The US was spying on UN special rapporteurs (on torture/detainees)

[Solly Mack]

"It (Washington) also wanted to know about plans by UN special rapporteurs to press for potentially embarrassing investigations into the US treatment of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay."



"Plans and intentions of member states or UN Special Rapporteurs to press for resolutions or investigations into US counterterrorism strategies and treatment of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan or Guantanamo. -- Degree of coordination by and among human rights agencies, especially between the UN Human Rights Council, the OHCHR..."

[sabrina 1]

1. This is vindication for people like Clare Short, eg, who quit

the British Parliament because of the War in Iraq. This spying was reported on years ago so it is not new information. However, it does vindicate good people who tried to stop that terrible war and who themselves were smeared for their efforts.

NSA Spying on the U.N.

UN officials are regularly spied upon

Clare Short, a UK cabinet minister who resigned in May 2003 over the war, stated in media interviews that British intelligence regularly spied on UN officials. She stated that she had read transcripts of Kofi Annan's conversations.<1><4><5>

On February 26, 2004 Short alleged on the BBC Today radio programme that British spies regularly intercept UN communications, including those of Kofi Annan, its Secretary-General. The revelation came the day after the unexplained dropping of whistleblowing charges against former GCHQ translator Katharine Gun.<6>

Reacting to Short's statement, Tony Blair said "I really do regard what Clare Short has said this morning as totally irresponsible, and entirely consistent ." Blair also claimed that Short had put UK security, particularly the security of its spies, at risk.<7> The same day, on the BBC's Newsnight programme, Short called Blair's response "pompous" and said that Britain had no need to spy on Kofi Annan. Blair did not explicitly deny the claims but Robin Cook, former Foreign Secretary, wrote that in his experience he would be surprised if the claims were true.

Robin Cook airc, was also a huge opponent of the war. I believe he quit in protest and then died later at the age of 59. He was a great loss at the time, a man of principle, a rarity in those dark days. Clare Short also.

She later retracted some of her claims regarding the British doing the spying.

According to leaks back then, it was Condoleeza Rice who issued the directive to spy on members of the U.N.


Bugs were found in the offices of several members of the U.N. also. So, while this is not new, it IS confirmation of what they were denying back then.

Tony Blair I hope will be called to explain his vicious attacks on those who tried to speak the truth. He painted Clare Short as a radical anti-British lunatic. In reality, he was merely projecting, describing himself, a zealot, a war-monger and a liar.

War lies, war criminals, it's hard to keep hiding the truth. Maybe one day they will be accountable for the devastation they have caused to so many people's lives.

[Solly Mack]

2. and it was back in March of 2003 that the UN began an investigation

because the U.S. bugged UN members.

[malaise]

7. Short and Cook

I'm still curious about Robin Cook's sudden heart attack and death.

Dead men tell no tales.
I'm glad it's coming out. They violated international law and wanted to hide the truth from their own citizens and the world. Whatever suits these criminals is legal for them and illegal for the victims.

[Pavulon]

12. You are aware we were spying on them when they were the Leaugo of Nations

and people sent encoded telegrams right? Only thing that happens now is we pay cash to the offended party (the line on your check that says FIT covers that) and carry on.

Bet on it.

We spy on everyone, they spy on us. Sky is blue.

[sabrina 1]

13. This was done to start an illegal war.

Let me think a minute. What you're saying is that if something is wrong but someone manages to get away with it, it suddenly becomes right?

It's okay to lie to the American people, to spy on the entire world to try to manipulate opinion in favor of the lie and to do it, with more lies, about a war that was not only completely unnecessary but has been a devastating tragedy and failure from the POV of the American people and the Iraq people?

If that's what you're saying, that is what Bush supporters were saying, when this was first reported on in 2003. When did Democrats flip flop on these issues? When did we decide to forget that Bush and his gang lied this country into war? I should not use the pronoun 'we' because some of us have not flip-flopped at all.

So let me ask, were you okay with this country being lied into war and with the perpetrators of that massive crime being rewarded rather than prosecuted? Do you know anything about the principles this country claims to live by?

[midnight]

3. Is this confirmation compliments of wiki's latest leaked info.?

[Solly Mack]

4. (Yes) according to The Guardian - the first link is to the story

and the 2nd link is to the document posted at The Guardian site.

[Luminous Animal]

5. Yes.

[sabrina 1]

6. Yes, it is. This is from some of the leaked cables sent by the U.S.

organizing the spying.

Looks like they are still doing it. We knew they spied on and tried to smear Kofi Annan, but now they are apparently spying on the new Sec. General, Ban Ki Moon.

[Solly Mack]

8. kick

Because it fucking matters

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. The government certainly doesn't want our delicate minds disturbed by the truth.

Why, what would happen in a democracy if the people knew what was going on??!! Better to let Daddy decide for us.

[Solly Mack]

16. I'm told America doesn't torture....so why would anyone be concerned by the possibility

...not even existing....but the mere possibiity....of an investigation into U.S. treatment of detainees?


I'm sure there's a perfectly innocent reason for spying on the Special Rapporteurs for human rights/torture.

[Catherina]

10. This is your government.

This is your government.

This is your government with its pants down.


***************
from funmoi: RT @BeetleCarDriver: "US Government is just about to find out what it feels like to go through a nudie-scanner." #cablegate

[Pavulon]

11. How long do you think the US has spied on the UN. Do you know what a telegram is?

ever seen one, we read them all back in the day too. So far, no bombshells. Was looking for the bush ordered 911 memo, and no luck..

[sabrina 1]

14. Apt description, but they are already spinning and pointing

'over there' in the media. Still, the rest of the world's citizens is getting to see what they long suspected, verified. A lot of people who tried to stop it and were smeared and lied about, will be vindicated, that alone is worth the exposure. Innocent people like Robin Cook and Clare Short among so many others who were painted as 'fringe elements' and 'lunatics' have been vindicated completely.

[Catherina]

15. Vindicated, Like slow spinning redemption

Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of it has caught my eye

And roped me in
So mesmerizing, so hypnotizing
I am captivated


I am Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
I swear I knew it all along


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNG8HKuw9tM

[Solly Mack]

17. kick

[Solly Mack]

18. kick