Tag Archives: TWAT

7/7 attacks, four years on

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If you haven’t, read the liveblog from the day, have a look at the one year on post, much of which still stands (though, thankfully, this country seems to be rather less hysterical about terrorism these days), and flick through the London Terror Attacks archive.

It’s important not to forget those that died. But although a memorial is being unveiled later today, the thing about terrorism remains that it exists to terrorise.

Four years on, the level of fear in London is back to what it was on 6th July 2005. People carry on their lives quite happily. The underground is packed with people not even giving a thought to the possibility of being blown up on the way to work. The majority of commuters this morning will not even remember that today is the anniversary of those deeply unpleasant events.

This is the best memorial.

Despite the best efforts of the terrorists – and the tabloid-whipped politicians scrabbling around in their wake with plans for detention without trial, stifling protest, DNA databases and countless other pointless draconian measures – our way of life has not been changed.

We, the people of London, were attacked – not the politicians, and not the innumerable armchair warmongers from around the world. The politicians and sabre-rattlers could do well to learn from our response – we dusted ourselves down, had a quick look around, and carried on with our lives.

The terrorists, hoping to have a major impact on the lives of everyone in this country, managed merely to kill and maim a few score innocents. They hoped to become heroes – they ended up little better than animals. And, four years on, they have been all but forgotten.

This is how it should be. If terrorists attack us to scare us and make us change our way of life, what better response is there than to carry on as if nothing has happened?

Iraqi employees update

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This post is from Dan Hardie:

Do you like reading fine words? Here is the Prime Minister on the subject of Iraqi ex-employees of the British Government, speaking in the House of Commons on October 9th, 2007: ‘I would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the work of our civilian and locally employed staff in Iraq, many of whom have worked in extremely difficult circumstances, exposing themselves and their families to danger. I am pleased therefore to announce today a new policy which more fully recognises the contribution made by our local Iraqi staff, who work for our armed forces and civilian missions in what we know are uniquely difficult circumstances.’

Fine words. What about deeds? Continue reading →

We are ruled by criminals

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So the British government has admitted that they’ve twice been in breach of the UN Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances over extraordinary rendition flights. And Foreign Secretary David Miliband has – bless him – said sorry for the “accidental” misinformation.

Not, of course, sorry to the people being extraordinarily rendered, whoever they might be – nor for breaking international law…

And our dear Prime Minister has also weighed in, eloquence personified (is he getting lessons from Donald Rumsfeld?)

It is unfortunate that this was not known and it was unfortunate it happened without us knowing that it had happened but it’s important to put in procedures [to ensure] this will not happen again… We share the disappointment that everybody has about what’s actually happened

But admitting a couple of flights landing in transit on the remote UK territory of Diego Garcia is somewhat different to the main accusation – that the UK itself was used as a stop-off point. What about the 73 to 200 other flights that our current beleaguered Chancellor – as Transport Secretary – and the National Air Traffic Service noted had been identified by campaigners as having potentially been used for rendition back in March 2006?

The question asked two years ago by Lib Dem MP Michael Moore (no relation), and quoted in that last linked piece, remains entirely pertinent:

A fundamental question remains unanswered. Has the UK government actually asked the United States how many individuals have been rendered through Britain? If this hasn’t been asked, then why on earth not?

Saying sorry for a couple of accidental (honest, m’lud) breaches of international law is all very well and good. But what about the other 200 potential rendition flights via the UK itself?

As I noted a year and a bit back, the UN regulations on “enforced disappearances” (aka state kidnappings), explicitly state that:

Acts constituting enforced disappearance shall be considered a continuing offence as long as the perpetrators continue to conceal the fate and the whereabouts of persons who have disappeared and these facts remain unclarified [emphasis mine]

Now that the British government has admitted that it hasn’t got a clue what’s going on, can we expect a full and thorough independent inquiry? Because not to investigate further having admitted incompetence on this issue would, surely, be to stick two fingers up at the UN by refusing to clarify the issue, and thus to deliberately stay in breach of international law.

Plus, as the EU’s investigation into extraordinary renditionnoted:

It is implausible, on the basis of the testimonies and documents received, that certain European governments were not aware of the activities linked to extraordinary rendition on their territory

Yet this appears to be precisely what David Miliband is claiming to be the case.

And so another question must be asked: if a foreign power can land an illegal cargo on British territory without the British government’s knowledge – as appears to be the excuse here – that flagrant lapse in security is in itself surely worthy of immediate, urgent investigation? Isn’t that an indication of criminal incompetence at a time of heightened threats from foreign sources? Shouldn’t heads roll?

I await the announcement of an inquiry with baited breath… (And precisely no expectation of one coming…)

Update: This. Spot on, from the really rather good Obsolete.

Five years after the Iraq protests, a question

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Spotted in a decent French article on Kosovo’s independence, a throwaway line that made me ponder:

L’indépendance du Kosovo se fera sous supervision internationale. Malgré ces divisions, l’Union européenne a décidé, sans l’aval de l’ONU, de déployer au Kosovo une mission de quelque 2 000 policiers et juristes pour « accompagner » les débuts de l’indépendance du Kosovo.

Or, in other words:

The independence of Kosovo will be under international supervision. Despite this, the European Union has decided, without UN approval, to deploy in Kosovo, a mission of some 2000 policemen and lawyers to “accompany” the beginnings of the independence of Kosovo. [emphasis mine]

Of course, a significant reason why the anti-war protests back in 2003 felt so justified to so many was the lack of a UN resolution supporting military action against Saddam Hussein in Iraq. There are no such protests about unilateral military action in Kosovo – nor have there really ever been during the last decade of NATO deployments there.

Is this because Kosovo is too low-profile for anyone to really care – or is there a more significant, wider-ranging reason?

Kosovo has declared independence. Many western countries – including the UK and US – are likely to declare their official recognition. Russia has explicitly stated the declaration to be illegal – and China has also made disapproving noises.

With two members of the UN Security Council opposed to Kosovo’s independence, it cannot be recognised by the UN – and so will not legally be a state, despite thinking it is. Likewise, the situation in Darfur is officially not a genocide (despite all the evidence) thanks to the UN having failed to declare it as such – partially thanks to pressure from China, keen to preserve her arms trade.

In situations such as these, is it acceptable to bypass the UN? If so, why here and not five years ago in Iraq? And, if bypassing the UN is sometimes acceptable, what useful purpose does this supposed final arbiter of international law actually serve any more? And does the lack of protests over military action in Kosovo indicate an acknowledgement of this?

Brown’s EU diplomatic strategy

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Brown and Merkel

What with the ongoing spat with Russia (hyped out of all proportion, I reckon, and hope I’m not proved wrong), the fact that our dear new Prime Minister has made his first overseas jaunt while in office seems to have been largely forgotten. The fact that Brown managed a solid three weeks in the UK before nipping off abroad – approximately 400% longer than Tony Blair ever managed during his ten years in office* – has likewise received little comment. (Blair’s first overseas visit, by the way, was to the US, which could be significant…)

But why, with so much to do in Europe, Germany? Why suck up to Angela Merkel, with her relatively unstable coalition and two weeks after she passed the EU presidency on to Portugal? Why not follow the EU presidency itself? Why not head to Brussels and meet Commission head Barroso? Why not try to form a good relationship with Europe’s most secure and powerful politician, Nicholas Sarkozy (who he’s due to meet on Friday)? Why not Sarkozy and Merkel at the same time, in an EU big three spitroast?
Continue reading →

Extraordinary rendition: the verdict

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Sorry – missed this yesterday… The [tag]European Parliament[/tag] has yet to vote on the final report following its investigation into CIA [tag]extraordinary rendition[/tag] flights in Europe, but finalised it is (and you can download it from the temporary committee’s website in umpteen different languages).

In short:

“It is implausible, on the basis of the testimonies and documents received, that certain European governments were not aware of the activities linked to extraordinary rendition on their territory… [it is] implausible that many hundreds of flights …could have taken place without the knowledge of either the security services or the intelligence service”

Quick and easy:

  • * 10 EU governments knew of the secret (and illegal) CIA flights, and lied to cover up their actions
  • * Austria, Italy, Poland, Portugal and the UK criticised for lack of co-operation
  • * Also evidence of flights in Bosnia, Cyprus, Denmark, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Germany, Greece, Ireland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Turkey
  • * Sanctions should be imposed against them
  • * More than 1,245 flights since 11th September 2001
  • * “in the majority of cases [these] involved incommunicado detention and [tag]torture[/tag]“
  • * “[there is a] strong possibility that some European countries may have received… information obtained under torture”
  • * EU foreign policy chief [tag]Javier Solana[/tag] criticised – “Mr Solana clearly knew more than he revealed to MEPs”
  • * Council of the [tag]European Union[/tag] (aka the Council of Ministers) criticised for lack of co-operation
  • * EU counter-terrorism co-ordinator Gijs de Vries: lacks credibility
  • * UK: 170 flights positively identified
  • * Former UK defence minister [tag]Geoff Hoon[/tag]: Criticised for lack of co-operation
  • * UK Foreign Office adviser Michael Wood: Shock expressed at his “torture’s OK, m’kay?” legal opinion
  • * Poland: Singled out for criticism, but no categorical proof of secret CIA prisons in the country

    • More: Deutsche Welle, the Independent, EU Observer, Former UK Ambassador Craig Murray, EurActiv

    The European Parliament’s Socialist Group (to which the UK’s Labour party MEPs belong….) has backed the report, the EPP-ED group has criticised it for being biased and inaccurate, so it may still not get through the European parliament without a fight. A lot of people in a lot of governments want this suppressed as much as possible.

    Not that they really care, of course – it’s not like anyone’s going to be able to force them to act on it…

    The UK and extraordinary rendition

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    It’s Friday night and it’s St Patrick’s day, which means one of the most drunken of the year. When better to release an official admission that UK airports were used in “extraordinary rendition” flights SEVENTY-THREE TIMES since 2001, despite umpteen previous ministerial denials?

    Update: Oh yes, and Labour has also admitted receiving �14 million in undeclared loans in the run-up to last year’s General Election, in case you missed it amidst the frivolities. That one’s less likely to be ignored by the press, though – in some ways, that could be seen as part of the attempt to bury the renditions story…

    Nothing changes, I see

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    After a couple of weeks in sunnier climes – stuffing myself on steak, sushi and overly fizzy beer – I return to find it’s business as usual:

    Charles Clarke is still planning on acting illegally, there are still questions which may never be answered about the Stockwell shooting which seems to be getting more unjustified by the day, and there’s still a spat over the 21st July bomb suspect held in Italy.

    Elsewhere the US is continuing its attempts to undermine the UN, with Bush’s appointee John Bolton trying to get the organisation to spend less time trying to alleviate poverty and scrap plans for rich nations to spend 0.7% of their national income on helping the poorest countries (the US currently gives 0.2%).

    Over in Iraq, everything looks set to go tits up again, in Iran there’s still no progress over their nuclear programme, while Africa’s still screwed and, following dickwad preacher Pat Robertson’s calls for the assassination of a democratically-elected leader the US doesn’t like, a dictator the US does like is about to execute people who allegedly wanted to assassinate him.

    In all, nothing’s changed in the slightest. Even the cricket’s continuing in much the same vein, with England doing well but not well enough to be uncatchable. I should go on holiday more often.