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Messages - Phil Talbot

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152
What David Miliband could never bring himself to say about the Iraq War:

'But I do believe that we were wrong. Wrong to take Britain to war and we need to be honest about that.'
(Mr Ed Miliband, New Labour Party Leader, Tuesday 28 September 2010)

153
Cuttin' Thru Flim-Flam Flannellings SpinningS Word-plays - And Other Deliberate Over-Complications of the Legality/Illegality of the Iraq Attack

Or Simply Clarifying International Law

Funamental principles of international law, set down after World War Two, indicate quite clearly and simply that the attack on Iraq in 2003 WAS ILLEGAL.

However, as reported by the mainstream mediums, the flim-flam in (and surrounding) the various 'official enquiries/inquries' into the  (in fact clear-cut 'illegal') attack on Iraq in 2003 has suggested that 'International Law' is complex and dense and difficult to understand - even for 'experts' and - by implication - pretty much beyond the understanding of most citizens of the world.

In fact, perhaps rather surprizing so, the fact is that, as law goes, in its basic statements, modern International Law is quite clear-cut - because it was well-founded to be just that in the desperate days after the worst war in human history, generally known as 'The Second World War' or 'World War Two'.

Until 1946 national leaders responsible for waging wars causing the deaths of millions escaped the legal judgement of their crimes

The Nuremburg judgements of that year put the concepts of war crimes into a legal framework for the first time.

They also  made it clear that it was not only Heads of State that  could  be  indicted, but all  those individuals responsible for planning, supporting, condoning, funding or taking part in aggressive war.

This is reflected in English law, in Article 25 of Chapter VI of  the Manual of Military Law which states:
"The privileges of Parliament do not apply to criminal matters and the members of either House are subject to the same rules regarding criminal responsibility as any other citizen with the exception that they cannot be made criminally responsible  in the ordinary courts for anything said by them while in  their places in Parliament when it is sitting.”

In other words, in short, while you can say what you like in Parliament about any issue and always remain within the law, you cannot otherwise act illegally - and so people who take the physical actions of going through voting lobbies to vote for an illegal war stand accused of a war crime.

The Nuremburg Principles became international statute criminal law when they were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1950.

As these seven principles are the world’s primary international laws against war, it is the duty of every citizen of the world to be aware of these laws and to uphold and abide by them.

The Seven Nuremburg Principles

1. Any  person  who commits  an act which constitutes  a crime  under international law  is responsible  therefor and  liable to punishment.

2. The fact that internal law does not impose a penalty for an act which constitutes a crime under international  law does not relieve the person who committed the act from responsibility under international law.

3. The fact  that a person who committed an act which constitutes a crime under international law acted as Head of State  or responsible Government official does not  relieve him  from  responsibility under international law.

4. The fact that a person acted pursuant  to order of his Government  or of a superior does not  relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him.

5. Any person charged with a crime under international law has  the right to a fair  trial on the facts and law.

6.  The  crimes  hereinafter  set  out  are  punishable  as crimes  under international law:
(a) Crimes against peace:
(i) Planning, preparation,  initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances;
(ii) Participation  in a common plan  or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i).
(b) War crimes: Violations of  the  laws or customs of war which  include, but are not  limited to, murder, ill-treatment or deportation to slave-labor or for any other purpose of civilian population of or  in occupied  territory, murder or ill treatment of  prisoners of war, of persons on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of  public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity.
(c) Crimes against humanity: Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and other inhuman acts done against any civilian population, or persecutions on political, racial or  religious grounds, when such  acts are done or such persecutions are carried on in execution of or in connection
with any crime against peace or any war crime.

7. Complicity in  the commission of a  crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity as set forth  in Principle 6 is a crime under international  law.














154
It is a fair under-statement to say that most people in South Shields are, like me, 'not disappointed' that their town's MP David Miliband has failed to win the Labour Party Leadership contest.

And it is also fair to say that of those most South Shields people who were 'not disappointed', many, perhaps even most, of them were 'almost completely indifferent'.



155
Compare/Contrast: :'(

Above House Of Commons Voting Figures - and recent opinion polls that say about three quarters of the British population want our troops withdrawn quickly.

It is surely a curious form of 'representative democracy' we live in when only 16 MPs represent more than 75% of the popular opinion  - and the other 600+ MPs (directly or by not voting) represent the other 25%.

Some 'democratic short-fall' in this, surely?!

156

House of Commons Vote On Continuing British Military
Involvement in Afgahnistan, 9 September 2010

Note that More Than 300 MPs (apparently including Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg, and the Brothers Miliband) could not even be bothered to vote - or perhaps did not want their names in the historical records!

Pro-War Voting MPs (312)

Adams, Nigel
Afriyie, Adam
Ainsworth, rh Mr Bob
Aldous, Peter
Alexander, Heidi
Allen, Mr Graham
Amess, Mr David
Andrew, Stuart
Arbuthnot, rh Mr James
Bacon, Mr Richard
Bagshawe, Ms Louise
Bain, Mr William
Baker, Norman
Baker, Steve
Baldry, Tony
Baldwin, Harriett
Barclay, Stephen
Barker, Gregory
Bebb, Guto
Bellingham, Mr Henry
Benyon, Richard
Berry, Jake
Bingham, Andrew
Binley, Mr Brian
Birtwistle, Gordon
Blackman, Bob
Blackwood, Nicola
Blunt, Mr Crispin
Boles, Nick
Bone, Mr Peter
Bottomley, Peter
Brady, Mr Graham
Brake, Tom
Bray, Angie
Brazier, Mr Julian
Bridgen, Andrew
Brine, Mr Steve
Brokenshire, James
Brooke, Annette
Brown, rh Mr Nicholas
Bruce, Fiona
Bruce, rh Malcolm
Buckland, Mr Robert
Burley, Mr Aidan
Burns, Conor
Burns, Mr Simon
Burrowes, Mr David
Burstow, Mr Paul
Burt, Alistair
Byles, Dan
Cairns, Alun
Campbell, rh Sir Menzies
Carmichael, Mr Alistair
Carmichael, Neil
Carswell, Mr Douglas
Chishti, Rehman
Chope, Mr Christopher
Clark, rh Greg
Clarke, rh Mr Kenneth
Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey
Coffey, Dr Thérèse
Collins, Damian
Colvile, Oliver
Cox, Mr Geoffrey
Crabb, Stephen
Crouch, Tracey
Davies, David T. C. (Monmouth)
Davis, rh Mr David
de Bois, Nick
Dorrell, rh Mr Stephen
Dorries, Nadine
Dowd, Jim
Doyle-Price, Jackie
Drax, Richard
Duddridge, James
Duncan Smith, rh Mr Iain
Dunne, Mr Philip
Efford, Clive
Ellis, Michael
Ellison, Jane
Ellwood, Mr Tobias
Elphicke, Charlie
Engel, Natascha
Eustice, George
Evans, Graham
Evans, Jonathan
Fabricant, Michael
Fallon, Michael
Farrelly, Paul
Featherstone, Lynne
Field, Mr Mark
Fitzpatrick, Jim
Fox, rh Dr Liam
Francois, rh Mr Mark
Freeman, George
Freer, Mike
Fullbrook, Lorraine
Fuller, Richard
Gale, Mr Roger
Gapes, Mike
Gardiner, Barry
Garnier, Mr Edward
Garnier, Mark
Gauke, Mr David
George, Andrew
Gibb, Mr Nick
Gilbert, Stephen
Gillan, rh Mrs Cheryl
Glen, John
Gove, rh Michael
Gray, Mr James
Grayling, rh Chris
Green, Damian
Green, Kate
Greening, Justine
Grieve, rh Mr Dominic
Griffiths, Andrew
Gummer, Ben
Gyimah, Mr Sam
Hague, rh Mr William
Hames, Duncan
Hammond, rh Mr Philip
Hammond, Stephen
Hancock, Matthew
Hands, Greg
Harper, Mr Mark
Harrington, Richard
Harris, Rebecca
Hart, Simon

Hayes, Mr John
Healey, rh John
Heath, Mr David
Heaton-Harris, Chris
Henderson, Gordon
Hendry, Charles
Herbert, rh Nick
Hoban, Mr Mark
Hodgson, Mrs Sharon
Hollingbery, George
Hollobone, Mr Philip
Holloway, Mr Adam
Hopkins, Kris
Horwood, Martin
Howarth, rh Mr George
Howell, John
Hughes, Simon
Hunt, rh Mr Jeremy
Hurd, Mr Nick
Jackson, Mr Stewart
Javid, Sajid
Jenkin, Mr Bernard
Johnson, Gareth
Johnson, Joseph
Jones, Andrew
Jones, Mr David
Jones, Mr Kevan
Kawczynski, Daniel
Keen, Alan
Kelly, Chris
Kennedy, rh Mr Charles
Kirby, Simon
Kwarteng, Kwasi
Laing, Mrs Eleanor
Lancaster, Mark
Latham, Pauline
Laws, rh Mr David
Leadsom, Andrea
Lee, Jessica
Lee, Dr Phillip
Lefroy, Jeremy
Leigh, Mr Edward
Leslie, Charlotte
Letwin, rh Mr Oliver
Lewis, Brandon
Lewis, Dr Julian
Liddell-Grainger, Mr Ian
Lidington, Mr David
Lilley, rh Mr Peter
Lloyd, Stephen
Lopresti, Jack
Lord, Jonathan
Loughton, Tim
Luff, Peter
Lumley, Karen
Macleod, Mary
Main, Mrs Anne
Maude, rh Mr Francis
May, rh Mrs Theresa
Maynard, Paul
McCartney, Jason
McCartney, Karl
McIntosh, Miss Anne
McLoughlin, rh Mr Patrick
McPartland, Stephen
McVey, Esther
Meale, Mr Alan
Menzies, Mark
Metcalfe, Stephen
Miller, Maria
Mills, Nigel
Mitchell, rh Mr Andrew
Moon, Mrs Madeleine
Mordaunt, Penny
Morgan, Nicky
Morris, Anne Marie
Morris, David
Morris, James
Mosley, Stephen
Mowat, David
Mulholland, Greg
Munt, Tessa
Murray, Sheryll
Murrison, Dr Andrew
Neill, Robert
Newmark, Mr Brooks
Newton, Sarah
Nokes, Caroline
Nuttall, Mr David
O'Brien, Mr Stephen
Offord, Mr Matthew
Ollerenshaw, Eric
Osborne, rh Mr George
Ottaway, Richard
Paice, Mr James
Patel, Priti
Paterson, rh Mr Owen
Penning, Mike
Percy, Andrew
Perkins, Toby
Perry, Claire
Phillips, Stephen
Pickles, rh Mr Eric
Pincher, Christopher
Poulter, Dr Daniel
Pound, Stephen
Pritchard, Mark
Raab, Mr Dominic
Randall, rh Mr John
Reckless, Mark
Rees-Mogg, Jacob
Reevell, Simon
Reid, Mr Alan
Robathan, Mr Andrew
Robertson, Mr Laurence
Rosindell, Andrew
Rudd, Amber
Russell, Bob
Rutley, David
Sandys, Laura
Seabeck, Alison
Selous, Andrew
Sharma, Alok
Shelbrooke, Alec
Simmonds, Mark
Simpson, Mr Keith
Skidmore, Chris
Smith, Henry
Smith, Julian
Smith, Sir Robert
Soames, Nicholas
Soubry, Anna
Spellar, rh Mr John
Spelman, rh Mrs Caroline
Stanley, rh Sir John
Stephenson, Andrew
Stevenson, John
Stewart, Bob
Stewart, Iain
Stride, Mel
Stuart, Ms Gisela

Stunell, Andrew
Sturdy, Julian
Swayne, Mr Desmond
Swire, Mr Hugo
Syms, Mr Robert
Teather, Sarah
Timms, rh Stephen
Tomlinson, Justin
Tredinnick, David
Truss, Elizabeth
Turner, Mr Andrew
Twigg, Derek
Uppal, Paul
Vara, Mr Shailesh
Vickers, Martin
Villiers, rh Mrs Theresa
Walker, Mr Charles
Walker, Mr Robin
Wallace, Mr Ben
Ward, Mr David
Watkinson, Angela
Watson, Mr Tom
Weatherley, Mike
Webb, Steve
Wharton, James
Wheeler, Heather
White, Chris
Whittingdale, Mr John
Wiggin, Bill
Willetts, rh Mr David
Williams, Roger
Williams, Stephen
Williamson, Gavin
Wilson, Mr Rob
Wollaston, Dr Sarah
Woodcock, John
Wright, Mr Iain
Wright, Jeremy
Yeo, Mr Tim
Zahawi, Nadhim

Tellers for the Ayes:
Mark Hunter and
Mr Robert Goodwill

Anti-War Voting MPs (16)

Baron, Mr John
Clark, Katy
Corbyn, Jeremy
Cryer, John
Edwards, Jonathan
Hoey, Kate
Hopkins, Kelvin
Huppert, Dr Julian
Lazarowicz, Mark
Lucas, Caroline
McDonnell, John
Skinner, Mr Dennis
Turner, Karl
Winnick, Mr David

Tellers for the Noes:
John Hemming and
Paul Flynn

In Parliamentary Language 'The Question (ie the ongoing war) was accordingly agreed to.'

157
South Tyneside Stop the War / Talking Books
« on: July 22, 2010, 03:08:53 PM »

158
'Freedom Fairness Responsibility'
was the 'alleged' theme of today's 'Coalition Government Queen's Speech' ... and as if to prove just how 'free fair and responsible' they are going to be ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8702526.stm

Parliament Square anti-war protester Brian Haw arrested 

Parliament Square protester Brian Haw has been arrested for obstructing police during searches of tents on the green.

Anti-war campaigner Mr Haw, who has been camping there since 2001, was held as police searched the "peace camp".

Another protester Barbara Tucker, who has also been camping outside the Houses of Parliament, was arrested.

Mayor Boris Johnson will be applying to the High Court to remove the activists from the camp, his spokesman said.

The green is owned by the Greater London Authority (GLA), but the spokesman said the mayor or the GLA had nothing to do with the police searches and arrests.

Meanwhile, human rights' group Liberty has criticised the police action against the protesters.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that two people had been arrested in Parliament Square at about 0800 BST for obstructing police.


Police with sniffer dogs searched the collection of tents opposite the Houses of Parliament before the Queen arrived at the state opening of Parliament.

As she was arrested Ms Tucker was heard saying on BBC London 94.9: "You can't arrest him [Mr Haw], you don't have a search order."

Phoenix, an environmental activist who has been living in the camp, witnessed the arrests.

He said: "I didn't like the way he was held in a stress position and was taken off.

"He was carried off by four officers with his whole body weight on his forward shoulders...he wanted his crutches."

Mr Haw, of Redditch, Worcestershire, set up his camp in protest against sanctions on Iraq and then over the war.

'Very sad'

In 2007, he won a legal battle to remain in place due to a drafting error in a new law banning unauthorised protests in Westminster.


 
The "Democracy Village" was set up on 1 May
Since 1 May several other tents and flags have cropped up on the green, which has been dubbed Democracy Village by campaigners, who include anti-war demonstrators, climate change activists, communists and anarchists, as well as some homeless people.

A spokesman for the London mayor's office said: "The mayor respects the right to demonstrate, however the scale and impact of the protest is now doing considerable damage to the square and preventing its peaceful use by other Londoners - including those who may wish to have an authorised protest," he said.

"As a result he has given GLA officers the authority to apply to the High Court to begin legal proceedings for trespass."

Councillor Colin Barrow, Leader of Westminster City Council, backed the legal action.

"We felt that the hijacking of Parliament Square, one of London's historic public spaces, needed to be brought to an end," he said.

Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti said about the police action: "We are very sad to see that on a day that is supposed to celebrate British democracy, peaceful dissent is also shut down.

"The new coalition government has promised to restore the right to non-violent protest. Attempts to clear Parliament Square are not the most promising."


 

159
General Election 2010 / Re: South Shields Hustings
« on: May 11, 2010, 02:37:18 PM »
Those Westminster 3-party-in-1 'coalition-building' talks in full ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwUFQus_K0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSQp2FYpF74

160
General Election 2010 / Re: Campaign Video
« on: May 08, 2010, 11:29:58 AM »
Footage Of The Count at Temple Park Leisure Centre 06/07 May 2010 ...
(National BBC covered it ... but  Ms Kendal(l)( aka 'Fatty Mint Cake') BBC 'Diplomatic Editor' seemed out of her London media bubble 'comfort zone' ... little interested in the human realities around her ... and only seemed to want to talk with/to her Oxbridge-establishment-pal Mr Miliband ...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81wix2woJVE

Phil

161
General Election 2010 / Re: Campaign Video
« on: May 05, 2010, 02:02:31 PM »
STSTWC Election Benefit Event
Wednesday 28 April 2010
The Office
South Shields

Featuring
'THE PANIC REPORT'
(+ Support)

Selected Clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZPKMatyf-o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-BohmMEvnA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C0ShHYj_xg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuvSLJQyHY0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpHsBXMsS1M


Full Length Feature DVD of this event is available from STSTWC ...
(... and all good-faith truly 'anti-war'/'progressive' stock(-footage)ists! ...)
 
;)

165
General Election 2010 / Re: South Shields Hustings
« on: April 25, 2010, 06:19:44 PM »
Re:-I South Shields General Election Public Meeting
St Hilda's Church, South Shields Market Place,
Saturday 24 April 2010
7.30pm(ish) ff ...

ReEdits ABC
+
Rowena Francis/Frances chaired the event ...
+
Seven Candidates Attended ...
(British National Party were 'excluded' by 'Churches Together' organizers - though there was some doubt by some present as to who/what the organizing group was/is - and another candidate was not present without explanation on the night from/by the organisers ...)

Following sequences have sound-track including introduction by Ms Francis/Frances, who explains the 'rules', and then the candidates introducing themselves in their own words ...
Sound originally recorded on 'analog' casette tape, then 'digitally remixed' - viewers/listeners might have to adjust your volume controls ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K74LghPYy8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5avv9yyqw0w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D43pS7wqi8o

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