Man(ning) of the Hour

Firstly let me apologise for my radio silence as of late. I've just moved to London from Somerset, without a job, and moved in with my best friend and her fiancée. So my life has been pretty crazy as of late and I'm sorry to say blogging has taken a bit of a back seat! I'm a bit more settled so I have returned to the blogosphere with gusto! 

Today's topic is Bradley Manning. Considering my blatant support of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange,  it is hardly surprising for you, dear reader, to know that I am quite a fan of the 25 year old military leaker. With Manning conviction this week, I thought it was high time that I dedicated a few words to the man who is, quite frankly, a hero.

After joining the army 2007, Manning was deployed to Iraq where he unhappily spent two years suffering discrimination and bullying at the hands of his fellow soldiers, primarily on account of his homosexuality. Having strong political opinions throughout his life and being an incredibly bright individual, Manning was clearly unsuited to the life of a solider. In 2010, Private Manning downloaded confidential reports and diplomatic cables before passing them on to whistle-blower website, Wikileaks. 

In January 2010 Wikileaks announced they had received an encrypted video showing attacks by American soldiers on unarmed civilians in Baghdad. The 'Collateral Murder' video is a harrowing watch, we see civilians trying to run for cover, attempting to escape from a rain of bullets from above. All collateral damage in the farce known as The War on Terror.

Private Manning's show trial concluded this week and his twenty-two convictions include theft, fraud and espionage. Thankfully, Manning was acquitted of the charge of 'Aiding the enemy', which carries the death sentence. Apart from the fact that the ex-soldier's life will now be spared, it also means that other like-minded whistleblowers will be assured that their life would be spared if they too came forward, although Manning's convictions could carry a sentence of up to 136 years, which could still be a bit of a deterrent...

Ironically, Manning's leaks helped spark the Arab Spring, a series of revolutions across the middle east, widely supported by the Western world, including, America. Whilst some see the whistle-blower as a spy and deserving of his conviction, many believe he is a champion of peace who's conviction is an abomination. Including, one of my person heroes, Julian Assange, who has called his conviction 'a dangerous precedent' that 'represented a dangerous level of national security extremism'.

David Coombs, Manning's defence lawyer, has already spoken to the world's media in response to the conviction (in regards to the quashed aiding the enemy charge) 'he may have won the battle but now we need to go win the war'.  With prolific human rights charity Amnesty International as well as the hundreds of thousands worldwide who have made countless demonstrations in his support, we can only hope that Manning's sentencing is far less extreme than the American Government want to enforce. 

As ever, we can only wait in hope.

Lora.

Why I am glad I emigrated...

Over the years I have adapted quite happily to living in England however, like any emigrant I always feel a longing for the old home country. At, this time of year, however, I am unfailingly glad of my decision to settle elsewhere.

I grew up in a predominantly Catholic part of Belfast and come from a very Republican family. I would like a united Ireland and live in hope that one day this shall happen. Various members of my family were involved in the Troubles and I lost an aunt and uncle in a sectarian assassination in their home in front of their children. My story is not unique and there are many with a similar story both in the Catholic community and in our Protestant counterparts. I grew up in a city were if you crossed a certain line with a certain name you could be beaten or killed, a place of pain and anger, hatred and pride. However, to me that was home and we had a lot of goodness in our lives too, a strong sense of community, identity and pride, that I have yet to encounter in England, parades and festivals celebrating all that we were fighting for. I was relatively shielded from the horrors, thankfully, and my generation is the first to have experienced the Troubles and Peace and having grown up through a peace and equality our parents and grandparents had not known, it was easier for us to befriend people from across the barricades. 

The majority of people in Northern Ireland long for peace and a high percentage of people my age (25) know how difficult it was for our families and just want peace. We don't want to fight each other or carry on adversity, we want to work together and make the place better for everyone. Over the years this shift in perception, as well as more rights for the Catholic community, has meant Belfast has grown into a bustling, trendy metropolis complete with high rises, a new shopping mall and a developed waterfront. Mainly this was able to happen was down to investors feeling more confident in a place and people that wouldn't attempt to blow up anything they built! The whole of NI is undergoing so much change and attracting the tourism this beautiful, culturally rich part of the world deserves.

That being said the July parades, known as the 'marching season' culminating in the inflammatory 12th night bonfire always make me turn away in disgust and anger. Commemorating a failed coup by Catholics against the English landowners in the 17th century, the parades are a way in which members of the Protestant community celebrate all that they represent, namely their loyalty and affiliation to England. The problem with this is that instead of parading in protestant areas, members of the Orange Order insist on inflammatory routes e.g. along a known Catholic road or outside Catholic churches etc. Considering the population is around 50/50 Catholic:Protestant, this is certainly going to rile a lot of people who feel their insistence on this route is simply to cause trouble and demonstrate superiority over their Catholic counterparts. It is unsurprising then that riots break out. Every year. Every single year. 

Bonfires are lit in celebration after the parades and people attend these to revel in their national pride of England and identity. These bonfires, and most marches to be fair, generally go off without a hitch and apart from causing mild annoyance, no harm is done. However, there are those who deliberately want to cause contention and burn tricolours, pictures of prominent Irish politicians etc on the bonfire. Today pictures have been circulating of a hanged effigy which is supposedly a Catholic priest who recently killed himself amidst paedophilia claims. There is no need.

I am pretty moderate in my stance on NI, I really believe that a peaceful society can and will be created in the next few generations, built on a solid foundation of respect and a fatigue of hate. Sadly, this can't happen until people from both sides (I'm not blind to those of my own community's wrongdoings) put down their ancient, bloody swords and think about their children's future. I do not like the parades but I accept they are an integral part of the Protestant community's identity and I am sure they regard the West Belfast Festival and St Patrick's Day parades with equal dislike. Therefore, I don't propose we cut out the parades, simply enforce anti-inflammatory routes, leave Catholic communities out of their celebrations and go about their business in peace. Until this happens, we will never truly have a peaceful Northern Ireland.

Lora

Apologies, I have been advised I made a mistake regarding the priest who killed himself amidst paedophilia claims. The priest had actually been suffering from depression for sometime and it was for this reason that he committed suicide.

South American Saviours

Joy unabounded! On Friday and Saturday, Venezuela and Bolivia announced, in no uncertain terms, they would both accept Edward Snowden, scourge of America and hero to the masses, into their respective countries and grant him asylum. Nicaragua joined her South American Counterparts as the President announced said he too would be willing to grant Snowden political asylum if circumstances permit. Which does sound a bit like hedging their bets... still it's a heck of a lot more than a lot of other countries have offered.

Venezuela seems to be the most likely option for the former Intelligence Contractor, as Alexei Pushkov of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) has today tweeted the Latin American country would be the 'last chance' to avoid extradition to the US as he cannot 'live' in the airport. Of course he can't, think of how expensive that would be. It's a good thing Snowden had a $200k a year job before all this, airports are extortionate!

Venezuela has already received an extradition request on the grounds that Snowden "unlawfully released classified information and documents to international media outlets". Whilst the country have an extradition treaty, it does not extend to political crimes and so, thankfully President Nicolas Maduro has been able to reject this request and grant asylum. Quite a sharp contrast to previous Snowden advocate Ecuador... After receiving a "friendly and very cordial phone call" from Vice President Joe Biden, President Rafael Correa rubbed his hands with glee and told everybody that actually he wasn't so sure the whistleblower had done the right thing and he respected the laws of every country. Hmmm.... 

As well as all this happy news, it transpires that Ireland have rejected a US arrest warrant if Snowden passes through the country in transit. Snowden attempted to obtain asylum for the Emerald Isle but unfortunately his request was rejected on the grounds that he had to be on Irish territory (Oh well, I'm from Ireland and as nice as it is, I know I would rather go to Latin America. Our coffee is terrible for starters). 

Raul Castro, President of Cuba, has also publicly condemned the US over their actions involving Snowden and their snooping, and has backed the NSA leaker. However, Castro was somewhat tentative in his support, praising his South American counterparts whilst making no reference to their own asylum request from Snowden and no reference also to whether they would allow him safe transit through the country. Although, my guess is they will let his plane through and whilst they won't outright reject asylum, they will leave it to Snowden to decide between the three offers already on the table.

After Bolivian President Evo Morales' plane was grounded, it is unsurprising the country have offered their aid and with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega giving a positive, if somewhat guarded response, along with Venezuela, it seems our defiant hero has suddenly got a future again. 

The question is, where in the world will be Edward Snowden's new platform and who will give him the megaphone? More importantly, however, what new information are we going to find out when our champion of privacy is granted the safety to reveal more of his secrets...

Lora

Egyptian Eviction

"We'll not just throw him away, we'll kill him." Powerful words spat at the Channel 4 news camera. The jubilation once felt by the Egyptian people over their first democratically elected President, Mohamed Morsi, is long gone as the former premier spends tonight under house arrest having been stripped of his position.  

The stock market is surging and the Egyptians are seeing the benefit with fruit and vegetable prices in the capital having fallen already. It is unsurprising that the Egyptian people are still riding high after the 'carnival' atmosphere of Tahrir Square last night as the military ousted President Morsi. However, it is somewhat strange seeing so much jubilation over the military intervention (with many actually calling it a coup) of politics, particularly considering Egypt was ruled by military oppressors for so many years.

Around 50 people have died, 14 since yesterday, as pro and anti Morsi groups clash on the streets all around the country. The Islamic Brotherhood's headquarters were destroyed and 8 people lost their lives. Morsi came to power a year ago as over 50% of the population voted him into power, and when he took up the presidency he, as promised, stepped down from his position in the Brotherhood. However, people believe Morsi was ruling for the Brotherhood alone which would obviously cause considerable discord throughout the population. So it is unsurprising that the HQ was attacked, it was seen as a focal point, a representation of Morsi oppression and failure.

As an outsider, I do believe Morsi needed more time. Much like Barack Obama, Morsi inherited a failing country and came to power on a wave of expectation, except when every body is counting on you to work wonders with a failing economy and restore your country to it's former wealthy glory, that wave of expectation will drown you. If you build your campaign on great expectations, well, realistically, this can only lead to disappointment. 

Unfortunately for Morsi, he inherited more than most. Democracy is still in an infantile stage in Egypt, and I do not mean that to sound patronising, but it is only a year old. The fact that no Egyptian politician has real  experience of governance in a democratic society is enough of a challenge itself, however, Morsi's government had also to deal with a public geared by the knowledge of their own power.After the Arab Spring a few years ago, the Egyptian public feel they are the ones who truly have power (to be honest, after recent events, it seems like they do). 

Most of the population calling for Morsi to step down seem to be under the impression than democracy means doing exactly what the public wants at any given time. If you do not fulfil every promise, you have to go, someone else can do your job. The problem is, real democracy takes time which is why most democratic countries have 4 year elections, as  it allows the opportunity for the president to lead the country for a respectable amount of time. If the country is still a shambles, well then it's time to elect someone else take the reins. We vote in the party and leader who we believe can really help the country progress, and if the Egyptians cry mutiny after only a year, then how do they ever expect stability to take hold and let the country get back on it's feet? It seems like the dictator of Egypt is, bizarrely, the masses.

With no word yet on an election to find a replacement for the interim president, Adli Mansour, all we can do is wait and hope that this will come sooner rather than later, and that the 'liberating' 'people's army' don't remember how much they liked power before.

Brash Move Against Bolivia...

If we pretend  for a moment, that Edward Snowden was but a principal character in a particularly colourful screenplay, and we pitched the Snowden Saga to a Hollywood studio, we would promptly be turned out on our ear, amidst grumbles of 'too fantastical... try Dreamworks...' The whole story gets more bizarre every day and I apologise if am beginning to bore you with my constant ramblings and opinions on the subject, but it constantly twisting and turning, becoming more and more unbelievable on an almost hourly basis.

Today has shown the level of respect several European countries hold for premiers of South America when Portugal, France, Italy and Spain all denied the Bolivian President, Evo Morales, entry to their airspace before grounding his plane in Austria. Morales was kept 'kidnapped' at an airport in Vienna as his plane was searched and all crew and passengers aboard the presidential plane were interviewed to establish their identities after a tip off that Edward Snowden was aboard the plane. Bolivia has condemned the move as 'an act of aggression' and the Bolivian UN Envoy, Sacha Llorenti, has stated "We are already making procedures to denounce this to the UN secretary General." As well they should.

It seems America will stop at nothing to get their hands on the former NSA information analyst, even going so far as to hunt him down from the skies as the U.S. have already admitted that it has spoken with other countries about airspace and Snowden. The easy compliance of the Southern European countries shows just how much power America is wielding, like a madman armed with a shotgun and a fleet of police cars at the front door. Desperate, and ready to try anything to get what they want.

It is surprising though, given that just two days ago information was released that showed the US was spying on computers and bugging rooms in European embassies in Brussels, New York and Washington, as well as other embassies. Now, this is blatant espionage, there is very little information to be gleaned concerning'The War on Terror' from European embassies in America. However, as soon as a crisis arises, the European states are clambering to do the bidding of the U.S. Strange.

South American countries Venezuela and Bolivia are handling the whole situation pretty well. As it becomes ever more apparent that the Latin-American countries seem to be among the few countries in the world that have any scruples having condemned America, backing Snowden publicly with Venezuelan president Nicholas Morales telling journalists that Snowden 'deserves the world's protection' and Bolivian president Evo Morales telling Russian television that 'Bolivia is ready to accept people who disclose espionage if one can call it this way' well as actually considering his asylum application. I genuinely like these countries more now for their actions than their lack thereof.

Interestingly, despite news emerging today that the Ecuadorian embassy in London had been bugged, the South American country are still putting distance between themselves and Snowden with President Rafael Correa calling the safe passage document issued to Snowden which allowed him to leave Hong Kong 'a mistake'. I still have a lot of respect for Ecuador, however if you are going to  put yourself forward as a paragon of righteousness and morality, even granting asylum to Julian Assange, then it's important to follow this through. Look weak or confused and that is when cracks start to appear in your government.

I'm confident Bolivia and Venezuela have the guts to hold their resolve, show their mettle and demonstrate that famous Latin temperament and continue to defend Edward Snowden and even grant asylum. Hopefully President Morales will be a man worthy of his name.

Lora