BBC Breaking: Former foreign secretary Robin Cook dies aged 59

[gp]

on bbcnews.co.uk ticker...just breaking

Robin Cook dies after hill walk

Former Cabinet minister Robin Cook has died after he collapsed while out hill walking, police have said.

It is believed that he was taken ill near the summit of Ben Stack, near an area known as Laxford Bridge in north-west Scotland.

Mr Cook, 59, was flown by helicopter to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, and is understood to have received 40 minutes of resuscitation en route.

Mr Cook quit as Commons leader in March 2003, in protest over the war in Iraq.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4127654.stm

[JNelson6563]

1. 4 shots back of the head=suicide?

Or was it "natural causes"?

[dArKeR]

21. Cheney got another one!

[jean]

2. He was one of the best. Rest in Peace.

[HereSince1628]

68. Truly, the counsel of wisdom in a time of madness

No one is perfect, and I'm not trying to make him out to be a saint, but he was absolutely correct on the Iraq war.

Bush's cabinet seems to have completely lacked his equivalent.

[K8-EEE]

3. where were the resignations here in the US?

Nobody was willing to do what he did. RIP Mr. Cook.

[Southsideirish]

17. No class, no character - these bushites.

[Wabbajack]

52. The Labour Party has plenty of good people left in it

The pukes don't.

[mojavekid]

78. The Bush Administration are simply criminals,

they know it, every move is completely intentional, never expect one of them to behave any other way. The best we can hope for are more people working under them, and in other depts. in the Gov't. to let slip the incriminating information.

R.I.P. Mr. Cook

[fooj]

4. RIP

Peace.

[roguevalley]

5. this is very sad news. I am sorry to hear this. RIP, Mr. Cook.

The worst part? HEaring high blown statements from Blair about him.

[UrbScotty]

10. I wonder how Blair will react to this? (nt)

[hlthe2b]

6. May he be at peace.... he did the right thing which only goes to

show: only the good die...(young?)

[Rose Siding]

7. Damn

:cry:

[qanda]

8. The same old sad song

The good die young, while the evil ones stay. RIP Mr. Cook

[uppityperson]

9. RIP

Thanks Mr.Cook for all you did, including resigning in protest.

[Bumblebee]

11. How utterly unfair and very very sad!

[frictionlessO]

12. To a hero after all, your protest meant the world to so many of us.....

Rest you away, good gentleman.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

13. Why are the Good guys dying and the Villains are going to live ...

forever apparently?

[Southsideirish]

18. "Was it ever thus?"

[jbnow]

19. There are evidently benefits

when you sell your soul to the devil?

Bless Mr. Cook, the earth could use many more as brave as him.
Perhaps he can kick ass from the other side.

[Dinger]

72. Onoly The Good Die Young (nt)

[MaineDem]

14. I'm not one for tinhat conspiracies but...

this is way too suspicious.

We lost a good one. RIP, Mr Cook!

[shelley806]

41. Sadly, this is the first thing I thought of when I heard it announced on

CNN. (And I had forgotten about the specifics of his heroism). I am not a 'tinhat conspiracist' either, but too many so-called coincidences are just that.."way too suspicious."

Bless his soul (nope, it already IS blessed). The world needs his integrity and courage. May his loss produce the nobility of action in someone who is well placed to make a difference, like he did.

[Delphinus]

81. Well,

I am a conspiracy theorist so it was the FIRST thing I thought of.

I'm tired of the bad guys winning.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

15. DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN

Why do these things always have to happen? I'm very distressed. The evil Bushes will live to be 100 and die peacefully in their beds. DAMN IT!!!

[moodforaday]

16. So few brave people

And now there's one less. It hurts to see you go, Mr. Cook. Rest in peace.

[Peace Patriot]

20. I sure hope they do an autopsy, and that the investigators have their

backs well covered. David Kelly's death (Brit chief WMD expert whistleblower) stinks to high heaven (and occured three days after Valerie Plame was outed). These Bushite/Blairite mass murderers and liars have a lot to hide.

I don't know about resting in peace, Robin. I hope you continue to protest in Heaven, and agitate among the angels for more inspiration, strength and enlightenment to be sent down here. We need all the help we can get to prevent a holocaust in the Middle East, with the potential consequence of the end of all life on earth. Talk to Carl Sagan!

And profound thanks to you for all that you did while you were here! Love and joy to thee and thine!

[In Truth We Trust]

27. How very eloquent Peace Patriot. My sentiments exactly

I hope he wasn't the source of the DSMinutes leak. David Kelly/Valerie Plame certainly linked.

Eternal peace to you and yours Mr.Cook

[mom cat]

53. I had the same gut reaction...the timing of his resignation

coincided with the Downing Street Minutes. What did Robin Cook know? The Bush/Blair crime families are ruthless. Althouhg Robin Cook's death may have been due to natural causes, I will be slow to be convinced.

[shelley806]

56. I hope they do a full autopsy with toxicology and even cultures for

organisms (not routinely done without an index of suspicion, at least in the US). At his age, he probably has SOME degree of atherosclerosis, and this can be used as a cause of death, if one of the main coronary arteries is occluded by as ittle as 60%, as transient ischemia can be inferred. If his coronaries are clean, and the tox screen is negative, and there are no other obvious causes of death, a fatal arrythmia can be inferred. I hope they look for every possible cause in this case, and leave no stone unturned!

[mom cat]

85. We should watch for that. A quick cremation would be very suspicious.

[shelley806]

88. Yes, and no autopsy would be suspicious....n/t

[librechik]

96. Dr. Kelly died while out walking too

I'm just sayin

[T_i_B]

97. Well I hate to say this...

...but it's not uncommon for 59 year old men to have heart attacks. I'd leave the conspiracy theories well alone for the moment.

[radio4progressives]

76. anyone know if it was Robin Cook that leaked DSM to the British Press?

i can't help it. we've seen so much of this.

[muriel_volestrangler]

77. It's unlikely

He had been demoted from Foreign Secretary in June 2001, and his new position (Leader of the House) wouldn't have meant he needed to know the details of foreign policy - and Blair is too much of a control freak to allow access to minutes and memos between the foreign policy staff to anyone apart from those who have to know. While those who were uneasy about the decisions might have talked to him in general terms about what had gone on, I don't think he'd have had the actual documents.

The journalist, Michael Smith, is a defence correspondent who used to work in Army Intelligence. I think it would have been civil servants in defence or intelligence that gave him the documents.

[johannes1984]

22. Here's to you honorable gentleman

Bibamus moriendem est

may you rest in peace

[Octafish]

23. No! What a loss.

Cook was one of the honest Western leaders.

What he said in Commons when he resigned should be copied and passed around:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2859431.stm

A quote from above:

What has come to trouble me most over past weeks is the suspicion that if the hanging chads in Florida had gone the other way and Al Gore had been elected, we would not now be about to commit British troops.

Amen. Rest in Peace, kind Soul.

[dmr]

45. Thanks for posting that, Octafish

He was a man of great strength and character.

We live amongst many dangerous people poisoning our world. I cannot help but think they played a hand in Mr. Cook's death. How sad it is for all of us that that would be a first thought when hearing this tragic news.

May his soul rest in peace.

[icymist]

24. Godspeed Mr. Cook. Thank you for your brave service. n/t

[Pathwalker]

25. No! No, no, no, NO!

Thank you for all your great courage, honorable sir!

Vaya con Dios!

[onehandle]

26. His protest speech:

I have a copy on my Mac and listen to it often.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2859431.stm

[nashville_brook]

50. i just watched that.

b/c he made all those words seem so easy -- commonsense. does it strike anyone else as odd...that those notions are such apostasy? it's so...moderate. level-headed.

[onehandle]

55. That's Yurp for you.

The voice of strong common sense.

[nashville_brook]

102. they still have a culture, ergo "sense" can be "common" to all n/t

[thecrow]

74. Excerpts

It (Iraq) probably still has biological toxins and battlefield chemical munitions, but it has had them since the 1980s when US companies sold Saddam anthrax agents and the then British Government approved chemical and munitions factories.

Why is it now so urgent that we should take military action to disarm a military capacity that has been there for 20 years, and which we helped to create?

Amen, I said then and RIP I say now.

[Pathwalker]

28. Did he leak the Downing Street Minutes, and this was

retaliation? I don't want to be overly tin foil hat-ish, but this was ROBIN COOK!!!

[Bumblebee]

60. I thought he was the one who leaked it too...

had both motive and opportunity.

[Greeby]

29. Aww shite

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Old and In the Way]

30. A sad loss for the entire world

We need more Robin Cooks' and less Dick Cheneys' running the world's governments.

[Greeby]

34. Funny you should mention that

I remember when he did the headline article on the 2004 Democratic National Convention for the Independent, it was the one for the morning after Kerry's speech. He talked about when Cheney came round to Westminster a couple of years earlier, and was on typical Go-fuck-yourself form

[BooScout]

31. A sad day for British Politics.....

The man had principals..........something Tony Blair has never had.

[AlamoDemoc]

32. It is a great, great loss for all peace loving people everywhere

May you rest in peace, Mr. Cook. You will be sorely missed. :cry:

[entanglement]

33. RIP n/t

[Taxloss]

35. This is such an awful, awful loss.

On a personal level, I'm devastated. He was always such a reasonable voice of protest, and a nice man. His return to the cabinet under the next PM had been discussed. It's a shocking turn of events.

[BiggJawn]

36. Shouldn't have nibbled those wild Castor beans, eh, wot?

Just like Lori Klausutis, the Coroner's Inquest will find a "previously un-diagnosed heart condition"...

[mrfrapp]

37. I can't believe it

This is a tragedy for British Politics.

[cal04]

38. Tributes to 'one of the great parliamentarians'

"Robin was the greatest parliamentarian of his generation. He also made an enormous contribution to British politics in opposition and in government.
"He will be sorely missed."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1544216,00.html

Rest In Peace Robin Cook
:cry:

[Zorra]

39. Have neocons developed new high tech, untraceable toxins to murder

their enemies? I mean, logically, and beyond question, they would make developing a non-traceable lethal substance designed for the purposes of killing their political enemies a priority, wouldn't they? I mean, we are dealing with the second coming of the Nazis here.

Ask yourself: Would Karl Rove have someone murdered for fascist political gain if he could get away with it?

Just asking; not insinuating that Mr. Cook may have been poisoned by neocons, of course.

[Gemini Cat]

40. RIP Robin Cook

One of the good people.
59 is too young to die.

[IndianaGreen]

42. Dr. David Kelly committed "suicide" and now Robin Cook's heart

"gives out."

The good ones die while the evil ones prosper!

[malaise]

89. Have to wonder?

A great human being has died. RIP Robin Cook, man of integrity

[quiet.american]

43. Still in shock. Robin Cook was one of the best!

Rapier wit. Strong principles. Fearless. What a loss to the world.

[AX10]

44. My most sincere condolences.

:cry:

I find it hard to believe that all these opponents of Bush/Blair just wind of dead due to 'natural causes'.

:eyes:

[nolabels]

94. The brave souls often heard to say they regret .............

Regret they only have one life to give :mad:

[anarchy1999]

46. Oh no. Very sad news.

note to self - I've got to get rid of the tin foil around here.

[Jeanette in FL]

47. I'v got that same sinking feeling

that I had when I heard the Dr. David Kelly, James Hatfield, Gary Webb and so many others were dead. Doesn't add up in my mind. God Bless Mr. Cook

[tomg]

48. Can anyone here recall

when a politician in this country resigned over principal? RIP Robin Cook.

[whatelseisnew]

98. Paul O'Neil

was very vocally opposed to Admin policies prior to his sacrificial lamb "let go".

(yeah, I know, CBSux)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592330.shtml

A year ago, Paul O'Neill was fired from his job as George Bush's Treasury Secretary for disagreeing too many times with the president's policy on tax cuts.

Now, O'Neill - who is known for speaking his mind - talks for the first time about his two years inside the Bush administration. His story is the centerpiece of a new book being published this week about the way the Bush White House is run.

Entitled "The Price of Loyalty," the book by a former Wall Street Journal reporter draws on interviews with high-level officials who gave the author their personal accounts of meetings with the president, their notes and documents.

But the main source of the book was Paul O'Neill.

(edited to add)

Paul O'Neill Speaks Out
Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill is the main source for an upcoming book about the Bush White House, "The Price of Loyalty."  (Photo: CBS)
"From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go." Paul O'Neill
O'Neill was fired by the White House a year ago for his disagreement on the president's policy on tax cuts.  (Photo: CBS)
Former Wall Street Journal reporter Ron Suskind says he interviewed hundreds of people for the book – including several cabinet members.  (Photo: CBS)
(CBS) A year ago, Paul O'Neill was fired from his job as George Bush's Treasury Secretary for disagreeing too many times with the president's policy on tax cuts.

Now, O'Neill - who is known for speaking his mind - talks for the first time about his two years inside the Bush administration. His story is the centerpiece of a new book being published this week about the way the Bush White House is run.

Entitled "The Price of Loyalty," the book by a former Wall Street Journal reporter draws on interviews with high-level officials who gave the author their personal accounts of meetings with the president, their notes and documents.

But the main source of the book was Paul O'Neill. Correspondent Lesley Stahl reports.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul O'Neill says he is going public because he thinks the Bush Administration has been too secretive about how decisions have been made.

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

49. Damn! We're indebted to your honesty and principles.

[Spider Jerusalem]

51. This is a terrible loss...

Cook's willingness to stand for the truth whilst damning the cost to his own career can only be described as admirable, and his frequent commentary on the wrongheaded and bloody-minded US and British policy in Iraq in the Guardian was some of the most lucid and incisive being published anywhere. His is a voice that shall be missed.

[0007]

54. sure seem odd that the good guys die after going for a walk!

I also have David Kelly in mind.

[arikara]

64. I was thinking the same

in Britain they die when going out for a walk, in the US they die in plane crashes.

[JI7]

57. just heard about this

very sad, very depressing. i liked him a lot. a huge loss not just for the Brits but for everyone else.

[mr mister]

58. Amazing how all the people with the balls to stand up against dumbya...

...wind up pushing up daisies.

[WHAT]

59. I think...

the theory is; if a group looses its leaders, the focus of a group is dissipated and the "followers" become left-overs.

But, because of changes in communications, organization is not precipitated on leaders...but on consensus. Consensus is no longer being imposed by corporate media.

There are now too many markers to delineate a prescribed path.

2 cents times X = a new world

[Gregorian]

61. How sad. A truely great man.

We needed more, not fewer of these people. It gives me the feeling that even god has given up hope.

[daleo]

62. You hate to think of foul play

But this is just so convenient for Blair/Bush, that you can't help but think of it.

[mr mister]

63. I don't hate to think of foul play

It's SOP for these bastards.

[daleo]

79. Too true, it seems. n/t

[BlueState]

65. Robin Cook, Ex-U.K. Minister Who Quit Over Iraq, Dies

Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Robin Cook, the former U.K. foreign secretary who resigned from Prime Minister Tony Blair's government over the 2003 invasion of Iraq, died after he collapsed while hill-walking in Scotland. He was 59.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=aHSul_gDdBSI&refer=uk

[tocqueville]

66. A tragic loss

too sad

may others follow his example

[Straight Shooter]

67. At least he lived long enough to see the truth begin to emerge.

Wish he could have been here to see the total downfall of bush, et al.

RIP, Mr. Cook. You did the best you could.

[leQ]

69. God Speed Robin Cook, God Speed

now how about getting Him to wake up and do something about this mess?

[autorank]

71. Thank you Robin Cook. You walked tall in a time of tragedy.

Robin Cook dies aged 59

Mat Smith and Agencies
Saturday August 6, 2005

The former foreign secretary Robin Cook has died after collapsing on a mountain in Scotland, Scottish police have announced.

Mr Cook had apparently collapsed with a suspected heart attack on the mountainside while out walking during his summer holidays.

He was also reported to have seriously injured himself in a fall after his collapse.

<snip>


8.15pm update
Robin Cook dies aged 59

Mat Smith and Agencies
Saturday August 6, 2005

The former foreign secretary Robin Cook has died after collapsing on a mountain in Scotland, Scottish police have announced.

Mr Cook had apparently collapsed with a suspected heart attack on the mountainside while out walking during his summer holidays.

He was also reported to have seriously injured himself in a fall after his collapse.

The father-of-two grown up sons was on the mountain for nearly half an hour before rescue services reached him.

Then, guided by medical experts via telephone, they battled to revive him using cardio pulmonary resuscitation equipment, before he was airlifted by helicopter to hospital in Inverness.

Article continues
Mr Cook arrived at hospital at 4pm - some 90 minutes after his collapse and was declared dead five minutes later, said a spokesman for NHS Highland.

But it was more than three hours later before police confirmed his death.

A police spokesman added: "As is normal in such circumstances, a report will be prepared for the Procurator Fiscal."

WOW, this guy was great, from the Labour wing of the Labour party.

Thank you for fighting tyranny.

[daleo]

92. ...reported to have seriously injured himself in a fall after his collapse

If a person was at all inclined to be suspicious...

[autorank]

95. Sad commentary on our times...that was the second thing I thought...

...after "damn, he was such a great guy." He did the right thing, quit.

Gordon Brown should just go into hiding and never show his face.

[ClayZ]

70. Argh..... The good Die Young!

There went a TRUTHTELLER. RIP

[xchrom]

73. so damn sad.

he was a real statesmen -- and stood up for his country and his principles when the times called.

and{i hope} he has been called to sweet place in eternity where there is always peace.

[Uncle Roy]

75. The mountain he was climbing, Ben Stack,

is a little over 2300 feet in height. You start climbing it from very near sea-level.

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/achfary/benstack

It's not exactly Mt Everest, but it's still a good strenuous workout for a 59 year old man, or anyone else. If you are going to have a heart attack, that's as good a time and a place as any, and better than most.

I'm happy for the man. He lived a good life, and he died a good death. I hope he reached the summit.

[mazzarro]

80. Sad day for worldwide peace movement

R.I.P. dear Robin and continue to guide us in the struggle for peace!

[catzies]

82. Six hours later and I am still in shock. Humanity thanks you, Mr. Cook,

you tried. I'm sorry you're gone. :cry:

[Jack Rabbit]

83. Rest in peace

His speech to Commons annoucing his resignation from the front bench in protest of Mr. Blair's following Bush into Iraq was one of the most eligant and dignified addresses made during that unfortunate time.

And he was right. He shall be missed.

[ignatius 2]

84. Godspeed Mr. Cook..may you find a place of peace in the afterlife.

n/t

[Lindacooks]

86. I certainly hope Mr. Galloway is watching his back.

This is just too convenient for Bushco and Bliar for words.

[CBHagman]

87. For those who want to celebrate his life...

...or just want to know something of the man, here are some useful links:

The Guardian's account of his death:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1544261,00.html

One of the tributes:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1544301,00.html

An excerpt from that tribute:

"But he went on to win praise as a gifted master of his brief and a formidable negotiator - evidenced in his successful effort to get the Iranians to disavow the fatwa against author Salman Rushdie; and in international efforts to deal with ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia.

"They were qualities, too, that had long marked him out within Labour. During the years in opposition, they were most famously on display when, as shadow Foreign Secretary in 1996, he led the assault on the government over failings singled out in the Scott Inquiry into the sale of machine parts with possible military application to Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

"Given just two hours to digest a five-volume, 2,000-page report, he mastered his brief so thoroughly, and marshalled his Commons assault so forcefully, that even rival MPs conceded that it was an extraordinary performance."

There's much more at the Guardian website, but I would be remiss if I did not include the link to Cook's resignation speech:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1544393,00.html

Look at this passage in particular, DUers:

"For four years as Foreign Secretary I was partly responsible for the western strategy of containment. Over the past decade that strategy destroyed more weapons than in the Gulf war, dismantled Iraq's nuclear weapons programme and halted Saddam's medium and long-range missiles programmes.

"Iraq's military strength is now less than half its size than at the time of the last Gulf war. Some advocates of conflict claim that Saddam's forces are so weak, so demoralised and so badly equipped that the war will be over in a few days.

"We cannot base our military strategy on the assumption that Saddam is weak and at the same time justify pre-emptive action on the claim that he is a threat.

"Iraq probably has no weapons of mass destruction in the commonly understood sense of the term - namely a credible device capable of being delivered against a strategic city target. Why is it now so urgent that we should take military action to disarm a military capacity that has been there for 20 years, and which we helped to create?"

Devastating, just, and so prescient.

Dear Mr. Cook, we are sorry to see you go. Perhaps it is only fitting that you ended your life in Scotland, that beautiful, haunted, and tragic land. May peace be upon your soul.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

101. How very, very sad

The world has lost a noble, valiant and courageous crusader for peace and social justice. Robin Cook’s firm commitment to his principles, values and beliefs served as an inspiration for those who seek truth, justice and integrity among those chosen to represent the people. I for one will never forget the nobility, courage and integrity he showed in placing principle over power during the time of the Gulf War. I’ll also never forget the initiatives that he took to promote world peace and social justice while Foreign Secretary. Rest in peace Robin Cook. We will all miss you and the world was a better place for having you in it

[peekaloo]

90. Bless his soul.

R.I.P.

[shpilk]

91. Reminds me of ...

the death of Paul and Sheila Wellstone.

Cook's work will go on.

[bumblebee1]

93. God bless you, Mr Cook

You were one of those rare birds in public life: a person with integrity. You had the guts to resign after PM Blair told you that Iraq was invaded based on lies. Rest in Peace.

[emad]

99. I guess Gaynor pushed him over the cliff at last. No autopsy

report yet but last night's news said he fell, banged his head and was not resuscitated.

[Pert_UK]

100. Only the good die young.......Rest in Peace, fella - you served us well.

:cry:

P.

[bunny planet]

103. Who is the guy David something, who was the weapons expert that wrote

a book with Judith Miller, spoke out against the war in Iraq, and also was found dead after a walk alone? Too coincidental. Couldn't Cook have possibly corroborated DSM and exposed more lies about the lead up to war, just because he quit didn't mean he still didn't have more of a story to tell. It's just suspicious.
:tinfoilhat: :scared:

[muriel_volestrangler]

104. Cook was not alone

His wife was with him. Please don't start to invent things to try to fit in with your earlier guesses.

[bunny planet]

105. Ok.