Unpeople: Britain's Secret Human Rights Abuses

by Mark Curtis

  6 Psychological warfare beyond Iraq

  1 David Miller, 'Information dominance: The philosophy of total propaganda control', Coldtype, January 2,004.

  2 Miller, 'information dominance'.

  3 Mark Leonard, Public diplomacy, Foreign Policy Centre, London, 2002, pp. 2–3; Web of Deceit, pp. 22–3.

  4 Miller. 'The propaganda machine', p. 95.

  5 See, for example, Robert Verkaik, 'Inquiries will test special relationship'. Independent. 4 February 2004.

  6 Dorril, 'Spies and lies', pp. 109–10.

  7 Brian Jones, 'Were terrorists really planning a dirty bomb?', Independent, 9 April 2004.

  8 David Leigh, 'Britain's security services and journalists: The secret story', British Journalism Review, Vol. n, No. 2, 2000.

  9 MoD. 'Operations in Iraq: Lessons for the future', 19 December 2003, www. mod.uk.

  10 Defence Committee, Lessons of Iraq, Third report, Session 2003/2004,16 March 2004, www.publications.padiament.uk.

  11 Evidence to Defence Committee, 16 December 2000, Q1579, 1614, www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304.

  12 See Web of Deceit, Chapter 20.

  13 See Paul Lashmar and James Oliver, Chapter i, pp. 17–18,36,175,108.

  14 'PM's talk with President Johnson', 22 December 1967, PREM 13/2459.

  15 G. Etherington-Smith to E. Peck, 14 July 1965, F037i/r8o559/ DVro5i/2i6.

  16 J. Cable to G. Etherington-Smith, 30 June 1965, FO371/180559/ DV1015/189.

  17 J. Cable, Minute, 29 June 1965., FO371/180559/DV1015/216.

  18 C. Pestell, Minute, 3 January 1966, F0371/180559/DV1015/216.

  19 UK embassy, Saigon, 'Information policy report annexes', undated [May 69], FCO 26/216, PBA10/333.

  20 Letter from Duncanson, British Advisory Mission, to Nguyen dinh Thuan, Le Secretaire d'Etat à la Presidence, IT Jan 1962 DV1015/25, FO 371/166699.

  21 Foreign Office note, 22 October 1961, FO371/160115/DV1015/151; H. Hohler to J. Russell, 29 April 1961, FO371/160119/DV1015/49; H. Hohlerto E. Peck, 15 February 1962, FO371/166700/DV1015/49.

  7 ''Humanitarian intervention': The fraudulent pretext

  1 See Web of Deceit, Chapter 12.

  2 Jack Straw, 'A dynamic and ambitious approach to foreign policy', 11 June 2003. www.fco.gov.uk.

  3 House of Commons, Hansard, 20 October 1999, Col. 599.

  4 Human Rights Watch letter to Tony Blair, 5 February 2002; David Keen, 'Blair's good guys in Sierra Leone', Guardian, 7 November

  200I.

  5 Ewen Macaskill and Richard Norton-Taylor, 'Flawed evidence led to "mission creep"', Guardian, 16 May 2000.

  6 House of Commons, Hansard, 6 April 2000, Col. 564; House of Commons, Hansard, 1 February 2000, Col. 525; Amnesty International, Annual Report 1999, Zimbabwe chapter.

  7 House of Commons, Hansard, 3 May 2000, Cols. 149–57.

  8 HRW, 'Fast track land, reform in Zimbabwe', March 2002.

  9 Ibid.

  1O Chris McGreal, 'The trail from Lancaster House', Guardian, 16

  January 2002.

  11 HRW, 'Fast track land reform in Zimbabwe'.

  12 Chris Talbot, 'Crisis in Zimbabwe: British military force poised to intervene', 1 May 2000, www.wsws.org.

  13 House of Commons. Hansard, 3 May 2000, Col. 157.

  8 From the horse's mouth: Wliitehall's real goals

  1 Foreign Secretary, 'Priorities in our foreign policy', July 1970, FCO49/303.

  2 Permanent Under-Secretary's Steering Committee, 'British foreign policy: Brief by the Foreign Office', 26 January 1968, FCO49/13.

  3 Cabinet Office, Steering Committee, 'British obligations overseas', 14 April 1958, T234/768; Interdepartmental Group on oil policy. Background paper on oil, 11 October 1968, FCO67/198.

  4 FCO, 'The British interest in oil', March 1967, FCO54/77.

  5 Guidance and Information Policy Department, Background paper No. 5, 'Expropriation of UK property in developing countries', 3 November 1970, FCO65/565.

  6 Permanent Under-Secretary's Steering Committee, "British foreign policy: Brief by the Foreign Office'. 26 January 1968, FCO49/13.

  7 Permanent Under-Secretary's Steering Committee, "The basic assumptions', 20 October 1968, FCO49/23.

  8 FO, 'Future policy: Review by the Foreign Office', January 1958, FO371/135623; Permanent Under-Secretary's Steering Committee, 'British foreign policy: Brief by the Foreign Office', 26 January 1968, FCO49/13.

  9 The Great Deception, pp. 72–3.

  10 FO, 'Future policy: Review by the Foreign Office', January 1958, FO371/135623.

  11 FCO Planning Staff, 'Non-military means of influence in the Persian Gulf, SE Asia and Australasia', August 1968, FCO49/19.

  12 The Great Deception, p. 18.

  13 FCO, 'Future policy: Summary of memorandum by Colonial Office', February 1958, FO371/135624.

  14 Cabinet Office, 'Future policy study 1960–1970', January 1960, CAB21/3847.

  15 Ibid.

  16 Introductory paper on the Middle East by the UK, 1947, FRUS, Vol. V, p. 569,1947; O. Wright to PM, 8 April 1964, PREM 11/4679

  17 Cabinet Office, Steering Committee, 'British overseas obligations', 14 April 1958, T234/768.

  18 JIC, 'Outlook for Iran during the next twelve months', 31 August 1961, CAB 158/42.

  19 See Web of Deceit, Chapter 16; FO, 'Regional studies', September 1964, FCO49/302; FO, 'Future policy: Review by the Foreign Office', January 1958, FO371/135623.

  20 FO, 'Regional studies', September 1964, FCO49/302; Cabinet Office, 'Future policy study 1960–1970', Note by the Joint Secretaries, 14 October 1959, CAB21/3844.

  21 Cabinet, Defence and Overseas Policy Committee, 'Future policy in Africa', October 1967, FCO46/90.

  22 The Great Deception, p. 70.

  23 FO, 'Future policy: Review by the Foreign Office', January 1958, FO371/135623.

  24 FCO Draft paper, 'British foreign policy for the next three years', 9 January 1968, PREM13/2636.

  25 A. Balfour to E. Bevin, 9 August 1945, Documents on British Foreign Policy, Series I, Vol. Ill, p. 17.

  26 The Great Deception, p. 18.

  27 Cabinet Office, 'Future policy study 1960–1970', January 1960, CAB21/3847; FO, 'Regional studies', September 1964, FCO49/302.

  28 Cabinet Office, Steering Committee, 'British overseas obligations', 14 April 1958, T234/768.

  29 The Great Deception, p. 119.

  30 The Great Deception, p. 71.

  31 Memoranda of conversation, 14 May 1965 and 27 January 1966,

  FRUS, Vol. XII, Documents 242 and 255, www.state.gov; Attachment to M. Bundy to L. Johnson, 10 September 1965, ibid, Document 250.

  32 FO, 'Future policy: Review by the Foreign Office', FO371/135623.

  33 FCO draft paper, 'Longer-term elements in Anglo/US relations', August 1968, FC049/55;B.TrendtoPM, 'Foreign policy', 26 February 1968; FCO Planning Staff, 'Non-military means of influence in the Persian Gulf, SE Asia and Australasia', August 1968, FCO49/19,

  34 FCO, 'Relations between UK/US and Europe/US after enlargement', February 1972, FCO49/407.

  35 G. Ball to L Johnson, 22 July 1966, in FRUS, Vol. XII, document 264, www.state.gov,

  36 Foreign Secretary to UK ambassadors, 2 April 1968, FCO49/23.

  37 Cabinet Office, Steering Committee, 'British overseas obligations', 14 April 1958, T234/768.

  38 National Intelligence Estimate, 24 June 1964, FRUS, Vol. XXI, Document 60, www.state.gov; State Department, 'US policy in the Middle East', 19 July 1968, FRUS, Vol. XXI, Document 30; JIC, 'Nasser's achievements, aims and future policies', 11 June 1959, CAB158/35.

  39 FO, 'Future policy: Review by the Foreign Office', January 1958, FO371/135623.

  40 Cabinet Office, 'Future policy study 1960–1970', January 1960, CAB21/3847.

  41 JIC, 'Cuban developments and their impact on the Caribbean', 2 June 1961, CAB158/32.

  42 JIC, The outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean', T8 July 1963, CAB158/49.

  43 JIC, 'Cuba', 15 May 1970, CAB1
86/6.

  44 The Great Deception, pp. 70,128.

  9 Friendly terrorists: New Labour's key allies

  1 'Human costs of war mount', Chechnya Weekly, 1 May 2003; HRW, 'Human rights situation in Chechnya', 7 April 2003.

  2 HRW, 'Russia: abuses spread beyond Chechnya', 16 July 2003.

  3 Web of Deceit, pp. 163,136,171.

  4 House of Commons, Hansard, 13 June 2003, Col. J149, emphasis added; HRW, 'Inconsistent Blair urged to speak out on Chechnya', 20 June 2003; 'Press conference with the prime minister and President Putin', 26 June 2003, www.pm.gov.uk.

  5 Nick Paton Walsh and Ewen MacaskilL 'Putin's brief encounter with Blair seen as snub'. Guardian, 20 June 2003; House of Commons, Hansard, 10 September 2003, Col. 357; House of Commons, Hansard, 19 January 2004, Col. 966.

  6 HRW, inconsistent Blair urged to speak out on Chechnya', 20 June 2003; 'Diplomaticgains for Moscow', Chechnya: Weekly, 5 June 2003.

  7 Anna Neistat, HRW, 'What Mr Blair should say to the Russian president'. Independent, 26 June 2003.

  8 Web of Deceit, p. 174; 'Secret police caught red-handed', Chechnya Weekly, 27 March 2003.

  9 HRW, 'Russian Federation/Chechnya: Briefing to the 60th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights', January 2004.

  1O House of Commons, Hansard, 12 January 2004. Col. 525.

  11 'Looking to the other way', Guardian, 2 October 2003.

  12 Martin Hodgson, innocent catch flak, in dirty war', Guardian, 19 April 2000.

  13 Doug Stokes, 'Colombia primer', Znet, 16 April 2002.

  14 House of Lords, Hansard, 15 October 1997, Col. 540; House of Commons, Hansard, 24 November 1999, Col. 115 and 18 January 2000, Col. 675.

  15 Robin, Kirk, 'Colombia and the "war" on terror: Rhetoric and reality'. The World Today, March 2004, www.hrw.org

  16 House of Commons, Hansard, 23 March 2004, Col. 239.

  17 Isabel Hilton, Terror as usual', Guardian. 23 September 2003.

  18 Bill Rammell, international community confirms support for Colombia at London meeting', 10 July 2003, www.fco.gov.uk.

  19 Andy Higginbottorn, 'Blair hands blank cheque to Uribe', undated, www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk; Bill Rammell, 'Building peace, security and prosperity in Colombia', 30 July 2003, www.fco.gov.uk.

  20 David Pallister, Sibylla Brodzinsky and Owen Bowcott, 'Secret aid poured into Colombian drug war', Guardian, 9 July 2003.

  21 Owen Bowcott and Rob Evans, 'MoD reveals aid to Colombian army'. Guardian, 2 September 2003.

  22 David Rhys-Jones, 'What's going on with Mo Mowlam', undated, www.colombiasolidarity.org.

  23House of Lords, Hansard, 15 October 1997, Col. 538; Bill Rammell, 'Building peace . . .'

  24 Andy Higginbottom, 'BP – Blair's partner – and imperial power', undated, and 'BP and the US-Colombia business partnership', undated, www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk.

  25 Michael Gillard, 'BP sacks security chief and 'BP hands "tarred in pipeline dirty war"', Guardian, 17 October 1998.

  26 Peter Hansen, 'Hungry in Gaza', Guardian, 5 March 2003; Interna- tional Development Committee, Second report. Session 2003/2004, 15 January 2004, para. 6.

  27 Memorandum from the Foreign Office to the Foreign Affairs Committee report into the foreign policy aspects of the war against terrorism, 28 January 2003, www.publications.parliament.uk.

  28 House of Commons, Hansard, 3 June 2003, Col. 35.

  29 House of Commons, Hansard, 10 February 2003, Col. 582; Rob Evans and David Hencke, 'Defence sales "hit by curbs on Israel"', Guardian, 29 July 2003; Richard Norton-Taylor, 'Arms sales to Israel breach guidelines', Guardian, 5 November 2003.

  30 See, e.g., Jocelyn Hurndall, 'Rafah in miniature', Guardian, 20 October 2003.

  31 Chris McGreal, 'Sharon's ally safe from arrest in Britain'. Guardian, 11 February 2002.

  32 House of Commons, Hansard, 19 November 2003.

  33 House of Lords, Hansard, 5 January 2004, Col. 4; Ewen Macaskill, 'Britain opposes international court review of security fence", Guardian, 30 January 2004.

  34Julian Borger, 'US in muted call for restraint while France and Germany condemn raid', Guardian, 6 October 2003.

  35 Stephen Zunes, 'Undermining peace and law', Znet, 17 April 2004, www.znet.org; Press conference, 16 April 2004, www.pm.gov.uk; Nicholas Watt and Suzanne Goldenberg, 'Spurned Blair in plea to Bush', Guardian, iG April 2004.

  36 House of Commons, Hansard, 6 February 2003, Col. 392.

  37 House of Commons, Hansard, 2 February 2004, Col. 678; Ian Black, 'UK. leads push for EU crackdown on Hamas', Guardian, 27 August 2003,

  38 Chris McGreal, '"We're air force pilots, not mafia. We don't take revenge"', Guardian, 3 December 2003.

  39 FCO report, 'Future British policy toward the. Arab/Israel Dispute', 14 September 1970, FCO 49/295.

  40 JIC, 'British economic interests in Israel and the Arab world', 28 November 1969, CAB 188/5.

  41 HRW, 'Nepal: Briefing to the 60th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights', January 2004.

  42 'Nepal's war against terror', CAAT magazine, November 2002, www.caat.org.uk; David Hencke, 'Peace fund used, to buy military planes', Guardian, 23 January 2003.

  43 'Britain welcomes progress in Nepal ceasefire talks', 13 June 2003, www.ukindia.org; House of Commons, Hansard, 3 June 2003, Col. 35.

  44 Helena Smith, 'Suicide bombers are buried in Turkey's breeding ground of extremism', Guardian, 27 November 2003.

  45 Nick Hopkins and Rosie Cowan, 'Scandal of Ulster's secret war', Guardian, 17 April 2003; Angelique Chrisafis, 'Loyalist bombers "helped by British"', Guardian, 10 December 2003.

  10 Nigerians; War for oil

  1 Oronto Douglas. Von Kemedi, Ike Okonta and Michael Watts, 'Alienation and militancy in. the Niger Delta', Foreign Policy in Focus, July 2003, www.fpif.org.

  2 HRW, The Warri crisis: Fuelling violence, December 2003.

  3 HRW, Letter to President Obasanjo, 3 July 2003.

  4 Douglas et al., 'Alienation and militancy'; HRW, Letter to Obasanjo.

  5 House of Commons. Hansard, 3 June 2003, Col. 35; HRW letter to Tony Blair, 5 February 2002.

  6 Tony Blair, 'Nigeria needs to succeed if Africa is to succeed', speech, 7 February 2002, www.britainusa.com.

  7 HRW, 'UK turns a blind eye to electoral violence in Nigeria', 2 May 2003; HRW, Letter to Jack Straw, 2 May 2003.