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UK Torture Documents Online

BlairWatch is asking bloggers to publish the memos from Craig Murray, Britain's former ambassador to Uzbekistan, detailing how the Uzbek Secret Forces passed intelligence obtained through torture to the U.K. The documents show complicity in Uzbek torture by both the British and US governments.

Britain has an Official Secrets Act, which bloggers there are concerned may be used to prosecute them for revealing the contents of the memos. The more the memos appear on non-UK sites, the less the likelihood that will happen. As to the documents:

The first document is a series of Telegrams that Craig sent to the Foreign Office, outlining his growing concern and disgust at our use of intelligence passed to the UK by the Uzbek security services.

The second document is a copy of legal advice the Foreign Office sought, to see if they were operating within the Law in accepting torture intelligence, and according to Michael Wood the FCO legal adviser; it is fine, as long as it is not used as evidence.

Blairwatch has published the documents in full here, and ask that anyone who can do the same.

Daily Kos has posted the documents, as has Politics in the Zeros. As Markos reminds us:

The US marriage of convenience with Uzebekistan, perhaps the most repressive regime in the world, gives lies to all the bullshit post-WMD justifications for invading Iraq ("evil regime" and all that jazz). Among other atrocities, Uzbekistan boils its dissidents alive. And no, that's not from Amnesty International or other "do-gooder" organization, but from the State Department's 2004 human rights report.

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    Re: UK Torture Documents Online (none / 0) (#1)
    by Dadler on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 05:07:36 PM EST
    This should shame us all. And certainly isn't new news. Uzbhekistan is a place we should've been winning over by example, by being BETTER, not using for thumbscrews and poached dissidents. We are the Kings of ends over means. Or mean ends. Or this means the end. RIP.

    Re: UK Torture Documents Online (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 06:38:54 PM EST
    They tortured kids in front of their parents to gain information. Think about it fellow citizens. Our lives are not worth that. There is no war on terror.

    Re: UK Torture Documents Online (none / 0) (#3)
    by Edger on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 07:10:40 PM EST
    I'm f***ing speechless. I've been sitting here for ten minutes unable to type, and ice cold MAD. The US Government, the f***ing PRESIDENT, effectively, of the free world, not just the US, SANCTIONS this sh*t? You want people in other parts of the world to respect America? You want them to not attack America? You want them to not hate America? You want them to look up to America? Show them an America they can look up to. Bush? You think torture will make them fear you? Think again, if you can. It won't. Just like it would in you, all it will cause in them is burning hatred and anger.

    Re: UK Torture Documents Online (none / 0) (#4)
    by Edger on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 07:25:35 PM EST
    Anybody want to chip in on getting a hot tub for George and Tony as late Xmas gifts?

    Re: UK Torture Documents Online (none / 0) (#5)
    by Edger on Thu Dec 29, 2005 at 07:46:18 PM EST
    Tony, George: Does this crap turn you guys on or something?
    "Ultimately, the purpose of torture is torture," says former CIA interrogator Milton Bearden, in David Rose's book Guantanamo. "The way you do get information from people is through a process that amounts of recruitment, by doing deals." A veteran FBI special agent adds that "more often, he had 'flipped' witnesses by taking pains to build trust and rapport." It would be more honest to market torture as a fun way to hurt people we don't like while getting our collective rocks off. It's certainly not a way to protect America, for even if the government were to beat the one-in-a-billion odds against arresting a terrorist who knew the location of a ticking bomb, they don't employ anyone smart enough to find out before it's too late.
    Boise Weekly - 2 Hours Ago DECEMBER 28, 2005 The Purpose Of Torture Is Torture

    Re: UK Torture Documents Online (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Dec 30, 2005 at 09:58:46 AM EST
    i'm glad you're helping to spread the murray memos around, but what kos writes about uzbek-american relations is wrong as i explained here