(8PM EST – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)
While the Chilcott Iraq War Inquiry was mostly about what was going on in Britain at the time of the lead up and into the Iraq War and Occupation there were many points made, early on especially, as to what was happening in the White House as well as between the Counterparts in the Governments and the Military’s of both countries. Just below is a clip of what I had posted of testimony coming out of that Inquiry:
Drip, drip, drip, “”He recalled noting that: “the dog didn’t bark – it grizzled.” Don’t forget – this ‘grizzling’ for regime change was 6 months BEFORE 9/11.””. drip, drip, drip, “”But there was a ‘sea change’ in attitude after the atrocities, with former national security adviser Condoleezza Rice targeting Iraq on the very day of the outrage.””, drip, drip, drip, “”George Bush tried to make a connection between Iraq and al-Qaida in a conversation with Tony Blair three days after the 9/11 attacks, according to Blair’s foreign policy adviser of the time.””, drip, drip, drip, “”There was “a touching belief [in Washington] that we shouldn’t worry so much about the aftermath because it was all going to be sweetness and light”.””, drip, drip, drip, “”Boyce mentions the “dysfunctionalism” of Washington. He says that he would find himself briefing his American counterparts on what was happening in different parts of the US adminstration. Rumsfeld was not sharing information””, drip, drip, drip………..!
At a site I set up in at first trying to archive at least some of the reports as this Inquiry was on going and then the Dutch Inquiry and talk of an Australian Inquiry as well as related material of similar interest. Like this that’s building.
Miliband may face inquiry over UK torture claims
May 22, 2010 FORMER FOREIGN secretary and Labour Party leadership contender David Miliband is expected to be called to give evidence before an inquiry into allegations that the United Kingdom was involved in torture.
The terms of the inquiry have not yet been fully set out by Mr Miliband’s foreign office successor William Hague, but he confirmed yesterday it will be led by a judge.
The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have long called for an investigation into claims made by the Ethiopian-born but Britain-resident Binyam Mohamed that British intelligence agents knew he had been tortured by the Americans.
Snip
Tayab Ali, a London solicitor who represents a number of men alleging torture, told the London Times that the inquiry was “a significant and precious opportunity” for the British public to know what had been done in their name. Continued
Probe into MI5’s role in torture
May 22, 2010 In a significant break from the policy of the erstwhile Labour government, Britain’s ruling coalition has decided to order an independent investigation into accusations of intelligence agencies’ complicity in the torture of alleged terror suspects by their foreign counterparts such as Pakistan’s ISI.
The move, seen as an attempt by the Conservative -Lib Dem government to underline its professed commitment to civil liberties and openness, was announced by Foreign Secretary William Hague during a BBC interview.
He said the inquiry would be “judge-led” and details would be announced “pretty soon”.
His Labour predecessor David Miliband repeatedly rejected calls for an inquiry and defended the conduct of British intelligence agencies. He maintained that Britain did not condone torture. Continued
New U.K. Government Opens Formal Torture Inquiry
May 21, 2010 How does a newly elected government concerned about civil liberties and the accountability of its predecessor react to credible claims that intelligence operatives were involved in the torture of prisoners? Britain’s new foreign secretary, Conservative William Hague, shows the way. The Guardian:
A judge will investigate claims that British intelligence agencies were complicit in the torture of terror suspects, William Hague, the foreign secretary, said tonight. The move was welcomed by civil liberties campaigners and may put pressure on the Labour leadership candidate and former foreign secretary David Miliband, who was accused by Hague, while in opposition, of having something to hide. Miliband has repeatedly rejected the accusation and broadly indicated that he or his officials may have been misled by foreign intelligence agencies about the degree of British complicity.
Hague’s remarks appear to have caught the Foreign Office by surprise, as no details were yet available on how the inquiry will be conducted, its terms of reference or when it will start work. Continued
Torture: A fresh government provides a chance for a fresh start
21 May 2010 Friends of human rights should welcome William Hague’s promise of an early judge-led investigation into torture allegations
Forget the merits of the old and new regimes; there is a sense in which the changing of the political guard is itself a healthy thing. New brooms sweep up fusty thinking, and ministers unembarrassed by past failings speak more plainly about them. William Hague’s signal of an inquiry into the UK’s embroilment in torture stirs this hopeful line of thought, although optimism must be tempered until the detail has been published, and certified devil-free.
The new foreign secretary is not always a friend of human rights, but those who are should welcome his promise of an early judge-led investigation into torture allegations. Potentially this represents a great advance on his predecessor, David Miliband, who restricted himself to talking about prospective proceedings against individual agents. That one-rogue-at-a-time response was inadequate because the allegations which have steadily emerged over five years – not least in the pages of the Guardian – raised questions about whether the whole culture of Britain’s security state was rotten. Continued
Unlike the Chilcott Inquiry, covering mostly the British Involvements, as this Torture Inquiry starts and goes forward there’s no way that those called to testify cannot do so without bringing up what was going on here in the United States nor discussions and policy between the counterparts of both governments and the military’s. The Brits will not fall on their swords and testify as to only what they were doing sans the administration here as well as the leadership in our congress, the military and the intelligence agencies, No Way!
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this ongoing story.
Thank you for the follow-up on the Chilcott Inquiry. (I need to do a more thorough read of what’s going on currently, so thanks.)
Also, I’m certainly glad I checked here — I was just on the verge of doing the two part interview with the “shoe thrower,” Muntadhar Al-Zaidi. I had listened to both segments. As you know, in his culture, throwing a shoe is the height of insult. There is absolutely nothing that Al-Zaidi says that is not completely understandable and a warranted view. He was prepared to die for that incident, in order to make his statement about our killing and occupation.