enlarge Credit: New York Times ( Click here for larger image .) If nothing else, the debt ceiling crisis provided what Barack Obama is so fond of calling a “teachable moment.” Hopefully, that extends to the President himself. After seeing his nominees blocked, his legislation filibustered and popular upper-income tax increases delayed by Republicans who withheld their support from his watered down stimulus and health care programs, President Obama nevertheless continued to seek common ground with those whose only goal remains his political destruction. The result was as painful as it was predictable . As for the rest of us, here are 25 things we learned during the debt crisis. (1) We learned that Republicans really care about the national debt, but only when a Democrat is in the White House . As Dick Cheney put it, “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.” (2) We learned that the national debt tripled under Ronald Reagan , forcing him to raise the debt ceiling 17 times. Overwhelmed by the torrents of red ink unleashed by his supply-side tax cuts of 1981, Reagan raised taxes eleven times while in office. (His deficit reduction initiatives of 1982, 1984 and 1987 relied on over 75% in new tax revenue .) It’s no wonder Reagan called the mountain of debt he bequeathed to America his greatest regret. (3) We learned that George W. Bush nearly doubled the national debt , leaving Barack Obama a $1.2 trillion annual deficit and almost $11 trillion in debt on January 20, 2009. (4) We learned that the Bush tax cuts were the single biggest factor in erasing the projected surpluses Dubya inherited from Bill Clinton. The Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 accounted for almost half of the red ink during his tenure, and if made permanent, would contribute more to the debt over the next decade than Iraq, Afghanistan, the recession, the stimulus and TARP combined. (5) We learned that tax cuts don’t “pay for themselves” or “always increase revenues.” Only in 2005 did federal tax revenue reach the pre-Bush tax cut levels of 2000. (6) We learned that the Republicans’ so-called job creators don’t create jobs when their taxes are low. In fact, the data show that the far more jobs were created and the economy grew much more quickly when the top 1% of income earners paid higher – even much higher – taxes. (7) We learned that for John Boehner , some “spending binges” are more equal than others. While spending under Barack Obama rose by about 10% from George W. Bush’s last budget in FY 2009, federal outlays almost doubled between 2001 and 2009. As it turns out, the two unfunded wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the budget-busting Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 (the first war-time tax cut in modern U.S. history) and the Medicare prescription drug program drained the U.S. Treasury. Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and Eric Cantor voted for all of it . (8) We learned that Republicans have short memories . When Eric Cantor complained recently that “what I don’t think the White House understands is how difficult it is for fiscal conservatives to say they’re going to vote for a debt ceiling increase,” he apparently forgot that Republican majorities voted seven times to raise the debt limit under President Bush. Along with John Boehner, Mitch McConnell and Jon Kyl, Cantor and the current GOP leadership team voted a combined 19 times to increase George W. Bush’s borrowing authority by $4 trillion. (That vote tally included a “clean” debt ceiling increase in 2004, backed by 98 current House Republicans and 31 sitting GOP Senators.) (9) We learned that Republicans are bad at genetics, too. Last Friday, Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling claimed that for Republicans, raising the debt ceiling is “contrary to our DNA.” (10) We learned that in rare moments of candor, Republicans can speak the truth. In January, Speaker Boehner acknowledged that failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause “financial disaster.” And Utah Senator Orrin Hatch explained that when President Bush was in the White House, for Republicans “it was standard practice not to pay for things.” (11) We learned that every budget plan on the table adds trillions to the national debt over the next decade. President Obama’s April proposal ($7 trillion), this week’s debt ceiling compromise ($7 trillion) the Simpson Bowles Commission ($5 trillion) and even the Ryan budget ($6 trillion) backed by 235 House Republicans and 40 GOP Senators all continue to build the U.S. mountain of debt. (12) We learned that despite the promises of right-wing bloggers and Tea Party darlings like Florida Senator Marco Rubio, this will not be “the last time” they have to raise the debt ceiling . The Ryan budget 98% of Republicans in Congress voted for will require the debt limit to be raised repeatedly. In April, Speaker Boehner admitted as much. (13) We learned that the budgets of Paul Ryan and Ronald Reagan would have violated the spending targets of the Republicans’ own balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and “Cut, Cap and Balance” scheme.. (14) We learned that the total federal tax burden as a percentage of the U.S. economy (now just 14.9%) is at its lowest level in 60 years. (15) We learned that income inequality is at its highest level in 80 years. Between 2001 and 2007- a period during which poverty was rising and average household income had fallen – the 400 richest taxpayers saw their incomes double to an average of $345 million even as their effective tax rate was virtually halved. (16) We learned that Republicans would rather give trillions more in tax cuts (and with them, new windfalls for the wealthy) than fight the debt. Their Treasury-draining tax cut proposals range from the Ryan budget’s $4.2 trillion tax cut giveaway over the next decade to Tim Pawlenty’s jaw-dropping $11.6 trillion ocean of red ink . (17) We learned that Republicans would even rather slash defense spending than raise one penny of new tax revenue from America’s wealthiest individuals and most profitable corporations. (18) We learned that the steep spending cuts this week’s debt ceiling deal could cost up to 1.8 million jobs while hammering already cash-strapped state and local governments . And in case we needed any more lessons on the hopelessness of austerity, in the UK economic growth has flat-lined and household incomes are forecast to fall by the IMF by £1,500 as a result of the draconian Tory program. (19) We learned that a default by the United States would be a ” calamity ,” at least according to the consensus of economists, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Wall Street rating agencies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. (20) We learned that Republicans nevertheless had no problem with creating economic “uncertainty” over the possibility of a cataclysmic default by the United States. They only uncertainty John Boehner and Mitch McConnell cared about was whether the richest Americans would continue to get tax breaks that should have expired on January 1st. (21) We learned that virtually every major Republican presidential candidate was either against raising the debt ceiling period ( Bachmann , Pawlenty ) or only doing so on the condition of the passage of the Republicans’ “Cut, Cap and Balance” Act ( Romney ). All but Jon Huntsman would apparently have voted no on this week’s deal. (22) We learned that Mark Twain was right when he said “a lie can run around the world six times while the truth is still trying to put on its pants” and what happens when virtually every Republican talking point is ” not intended to be a factual statement .” In May, polls by CBS and Gallup showed that Americans by a 2-to-1 margin opposed raising the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling. (Among Republicans, the gap was a staggering 70% to 8%.) Only as the August deadline approached did the tide begin to turn. Thanks to the increasingly dire warnings of economists, think tanks, international financial bodies and even GOP-friendly business groups, by July a Pew Research survey showed Americans were evenly split as to whether raising the debt or defaulting on U.S. debt obligations was the greater concern. (23) We learned that Republicans who compared President Obama and his supporters to Nazis, Soviets, communists, terrorists and the godless don’t themselves like to be called “terrorists.” They should take up their complaint with Bush Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill who said in April, “the people who are threatening not to pass the debt ceiling are our version of al Qaeda terrorists.” (24) We learned that President Bill Clinton did not give in to John Boehner’s extortion in November 1995 when Boehner warned , “Nobody should assume we’re going to have a debt-limit extension. If the vote were held today, it would not pass.” (25) We learned from House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell what happens when Democrats give in to Republican blackmail . For the GOP, the debt ceiling hostage-taking drama will ” set the template for the future .” As ThinkProgress noted, McConnell “said he could imagine doing this again” and has promised he will do so. (This piece also appears at Perrspectives .)
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If you noticed something different on Wednesday's “Morning Joe,” it was shamed MSNBC contributor Mark Halperin back from roughly a one month suspension after he called the President a D-word back on June 30. Not everyone was happy about this judging from Alex Pareene's piece at the Obama-loving Salon: Oh, happy day! Mark Halperin was back on “Morning Joe” this morning, and MSNBC's master political analyst didn't lose a step during his month-long forced vacation. During a discussion of the economy and the national debt, Halperin masterfully said a bunch of inane, contradictory nonsense. Maybe it's unfair to say Mark Halperin is wrong about everything, because it's impossible to be wrong when you're saying absolutely nothing. Welcome back to TV, Mark! I kind of prefer you calling people “dicks” to you actually “analyzing politics.” Nice manners, Alex. As for MSNBC, we now know the penalty at this so-called news outlet for calling this President a D-word is a month's suspension. By contrast, as we've seen the past few weeks, calling Tea Party members addicts , secessionists who want to politically kill Obama , or thugs and muggers who want to assault Obama won't get you in any trouble with this division of NBC. Interesting double standard, dontcha think?
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To mark President Obama’s 50th birthday our interactive timeline shows key milestones in his life alongside major events of the last half-century in American and international politics, the US economy and the civil rights campaign Richard Adams Garry Blight
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Some of the Islamist al-Shabaab group denies a famine is taking place in Somalia and are trying to stop people fleeing the areas it controls An appeal by a senior UN official, Augustine Mahiga, for all Somalis inside and outside the country to work together in the face of a growing famine is unlikely to cut much ice with hardline elements of al-Shabaab, the Islamist insurgents. A report by Associated Press from Mogadishu provides a grim picture of how some militants are dealing with those trying to flee areas under their control, which also happened to be the first regions declared to be in famine by the UN last month. Al-Shabaab deserters, some of whom are child soldiers, described how the militants are trying to stop people from leaving. Some men are being killed or are told that their women and children will be killed if they leave. Some members of al-Shabaab deny a famine is taking place, and fear that if people leave its strongholds in southern Somalia, its pool of conscripts and informal tax base will shrink. Yet UN experts believe that while hardliners within al-Shabaab reject dialogue and compromise, other elements appear to be pragmatic and ready for political engagement. In a report in March, a UN monitoring group on Somalia (pdf) described al-Shabaab as an umbrella for jihadists, clan militias, business interests and foreign fighters. Founded by former members of al-Iltihad al-Islami, a militant group active between 1991 and 1997, al-Shabaab came to public notice when it desecrated a former Italian cemetery in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, in 2005 and established a base there. It became the militant wing of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which briefly established a modicum of stability until driven out by Ethiopian forces in 2007. Since then, al-Shabaab has been waging a campaign against the weak transitional federal government, which relies on a small African Union force, Amisom, rather than its own forces, which are racked by infighting, to keep it in power. It is within this volatile mix that aid agencies have to operate to deal with a famine that has now spread to five areas of Somalia , with al-Shabaab representing the most severe challenge. The group consists of a core force of fewer than 2,500 Somalis and several hundred foreign fighters, backed by a large number of local clan militias that are not readily available for operations outside their home areas, and irregular fighters who are paid for specific operations. Its key figures are Ahmed Abdi aw Mohamud “Godane”, also known as Mukhtar Abdirahman abu Zubeyr, the group’s supreme leader, Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee’aad “al-Afghani”, the regional governor of Kismayo, and Ali Mohamud Raghe also known as Ali Dheere, the group’s spokesman. Despite its small number, al-Shabaab’s forces are nimble and can be concentrated across long distances at short notice. In August last year, it launched its “Ramadan” offensive involving 2,500 to 5,000 fighters with the goal of capturing the presidential compound in Mogadishu. The offensive included a suicide attack on the Muna hotel, killing more than 30 people. Al-Shabaab forces were eventually repulsed with the help of 2,000 Ugandan troops, and UN experts believe that the group faltered because of its over-reliance on child soldiers, who could not stand up to sustained attacks from professional armed forces. Despite the military deadlock before the famine, and signs of divisions within al-Shabaab, the group is in rude financial health, amassing between $70m and $100m a year through duties and fees levied at airports and seaports, taxes on goods and services, and taxes in kind on domestic produce, according to the UN report. The UN monitoring group says al-Shabaab’s tax system is far more sophisticated and comprehensive than that of any other Somali authority. The group’s most important source of revenue comes from its control of the port of Kismayo, which with the ports of Marka and Baraawe generates between $35m and $50m a year. Al-Shabaab also receives financial support from Eritrea, which considers the transitional federal government a stooge of Ethiopia, its implacable foe. A worrying development for Somali’s neighbours is al-Shabaab’s growing influence in the region. In July last year, it mounted co-ordinated suicide bombings in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, killing 79 people, a move seen as retaliation for the presence of Ugandan troops in Somalia. The UN monitoring group also describes networks in Kenya linked to al-Shabaab that recruit and raise money for the insurgency. At first these networks were to be found among the ethnic Somali community, but these have broadened since 2009 to include other Kenyans. Famine Malnutrition Somalia Africa Mark Tran guardian.co.uk
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After weeks of political crises, Obama jokes at Chicago fundraiser before intimate party and weekend trip to Camp David Barack Obama hasn’t had much to cheer him up in the run-up to his 50th birthday – although he must wish his US poll ratings, currently 43% approval , outscored his years. But the president – who in recent weeks was battered by the debt standoff that ended with a deal no one liked – seems determined to enjoy the milestone. On Wednesday, he took aides to have burgers at an eatery on Capitol Hill before leaving Washington briefly for a campaign fundraiser in his adopted home town of Chicago. Supporters paid up to $38,500 to join him to hear him joke he would soon have a reminder from a national organisation that helps the over-50s have “independence, choice and control” in ways that “are affordable to them and society as a whole”. “By the time I wake up, I’ll have an email from AARP asking me to call President Obama and tell him to protect Medicare,” said Obama on the eve of his half-century. Happy birthday was inevitably sung, by a group from North Carolina, and there was music from Jennifer Hudson, Herbie Hancock and the band OK Go ,a rock band originally from the windy city but now based in Los Angeles. Its presence presumably was not meant as a message for the president, rather encouragement to reignite in his re-election campaign the spirit that so memorably took him to the White House. He may, however, take hear from their new EP, All is Not Lost. At a small dinner for high-dollar donors later, Obama revealed he already knew of one very important present waiting for him in back in Washington on Thursday. His oldest daughter, Malia, was coming home from camp to celebrate his birthday. The festivities back in the capital were to include a toast from senior staff in the White House’s blue room, followed by a party with family and friends. An administration official said the Obamas would be footing that bill. The president then plans a weekend trip to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. Barack Obama Obama administration United States US politics James Meikle guardian.co.uk
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More than 600,000 Haitians in makeshift camps face prospect of mudslides and flash floods when Emily makes landfall Hundreds of thousands of Haitians still living in makeshift camps following last year’s devastating earthquakes are braced for heavy rain and winds as tropical storm Emily approaches. Forecasters predict the storm will make landfall on Haiti’s southern peninsula, bringing the threat of mudslides and flash floods. More than 600,000 people still live without shelter after the earthquake in January 2010, which killed at least 46,000 . “If any storm comes, we meet our demise,” said Renel Joseph, a 57-year-old resident of Cite Soleil, a seaside shantytown of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. David Preux, head of mission for the International Organisation for Migration in the southern city of Jacmel, said that he expected conditions to worsen during the night: “The problem is when people wait until the last minute to evacuate.” The storm’s forward motion slowed on Wednesday night and it appeared likely to skirt the southern tip of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Emily had maximum sustained winds of 50mph (80kph). Dominican authorities kept a tropical storm warning in effect for the south-western coast but ended an alert on Wednesday night from Cabo Francés Viejo south-eastwards to Cabo Engaño. Although the centre of the storm seemed likely to miss most of the island, intense rain still posed a threat to both countries, said Diana Goeller, a meteorologist with the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC). The countries are divided by a range of high mountains. “This storm has a lot of heavy rainfall with it,” Goeller told the Associated Press. “So in those mountainous areas there could be very dangerous, life-threatening mudslides or flash floods.” John Cangialosi, a hurricane specialist with the NHC, said up to 20 inches (51cm) of rain was possible in high-elevation areas. That is enough to cause serious problems in a country prone to catastrophic flooding. Michel Davison of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the storm earlier dropped up to 10 inches of rain in parts of Puerto Rico, though its centre never got within 100 milesof the island. Francois Prophete, who was shoring up the corrugated-metal roof of his one-room cinder block home in the hills south-east of Port-au-Prince, said most people had few options in a nation where the vast majority are desperately poor. “We can’t afford to do much,” he said. Local authorities urged people to conserve food and safeguard their belongings. An unknown number of people left flood-prone areas to stay with relatives and friends, said Emmanuelle Schneider, a spokeswoman for the UN’s Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. There had been no government-organised evacuations by late on Wednesday, she added. “There will be an official evacuation when there’s flooding,” Schneider said. There was reason for concern. A slow-moving storm in June triggered mudslides and floods in Haiti and killed at least 28 people. And widespread poverty makes it difficult for people to take even the most basic precautions. Joceline Alcide stashed her two childrens’ birth certificates and school papers in little plastic bags that aid groups handed out. It was her only means to protect herself. “There really isn’t much more we can do. We just got these bags,” the 39-year-old said, standing outside her tarpaulin shelter. Haiti Natural disasters and extreme weather Dominican Republic Caribbean North and Central America guardian.co.uk
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Social Trends report shows two-thirds of people think crime is on rise, while statistics reveal it is at lowest level for 30 years Nearly two-thirds of people believe that in England and Wales is on the rise despite crime levels falling to their lowest level for 30 years last year, according to official statistics. The Office for National Statistics said the gap between public perception and reality was greatest for levels of knife crime and bank card fraud, and that this could reflect media concern about these two types of crime. However, the newly-published Social Trends crime and justice chapter showed that the perception of crime at local level was much more in line with official crime figures, with only 28% reporting that crime in their local area had gone up. The annual publication said data from the British crime survey showed that 60% of adults aged 16 and over in England and Wales thought crime had risen at the national level. The detailed findings also showed that people believe their chances of becoming victim of burglary, car crime and violent crime are a lot higher than actual rates. The figures revealed that the murder rate fell from 644 in 2008-09 to 619 in 2009-10, and gun crime fell by 36% since it peaked in 2005-06. The report also suggested that the “war on motorists” – which coalition ministers pledged to end – actually peaked more than five years ago. It revealed that the scale of fixed penalty fines issued for motoring offences had halved since 2005, when 1.9m fines were handed out for speeding and traffic offences after being caught on camera. Statistics show that the figure fell to just over 1 million in 2009, the 935,000 tickets issued for speeding being the lowest level since 2001. Last year, the transport secretary, Phillip Hammond, promised to scrap public funding for the further expansion of speed cameras. The Social Trend report also revealed the profile of adult offenders going to prison in England and Wales last year. Of this group, 48% have a reading age at or below the expected level of an 11-year-old, and 82% have a writing age at or below the level of an 11-year-old. More than 60% have drug problems, 44% need help with alcohol and 22% want help with mental health problems. The report shows that crime levels in England and Wales in 2009/10 were at their lowest levels since the British crime survey began in 1981. The fall in crime has coincided with a period when police funding in England and Wales has been at its highest recorded level – £12.6bn in 2009/10, 44% higher than in 1995/96. Crime Office for National Statistics Knife crime Liberal-Conservative coalition Prisons and probation Social trends Alan Travis guardian.co.uk
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As crises grip the US and eurozone economies, monetary policy committee votes to maintain status quo in UK Mortgage holders and business organisations breathed a sigh of relief as the Bank of England held interest rates for the 29th month in a row on Thursday, amid a worsening economic outlook. As expected the Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) kept its base rate at 0.5% on Thursday, the lowest on record, and made no changes to its quantitative easing programme. City economists now say UK interest rates are unlikely to rise until well into next year after a run of poor data on the economy and signs that inflationary pressures are close to their peak. Inflation eased to 4.2% in June and even though rising utility bills could push it back above 5% soon, analysts believe any pick-up will be temporary. With the global economic picture darkening as the US and the eurozone are embroiled in debt crises and the continuing market turmoil, there is growing speculation that the Bank could opt to loosen monetary policy at some stage, rather than tighten it. The City is eagerly awaiting the publication of the Bank’s quarterly inflation and growth forecasts next Wednesday and the press conference, where governor Mervyn King, flanked by his chief economist and two deputy governors, will speak. Former MPC member Sushil Wadhwani said on Tuesday that the main issue facing policymakers was whether to ease policy immediately or wait for another month. “If I were on the committee, for the first time this year I would be voting for more quantitative easing,” he said at an event hosted by Fathom Consulting. The UK economy barely grew between April and June following six months of stagnation. Manufacturing is back in the doldrums , as is the beleaguered retail sector, according to the latest survey data. A stronger-than-expected snapshot of Britain’s dominant service industries , however, offered a glimmer of hope on Wednesday. Victoria Cadman, UK economist at Investec, said: “If the softness in global data and euro area debt worries persist, with the effects of these global challenges starting to show through more clearly in UK data, we expect the committee to edge gradually closer to that QE bar.” Markets will have to wait to find out whether the Bank’s chief economist, Spencer Dale, and Martin Weale, both members of the nine-strong MPC, abandoned their call for higher interest rates at this month’s meeting. The minutes will be published in a fortnight. American economist Adam Posen has been a lone voice in calling for more stimulus for the economy through a resumption of quantitative easing. There is a chance that at least one other MPC member – possibly Paul Fisher – joined him this time. Jeremy Batstone-Carr, chief strategist at stockbroker Charles Stanley, said: “The market now sees little sign of any monetary tightening before end-2012. “The odds are shortening on the possibility that the Bank may have to embark on another round of unconventional monetary policy were conditions to deteriorate further over the next six to nine months. We look for signs that Spencer Dale and or Martin Weale might be losing their resolve for a base-rate hike.” Interest rates Economics Bank of England Julia Kollewe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …UK officials were allowed to interrogate tortured prisoners, document shows
August 4, 2011 No Comment
Exclusive: Secret policy instructed intelligence officers to weigh importance of information sought against pain inflicted A top-secret document revealing how MI6 and MI5 officers were allowed to extract information from prisoners being illegally tortured overseas has been seen by the Guardian. The interrogation policy – details of which are believed to be too sensitive to be publicly released at the government inquiry into the UK’s role in torture and rendition – instructed senior intelligence officers to weigh the importance of the information being sought against the amount of pain they expected a prisoner to suffer. It was operated by the British government for almost a decade. A copy of the secret policy showed senior intelligence officers and ministers feared the British public could be at greater risk of a terrorist attack if Islamists became aware of its existence. One section states: “If the possibility exists that information will be or has been obtained through the mistreatment of detainees, the negative consequences may include any potential adverse effects on national security if the fact of the agency seeking or accepting information in those circumstances were to be publicly revealed. “For instance, it is possible that in some circumstances such a revelation could result in further radicalisation, leading to an increase in the threat from terrorism.” The policy adds that such a disclosure “could result in damage to the reputation of the agencies”, and that this could undermine their effectiveness. The fact that the interrogation policy document and other similar papers may not be made public during the inquiry into British complicity in torture and rendition has led to human rights groups and lawyers refusing to give evidence or attend any meetings with the inquiry team because it does not have “credibility or transparency”. The decision by 10 groups – including Liberty, Reprieve and Amnesty International – follows the publication of the inquiry’s protocols, which show the final decision on whether material uncovered by the inquiry, led by Sir Peter Gibson, can be made public will rest with the cabinet secretary. The inquiry will begin after a police investigation into torture allegations has been completed. Some have criticised the appointment of Gibson , a retired judge, to head the inquiry because he previously served as the intelligence services commissioner, overseeing government ministers’ use of a controversial power that permits them to “disapply” UK criminal and civil law in order to offer a degree of protection to British intelligence officers committing crimes overseas. The government denies there is a conflict of interest. The protocols also stated that former detainees and their lawyers will not be able to question intelligence officials and that all evidence from current or former members of the security and intelligence agencies, below the level of head, will be heard in private. The document seen by the Guardian shows how the secret interrogation policy operated until it was rewritten on the orders of the coalition government last July. It also: • Acknowledged that MI5 and MI6 officers could be in breach of both UK and international law by asking for information from prisoners held by overseas agencies known to use torture. • Explained the need to obtain political cover for any potentially criminal act by consulting ministers beforehand. The secret interrogation policy was first passed to MI5 and MI6 officers in Afghanistan in January 2002 to enable them to continue questioning prisoners whom they knew were being mistreated by members of the US military. It was amended slightly later that year before being rewritten and expanded in 2004 after it became apparent that a significant number of British Muslims, radicalised by the invasion of Iraq, were planning attacks against the UK. The policy was amended again in July 2006 during an investigation of a suspected plot to bring down airliners over the Atlantic. Entitled “Agency policy on liaison with overseas security and intelligence services in relation to detainees who may be subject to mistreatment”, it was given to intelligence officers handing over questions to be put to detainees. Separate policy documents were issued for related matters, including intelligence officers conducting face-to-face interrogations. The document set out the international and domestic law on torture, and explained that MI5 and MI6 do not “participate in, encourage or condone” either torture or inhuman or degrading treatment. Intelligence officers were instructed not to carry out any action “which it is known” would result in torture. However, they could proceed when they foresaw “a real possibility their actions will result in an individual’s mistreatment” as long as they first sought assurances from the overseas agency. Even when such assurances were judged to be worthless, officers could be given permission to proceed despite the real possibility that they would committing a crime and that a prisoner or prisoners would be tortured. “When, not withstanding any caveats or prior assurances, there is still considered to be a real possibility of mistreatment and therefore there is considered to be a risk that the agencies’ actions could be judged to be unlawful, the actions may not be taken without authority at a senior level. In some cases, ministers may need to be consulted,” the document said. In deciding whether to give permission, senior MI5 and MI6 management “will balance the risk of mistreatment and the risk that the officer’s actions could be judged to be unlawful against the need for the proposed action”. At this point, “the operational imperative for the proposed action, such as if the action involves passing or obtaining life-saving intelligence” would be weighed against “the level of mistreatment anticipated and how likely those consequences are”. Ministers may be consulted over “particularly difficult cases”, with the process of consulting being “designed to ensure that appropriate visibility and consideration of the risk of unlawful actions takes place”. All such operations must remain completely secret or they could put UK interests and British lives at risk. Disclosure of the contents of the document appears to help explain the high degree of sensitivity shown by ministers and former ministers after the Guardian became aware of its existence two years ago. Tony Blair evaded a series of questions over the role he played in authorising changes to the instructions in 2004 , while the former home secretary David Blunkett maintained it was potentially libellous even to ask him questions about the matter. As foreign secretary, David Miliband told MPs the secret policy could never be made public as “nothing we publish must give succour to our enemies”. Blair, Blunkett and the former foreign secretary Jack Straw also declined to say whether or not they were aware that the instructions had led to a number of people being tortured. The head of MI5, Jonathan Evans, said that, in the post 9/11 world, his officers would be derelict in their duty if they did not work with intelligence agencies in countries with poor human rights records, while his opposite number at MI6, Sir John Sawers, spoke of the “real, constant, operational dilemmas” involved in such relationships. Others, however, are questioning whether – in the words of Ken Macdonald , a former director of public prosecutions, “Tony Blair’s government was guilty of developing something close to a criminal policy”. The Intelligence and Security Committee, the group of parliamentarians appointed by the prime minister to assist with the oversight of the UK’s intelligence agencies, is known to have examined the document while sitting in secret, but it is unclear what – if any – suggestions or complaints it made. Paul Murphy, the Labour MP and former minister who chaired the committee in 2006, declined to answer questions about the matter. A number of men, mostly British Muslims, have complained that they were questioned by MI5 and MI6 officers after being tortured by overseas intelligence officials in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay. Some are known to have been detained at the suggestion of British intelligence officers. Others say they were tortured in places such as Egypt, Dubai, Morocco and Syria, while being interrogated on the basis of information that could only have been supplied by the UK. A number were subsequently convicted of serious terrorism offences or subjected to control orders. Others returned to the UK and, after treatment, resumed their lives. One is a businessman in Yorkshire , another a software designer living in Berkshire , and a third is a doctor practising on the south coast of England . Some have brought civil proceedings against the British government, and a number have received compensation in out-of-court settlements, but others remain too scared to take legal action. Scotland Yard has examined the possibility that one officer from MI5 and a second from MI6 committed criminal offences while extracting information from detainees overseas, and detectives are now conducting what is described as a “wider investigation into other potential criminal conduct”. A new set of instructions was drafted after last year’s election, published on the orders of David Cameron , on the grounds that the coalition was “determined to resolve the problems of the past” and wished to give “greater clarity about what is and what is not acceptable in the future”. Human rights groups pointed to what they said were serious loopholes that could permit MI5 and MI6 officers to remain involved in the torture of prisoners overseas. Last week, the high court heard a challenge to the legality of the new instructions, brought by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Judgment is expected later in the year. Foreign policy Terrorism policy MI5 MI6 Jack Straw Tony Blair David Blunkett David Cameron David Miliband Liberal-Conservative coalition Torture Human rights UK security and terrorism Pakistan Guantánamo Bay Afghanistan Bangladesh Ian Cobain guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Dissident republicans using Facebook to identify police in Northern Ireland
August 4, 2011 No Comment
PSNI looking into whether web page encouraging others to share images of officers compromises their safety Dissident republicans are using Facebook to help identify and share information about police officers in Northern Ireland, sparking fears for their safety. Republicans living in the dissident strongholds of Tyrone and Derry have posted images and personal details of officers serving in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on a Facebook page, claiming that the pictures show officers “harassing republicans”. The page encourages others to post more images and information about other police operations in the north of Ireland. The PSNI said it was aware of the site and was looking into whether it compromises the personal security of their officers. During the Troubles, broadcasters covering the conflict voluntarily kept the faces of officers out of television news reports. Those on the beat were filmed from behind, or at angles obscuring their face, in order to preclude terror groups using the pictures to identify targets for murder. Senior officers in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (the PSNI’s predecessor) did often appear in front of cameras, but the de facto ban on facial pictures continued right up to the 1994 IRA ceasefire, when the situation relaxed. However, since the upsurge in dissident terror activity over the last two years, the voluntary censorship has returned. Social networking sites have been used by dissident republicans in the propaganda war. YouTube came under fire two years ago after it emerged that the Real IRA and Continuity IRA were posting videos praising their violent campaigns. Individuals unconnected to terror groups but who hold extreme opinions have found themselves in Northern Irish courts for misuse of websites. Last week, a Derry man was fined after making threatening remarks on Facebook directed at East Derry Democratic Unionist MP Gregory Campbell. Northern Ireland Police Northern Irish politics Henry McDonald guardian.co.uk
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