George Galloway Debate

[cockneyrebel]

Good post RMP3 and Mark Steel......

 

[yinshuisiyuan]

I'm a resident of Bethnal Green & Bow. To a lot of us, GG looks like a carpetbagger.

On the subject of the war - yes, he was against. And it was good to have people who were against. But it always felt like he had been a carpetbagger, to me at any rate. It always felt that what mattered more was what political influence he could generate out of the unjustness of the situation than what he could do to resolve it.

 

[Wilf]

Good post RMP3 and Mark Steel......

But in saying:

The main reason given for the suspension is that some of the money for Galloway's charity came from a dodgy Jordanian businessman

Mark Steel fails to mention that the dodgy Jordanian businessman was a longstanding personal friend of Galloway's. He also fails to mention that a substantial amount of that money ended up in Galloway's (now ex) wife's bank account.

Whilst the investigation might have been inspired by their political loathing of Galloway, its stretching it a bit to say there was nothing to look into.

 

[Das Uberdog]

I'm a resident of Bethnal Green & Bow. To a lot of us, GG looks like a carpetbagger.

On the subject of the war - yes, he was against. And it was good to have people who were against. But it always felt like he had been a carpetbagger, to me at any rate. It always felt that what mattered more was what political influence he could generate out of the unjustness of the situation than what he could do to resolve it.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but you dont' come accross as a concerned 'resident' of Bethnall Green & Bow to me - you come accross as a New Labour drop-in.

Fuck off, you tosser.

 

[nino_savatte]

I'm a resident of Bethnal Green & Bow. .

Sure you are.

 

[butchersapron]

I'm a resident of Bethnal Green & Bow. To a lot of us, GG looks like a carpetbagger.

On the subject of the war - yes, he was against. And it was good to have people who were against. But it always felt like he had been a carpetbagger, to me at any rate. It always felt that what mattered more was what political influence he could generate out of the unjustness of the situation than what he could do to resolve it.

Nice job the labour party have done of 'resolving' the issues in Iraq. At Galloway's absolute worst there's nothing he's done that can even begin to compare to what the Labour party have done in Iraq.

 

[Fruitloop]

I was always under the impression that the Mariam Appeal couldn't be a charity as the report alleges, because it campaigned for a change in UK law or policy. They seem to have decided that because it also undertook charitable work that means it should have been registered with the Charities Commission, however I'm not aware that there are any precedents for this judgment.

A case of shifting goalposts maybe?

 

[butchersapron]

Interesting possibility...

The most extraordinary development in the investigation was the claim by its chairman, Sir Philip Mawer, to have received a transcript of an August 2002 meeting during which Galloway is claimed to have personally thanked Saddam Hussein and Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz for monies given to his appeal. Mawer refused to answer Galloway’s question as to how he came across this document, which the MP denounced as a fraud. This supposed discovery of a “smoking gun”—after years of investigations—is fortuitous to say the least, and opens the way for possible legal proceedings.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jul2007/gall-j26.shtml

 

[TAE]

I prefer Mark Steel's viewpoint.

http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_m_z/mark_steel/article2779407.ece

That is ace !

 

[TAE]

Mark Steel fails to mention that the dodgy Jordanian businessman was a longstanding personal friend of Galloway's.

Is that relevant ?

He also fails to mention that a substantial amount of that money ended up in Galloway's (now ex) wife's bank account.

Is that proven ?

 

[Fruitloop]

Guilt by association now is it? Very weak indeed.

 

[Wilf]

Is that relevant ?


Is that proven ?

Relevant? Well, i think it gives a fuller picture to add that to Mark Steel's account

Proven? Might be wrong, but I thought he pretty much admitted to it at the Senate hearing. Haven't checked it i admit, but I remember his answer being along the lines of 'how can i be held accountable for what happens in somebody elses account?'

 

[Wilf]

Guilt by association now is it? Very weak indeed.

Presuming that's aimed at me... No, I honestly haven't got a clue as to whether he received money personally - and I'm not claiming he did. My point is a different one. There's a dominant argument in this thread saying this is purely about getting back at him over the war opposition. As i said above, I agree with that in part - and I wouldn't put it past the security services/MPs to fabricate and sex up the evidence. However, there's enough in the way the Mariam appeal was run - and who it received its money from to provoke some kind of questioning.

 

[Fruitloop]

But would it be pursued to these lengths if Galloway wasn't the chariman? I find it very hard to believe.

 

[Wilf]

But would it be pursued to these lengths if Galloway wasn't the chariman? I find it very hard to believe.

I'm sure that's true. But, accepting that, I can still ask questions about the way Galloway carried out his fund raising. To do that isn't anywhere close to adopting a 'pro-war stance' as some on this thread have got close to suggesting.

 

[audiotech]

 

[Udo Erasmus]

Surprisingly well written article given it's authors:
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/6702