, Goldsmith stated that invading Iraq was legal even without a second UN Security Council resolution.
You fucking barbaric and deceitful bastards…
Fedup
01/10/2015 8:06pm
Think I would have been minded to blow an enormous raspberry around the 25-second mark or so.
Who’s he think he is?
Kind regards,
John
Good point fedup
When Putin has sorted out the problem in Syria, he may cast his gaze at Israel and say “whilst I’m here I might as well sort their shit out”
After all how long does Israel need to solve its problems? And how many freinds have they had helping them?
Nah! When putin has put Assad back in charge and sent more than a few souls to hell it won’t take too much extra effort to help Israel find the peace that it’s unable to find by itself and even with the help of US presidents (and of course blair).
@John Spencer-Davis
1 Oct, 2015 – 6:53 pm
As Caldicott always says, the socios and psychos are the sort of people who ‘bubble to the top’ in most organisations, because on the surface they appear both ‘charming’ and ‘strong’.
Unlike yourself I have never worked in the corporate world. However, for a few years I did work for a British woman, who will remain nameless, who had been the head of a very large organisation in the UK. This involved firing/laying off a huge number of people, and she did it perfectly aware that these employees had families to support; ie, their lives would be wrecked.
Mon patron was both charming and as hard as nails, yet when she had a bottle of wine under her belt she did seem to show genuine remorse at what she’d done. Next morning and sober, she’d be hard as nails again. Is this a trait of psychopathic personalities?
I suppose when it comes to politics, the huge challenge is to create a system which as much as possible prevents such people from bubbling to the surface.
re Mary “Very many empty chairs.”
Even those that are occupied, are occupied by the young interns of the delegations, and not by the top guys. It is really very striking how empty the hall is. Really nobody is interested.
John you are a more charitable man, I would have blown a raspberry at around five second marker and heckled at it; do you want a fucking picture?
I reiterate fact that this lunatic is in charge of a nuclear and thermonuclear arsenal of two hundred or more bombs is an indictment to the stupidity of the US et al leadership to perpetuate the reign of terror of this bastard child of imperialism that has given rise to a sense of entitlement to the zionist supremacists, as so manifested in UN and as mentioned in Mary’s comment
Commanding the would be prime minister of UK to genuflect and chant the sacred hymn; Say the word Israel, say the word Israel
That is whilst FT headlines run;
This is in reaction to a deal between two sovereign nations, that is evidently not to the liking of the zionist supremacists. Fact that the shitty little strip of land (as referred to by a French foreign minister) that is not a signatory to any NPT protocols or subject to any inspection regimen, sets itself as the arbiter, judge, jury and enforcer and threatens war on another nation without any hesitation. This is simply because the psychotic lunatic zionist supremacists afflicted with a pernicious and incurable paranoia see enemies in every shadow and every corner of the Earth.
Way to go our dear leaders for letting these zionist supremacist to own two hundred or more nuclear and hydrogen bombs. Without any apparent measures to stop these lunatics from killing millions of people in one of their recurrent episode of paranoia.
* pointless to give a link to the FT.
My guess is Mr.Putin does not want to loose his Med base.
Apols for going off-topic but I thought readers might like to know that there has been another college shooting in gun-mad USA. This time it is in Oregon and early indications are that 15 people have been killed and many wounded.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2015/10/active_shooting_reported_at_um.html
Netanyahu’s 45 second glare may have been a warning, not so long ago a leading Israeli strategist Professor Martin Van Creval said “We could destroy all European Capitals” and “Our armed forces are not the thirtieth strongest in the world, but rather the second or third. We have the capability to take the world down with us. And I can assure you that this will happen before Israel goes under.” http://www.sweetliberty.org/issues/israel/destroycaps.html
“Gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety has released statements from shooting survivors; the group notes that the Umpqua shooting is the 45th school shooting this year in the US, and the 142nd school shooting since the Sandy Hook school shooting in December 2012.
“America is the only developed country where when someone asks if you heard about that campus shooting, you have to clarify ‘which one?’ That is unacceptable,” said Colin Goddard, a Virginia Tech survivor and Everytown advocate. “Something has to change. We need to all come together for the Umpqua families today.”
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2015/oct/01/shooting-reported-at-oregon-community-college-live-updates#block-560d9299e4b083e1744a0149
Sorry Ishmael. You must not believe all the stuff that the trolls/shills say about me. On this thread I have posted just 8 comments out of 129.
~~~
Poster @ 6.36pm originally called Habbakuk, then Habbabkuk, then Micah, then Habbbabkuk and now Habbabkuk. On Squonk he has used various handles.
Info on QT was not sourced from Radio Times. I saw it mentioned on Medialens.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1443719463.html
and got the blurb from the website.
Glad to be of assistance.
The shooter in Oregon laid it all out last night on a social blog, but no one was able to stop him.
What is the point of having these counter terrorists if the cannot stop or limit massacres like this?
Craig:
“That is why Corbyn is so dangerous to the establishment. He has opened a Pandora’s box of ideas.”
Even more than just ‘ideas’ thought-provoking, crical-thinking based rational and sheer hard logic. People are so programmed, they’ve for gotten how to think for themselves.
RobG
01/10/2015 8:54pm
“Mon patron was both charming and as hard as nails, yet when she had a bottle of wine under her belt she did seem to show genuine remorse at what she’d done. Next morning and sober, she’d be hard as nails again. Is this a trait of psychopathic personalities?”
No. The anti-social personality (psychopath, sociopath) is incapable of genuine remorse. Presumably she was empathic beneath and just needing to conceal it for the purposes of her career.
I used to work for Lloyd’s of London, and the syndicates I used to do accounts for were taken over by a new managing agency. The chief accountant of that agency was the scariest man I ever met. He was a brilliant accountant with a superb reputation, but he clearly relished using his power to frighten people. He talked about “downsizing” (i.e. getting rid of people) as though he liked it, which I have no doubt he did. He told us all that if he wasn’t satisfied about working with someone, he got rid of them, and I believed every word he said. The person he reminded me of in an uncanny way was Henry Kissinger, although of course I’ve never met Kissinger.
It was because he was as he was, that he was so valued by the managing agency. They couldn’t do enough for him.
I was glad to get out of there, I can tell you. In fact, I was glad to get out of corporate finance altogether.
Kind regards,
John
Laguerre : “Even those that are occupied, are occupied by the young interns of the delegations…”
Occupied?? Ahhhh… I saw what you did there, very clever! 😉
I’ve just read Craig’s post and made my comment and now scrolling backwards to skim through the comments. All i’ve seen in the first few is off-topic cacophony.
Is there a graver, more important subject than this post of Craig’s? Are we really stopping to ask why is it that JC is being catalyst in opening Pandora’s box?
Catching a fourteen year old teenager sitting in north of England and plotting terror attacks in Australia and New Zealand. Then putting them on trial that invariably is successful. That is unless the defendant can counter stupid evidence of UK gubiment collusion, then the trail collapses and the defendant is then dropped by the oligarch owned media, end of!
Although all those friends of the gunman are now liable to criminal enterprise and murder, because none of them shopped the chap to the police pronto enough.
PS the number of injured are around twenty that is not getting a mention
“ Poster @ 6.36pm originally called Habbakuk, then Habbabkuk, then Micah, then Habbbabkuk and now Habbabkuk. On Squonk he has used various handles.”
That’s shocking! A good thing nobody else would have also gone by various handles, such as (for example) “Flaming June”, “April Showers”, and who knows how many others.
When I read about the 17 parcel bombs that blew up in China this morning, my first thought was US neo-cons at it again
I’m annoyed that I think that, as I obviously have no proof that it’s an externally funded. . . again – but it smells like provocation.
How come US foreign policy has come to make an idiot like me suspect the worst from the dear USA when I hear of terrorism around the world, a few years ago I wouldn’t have thunk this, now it is automatic!
Did I mention yet, that unlike the French, I’m pro-TTIP, but I’m with Craig on preferring a bit less bombing, everywhere
Thanks for the link, Mary, it looks as if he wants to punish those present, what a nutter.
@ Harry Law. Do you really think such devices/units exist? Moreover, what do you think would happen, should Israel dare use a nuclear blackmail scenario?
Iran has not started a war since the late 17th. century.
Since Palestine was given to a desperate jewish people to share and enjoy, by the UN, the Zionists we allowed to occupy Palestine have created and fought seven wars of aggression and committed numerous atrocities.
reality demands that these facts are compared.
John do you recollect the spate of finance managers jumping to their deaths, and hanging themselves? Any ideas about those?
===================
Thanks Harry, it is the confirmation of what I forwarded earlier, if there was any need for it.
Oregon Shooter no doubt protesting collegiate participation in recreational marijuana. Don’t fall prey to progressive bigotry toward gunz.
Killing of civilians is unavoidable as the process of war inevitably continues until it comes to its natural end. If minimizing casualties is the measure of success being sought for a military conclusion, then bombing might indeed be necessary to achieve that through accelerated losses.
Negotiation is not a viable option. It can only work when both sides believe that the benefits of a negotiated outcome will exceed the repective payoffs that each side believes is likely in non-negotiated alternate scenarios. But what possible outcomes could conceivably be simultaneously acceptable to the ostensibly disparate rebel groups and the Assad regime, the Russians and the US?
Like a fire, this war will need to burn out or be extinguished with force. Expect many more civilian casualties.
“I’m pro-TTIP, but I’m with Craig on preferring a bit less bombing, everywhere”
Craig is also Pro-TTIP as well as the EU, but he does depart on some issues.
Nevermind the Samson option is often cited as relevant by the zionist supremacist. Given that Germany has provided zionistan freely as in free beer with dolphin class submarines which are fashioned to be nuclear capable, zionistan can retaliate even after it has been totally leveled into a car park.
The stark fact is, the pernicious paranoia and mass psychosis of zionist supremacists renders these to be totally irrational and unpredictable. Hence logical and rational thinking is not one of the facets that is to be found in dealing with these. This should be apparent to all and sundry given the activities of the keyboard warriors dogging this blog that by Craig’s own admission it’s comments section does not have a wide readership.
This is an interesting article in Oriental Review by Andrey Fomine on the deals done in NY and the consequences and fall out in Ukraine and Syria.
1 October 2015
Putin’s Global Game Changer
http://orientalreview.org/2015/10/01/putins-global-game-changer/
PS Has Obama helped in the conservation of any endangered species?
‘Vladimir Putin took part in Flight of Hope environmental project conducted by Russian ornithologists to save the endangered Siberian crane, a rare species of cranes placed on Red List of Threatened Species.’
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/16391
‘Window dressing’ I hear some scoff.
Hi Craig, that you for keeping a balance to the current media propaganda. Though I abhor war, I can only judge previous Uk and USA actions in Libya, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, but not forgetting their hypocrisy to the Palestinians being massacred by American arms, torture assassinations and starvation. Russia at least has permission to destroy the mercenary armies, from Syrian government. A legal necessity, and the Syrian nations last chance from a government puppet such as Saudi I posted by the uk and USA. Best wishes
Fedup
01/10/2015 10:00pm
Not quite sure what you are referring to, I am afraid. Can you be more specific? When was this?
Kind regards,
John
I prefer to think of another Samson Option whereby the head of the Zionist Judge is shaved of all foreign aid…their lifeblood.
Yes, Jemand at 10:03pm today, sadly I agree that Syria is destroyed and the war there, which is contiguous with the war in Iraq, will not end any time soon. It largely is a direct result of the policies of the USA and its regional allies over the past 10-15 years, including the destruction of Iraq. And so now we have Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, the USA, France, the UK, Russia and maybe China all involved. No-one knows what the end result will be. How about… Easter Island? Maybe they have an iron to fire?