I, like many others have volunteered to help former Ambassador Craig Murray (also his Wikipedia page) distribute his new book (the prequel to Murder in Samarkand) because-
We already face FCO censorship, separate libel threats from Tim Spicer and Peter Penfold, and a friendly fire attack from Clare Short who doesn’t want me to publish her over-enthusiastic and well-oiled dinner party denunication of the British Empire (she denies it happened). Now I have received the comments from my publisher’s lawyers, who suggests at several points that changes are needed due to the Max Mosley case.
Ultimately his publishers after much faffing ran away and so he took full advantage of the possibilities of the web and blogtopia and appealed for Spartaci to publish it today on the web, thus overwhelming mercenaries and their S(c)hilling law firms attempts at censorship.
I do hope more people will learn about the truth about Spicer that way, than they would if Schillings had not intervened. I am very much hoping that I will be able to make some copies of an actual book available at the same time. But you should of course be aware that if you read it you will cause Tim Spicer “profound anxiety and distress”, according to Schillings. Possibly less, however, than that caused to the families of those killed by his mercenaries over the years.
Spicer of course now heads up Aegis Defence Services Mercenay Firm which became infamous for its video of mercenaries in Iraq shooting at Iraqi’s in their cars set to hilarious (oh the wit of the hired killer) music.
So onto the freebies! The book The Catholic Orangemen of Togo and Other Conflicts I Have Known by Craig Murray:-
Or a single PDF of the entire book-
The Catholic Orangemen of Togo and Other Conflicts I Have Known by Craig Murray
(The advantage to the 3 part PDF’s is the page numbers of the Main Book PDF correspond to the page numbers of the book so referencing back from the index is made easier. The single PDF contains all 3 parts)
Or if you have such a thing as disposable income (I read about it in a library book once, money to spare, imagine such a thing!) and wish to compensate Craig for his work-
Go to his site and purchase a physical book (and you can have it signed and eveything by the author)
The blurb!-
The book is an autobiographical prequel to Murder in Samarkand and covers the period 1998 to 2002. It exposes the links between blood diamonds, crime and British mercenary involvement in Africa. it argues that the disregard Tony Blair showed for both British and international law in dealing with Sierra Leone prefigured the disaster of Iraq. It also covers my role in the dawn of democracy in Ghana.
More importantly, it is intended in an entertaining way to present questions of African development, drawing on thirty year’s practical experience. I am deeply critical of current fashionable doctrines in the field of overseas aid. I hope it will inform and entertain as Murder in Samarkand did, but on a different set of issues. Here is the blurb from the book:
Craig Murray’s adventures in Africa from 1997 to 2001 are a rolliciking good read. He exposes for the first time the full truth about the “Arms to Africa” affair which was the first major scandal of the Blair Years. He lays bare the sordid facts about British mercenary involvement in Africa and its motives. This is at heart an extraordinary account of Craig Murray’s work in negotiating peace with the murderous rebels of Sierra Leone, and in acting as the midwife of Ghanaian democracy. Clearly his efforts were not only difficult but at times very dangerous indeed. Yet the story is told with great humour. Not only do we meet Charles Taylor, Olusegun Obasanjo, Jerry Rawlings and Foday Sankoh, but there are unexpected encounters with others including Roger Moore, Jamie Theakston and Bobby Charlton! Above all this book is about Africa. Craig Murray eschews the banal remedies of the left and right to share with us the deep knowledge and understanding that comes over 30 years working in or with Africa. Gems of wisdom and observation scatter the book, as does a deep sense of moral outrage at the consequences of centuries of European involvement: even though he explains that much of it was well-intentioned but disastrous.
I enjoyed it immensely, found myself at page 100 before I knew what hit me, a testament to fascinating subject matter and an easy friendly style. It’s fascinating to learn more of how our embassies work (or don’t, it also works as a companion to le Carré’s recent books in providing more background detail to the machinations of power) and the reality of New Labour politicians (Amos!) and their far too close relationship with business all the while slickly marketing themselves as great states-people. His account of Africa and our role in it is useful and pragmatic although like me I’m sure there will be differences of opinion here and there. But as with Murder in Samarkand it is a forthright account of a man who we can recognise, with faults and weaknesses but a core determination to do his best, his pesky loyalty to democracy and human rights is the thing that tellingly makes him different from the establishment. Careerism, party/class loyalty, greed, tradition seem to have trumped all other considerations in many of the well known names who crop up. For example it’s interesting that the ‘ethical foreign policy’ that Robin Cook tried to implement was steadfastly opposed by Blair in No. 10 from the outset. And the passages where Craig, in Sierra Leone peace talks, realises he is the only one in the room who has never killed anybody, show the difficulty but necessity of peace negotiations.
So enjoy, download before some lawyers come sniffing around to protect the reputation of a mercenary…hmm, something fucked up right there.
Ten Percent 