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'Old boys' still live: UK MPs 'grabbed breasts, slapped buttocks and stroked thighs' of staff reports "Pestminster" investigation

Oliver Milne
The Mirror
Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:31 UTC
sexual harrassment parliament britain
© Press Association
The report was commissioned in the wake of the 'Pestminster' scandal
MPs behaved in ways which "fall far short of what we should expect of our elected representatives" a damning reporting into bullying and sexual harassment in the House of Commons has said.

The independent inquiry by Gemma White QC found that staff faced an "unacceptable risk of bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, at work". While it said "most Members of Parliament treat their staff with dignity and respect" it described the problem of bullying and harassment as "sufficiently widespread to require an urgent collective response".

It said it had found evidence of "breasts being grabbed, buttocks being slapped, thighs being stroked and crotches being pressed/rubbed against bodies". Staff who complain risk "career suicide" despite recent changes to the system in the wake of the #MeToo movement and Pestminster scandals.

One staff member quoted in the report described their time working for an MP as "the most stressful and hostile period of my life.

"My entire sense of self was crushed, and by the end, I felt incapable and incompetent, despite all of the work I had done in that office."
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Nuke

Iran to IAEA members: US foreign policy full of double standards, paradoxes - Iran's actions are lawful under terms of nuclear deal

Joaquin Flores
Fort Russ News
Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:41 UTC
Iran
At the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, Iran's representative condemned the US call for talks with Iran while exercising maximum pressure policy against the country.

Iran's permanent envoy to Vienna-based international organizations, Kazem Gharibabadi, attended a meeting of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors that was held on Wednesday at the request of the United States to discuss the latest developments in Iran's nuclear program.

Gharibabadi said in his address to the meeting that Iran had nothing to hide and that Iran's recent actions in increasing the level of uranium enrichment was permitted under the deal.

The Iran envoy said that the US foreign policy and behavior is full of double standards and paradoxes, which has discredited it on the international stage.

He added that over the last year, the US has imposed 20 rounds of sanctions on Iran in contradiction to international law, saying that the sanctions have affected the humanitarian activities let alone Iran's trade relations.

The United States not only prevented other countries from fully implementing their obligations under the deal, but also prevented Iran from fulfilling its obligations under the agreement, according to the Iranian envoy.

Comment: See also:

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Chess

Libyan National Army concludes first stage of Tripoli offensive


Sputnik
Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:30 UTC
libyan national army
© AP Photo / Esam Omran Al-F
The eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, has successfully completed the first stage of its operation to capture the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Gen. Ali Saleh Qahtani, the commander of the 73rd infantry brigade of the LNA main command, told Sputnik on Thursday.

"As for the progress of the military operation to liberate the Libyan capital of Tripoli, carried out by the Libyan National Army against the groups [loyal to the western-based Government of National Accord] and terror groups ... and the Daesh terror group, the first stage has been successfully completed," Qahtani said.

The first stage of the operation entailed advancing the LNA forces and taking certain areas, while the second part included exhausting adversaries, taking full control over their positions and avoiding material damage and casualties, Qahtani pointed out.

Qahtani added that the "terrorist groups and gangs" currently occupying Tripoli "are fighting for personal interests for the sake of high positions and benefits."

The LNA was waiting for the command's order to begin the second stage of the operation, aiming to "liberate Tripoli and achieve the final victory," Qahtani pointed out.

Comment: See also:

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Arrow Down

US official says arms sales to Saudis are manifestation of "exporting human rights"


RT
Thu, 11 Jul 2019 17:17 UTC
Yemen destruction
© Reuters / Naif Rahma
It was truly baffling to hear a grilled US official claim during a Senate hearing that the sales of weapons to Saudi Arabia are a 'manifestation' of exporting human rights and open society, an anti-war activist told RT.

R. Clarke Cooper, the US State Department's assistant secretary for political-military affairs, was grilled during a hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday. Defending arms sales to Saudi Arabia, he said that the deal itself means more than just selling weapons.

"Our policy is not just limited to arms transfers. It is a manifestation of what else we export: open society, human rights. That is a part of our policy," he said. The official added that Washington does not cut security ties with partners like Riyadh that carry "so much weight for our interests."

Cooper's comments were out of touch and did not make much sense, anti-war activist Medea Benjamin told RT.
It was quite comical... to hear the representative of the State Department to say that the United States is exporting open society and democracy by selling weapons to Saudi Arabia. I don't think any of the senators who were listening could believe that, or any of the people in the audience.
It is "tragic" that high-ranking officials "get away with saying such ridiculous things" in Congress, Benjamin said.

Comment: The U.S. has no problem selling weapons to dictators and terrorists, so long as they're OUR dictators and terrorists. The whole 'human rights' angle is purely for public consumption. In reality, human rights play no role whatsoever in foreign policy.

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Snakes in Suits

The government that tortures journalists bans RT and Sputnik from media 'freedom' conference

Caitlin Johnstone
Medium
Tue, 09 Jul 2019 22:59 UTC
jeremy Hunt
© Mandel Ngan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt
The British Foreign Office has banned Russian outlets RT and Sputnik from attending the upcoming Global Conference on Media Freedom in London, citing their predilection for "disinformation".

"We have not accredited RT or Sputnik because of their active role in spreading disinformation," said a Foreign Office spokeswoman.

"It takes a particular brand of hypocrisy to advocate for freedom of press while banning inconvenient voices and slandering alternative media; sadly, the world has learned to expect just that from the UK Foreign Office," RT said in a statement in response.
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Snakes in Suits

Klein: Six major problems with Bill Clinton's statement on Jeffrey Epstein

Aaron Klein
Breitbart
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 18:45 UTC
bill clinton
© AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Former President Bill Clinton, previously accused of multiple sexual assaults, has issued a statement claiming that he "knows nothing" about Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes involving sex trafficking and minors.

This after the controversial financier, formerly an associate of Clinton, pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking charges in Manhattan federal court. In the case, Epstein allegedly "sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his homes" in New York, Palm Beach, and other locations. The indictment also charges that Epstein paid some of his alleged victims to recruit more underage girls.

"President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York," reads the statement, tweeted by Clinton's press secretary Angel Ureña.
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Newspaper

Iran is committed to JCPOA and "fully open" to negotiations - Rouhani

Joaquin Flores
Fort Russ
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 12:00 UTC
iran negotiate
The relations between Iran and the United States may overcome the crisis only if Washington lifts the sanctions against Tehran, says the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

The Iranian president has expressed hope that the parties to the JCPOA would abide by their commitments, stressing that the door for diplomacy and negotiations is still wide open.

President Hassan Rouhani made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon in a meeting with the visiting French President Emmanuel Macron's top diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne in Tehran.

Comment: Iran has shown quite clearly that it is willing, however there is a faction with great sway in the West that will sabotage any avenue towards a peaceful resolution:

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Light Sabers

'Stop sucking up to racist EU govts': Corbyn blasts May during feud on anti-Semitism & Islamophobia


RT
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 13:22 UTC
Corbyn May
© Reuters / Handout
(L) Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn Reuters / Handout (R) Prime Minister Theresa May
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Theresa May to stop dishing out "lectures" and "sucking up" to racist European governments, after the Tory PM accused him of ignoring anti-Semitism within his party during a febrile PMQs.

Responding to Corbyn's question in the House of Commons on Wednesday about British citizens who were wrongly deported as part of the Windrush scandal, a fired-up May accused the opposition leader of abandoning his principles on racism and Brexit.

May quipped: "He was an anti-racist. Now he ignores anti-Semitism. He's been a Euroskeptic all his life. Now he backs remain."

The socialist leader, ostensibly riled by May's outburst, fired back at the prime minister, who has days left in office, claiming that she was in no position to give "lectures" on racism and principles.

Comment: Parliament has become the nations longest running pantomime. It serves politicians well by distracting from the dire state of the country.

As for the accusations, Jewish activist Norman Finkelstein points out that Corbyn is not anti-semitic nor is there any evidence of anti-semitism in the Labour party. These are smears concocted by the established powers to discredit Corbyn because he is one of the few politicians openly critical of Israel's genocidal policies against the Palestinian people:

See also:

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TV

Coincidence? Iran accused of botched UK tanker raid... just DAY after US call to arms against Tehran


RT
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 23:46 UTC
tankwer
The UK and the US have claimed armed Iranian military boats have approached a British oil tanker in the Persian Gulf requesting the vessel to change course, but were scared off by a UK warship. Iran has denied the claims.

The incident happened on Wednesday when the tanker British Heritage was sailing through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, London said. The boats, apparently belonging to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, allegedly requested the British vessel to change course and enter Iranian territorial waters.

However, after a 'verbal' warning from a Royal Navy frigate, the boats backed away and let the tanker pass. Unnamed US officials were the first to report the alleged incident to CNN and Reuters. The UK Ministry of Defense has yet to comment on the reports that claimed the entire incident was filmed by US aircraft.

Comment: No proof, anonymous sources and a claim that runs contrary to Iran's objectives and behaviour - likely more war propaganda from the West as it attempts to rally militaries to occupy the area around strait of Hormuz: See also:

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Bad Guys

US seeking military coalition to 'safeguard' key shipping lanes


RFE/RL
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 02:38 UTC
Bab al-Mandab
© (file photo)
U.S. efforts to bolster security in the Bab al-Mandab off Yemen appear to be a new element in its security strategy.
The United States is moving forward with plans to form a military coalition to safeguard strategic shipping lanes off Iran and Yemen amid raised tensions with Iranian leaders.

Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on July 9 that the Pentagon would provide command and surveillance assets for the coalition.

Allied nations joining the coalition would patrol waters near the U.S. command ships and escort commercial vessels with their nation's flags through the heavily traveled waters between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.


Comment: Western nations are the only ones illegally seizing tankers, not Iran : British oil tanker slows to 'adjust its arrival time', authorities wrongly blame Iran


Comment: RT reports that Western tankers are being shadowed by the military:
Tehran has vowed to take reciprocal steps after British authorities last week seized a tanker while it was passing Gibraltar under the pretext that it was carrying Iranian oil to Syria. London claims that it had the right to do so, as the tanker was allegedly violating the sanctions regime imposed by the EU on Damascus.

The British oil tanker Pacific Voyager, which recently sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, was apparently accompanied by a UK military vessel during its passage, the Marine Traffic tracking service showed on 9 July. Later, the British warship stopped following the tanker, but was soon replaced by a NATO military vessel in the Gulf of Oman.

It is so far unclear what led the two warships to follow the British oil tanker, but the situation comes amid tensions between the UK and Iran. Tehran has slammed a recent decision by British authorities to seize an oil tanker carrying crude oil, warning that it could take tit-for-tat measures against British vessels unless the tanker is released.

Bloomberg reported on the same day that in the wake of these tensions, an oil tanker belonging to the British energy giant BP took "shelter" inside the Persian Gulf, allegedly fearing that Tehran could follow through on its promise.

London claims that the Grace 1 tanker, seized on 4 June off Gibraltar, was carrying Iranian oil to Syria in violation of European sanctions against the Arab country's government. The 28 crewmembers of the super tanker are being interviewed as witnesses by British authorities in an effort to establish the nature of the freight and its final destination.

Iran denies claims that the oil was destined for Syria and lambasted London's actions as "piracy", warning that the incident has set "a dangerous precedent".
Norway mulls whether it will involve itself in the US' latest acts of belligerence in the region:
Norway has been asked to contribute to a military coalition that the US is working to assemble in order to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, national broadcaster NRK reported. However, whether Norwegian naval vessels will be sent to the Persian Gulf remains unclear.

Norway's Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide confirmed that her country has been asked to contribute militarily to the nascent coalition.

"I can confirm that Norway has received a request from the US to contribute to some form of mechanism in order to strengthen the safety of shipping through the Hormuz Strait", Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide told NRK.

Despite repeatedly voicing her concern at the development and the military escalation taking place in the Gulf area, Søreide assumed a wait-and-see stance.

"The fact that the US has undertaken this initiative is positive, but it is too early to say anything about any Norwegian contribution. For us to more closely discuss any possible participation with the US and other allies, there must be more clarity in the framework for this cooperation", Søreide pointed out.

Norway is known for its wide contribution to international coalitions. Since 1947, the Scandinavian country has participated in over 40 military operations abroad, and over 120,000 Norwegian troops have served in these operations. Norway has dutifully supported most recent NATO operations, including missions in Lebanon, the Balkans, Mali, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and Syria. In 2009, Norway sent frigates to secure maritime traffic against pirate attacks outside Somalia in the Horn of Africa.

In May 2019, four tankers belonging to Norway, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, were badly damaged as a result of several explosions in the Gulf of Oman. Despite the fact that a UAE-led investigation failed to determine the culprit behind the "sabotage", as well as Teheran's vehement denial, the US rushed to baselessly pin the explosions on Iran. As an answer to the US' belligerent rhetoric, Iran responded by shooting down a US drone.

See also:

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