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three I
welcome to Sputnik orbiting the world
with me George Galloway and me gri that
champion of other people's freedom
President Barack Obama whose regime is
currently gunning down its own people
especially if they're black ran for
office with a pledge to shut down
Guantanamo Bay the United States own
Gulag in an occupied corner of Cuba six
years on it's still there and being EXP
expanded at Great public expense
widespread torture physical and
psychological Force feeding a legal
black hole GMO is a spot which will not
out for the land of the free home of the
brave for Obama it will be yet another
sign of a presidency which sank in
disgrace Shaker Amar is the last British
hostage held by our closest Ally in the
cages of Guantanamo even though the
British government has demanded his
release and consecutive us governments
have ConEd that he has no case to answer
and yet 12 years and 9 months later he's
still there we're joined today by two
remarkable campaigners fighting for him
to come home before he dies at the hands
of President Obama Joan McKinnis and
Andy wton welcome to the Sputnik but
before I talk to you let's see what
happened when gatri talked to some
rather important members of the public
outside Parliament this week oh
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oh it's so outrageous that sha amama has
been in Guantanamo Bay for over 12 years
without charge or trial that is
completely against the principles of
Justice even George Bush cleared Shaker
for release yet the British government
and the American government today have
failed to get him freed is in his
testimony he he he spoke um long and
passionately about how he was locked in
rooms in the Middle East with people
from
MI5 uh if not beating him over the head
with baseball bats themselves but
witnessing it and writing it down and
making certain that you know that he was
severely tortured
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I suspect the real reason he hasn't been
released is because the British and
American authorities are afraid that if
he does get free he'll reveal the high
level collusion uh of the British
Security Services um with various you
know unknown things that they don't want
the world to know so there is a
complicity in the secret Services of the
United Kingdom which they don't want to
they do not want him to be able to speak
about when he's free and believe you me
he
will I've you know I've read this guy's
letter you only have to read the letter
to know what is he's got the Heart of a
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Lion well done you for the star power
you assembled there on that uh protest
uh we'll come to the campaign in a
minute but first of all tell the viewers
what a exactly did shakar Amar do to
deserve all of this well you know he was
in Afghanistan when the uh United States
was rounding people up to puss in
Guantanamo um so you know like many of
the people who were in Afghanistan he
says he was there for humanitarian Aid
um the United States has not presented
anything that looks like evidence to
suggest that that's not the case uh we
launched this on Monday the 24th of
November the 13th anniversary of when he
was apparently captured by bounty
hunters and he ended up being handed
around a bit and was then sold onto the
United States who shipped him with all
these other people to Guantanamo where
they said to the world brazenly these
people are the worst of the worst but
actually behind the scenes they had no
idea who they'd mostly bought no it's
amazing that even George Bush cleared
him for release but he's still here uh
in Guantanamo six years into Barack
Obama's presidency how does that happen
well that of course is the key question
George why why is that the case
um he was approved for for release out
the prison as you say by a military
review board under President Bush or
actually he was told that they didn't
want to hold him there isn't paperwork
for that but there are the documents
under President Obama who had a
comprehensive review of all the
prisoners he'd inherited from George W
bush um in which he is one of the
prisoners that they don't want to carry
on holding so he's still there now in
the majority of the cases of prisoners
you know Barack Obama has been up in a
battle against Congress Congress has
raised all kinds of obstacles to the
release of prisoners generally saying to
him we don't trust the kind of home
countries that these guys are from we
don't think you should be sending them
back and throughout all of this George
you know they can't make a case about
the United Kingdom being a dangerous
country to send somebody back to clearly
their closest Ally would be able to
monitor Shaka armor should that be the
case so it's it's inexplicable there
must be some reason some other reason
Joan I said in the introduction that the
British government was demanding his
released but they can't be demanding it
very loudly or very forcefully because
David Cameron would just need to pick up
the phone and say on the phone bring him
home it just just why not and they if
you write to the foreign office you
write that they say oh he's cleared for
release um we're doing everything we can
but how can that be possible how can
self-evidently not true because Britain
is the so-called closest Ally if it
really was damaging relations between
Britain and the United States the US
would send him back he's been cleared
for release uh he's one guy he would be
being sent to a country as Andy says
that where he would certainly be
monitored
247 so what is the local Member of
Parliament tell you how hard are they
trying well my local Member of
Parliament has um is Andy Slaughter and
he stood with our giant inflatable that
we had made for our campaign called we
Stan mashaka so he's actually um been
quite proactive what about Shaker's MP
Jane Ellison well she's uh a minister so
her line is that she can't as a minister
stand yeah I mean she was you know she
was making representations on shaka's
behalf and then she's now been coopted
into the government so that's kind of
removed the ability to do that but I
think George it's at the it's at the
highest level I mean really this is this
is something for David Cameron to deal
with um and and the excuses when you
when you look at it obviously we know
shakar armor is an eloquent man who
knows a lot about things that have
happened what's his background what was
he he W he well he came to Britain in
the '90s he's got a British wife British
kids I believe that he was working on
translation stuff legal documents he's
always been somebody that people have
said went out of his way to help other
people you know that's that's why he was
in Afghanistan but he he knows a lot so
we understand that it would be
embarrassing for him to be released but
both the British and the American
governments have proved very Adept over
all these years of the war on terror of
not being held accountable in any
courtroom for what they've been doing so
it's a question of embarrass they've
made a judicious use of uh hush money to
a variety of people around the world in
this country in in the States President
Obama has you know has made sure that
that that no alleged V torture victim
has got anywhere near a courtroom um but
you know with with with Shaka armor you
you we just we end up hitting this brick
wall where no one they bounce it from
one side to another the British are
particularly good at bouncing it back
and saying this is the Americans problem
now what what we think and I I don't
think this is very clear publicly but
what's been discussed over the years and
Shaka spoke about it years ago um if he
could be sent back to Saudi Arabia which
is what which is what it appears the the
United States wants to do then he
wouldn't be able to talk now you know it
may very well be George that the United
Kingdom government would be quite happy
for that to happen should that be
possible but the thing that I think we
have an obligation to do in Britain is
to say you can't do that no he was he
was a British resident he has a British
wife and British children how are they
standing up to 12 years n months
apparently not so well um they don't get
involved very much with the campaign
they're trying to live their lives but
his youngest child is never met his
youngest child was born on the day that
uh Shaka was sent to Guantanamo so tell
us about this campaign we've got this
for now which I'll show you this is our
we stand with Shaka
campaign and what we're asking we've
asked all sorts of um MPS George and and
many others representing all the parties
to stand with this inflatable for um we
stand with shacker campaign I've done it
already yeah you've done it we've got a
great picture and we've tweeted you and
that went well so we're tweeting we're
putting these pictures on Facebook and
journalists and actors and comedians
people who have a profile who who are
prepared to stand go light on the MPS
and heavy are on well with the election
coming up we're really urging people and
we're going to take pictures of
candidates who are running so make it
you know have you stood with Shaker so
considering he's been incarcerated for
12 years under severe torture are people
surprised to see him smiling on on that
giant inflatable yeah the reason he
smiles is because uh in his two pictures
is there just two since he's been in
guantan he smiles in both of them for
the sake of his children and family he
doesn't want to look you know just he's
got a and I think I think it shows his
resilience as well I mean this is a man
who hasn't who well Roger Waters
described him as having the Heart of a
Lion which may be the clue to why he's
not uh yet back because you know we
shouldn't underestimate also that you
know that he's very ill in a lot of ways
his lawyers managed to get a judge last
year to order the government to allow an
independent um medical expert to examine
him um and you know he has a list of of
of physical and mental ailment is he
alone is he in solitary yeah as far as I
understand George he spends most of his
time in solitary they they they they
don't allow out prisoners like Shaker
who when they're allowed to mix with the
other well- behaved prisoners start
agitating for the prisoner's rights he's
not the only one he's certainly the most
high profile one there have been
790 or so uh inmates there are now what
10 142 now 142 73 of which the US
government has said they they don't wish
to hold anymore yeah one of whom is
Shaka yeah so what's the prospects
what's your realistic expectation and
how can viewers of Sputnik help your
campaign well well certainly you know
come come and visit our website and um
and follow the the links that we have to
write to our leaders in the UK to write
to the American government send in
photos in support of us holding up signs
that say I stand with Shaka or we stand
with Shaka and let's try and build this
up into a very very big big public
campaign those are the things that we
can do I think you know I think we need
to take heart in some ways because
President Obama made this bold promise
then failed to keep it that he was going
to close Guantanamo within a year he's
now got two years left and he knows that
his legacy you know is going to be
tainted by a failed promise there are
clearly people in his administration who
don't care about gu Guantanamo there are
other people in his administration who
say we need to deal with this for the
reasons that he always says when he
talks about it publicly that it's
dangerous for the United States as well
as sh ful so he's he's been releasing
quite a few prisoners at the moment
George and one of the things that was
noticeable is that a Yemen and a
Tunisian who couldn't be returned home
negotiations took place they found a new
home for these guys in a European
country
Slovakia that rather sharpens the sense
of Injustice about Shaka Armor's case
that it really if if if prisoners are
going to be found new homes in European
countries what about the far easier job
of the British government sending a
plane David Cameron sending a plane to
guantan and saying while you're at it
let's have our guy back yeah let's have
him back for his birthday December 21st
yes let's do that that might be a tall
order uh but uh certainly in an election
year yeah we really got to push hard
we've got to push we've got to do it we
need everybody's support for this well
you got Roger Waters of Pink Floyd
that's uh some doing you must be great
campaigners I must say coming up after
the break Tony Blair
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welcome back to Sputnik Tony Blair who
some say is responsible for the death
and mutilation of more children than any
British ruler in history and that would
be saying something was last week on
International Children's Day given a
global Legacy award by the save the
children charity yes you have that right
as many of you know we are making the
major crowd fund the documentary The
Killing of ton Blair drawing a Finishing
Line however is proving difficult for
the movie because for his critics Blair
is a gift which keeps on giving the
award May well ruin the once widely
admired save the children fund their
staff around the world are in open
revolt and 100,000 people and Rising
have signed the petition demanding the
resending of the award and many are now
calling for the sacking of the man many
feel must be responsible for this
grotesque blunder former Blair adviser
now one of the chiefs of save the
children Justin fory to discuss how we
can keep up with the crimes and
misdemeanors of Tony Blair we're joined
by James Randolph associate producer of
the film The Killing of Tony Blair James
thanks for coming on board we'll talk
about Blair and the film in a minute but
this is a Gerald Ratner moment for Save
the Children Gerald Ratner who once
owned a chain of down Market Jewelers uh
by admitting in public on film that what
he was selling
was he ruined his entire business and
it's no more it's an ex Jeweler uh why
would save the children fund widely
admired with royal patronage princess an
multi multi-million pound uh
organization take such a terrifying risk
as honoring Tony
Blair it beg his belief George um this
is an absolutely utterly crazy moment
for an organization is respected to save
the children um looking closely at the
makeup of their board and of their
trustees it doesn't really take a lot of
detective work to work no you don't need
to be Sherlock Holmes the the uh Justin
forite is one and Jonathan Powell is on
the management uh board I could see why
they'd want to honor Blair with chilcot
coming up but they're the very people
who must have known how controversial
such a move uh would be how did they
persuade the others to go along with it
well there's two ways of looking at this
um Blair has the The Sword of Damocles
with chilot hanging over him he knows
that he's read the report he knows what
sort of damage that he's in for it could
be that he's calling in favors with
friends it really could be just as
simple as that he's had the GQ Magazine
earlier this this year nomin
humanitarian of the year it's
Preposterous absolutely Preposterous you
couldn't make this stuff up no and that
again was a bit incestuous wasn't it
because Alistar Campbell his chief spin
doctor had been editing GQ he he'd been
their star writer their star interviewer
everyone that any any has any
associations with GQ goes to aliser
Campbell aliser Campbell conveniently
has his best friend as a humanitarian of
the year which is just absolutely
ridiculous I mean it but these people
are supposed to be Wizards uh on the old
spin doctoring this has actually uh been
a disaster for Blair because uh by being
given this award and the backlash being
so uh shattering potentially I'm not
joking potentially terminal for Save the
Children sorry for all the people who
work there and all the good work that
they've done but this is possibly
terminal and if that happens that's
another crime that will be added to
Blair's charge sheet well Blair has uh
has pulled in every favor he can um four
of the eight directors the senior
management team of save the children are
former government stroke new labor
stroke Blair acquaintances and friends
as you say Jonathan Powell his former
Chief of Staff is the is Is On The Board
of Trustees to all intents and purposes
this is a new labor takeover of a much
respected long established organization
which they've compromised moving on from
the Save the Children which is only the
latest of many um scandals erupting
around Blair the one a couple of weeks
ago seems to me potentially one of the
most damaging in the post Prime
ministerial era was revealed in the
Sunday Times Not only was he receiving
more than £440,000 a month as a retainer
from a Saudi Arabian oil company with a
2% commission rate uh Landing him on one
deal alone potentially 20 million in
commission uh but that the
contract said that almost to the point
of swearing upon death no one must ever
know that I Tony Blair am working for
you Mr Saudi Arabian Oil Company son of
the Saudi king um this is in the film
that we're all making together but it
illustrates the point gatri made that
it's difficult to keep up with all this
I mean you could have we could have
finished the film uh a month ago and
missed the Sunday Times and the save the
children uh Scandal if we finish it now
we might miss another few yeah this is
like the biotapestry um it just keep
going on and on and on and it's
difficult to know where to to have a cut
off point because um well BL keeps
digging himself holes he has um he's
obviously incurred the wrath of Mr
Murdoch who who Sunday Times broke this
and I think it was in the Australian in
Australia as well one of another Murdoch
paper I wonder what Mr Murdoch has
against Mr Blair perhaps we shouldn't
stray into personal matters keep the
under the bed clothes uh but uh he he is
in uh seriously big trouble let's talk
about chilcott chilot has labored in
this Vineyard now for how many years how
long have they been inquiring it's been
years for since well yes it's cost in
the region of 134 million P it's been
going on far too long it's been held
over and held over and held over for
political considerations rather than
anything of open governance I think it's
uh 7 years but it can be held over any
longer because otherwise they won't be
able to release it before the election
and that would be that would be an even
bigger scandal yeah uh they can't
release it in the weeks even months just
before the election that seems to me to
indicate a release of Before Christmas
how bad do you think it's going to
be well bearing in mind that Blair is
aware of the contents it the timing of
these
Awards it does look suspect just with an
impartial eye it look suspect
um he's got the serious Fraud Office
investigation the Scandal over that
which has been sidelined um the into the
alamam oil deal which throws up the
questions over the uh Saudi contract and
the need for absolute discretion
security and secrecy that he's demanded
within his contract uh you have to you
have to look at the potential for an
explosion for new labor at the election
not just Blair of course I mean Jack
straw unexpectedly announced he was
standing down yeah uh I understand he's
quite firmly in the frame for severe
criticism even uh condemnation I mean
let's face it I don't want labor to lose
the election mhm but this was a labor
crime this was a labor War MH uh which
has never been atoned for I mean that's
the problem isn't it they're still
running around with Campbell and Blair
well Campbell Blair and let's not forget
Miland another charitable worker on
£300,000 a year in New York City which
is ideally out of the the damage Zone as
far as uh Blair and straw and the other
culpable parties are are concerned but
we we've really got to look at the um
from 10 years ago this is this is a
clear view a clear break and millerand
hasn't made that break he will have to
do so if he's to win back any public
confidence in new labor as a result of
the chil cot report which you know as
you say it really should be out before
Christmas with a view to to the
political considerations of the general
election which we know is going to take
place in 2015 now you're the producer of
the of the film James is toiling away in
the vineyard of the Blair dock how's it
going when's it coming out well as we
discussed earlier on there seems to be
no end to all the gifts that Tony Blair
is giving us actually more of a hche to
our team but we are wrapping up and we
are expecting the release of the film
very soon in 2015 in the early months of
2015
to give it some time prior to the
general elections James what have been
the I mean without giving away the uh
the contents has any of the work you've
done surprised you the level of Blair's
deceit uh the level of his um betrayal
of the labor party and its values and
its
history and the level of the aest will
self says in the film I I'll m
I am staggered at the avarice shown by
Tony Blair that's the bit that shocked
me because I saw all the rest I saw him
betraying the labor party killing it I
saw him killing the Afghans and the
Iraqis what I didn't see and no one
really has seen until this film comes
out is the level of the avarest James
thanks very much for joining us on board
the Sputnik and get this film out
quickly won't you
and now it's your turn to tell us what
you think through the portals of social
media watch's rattling G Tre well you
see many people don't understand why
shakar armor is still in Guantanamo Bay
but I'm sure this interview will have
enlightened most shran however
makes the point that if he wasn't a
terrorist before he sure has a reason
now anyone would hate the US for doing
this quite so uh it's entirely
counterproductive it's destroyed their
reputation uh they had a reputation left
to defend they can no longer defend it
it has radicalized a whole generation of
Muslims around the world it's one of the
factors which have radicalized them they
go looking for people to ban or
proscribe but actually the knowledge
that hundreds of Muslims have been
locked up for 12 years and more that
would make anybody radical yeah well on
Tony Blair well social media has been
full with with outrage of course so I'm
just picking up a number of them alen
Swanson says proce money can buy
anything and West Stan Jim says
unbelievable surely it must rank as one
of the biggest blunders in PR history
yeah it's a Ratner moment I I cannot
think of any non-government organization
any organization dependent on the
Public's Goodwill that has ever made a
bigger mistake than save the children
have made in this case well that's all
that we have for this week which alas
means that's the end of the show please
keep in touch with us on Twitter rtor
Sputnik and on Facebook you can like us
on Sputnik on Russia today it's goodbye
from me G and from me George Galloway
it's been marvelous
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