Monbiot and Galloway on London Bombings

by iosaf Sat Jul 09, 2005 16:48

that Galloway was elected as MP for Bethnal Green, London on the 5th of May 2005, after being portrayed as a "iraqi and muslim friendly voice" during his "slight" rebellion as MP for Glasgow which led to his expulsion from the party on a majority of 823 votes.
this election was expected to assist the penetration of islamic fundamentalism in the east of London, bethnal green is a short walk from one of this week's bomb sites, and give those people "political expression". He wasn't the only "anti-war" candidate the Liberal party campaigned against the occupation in their manifesto, and with 23% of the vote registered the popular sentiment.

For many Galloway was and is a stooge, who's worth was then tested by becoming the first MP to face a senate hearing (which delighted many but not all in teh anti-war / pacifist groups) in the usa.
There was no "troubles" equivalent, there was no "irish" voice in parliament for london during the 70s and 80s, many on the right attempted to portray Livingstone (then leader of the GLC) and his "old labour" circle as such, for supporting dialogue with irish republicanism and sheltering the irish london population at that time. But no direct comparisons can be made (as are now being made on the right) with those years, the groups who have attacked Europe are not calling for dialogue, are not engaged in a political process, by examining the "unilateral treaty" proposals of "osama bin laden" to Europe in teh last years (which are given "half credibility") we see that complete withdrawl (economic, military and cultural and from the muslim world, [and israel] _not just iraq and afghanistan_, has been the only "demands" made for a "total cessation". There are many who mistakenly believe that the terrorist threat or attack on europe began with the Iraq war, it did not. There are many who believe it was made worse by the Iraq war, that is a moot point. There are many who believe that europe and "the west" have only been attacked a few times, with easy to remember dates and sordid divisive political stories attached to each, that is not true.
An escalation in terrorist activity which found common training and funding mechanisms and ""fluid organisation" in the borderlands of afghanistan and pakistan and other areas of mid-asia (with high opium production) was first noted five years ago.
The war on Iraq was illegal. It was a mistake on the geo-political stage, and has led to great suffering for the Iraqi people, we naturally demand a civil society for the Iraqi and Kurdish peoples and have done so a long time. But please let no-one think, that the bombs in madrid or london were "just about iraq". Because if you do, you seriously and gravely underestimate the threat to europe, and the potential reactionary response.

c/f
his election (and the general UK election)-
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69698
his statement to the US senate and in the comments his complete record in parliament
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69715

and for his political purpose
c/f
"making mr galloway popular"
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=69802

(if mr galloway is to be worthwhile, he has now to do what he was elected to do, give voice to those in his constituency who feel "rationally" or "irrationally" guilty, culpable or post-trauma paranoid for the bombings and how the greater community in london, the uk and the world treat on their ethnic difference. These first statements show him incapable of the sensitivity that requires. He has joined the long list of those wiling to make quick and cheap "iraq" points. The shallowness of such a strategy ought be apparant to all who think on the emotional response patterns which londoners are experiencing. They are in truth not all "stoic" "stiff upper lip" "we are in the blitz" mode.
And pretending such only causes more hurt and abnormality further down the line. It amazes me how so many on the left and right can't just keep silent for a while. )

by kept silent for a while Sat Jul 09, 2005 17:37

you'd be living under a different government.

Maybe you should have used the good offices of indymedia to dissuade the spanish public at the time from assuming once they got the real information on madrid bombings that they were "just about iraq".

by iosaf Sat Jul 09, 2005 18:56

I was, and if I remember correctly first was moblised over 11 million to march "against terror and for the constitution", and then many thousands demanded the government tell the truth, because they were not, in fact they were lying and picketed the offices of the PP till they did.

Blair has not so far been accused of lying has he?

Rather, the british government has put a plan into action which involves emergency response, reduction of surmission, slow official recognition of the "claims" now re-iterated through qatar based al jazeera, and so on. Quite proper.

Aznar instructed all embassies to blame eta "the usual suspect", and street violence saw two deaths added to the carnage as passions flared, and the forces of democracy won. You can check the archives (on side of screen) and go through the whole sordid affair again. If I remember correctly one of the "good editors of the indymedia office" presumed I was an eta sympathiser and supported Aznar. At no stage did I write the bombings were a result of the war on iraq or that withdrawing from iraq would stop the threat.

Mr Aznar now wishes to revisit the whole sordid affair, along with Mr Rajoy and thier allies in europe, taking advantage of the "iraq" war connections which are being made all _so_ hastily.

The first names have been released of suspects, and one of those phoned those who bombed Madrid, and later blew themselves up when they were found. If the PP had won the election "on the basis of blaimng eta" would they have done that?

by mohammad - none Sat Jul 09, 2005 23:15 generous1 at tiscali dot co dot uk 20 Avenue Court, Claybury Broadway Ilford 07986844861

It is not in any book of the world that terrorists or anyone who is involved in this mascre of London Underground is justified.
Unnecessary slaughter of human being who done nothing wrong and were going to make their livelihood were the victims of these barbarians. No word of sorrow can lessen the grief of the families who lost their loved ones. My heart goes with the families of all those who lost their lives and God may give them courage to overcome the pain and grief.
London been a very peaceful city of the world and why London? I hope everything comes back to normal again.

by peace4all Sun Jul 10, 2005 07:14 peace4all at eircom dot net

Everyone knows that it is not muslims or the koran that is at fault here. There are however, those who use the hadith (see URL) to interpret the religions for their own ends. Bin Laden is one such person - a businessman with his own brand and product.

Unite with Muslims for Peace

by Pol Tue Jul 12, 2005 19:42

I think Galloway is being used as some sort of whipping boy. From what I've seen and read about him, he appears to be genuinely interested in futhering democracy in the middle-east. However, judging by his treatment in the UK media, especially on the TV - Newsnight in particular when both Garret club regular Jeremy Paxaman, and Gavin Eisler treated him in a very rude and contemptuous fashion - he is being chosen as a sort of symbol of Liberial-stooge naivety that deserves to be insulted.
I don't think Galloway's RESPECT group are as cynical as people make out. Nor do I believe they are a Trojan Horse for Islamism in Parliament. On the contarary, providing the disenfranchised with a voice is a perfect way to lance the boil of extremism. You could even argue that Republican refusal to operate in any parliament in the 1970's and 1980's fuelled the impotent rage that fed the IRA.
His decision to stand for Bethnall Green, was logical as it was the seat he best stood a chance of winning. Oona King may have been black, Jewish and female, but she was a New Labour mouth-piece as well. That is why she lost. If she had've supported her constituents instead of her party leader, she would have kept the seat.
There is little to suggest Muslims won't support a Jewish MP. Gerald Kaufmann, the MP for Manchester Gorton, was elected into office by an overwhelmingly Muslim community. (I know, I used to live there).
I'm not a fan of parliamentary democracy as I do not believe is is truely democratic, preferring grassroots democracy above the 4-year X-marks-the-spot charade. But as Galloway does offer the anti-war movement a coherant voice on the world stage, he deserves support rather than insults from those of us who oppose war, even if we don't support RESPECT.

by Dave Tue Jul 12, 2005 20:06

Yeah whatever cock-ups Galloway may have made in the past, as far as I'm concerned his heroic display in Washington has redeemed him! Nobody's perfect but he's done alot of good and is obviously a principled guy.

by newspaper critic Wed Jul 13, 2005 08:21

Well, no .... ahem ... at least not on this one.

At least he didn't attempt to pin it on the Continuity IRA or similar Republican splinter group.

by 32 WATCH Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:55

According to their website their people are heavily involved with muslim extremists in the UK setting up a support network for Islamo facist detainees . An Al Quada frontman posts regular news reports from Iraq rejoicing in Al Quadas exploits too . The 32csm / RIRA were the last group of terrorists to bomb London and even Birmingham before this group of their Al Quada fellow travellers . Some of the posts on the groups website are clearly in support of Al Quada . They could easily have supplied the bombs.

by Anthony Wed Jul 13, 2005 13:15

But so far, there's zero evidence that the armed wing of the 32CSM had any involvement in this apalling attack on Londoners. I'd be surprised if such evidence does emerge.