Open Letter to President Ahtisaari Re Jim Murphy 1317

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Dear President Ahtisaari,

I had the pleasure of meeting you on a number of occasions over the years, including when I was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and I recall your genuine concern for democracy and human rights in a region where they are sadly neglected.

Like a great many people in Scotland I was shocked that CMI is employing Jim Murphy. Of course, in a democracy there are always losers as well as winners in elections, and both are genuine and valid participants in public life. It is not the fact that CMI employs a politician who has been so recently, comprehensively and humiliatingly rejected by his national electorate that will do any damage to CMI. In a sense I think it does you credit.

What shocks many people here is that Mr Murphy is by any standards a dedicated warmonger. He was a major and important proponent of the invasion of Iraq, and is the strongest of supporters of the massive increase of Britain’s nuclear arsenal, in breach of the Non Proliferation Treaty.

Mr Murphy is a member of the Henry Jackson Society, which as you know is a body which exists to promote United States neo-conservative foreign policy in its most aggressive sense, and openly and actively supports and condones extraordinary rendition and the use of torture by the CIA. It has supported every single military action by the USA since its formation, and defends United States exceptionalism in international law, including US non-membership of the International Criminal Court.

Mr Murphy’s belief set is therefore fundamentally at odds with the stated aims of CMI. Indeed, his employment by you can only lead to the suspicion that CMI’s stated objectives are not its real objectives, and that like Mr Murphy and the Henry Jackson Society your overriding goal in the regions where you operate is to promote the interests of the United States.

As you are funded by charitable donations and by governments, I think some explanation of your employment of Mr Murphy is in order, particularly when you have employed him as a conflict resolution expert in the Caucasus and Central Asia when he has no relevant experience of conflict resolution at all, virtually none of the Caucasus, and absolutely none of Central Asia.

I was the Head of the UK Delegation that negotiated the Sierra Leone Peace Treaty, and certainly under no circumstances would I let Jim Murphy anywhere near that kind of negotiation.

With All Best Wishes,

Amb (rtd.) Craig Murray

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1,317 thoughts on “Open Letter to President Ahtisaari Re Jim Murphy”

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  • Mary

    Human rights on Cameron’s agenda? Forget it.

    Three in a row. Xi Jinping. el Sisi. Now Modi.

    The latter will stay at Chequers, meet the Queen, be given a Red Arrows flypast, appear at an event at Wembley stadium where 60,000 will attend…..

    Ms Priti Patel was most excited and approving this morning.

    UK Visit A Welcome Break For India’s Modi
    Narendra Modi gets a chance to project himself as a world statesman in the UK, leaving behind election defeat in India.
    http://news.sky.com/story/1585236/uk-visit-a-welcome-break-for-indias-modi

  • Ba'al Zevul

    the ‘real’ Aberystwyth…

    I suspected as much, having lived briefly in Porthcawl…ta for the heads-up.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Glad you found the Oxford Mail piece, YKMN. I was going to put it up myself – Private Eye found it this week, and effectively precis’d it for those unversed in getting any sense out of council meetings. Buy a copy – PE’s very canny about what it puts on its website and is still showing the previous issue there. This is complete vindication of the view that either Cameron hasn’t got a clue what his government is doing to local services, or he knows exactly what he’s doing but is in strategic denial.

    It would be interesting to know what the effect of chopping the back office costs – ie management layers – from Westminster would be. Perhaps Cameron would then have to do his own dirty work, and unable to claim or simulate ignorance?

  • Dave Lawton

    @Habba
    “People with your sort of views probably wouldn’t recognise a democracy if it stood up and slapped them across the gob.”

    Who you kidding?

    Penny dropped yet Habba? Israel can never be a democracy because it was founded on terrorism.

  • fred

    “The Tories were always going to ruin the Scottish economy. ”

    Yes yes, we know, it’s all that nasty Westminster’s fault. Everything is always that nasty Westminster’s fault.

    But the parts of Britain not run by incompetent Nationalists who couldn’t care less how Scotland performs because all they have to do is blame Westminster seem to be doing much better than Scotland right across the board.

    The SNP have been in power eight years now isn’t it time they stood up and started taking a bit of responsibility?

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Shouldn’t you be on the shore before it comes, Fred?

    The weather is undoubtedly the SNP’s fault. Tell us.

    Meanwhile, if Atlantic depressions are admissible subjects, so is an Atlanticist one.

    Copmpare and contrast (Blair warning):

    http://www.haaretz.com/peace/1.685523

    http://www.spinwatch.org/index.php/issues/war-and-foreign-policy/item/5797-the-brothers-who-funded-blair-israeli-settlements-and-islamophobia

    The Milken Fund is a prominent donor to the Central Fund for Israel, which notoriously supports illegal settlements. Doubtful if Blair’s newly-minted sentiments will go down to well with it. Or with the European Council for Tolerance and Reconciliation (Blair is chair), the anti-antisemitism wing of the European Jewish Council…details in the usual place.

  • nevermind

    Shelley’s poem ‘Existing state of things, 200 years old and as relevant today as it was then.
    Nothing has changed, but it must. Is thats why the Tory’s want to build 9 new prisons?, are they scared for their own actions and what they might invoke?
    Not for one moment do I believe that they can unchain themselves from their Victorian values or the old prisons.

    Copied from the Bodleian library site

    “This is the spirit which can reckless tell,
    The fatal trump of useless war to swell;
    can bid fames loudest voice awake his praise,
    can boldly snatch the honorary bays.
    Gifts to reward a ruthless, murderous deed,
    a crime for which some poor rogue must bleed,
    is this the justice?- stretch thy powerful arm,
    Patriot, dissolve the frightful charm,
    awake thy loudest thunder, dash the brand,
    of stern oppression from the Tyrant’s hand;
    let reason mount the despots mouldering throne,
    and bid an injured nation cease to moan,
    why then, since justice petty crime can thrall,
    should not extend its power to each, to all?
    If he who murders one to death is due,
    should not the great destroyer perish too?
    The wretch beneath whose influence millions bleed?
    and yet encomium is the villains meed.”

    http://poeticalessay.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/

    apes will be apes for some time to come it seems.
    http://www.genetics.org/content/172/3/1379.full

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Still, it’s not all bad news…

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/11988260/Israel-fury-after-EU-orders-labels-on-goods-from-occupied-territories.html

    Not sure whether I like the EU policy or the fury more…

    This is even now being spun as antisemitism, of course. It is antisemitic to label goods not made in Israel as not being made in Israel, because the goods are not made by Jews. Thought I’d clear that up, as Blair’s European Council for Tolerance and Reconciliation has so far remained schtum on the news.

    (Like the Shelley, Nevermind. Most appropriate.)

  • Mark Golding

    Is Israel a democracy? By Western standards of equality, where some are more equal than others, of limited freedom, where some are between a rock and a separation barrier and where a justice system is biased towards occupation, this ‘hypocracy’ is democracy in name only.

    Israel for many is living one’s life in islands of autonomy existing in rich, open land where joint rule and control exists coveting natural resources such as water, where entry and exit and routes between the main urban areas are controlled by check-points, and where airspace and sea access are off-limits.

    Columnist Ravit Hecht wrote in the Haaretz daily, “Israel is galloping toward an anti-democratic, bi-national future saturated with hatred and racism,” albeit many a strong horse has tripped up and fallen…

    http://launch.newsinc.com/share.html?trackingGroup=90962&siteSection=csmonitor_nws_non_sty_dynamic&videoId=29787986

  • nevermind

    Great news Ba’al, will this labeling happen just in time for ‘limbo’ the annual gluttony and drunkenness period?

    The argument that it will hit Palestinians working in Jewish factories is implausible as this work will not be done by the Jewish owners or new employees.
    Further Palestinian owned companies exporting here will make sure that their place of origin is marked as such. West bank good will very likely be marked as such, Israel cannot argue against it as they have,. in principle agreed to the Oslo agreement and the establishment of two states.

    So watch out, everyone, its the 729 prefix on the bar code and a little stamp that says ‘made in Israel’, now making it much easier to ignore their goods.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Seems Boris has been a little hasty in assuming that it’s only sandal-munching lefties who support the boycott and divest movement. He told that to the Pals, and was most surprised to learn – before being in effect asked to leave – that the Palestinians support it too. Who’d’a thunk it?

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-banned-from-palestinian-charity-visit-after-branding-israel-boycott-supporters-lefty-a6729766.html

    Touching image. Some of his best friends are Jewish. Now.

    http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article6814579.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/PAY-The-Mayor-of-London-Boris-Johnson-visits-the-Dome-of-the-Rock.jpg

  • Mary

    Thanks Nevermind for the link on the labelling of Israeli goods.

    This is the Guardian’s take.

    Israel says EU is ’emboldening its enemies’ with labelling plans
    Binyamin Netanyahu says proposals to amend packaging on goods from settlements in Palestinian territories is tantamount to a boycott

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/10/israel-accuses-eu-of-emboldening-iraels-enemies-with-labelling-plans

    Bibi was displaying cold anger. He does not like being thwarted. The EU action came in spite of this Israel friends outfit within the EU.

    http://www.efi-eu.org/

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Friends_of_Israel

  • Ken2

    Westminster have secretly and illegally taken revenues out of Scotland for years. It’s called the Barnett Formula. Westminster has spent Trillions on illegal wars. Supported tax evasion and banking fraud. Scotland has been outvoted 10 to 1 by English MP’s in the English Parliament. Westminster controls the Scottish economy and it’s budget. Westminster borrows and spends and does what it likes in the rest of the UK. Scotland would have had a £220Billion Oil Fund without Westminster secrecy and lies. Thatcher and the McCrone Report. Scotland would have been Independent years ago.

    Scotland doesn’t have control over it’s economy, budget or spending Westminster does.

    Total taxes raised in the UK £466Billion. Total taxes raised in Scotland £54Billion. Take £54Billion from £466Billion = £412Billion divide by 11 (11/12 of UK pop) = £39Billion (prio rata) Westminster borrows an spends £90Billion more in the rest of the UK.

    Scotland get £50Billion back. £30Billion block grant. £16Billion (UK) Gov pensions/benefits. £4Billion Defence (attack), pays £4Billion in debt repayment on money it doesn’t borrow or spend.

    Scotland could cut Trident/illegal wars. Tax ‘loss leading’ drink. Develop Oil the West and be £10Billion+ better off.

    Westminster takes 50% of Oil production and adds on tax, even though the price has fallen. Losing
    thousands of jobs. (Foreign) multinationals making vast profits tax evade through the City of London.

    Small countries with natural resources are the most prosperous countries in the world. Norway, Switerland, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden. Scotland could be the same.

    Labour raised £600Billion in tax revenues. Borrowed and spent £120Billion = £720Billion

    The Tories are raising £466Billion in taxes, borrow and spending £90Billion. Austerity is ruining the UK economy.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Mail’s picked up on another Private Eye discovery –

    http://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20151112/281621009223695/TextView

    Sir John “Dodgy Dossier” Scarlett is filling his boots. Yanks, Qataris, Swiss, anyone with money. Hope his security’s good, and I don’t mean his cash assets, which are substantial. Do you get these kinds of position without being prepared to let slip a few hints about your extremely secret work for HMG? Or is being helpful to Blair enough?

  • Mary

    Finkelstein, ennobled by Cameron, wrote this piece attacking NHS doctors in the Times yesterday. Copied in full from behind the paywall by a Medialens contributor. http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1447265588.html

    Finkelstein’s register of interests.

    Category 1: Directorships
    Chairman and Director, The Comment Bureau Limited (Member’s own company to which all income from employment in category 2 is paid, except that from Jewish Chronicle)

    Category 2: Remunerated employment, office, profession etc.
    Regular contributor to The Times newspaper
    Broadcasting and consultancy work for BBC
    Contributor to Jewish Chronicle newspaper
    Visiting Fellow, Manhattan Institute
    Speaking engagement, 25 November 2014, BNY Mellon
    Speaking engagement, 26 November 2014, Institute for Turnaround
    Speaking engagement, 27 November 2014, Citywire
    Speaking engagement, 1 December 2014, LBMA
    Speaking engagement, 9 December 2014, CBRE
    Consultant to International Olympic Committee on Vision 2020
    Speaking engagement, 29 January 2015, KPMG
    Speaking engagement, 9 February 2015, Mouradian Group
    Speaking engagement, 1-2 March 2015, Sight Care
    Speaking engagement, 9 September 2015, Spinoza Foundation
    Speaking engagement, 22 September 2015, Fixed Income Forum
    Speaking engagement, 8 October 2015, Goldman Sachs
    Speaking engagement, 15 October 2015, HG Capital
    Speaking engagement, 16 October 2015, Locke Lord

    Category 4: Shareholdings (a)
    100 per cent interest in The Comment Bureau (see category 1)

    Category 10: Non-financial interests (a)
    Member, education working party, Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission

    Category 10: Non-financial interests (b)
    Governor, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Category 10: Non-financial interests (e)
    Member of Advisory Board, Social Market Foundation
    Member of Advisory Group, Holocaust Memorial Day
    Governor, Institute for Government

    He probably went down well at Goldman Sachs and KPMG.

    This is the Manhattan Institute of which he is a ‘visiting Fellow’.

    ‘The Manhattan Institute’s health policy team promotes policy reforms that empower patients and consumers by encouraging competition, transparency, accountability, and innovation. Our goal is a 21st century health care marketplace that better utilizes technology and new business models to offer consumers more accessible, higher quality care at a more affordable price.’ USURY in another guise.

    ‘For over 30 years, the Manhattan Institute has been an important force in shaping American political culture and developing ideas that foster economic choice and individual responsibility.

    The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research is a leading voice of free-market ideas, shaping political culture since our founding in 1977. Ideas that have changed the United States and its urban areas for the better—welfare reform, tort reform, proactive policing, and supply-side tax policies, among others—are the heart of MI’s legacy. While continuing with what is tried and true, we are constantly developing new ways of advancing our message in the battle of ideas.’ How vile.

  • ------------·´`·.¸¸.¸¸.··.¸¸Node

    Fred

    If I google “caithness” + crime/poverty/incompetence/rapist/corruption/sheep-shagger/etc/etc, I can access a never-ending supply of stories which cast Caithness in a negative light.

    Would this create a fair impression of Caithness?
    Would it say more about me than Caithness?

  • Republicofscotland

    I was rather disappointed that staunch republican, and leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn has been sworn in to the Privy Council.

    I’m dismayed that, Corbyn along with SNP politicians such as Salmond and Sturgeon, would’ve genuflected and kissed HRH’s hand.

    But of course in joining the council, they’re now privy to confidential security briefings, which translates to forewarned is forearmed, when thwarting another illegal war, or a illegal incursion.

    The Privy Council of which the unelected monarch Queen Elizabeth II is head of, and I thought Israel was bad on democracy, has members from the judiciary, the clergy and Unsurprisingly royalty.

  • Republicofscotland

    As if to reinforce not just my opinion, but many many other folks opinion of Labour in Scotland that they are a branch office, they go and do it again.

    The Scottish government tried to have Tax Credits devolved this week, the London Labour branch in Scotland, agreed that it would (in theory) be a good thing and help protect those who rely on them.

    However the head office in London decided to follow the Tories on this one and vote the devolution of Tax Credits to Scotland down, and the only Labour MP in Scotland Ian Murray followed suit.

    I was going to say that when it comes to Labour the left hand doesn’t know what the right hands doing, most of the time.

    But then it dawned on me Labour have no left.

    Like Thing T. Thing, from the Addams family, the left hand has been put back in its box.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    At one point in my inglorious career, I found myself selling Thing boxes. When you put a coin in the slot, the hand, which was green plastic, would emerge briefly and return inside the box. If a large enough crowd of easily-emtertained people used the box often enough, it could accumulate nearly enough to pay for a new set of its batteries (2X U11, as I remember). There is more than one lesson there, RoS.

  • Republicofscotland

    Meanwhile, not one to continue, on the theme of Israeli democracy, (or the lack of it) but I just had to relate this.

    Scottish activist, Andy Murray (No not the tennis player) travelled to Israel on a parliamentary fact finding mission, he was detained at passport control in Tel Aviv on Monday.

    Mr Murray was then interrogated, strip searched swabbed for explosive, ridiculed over Scottish independence and locked up later to be deported and banned from entering Israel for 10 years.

    His henious crime, being a member of Friends of Palestine……its great to see Israeli democracy in action, it inspires confidence.

    http://www.thenational.scot/news/scots-activist-held-strip-searched-and-deported-by-israel.9911

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Ha’aretz Peace Conference grinds on:

    http://www.haaretz.com/peace/1.685523

    Samples (local times):

    3:20 P.M. Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi accuses the current Israeli administration of being the most extreme it has been since Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was in power. “It’s so extreme that Bibi is the moderate,” he says.

    Tibi asserts that Prime Minister Netanyahu “will never allow an independent Palestinian state, he is not a partner for peace.”

    He adds: “The most Netanyahu can offer Abbas is far from the minimum Abbas can accept.”

    1:49 P.M. Former Turkish ambassador to Israel Namik Tan: Netanyahu is not the best partner for peacemaking efforts.

    1:18 P.M. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin says calls “Territories for peace” a “complete distortion.”

    “Peace negotiations must be based on realistic conceptions that hold the Palestinian side accountable too,” he says. “Talk of two-state solution is detached from reality.”

    Addressing the Israeli left and UN Secretary General Ban-Ki moon, Levin says “Your way has failed, we need a different way.” Audience members heckle the minister, asking him, “What’s your solution?”

    Referring to the occupation, Levin says: “A people cannot be a conqueror in their own country.” (ie, G_d gave us the whole lot and we’re there by right – BZ)

    1:06 P.M. Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal tells Haaretz’s Chemi Shalev in a pre-recorded interview: If Netanyahu were more far-sighted, he would negotiate on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative.

    Netanyahu’s far-sighted enough. Even if he were thinking of doing the civilised thing, he saw what happened to Rabin. Perpetual conflict suits him fine.

  • Republicofscotland

    “accumulate nearly enough to pay for a new set of its batteries”
    ___________________

    Lesson indeed Baal, next time get a wind up one, mind you there’s plenty of wind ups in here.

    Your kudos filled career, reminds of many years ago, I bought a Big Mouth Billy Bass you know the fish on a plaque thing, which sang “Take me to the river.”

    Anyway the novelty soon wore off when I had to constantly replace the batteries due to some young family members taking a strong liking (obsession) to it.

    Big Mouth Billy Bass, soon drove us crazy, I’m sure they’re used at Guantanamo Bay as torture weapons, and one day Billy got his wish and he ended up in the river, it was the kind thing to do.

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