Blogs Drove Iraqi Interpreters Issue on to Agenda
The left-wing blogosphere has scored a rare victory. Taking time out from pledging not to buy Alastair Campbell's book, obssessing about Guido being a baby-eating Nazi and Iain Dale being a Tory media-tart, they actually did something productive.They drove the disgraceful treatment (by the government) of Iraqi military interpreters up the political agenda. It was not an exclusively left-wing blogosphere affair, on the right Donal Blaney isn't happy about their treatment. He is also not happy about the government "posturing" over non-British citizens locked up in Gitmo. Can't say that Guido agrees with him on that. British governments should protest violations of human rights wherever they occur. Would it be "posturing" to call for the release of Chinese political prisoners?
UPDATE : Thursday morning the Tories are calling for action. Doc Fox says the UK has a clear moral duty to protect the interpreters, William Hague says it is a matter of honour, and Damian Green is protesting at the official bureaucracy surrounding their case.
17 comments:
Couldn't agree more, Guido. Whilst (rightly) many of the left-leaning media and bloggerati spend an incalculable amount of column inches on human rights issues in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, what a shame that they have studiously avoided protesting for the release of detained individuals such as blind Chinese lawyer Chen Guangcheng, imprisoned for protesting against the One-Child Policy (partially funded by UK foreign aid).
Re: Patriccus' comment - could it be the fact that UK liberals do hate to criticise Leftist regimes such as China even when human rights abuses come to light, or is it the fact that Chen was protesting against coercive abortions and enforced sterilisation that really sticks in their throats? Nothing should be allowed to upset the “pro-choice” applecart, after all…
Would it be "posturing" to call for the release of Chinese political prisoners?
Perhaps British citizen Paul Golding -- the second British citizen to have been taken into custody in Beijing.
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/244255
"Taking time out from pledging not to buy Alastair Campbell's book"
Took two minutes to cut and paste a blog banner.
"...obssessing about Guido being a baby-eating Nazi and Iain Dale being a Tory media-tart..."
Where?
How about this - you're an idiot.
Whilst obviously the British government should protest against human rights violations wherever and whenever they occur, I think the reason there is such focus on British prisoners in Guantanamo is down to the supposed 'special relationship'.
If it was so special, the US should have had no qualms returning these prisoners to Britain far earlier than now. That is what really grinds my gears anyway.
And * coughs modestly * over here too: we blogged this on Cityunslicker on 24 May
http://cityunslicker.blogspot.com/2007/05/blairs-shame-no94-in-long-series.html
seems to me that the Gitmo Five case is more of an American led
"ok you handle them you dhimmi twats".
Britain is increasingly becoming a lost cause in American eyes.
Notice how Sarko spent his holidays in America... the French are sniffing around for their centuries old "special" relationship to be re-established with America.
remember who it was who donated the Statue of Liberty.
Lol, Guido. Would it kill you to link to left-wing blogs?
Someone said: "could it be the fact that UK liberals do hate to criticise Leftist regimes such as China even when human rights abuses come to light,"
Stupid comment really. Most liberals are vociferously critical of China, as I am, because of their human rights abuses as well as over Tibet. In fact a few left-wing bloggers last year (incl myself) raised the profile of a Chinese filmmaker/activist who was abducted by Chinese authorities.
Just picking a random issue and then berating the left-wing bloggers not to write about it is hardly sound criticism.
British governments should protest violations of human rights wherever they occur
Correct.
NL only like to protect the human rights of their supporters though.
There are no human rights violations at Gitmo, you stupid twat. This is a lie cooked up by the alliance of Islamofascists and Left fascists that is going to win, thanks to the stupidity of those who ought to be opposing it.
Guido - So looking at this post and your post below essentially your argument is that we should "call" for human rights, but it is imperialist to try and impose these "western values" when militias, dictators and despots tell us to fuck off and keep on killing their countrymen?
Interesting take on things.
Sunny,
Probably not, but why take the risk?
(Have you found any baby carcasses with Guido's teeth marks yet?)
Shocking, on a par with the Ghurka's.
Damning indictment on the moral standards and ethics we see these days in government.
As for the Gitmo 5....FUCK EM. They ain't Brits, only have residency because of our notoriously lax rules.....
(ahh sorry what rules, you enter, you live and if found out claim asylum and fuck the courts up for a zillion years, and breed like fuck, so we can't throw the kids out and have to let you stay. Utopia.)
.......why should our FCO and Government bother with such vermin, they don't bother to look after us, but are quite willing to waste squillions looking after some rag head swine whose only interest is blowing up infidels.
Don't mind the Iraqi translators but the rest can go swivel, and that includes the politicoe's, nasty cheating conniving scumbags with no morals and ehtics. Indeed some make snakes look like quarupeds.
Sorry for the length , having a bad computer day.
Don't mind the Iraqi translators but the rest can go swivel, and that includes the politicoe's, nasty cheating, conniving, scumbags with no morals and ethics. Indeed, some make snakes look like quadrupeds.
I wouldn't call either Dan Hardie (who got this ball rolling around the blogs) or myself (who posted it, along with others) "left wing".
Tim, thanks very much for posting on the campaign, but I am left wing.
Guido, as your fellow baby-eater (try them with chili sauce and onions- delicious) could I ask you and your readers to write to MPs *politely* to request a change in this policy? Talking points for such a letter will be found here . All and any bloggers are welcome to lift whatever material they want from my site, with or without attribution, and publish it as part of the campaign.
Guido,
I think you're missing the point. This isn't a left wing/right wing issue, it's a moral one. Bloggers of all political persuasions are involved in this campaign.
If you don't want to link to any left wing blogs, could you at least post a link to the Downing Street petition please?
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