I have no vendetta against the army, or the armed forces. My problem is that I think that there had come to pass a time when the soldiers really should have refused orders. That time was in Iraq, with extra-ordinary rendition, with enhanced interrogation techniques, Guantalamo Bay, with our soldiers working in Baghdad under the orders of the Americans, who knew that to follow orders could possibly result in charges of committing acts in cotravention of American law. So, they got our guys, and the Australians, to detain people who were then handed over to the Americans or to the Iraqi authorities, where who knows what happened to them.
It does seem that it was and is the case that the ends justify the means. I would say never, should that be the case in England, the ends do not justify the means. It is all about Nurembourg trials and I was following orders. As I have said I am not in the process of conducting a vendetta, I just want justice, not for our side, but the enemy as well. We have done terrible things, the Inquiry into Iraq must be conducted in public, and all the memorandi and agreements must be published, in full. Finally, all evidence must be under oath, and no pleading the fifth amendment, and no national security.
I feel that with the lowering of the terrorist threat in this country the government is being negligent, I thought the war in Afghanistan was all about keeping terror off the streets of Britain, have we won the war then, or is that we are killing our home grown terrorists in Afghanistan.
Vendetta
I have no vendetta against the army, or the armed forces. My problem is that I think that there had come to pass a time when the soldiers really should have refused orders. That time was in Iraq, with extra-ordinary rendition, with enhanced interrogation techniques, Guantalamo Bay, with our soldiers working in Baghdad under the orders of the Americans, who knew that to follow orders could possibly result in charges of committing acts in cotravention of American law. So, they got our guys, and the Australians, to detain people who were then handed over to the Americans or to the Iraqi authorities, where who knows what happened to them.
It does seem that it was and is the case that the ends justify the means. I would say never, should that be the case in England, the ends do not justify the means. It is all about Nurembourg trials and I was following orders. As I have said I am not in the process of conducting a vendetta, I just want justice, not for our side, but the enemy as well. We have done terrible things, the Inquiry into Iraq must be conducted in public, and all the memorandi and agreements must be published, in full. Finally, all evidence must be under oath, and no pleading the fifth amendment, and no national security.
I feel that with the lowering of the terrorist threat in this country the government is being negligent, I thought the war in Afghanistan was all about keeping terror off the streets of Britain, have we won the war then, or is that we are killing our home grown terrorists in Afghanistan.