National

Llwyd: the conflict of interests undermining the Chilcot Inquiry

12/23/2014
On June 26 Marco Pannella and Matteo Angioli met Elfyn Llwyd MP at the House of Commons in London. The leader of the Welsh independence party Plaid Cymru was one of the MPs who signed a motion back in 2004 asking for the impeachment of Tony Blair for the UK involvement in the war in Iraq. The petition got 285 votes in favor. The Rt Hon Llwyd explained the reasons that led him to declare that the Chilcot Inquiry contains by a major conflict of interest. Aside from the fact that the members of the Inquiry have not been given any official legal assistance, the Inquiry is assisted by a secretariat headed by Margaret Aldred, who previously was a collaborator...

Tony Blair advises Albania pro bono or pro domo?

10/04/2013
In a ceremony in Tirana on 3 October last, former British Premier Tony Blair announced that he will be “helping Albania getting things to done to join the European Union”. Albanian Prime Minster Edi Rama stressed that Blair's advice will be "personally, totally and voluntarily". A spokesman for Mr. Blair immediately stressed that Tony Blair and his team “will provide advice at no cost to the Albanian government on how to modernise and implement a reform agenda.” Now, it is possible that Albania will need some capacity building effort in order to finally join the EU: laws need to be adapted, policies will need to be changed, transparency and accountability will need to be implemented. Are we sure that Mr...

Cameron Government condemned, dealmaker Blair snubbed (again)

04/26/2013
On Monday, 22 April, the House of Lords condemned the two-year delay in the publication of the final report by the Chilcot Inquiry, caused by the Cameron Government . In 2011, Sir John Chilcot asked David Cameron to declassify as many documents as possible, particularly those relating to some communications between Bush and Blair. Mr Stephen Plowden , a private citizen living in London, on the basis of the Freedom of Information Act, has also requested the declassification of a telephone conversation between the two former Heads of State, which took place on 12 March 2003. The Foreign Office has thus far neutralized this request. During Monday’s session, Liberal-Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lord Dykes asked the Leader of the House...

Owen Jones: It's time to demolish the myth about Tony Blair

06/01/2012
His defenders argue Labour couldn't have won without him but Black Wednesday in 1992 finished off the Tories You will struggle to find more devout supporters of Tony Blair than those at the top of the Conservative leadership. "I can't hold it back any more; I love Tony!" Michael Gove once exclaimed. David Cameron famously described himself as "the heir to Blair", and senior Tories refer to him as "The Master". "His influence is very firmly felt," a senior Tory told The Times. "He's like the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo – gone but still greatly admired." Screaming teenagers at Take That concerts in the mid-1990s come to mind. As Blair took to the Leveson Inquiry this week, his admirers went a...

Farewell speech by President Eisenhower

02/15/2011
Military-Industrial Complex Dwight D. Eisenhower 17 January 1961 My fellow Americans: Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the Presidency is vested in my successor. This evening I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts with you, my countrymen. Like every other citizen, I wish the new President, and all who will labor with him, Godspeed. I pray that the coming years will be blessed with peace and prosperity for all. Our people expect their President and the Congress to find essential agreement on issues of...