Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Thur., Jan. 19, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 1-19-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray
on Why He Defied UK Foreign Office by Posting Classified Memos
Blasting U.S., British Support of Torture by Uzbek Regime
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig
Murray on Why He Defied UK Foreign Office by Posting Classified
Memos Blasting U.S., British Support of Torture by Uzbek Regime
We spend the hour with the former British ambassador to
Uzbekistan, Craig Murray. The British government has stopped
the publication of his book. In a Democracy Now exclusive,
Murray tells why he defied the British Foreign Office by posting
a series of classified memos on his website. Murray was fired
as ambassador to Uzbekistan after he openly criticized the
British and U.S. governments for supporting human rights abuses
under the Uzbek regime. [includes rush
transcript]
A new Human Rights Watch report
examines the state of human rights around the world. On Wednesday
the group released its 2006 annual report which accused the
Bush administration of undermining human rights around the
world by the way its waging the so-called war on terror.
The group also called on Congress to set up an independent
panel and investigate U.S. human rights abuses. These are
excerpts of what Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human
Rights Watch had to say.
Later in the day White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan
responded to the charges.
- Scott McClellan, White House press secretary.
Another country highlighted in the Human Rights Watch report
is Uzbekistan - the former Soviet Republic that sits in Central
Asia north of Afghanistan. The report accuses Uzbekistan of
having a "disastrous human rights record."
Three weeks ago the former British Ambassador to the country,
Craig Murray, defied Britain's Official Secrets Act by posting
a series of classified memos that he wrote from his days in
Uzbekistan, which up until recently was a close U.S. ally.
Fearing that the British government would shut down his website,
Murray encouraged other website owners to republish the material
on their sites. Hundreds have since taken up the call.
In one classified memo from July 2004, Murray wrote, "We
receive intelligence obtained under torture from the Uzbek
intelligence services via the US. We should stop... This is
morally, legally and practically wrong."
A summary of one of Murray's memos read: "U.S. plays
down human rights situation in Uzbekistan. A dangerous policy:
increasing repression combined with poverty will promote Islamic
terrorism." In another secret memo Murray estimated the
Uzbek government was holding up to 10,000 political and religious
prisoners.
One revealing
letter that Murray posts online is from now-indicted Enron
CEO Kenneth Lay to then-Texas governor George W Bush in which
Lay crosses out the words "Governor Bush" and writes
"Dear George." In it, Lay writes he is "delighted"
Bush is meeting with the Uzbek ambassador to the US and tells
Bush of Enron's plans in Uzbekistan.
Perhaps the most damning memo is one that was not written
by Murray but by a British legal advisor named Michael Wood.
In the memo, Wood claims that using information extracted
through torture is not technically a violation of the United
Nations Convention Against Torture.
All of the memos date from between August 2002 and October
2004 - the period when Murray served as British ambassador
to Uzbekistan. He was removed from the post in part because
of his outspoken criticism of Uzbekistan's human rights record.
- Craig Murray, joins us today in his first interview in
the United States since he posted the memos online.
For more information: CraigMurray.co.uk
Link to classified documents
Craig Murray is testifying at the International
Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity
Committed by the Bush Administration.
Link to letter
from Enron CEO Kenneth Lay to George W. Bush
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
