Whilst globetrotting around the world from one despotic regime to another, Tony Blair it seems has taken time out to target CAGE. This, in the same week in which the British Government is passing the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill, which shifts the goalposts of terrorism policy away from “terrorist related activity” to the undefined “hostile activity”. It is not surprising that The Times, a mouthpiece for billionaire Islamophobe Rupert Murdoch - who we recall ordered his 175 media outlets around the world to be cheerleaders for the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003 - will be carrying these quotes from Tony Blair which describes CAGE as a hostile force to the British State. CAGE is a small UK grassroots organisation that is rooted in the universal values of due process and rule of law. We do indeed campaign against Government policies (as opposed to the state) which violate due process, the rule of law and which are also rooted in racist and Islamophobic narratives. Mr Blair has been personally most responsible for these policies and for successive wars, which violate the rule of law and due process. Unlike Mr. Blair, our work, thinking and activity is entirely funded from the UK. We don’t have links to the worst violators of human rights around the world, like Mr Blair. Mr Blair bears responsibility for the deaths of nearly a million Iraqis and countless others on his hands. We on the other hand have no one’s blood on our hands. Mr Blair and his pursuit of illegal policies and wars, along with George W Bush have been one of the central causes of “blowback” around the world , and in the UK according to academic studies and former heads of the security services . Blair is a failed and discredited politician who continues to do immense damage to this country, its politics and values. He is now promoting his policies and ideas to despotic regimes around the world. This includes the targeting and silencing of journalists and NGO’s as “enemies of State” engaged in “hostile activity”, something which the new CTBS law will end up doing. Whilst this looks and feels like a policy aimed at Muslims, in no time at all it will apply others who oppose or are critical of state policies. There’s no doubt that millions will share the sentiment that Mr Blair’s views should not be entertained by any self respecting person. As a war criminal he should find a home in one of the despotic regimes he supports. British people have a lot of work to undo the damage he has done to Britain and its image around the world. We look forward to the day when due process and the rule of law will be applied to him and he is held to account. CC image courtesy of Brookings Institution on Flickr
<strong>Whilst globetrotting around the world from one despotic regime to another, Tony Blair it seems has taken time out to <a href="https://twitter.com/UK_CAGE/status/1039951422241091585">target CAGE</a>. This, in the same week in which the British Government is passing the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill, which shifts the goalposts of terrorism policy away from “terrorist related activity” to the undefined “hostile activity”.</strong>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">It is not surprising that The Times, a mouthpiece for billionaire Islamophobe Rupert Murdoch - who we recall ordered his 175 media outlets around the world to be cheerleaders for the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003 - will be carrying these quotes from Tony Blair which describes CAGE as a hostile force to the British State.</span>
CAGE is a small UK grassroots organisation that is rooted in the universal values of due process and rule of law. We do indeed campaign against Government policies (<em>as opposed to the state</em>) which violate due process, the rule of law and which are also rooted in racist and Islamophobic narratives.
Mr Blair has been <a href="https://www.cage.ngo/the-irony-of-tony-blair-how-one-of-the-worlds-greatest-neo-con-extremists-has-stepped-into-the-extremism-debate">personally most responsible</a> for these policies and for successive wars, which violate the rule of law and due process. Unlike Mr. Blair, our work, thinking and activity is entirely funded from the UK. We don’t have links to the worst violators of human rights around the world, like Mr Blair.
Mr Blair bears responsibility for the deaths of nearly a million Iraqis and countless others on his hands. We on the other hand have no one’s blood on our hands. Mr Blair and his pursuit of illegal policies and wars, along with George W Bush have been one of the central causes of “blowback” around the world , and in the UK according to academic studies and former heads of the security services .
Blair is a failed and discredited politician who continues to do immense damage to this country, its politics and values. He is now promoting his policies and ideas to despotic regimes around the world. This includes the targeting and silencing of journalists and NGO’s as “enemies of State” engaged in “hostile activity”, something which the new CTBS law will end up doing. Whilst this looks and feels like a policy aimed at Muslims, in no time at all it will apply others who oppose or are critical of state policies.
<span style="font-weight: 400;">There’s no doubt that millions will share the sentiment that Mr Blair’s views should not be entertained by any self respecting person. As a <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/11/20111128105712109215.html">war criminal</a> he should find a home in one of the despotic regimes he supports. British people have a lot of work to undo the damage he has done to Britain and its image around the world.</span>
We look forward to the day when due process and the rule of law will be applied to him and he is held to account.
<em>CC image courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/96739999@N05/23521719576/in/photolist-7MTjAQ-9bYd5T-Zff1a-7vobE6-7MPkiB-BQwXjA-BKu5b2-8S6yr-UY5AQ1-bNzFkM-ZfeXk-7vobE4-BQwXKf-7dDQ53-BHfoXG-AVFhtX-AVqBSX-BQDPuo-BjgA92-AVFhqv-AVxyuv-BQtZSN-BqGRvE-BKxZSK-BFz2hS-BHnj7A-BHnjds-AVzhVw-BKy15t-AVmFVp-BSQAiP-BHSwWp-ATK2az-BQDPnu-AVqBMM-9kHDhv-7dzVZ6-7dDQ6s-7dzW1p-7dDQ5y-9MzxYf-HSVM5-aGLYdF-4KjkeU">Brookings Institution</a> on Flickr</em>
