How Labour used the law to keep criticism of Israel secret (WMD dodgy dossier)

[emad]

Source: guardian

Exclusive: Concern over nuclear arsenal removed from Iraq dossier
Richard Norton-Taylor The Guardian, Thursday February 21 2008

The full extent of government anxiety about the state of British-Israel relations can be exposed for the first time today in a secret document seen by the Guardian.

The document reveals how the Foreign Office successfully fought to keep secret any mention of Israel contained on the first draft of the controversial, now discredited Iraq weapons dossier. At the heart of it was nervousness at the top of government about any mention of Israel's nuclear arsenal in an official paper accusing Iraq of flouting the UN's authority on weapons of mass destruction.

The dossier was made public this week, but the Foreign Office succeeded before a tribunal in having the handwritten mention of Israel kept secret.

The FO never argued that the information would damage national security. The Guardian has seen the full text and a witness statement from a senior Foreign Office official, who argued behind closed doors that any public mention of the candid reference would seriously damage UK/Israeli relations. In the statement, he reveals that in the past five years there have been 10 substantial incidents and 20 more minor ones relating to Israeli concerns about attitudes to their government within Whitehall.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/21/israelandthepalestinians.iraq

[LynnTheDem]

1. More fuel for the fire of those who feel the "UK/US/Israel uber alles" syndrome..

"We are about to do something that will ignite a fuse in this region that we will rue the day we ever started."

- Gen. Anthony Zinni
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2002/10/17/zinni

[acmavm]

2. One if, if not THE, most quotes ever made in connection with

the 'war'.

pre·science /ˈprɛʃəns, -iəns, ˈpriʃəns, -ʃiəns/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
knowledge of things before they exist or happen; foreknowledge; foresight.


—Related forms
prescient, adjective

[Deny and Shred]

3. Blair out of office, truth comes after. Please follow their example

here in the U.S. The next President MUST pursue the truth about what has happened here, and not pull a "let's just put it behind us." Otherwise, we all are just asking for Neocons to make another run and finish the job.

[sce56]

4. Don't Piss Off Israel! They rule the world or so it seems from that statement! n/t

[SquireJons]

5. Makes me wonder what Israel has on the west?

AIPAC is widely recognized as the most powerful lobby in Washington. Many times since the 1950's the US Congress has voted over issues concerning Israel, and Israel always wins, no matter what party is in power. Aerial Sharon supposedly said to his Foreign Secretary, "Don't worry about America, we own America." And then there's the whole USS Liberty thing, not to mention the Suez Canal Crisis.

And those are just the ones we know about. Must be some very dirty laundry... perhaps a blue dress?

[emad]

6. Some very dodgy whorse trading had to take place before Israel

agreed to accept George W Bush as US Prez.

The obliteration of the Saddam regime was more likely to have been agreed before Bush was even nominated as GOP candidate.

Blair paved the way for a Bush administration to do the dirty. 9/11 merely the icing on the cake in that sordid arrangement.

[Behind the Aegis]

15. What a load of crap!

Israel decided that W would be the US president? Hell, that's one I haven't even seen on Stormfront! I must let them know.

As for the "obliteration of the Saddam regime", that's just funny. Yes, there were some in Israel concerned with Saddam, however, most were concerned with other issues much more pressing. So, the Israelis now must approve the GOP candidate? Does that include the Democratic one as well?

"Blair paved the way for a Bush administration to do the dirty. 9/11 merely the icing on the cake in that sordid arrangement."

This is interesting. So, the UK was also involved in 9-11? Or are you saying Israel and the UK are responsible for selecting Bush as president? I must say that will greatly piss off those who think the election was stolen by DieBold (unless you also contend this was also a joint Israeli-British venture).

ETA: I must say, what a clever turn of a word "whorse."

[emad]

17. My view stands. Having worked for the UN for nearly 25 years in litigation

admin my assessment of Israel's acquisition of nuclear weapons is rooted in the history of legal fisticuffs, blackmail, counter-blackmail and downright chicanery.

The Guardian's news item posted in this forum is incomplete. Missing from its report are the extensive NATO documents that were consistently referred to at UN Security Council sessions discussing Israel's nuclear acquisitions.

Those sessions were amongst the most frenzied debates in the post cold war era. There was much factional appeasement of Bushes 1 and 2 after furious lobbying by the Brits.

Ex-UK PM John Major's business connections with Bush1 in the Carlyle Group were a pretty respectable cover story for the machinations behind the scenes.

Blair's business connections with Bush2 were rigorously papered over by the Major government just as soon as he became Labour leader in 1994, most probably at the request of Bush1.

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Makes me wonder how so many can swallow such a non-issue as an insidious "plot."

"AIPAC is widely recognized as the most powerful lobby in Washington."

Yes, that is true. Anti-Semites, anti-Israeli bigots, radical fundamentalists of the Right/Left, conspiracy junkies, and sheep do "widely recognize (AIPAC) as the most powerful lobby in Washington." Those not mired in bigotry, conspiracy, and poor research skills realize that "insidious" lobbies, such as the NRA, AARP, big oil, big Pharma, credit cards, and big business wield much more power than AIPAC. When it comes to Middle Eastern policies, AIPAC is powerful, right up there with Turkish interests, big oil, and major business groups.

"Many times since the 1950's the US Congress has voted over issues concerning Israel, and Israel always wins, no matter what party is in power."

Yes, of course. This, of course (sorry, to be so repetitive), would have nothing to do with the "Cold War" between the former Soviet Union and the US. This would have nothing to do with the US trying to gain a foothold in an area where it previously had little to no power. No, no. It is all about the powerful Israeli people. :eyes:

"Aerial Sharon supposedly said to his Foreign Secretary, "Don't worry about America, we own America." "

Never get tired of seeing that long discredited "quote" bantered about as "proof" of "Israeli" control of the US. Do notice I put Israel in quotes; there is a reason.

"And then there's the whole USS Liberty thing, not to mention the Suez Canal Crisis."

The USS Liberty incident I have seen batted about with nothing really pointing one way or the other. The Suez Canal Crisis? That wasn't just Israel, but don't let that interfere with the rewriting of history.

"And those are just the ones we know about. Must be some very dirty laundry... perhaps a blue dress?"

Well, I can guide you to other sites that discuss "Israeli" involvement in the death of Natalee Holloway, the assassination of Bhutto, the cause of the massive tsunami in Indonesia, and even the cut cables in recent news. Oh, the "blue dress" comment, classic! Those sites also discuss how Monica Lewinsky is really a Mossad agent designed to bring down the Clinton administration and force Clinton into Israeli "ventures" throughout the world.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftishBrit]

19. This is one of the most disgusting posts I've EVER seen outside of an explicitly far-RW site!

I do not consider criticism of Israel to be antisemitic; in fact, I am quite critical of many of Israel's policies myself (especially re the Occupation, and the Second Lebanon War.)

I don't even consider extreme and paranoid attacks on Israel to be antisemitic; after all, it's a country like any other, and people can have prejudices about Israel the same as they can about Britain or America or France or Iran.

However: when you say "why the Jewish star? Why not just use the entire Israeli flag?"; then you ARE explicitly equating Jews with Israel. And when you then go on to describe Israel as the most dangerous country in the world, etc. - you are thereby attacking Jews. Because YOU have equated Jews with Israel in your own post. I wouldn't have accused you of it otherwise.

So post your rubbish on Stormfront, or David Duke's site, or the British National Party website. Not on a forum that's supposed to be liberal.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. WOW! Right out of the pages of a Russian forgery!

How astounding that the actions of the BRITISH government to conceal anti-Israeli bigotry, in order to maintain decent relations with Israel is, somehow, Israel's nefarious doings.

[Megahurtz]

7. Oh yes, precious Israel.

:eyes::sarcasm:

:puke:

[JohnyCanuck]

8. Yup they do seem to get the kid glove treatment from Western governments.

Check out this case where some UN observers, including one Canadian army major, were killed by the Israeli air force dropping a 5001b bomb on their clearly marked UN observation post. This post had been in the same location since 1948. The Canadian major just before he had been killed had sent some emails home saying he had seen Israeli forces targeting civilian infrastructure, i.e. a war crime.

UN officer reported Israeli war crimes before deadly bombing: widow
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 | 10:03 PM ET
CBC News

A United Nations military observer sent e-mails home to Canada reporting that Israel was bombing schools and waging "a campaign of terror against the Lebanese people" shortly before he was killed by an Israeli bomb in Lebanon, said his widow.

Maj. Paeta Hess-von Kruedener of Kingston, Ont., a member of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, was one of four UN military observers who died when the Israeli Defence Forces bombed a marked United Nations post on July 25, 2006.

Cynthia Hess-von Kruedener said her husband's mission was to report on the hostilities in the area and she believes that is why Israeli forces attacked the Israeli United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) post, despite Israel's claims that the bombing was accidental.

"Obviously they were unhappy with what they were observing. Maybe that post was in the way as well," she said. "I know my husband was reporting war crimes. And I guess they don't want to deal with that."

Hess-von Kruedener said she is speaking out this week because a Canadian Forces board of inquiry report issued recently about the bombing has left questions unanswered.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/02/06/ot-von-kruedener-080206.html?ref=rss

Still no answers on bombing of UN post

Feb 21, 2008 04:30 AM
Thomas Walkom

SNIP

This wasn't your classic case of friendly fire, where a pilot makes a split-second decision and mistakenly attacks his own. As the board of inquiry points out, the bomb that killed Hess-von Kruedener was part of a seven-hour attack on July 25, 2006, that saw Israel lob 14 aerial bombs and 19 artillery rounds at the clearly marked UN post.

It also concluded that the lethal bomb was deployed after repeated UN pleas to the Israelis that they cease fire. At one point, the report says, a senior UN commander told his Israeli counterpart: "You are killing my people."

The board noted that Israel has acknowledged receiving these warnings; most notably one sent 40 minutes prior to the fatal bombing. Yet for reasons the Canadian inquiry was unable to ascertain, it continued its attack.

This all took place during Israel's 2006 invasion of Lebanon to rescue two of its soldiers and deal a punishing blow to Hezbollah militants who had kidnapped them. It was a chaotic time. In war, mistakes do happen and Israel says that's what occurred here.

It says its maps were wrong and that it simply didn't realize it was attacking one of the UN posts that have been monitoring the Lebanese border since 1948.

http://www.thestar.com/Canada/Columnist/article/305444

Now lets watch and see how hard our neocon wanna be, Bush ass-kisser of a PM pushes Israel on this.

[sce56]

9. I did not even hear of that one !

Israelis have been running the US by bribing or blackmailing congress and others.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. More of the "Protocols?"

What a disgusting statement you have made. Care to substantiate your allegations or just rely on the bigotry of others to accept your "facts" as truth?

[LeftishBrit]

16. Are you effing serious?

Whatever you may think of Israel, they do NOT run the US! Clue: which country is bigger? By how much?

Bribing? Israel is dependent on US aid (something that anti-Israelis and some pro-Israelis frequently complain about). Not the other way round. If there are any bribes, they are in the other direction.

Britain frankly feels much more 'run' by *America* than anywhere else (the EU runs it a close second in the eyes of right-wing British nationalists). Though most of this is due to Tony's choosing to link our country with Bush.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Brush up on your "facts."

"This post had been in the same location since 1948."

"The patrol base was initially an observation post and was built in 1972, but was later destroyed in 1976 during the fighting between the PLO and the South Lebanese Army (SLA). In 1978 it was rebuilt again and manned by elements of the Norwegian Battalion serving with UNIFIL." source

Seems you and your second source, "The Star" didn't get the facts quite right, unless, of course, Maj. Paeta Hess-von Kruedener is mistaken with his facts.

Then there is this...

"What I can tell you is this: we have on a daily basis had numerous occasions where our position has come under direct or indirect fire from both artillery and aerial bombing. The closest artillery has landed within 2 metres of our position and the closest 1000 lb aerial bomb has landed 100 metres from our patrol base. This has not been deliberate targeting, but has rather been due to tactical necessity." source

Where is this information from? CTV.ca. What is their report based upon?

"After the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah, and the subsequent bombing campaign began against Lebanon, CTV.ca received an email (written July 18) from Maj. Paeta Hess-von Kruedener, a Canadian Forces soldier serving with the UN in South Lebanon."source

While an investigation is certainly warranted, it seems other factors were in play, though those often get passed over if Israel can be blamed.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Tempest in a teapot.

But, it is always impressive to see how bullshit like this becomes something it isn't, including accusations of Israeli domination over the US government, even the world. Gee, it all sounds so familiar...