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WikiLeaks cables implicate UK & Saudi Arabia in secret deal to secure UNHRC seats

September 30, 2015

WikiLeaks cables implicate UK & Saudi Arabia in secret deal to secure UNHRC seats

Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal (R) and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond © Faisal Al Nasser
Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal (R) and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond © Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters

Two years after the controversial appointment of Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s leading human rights offenders, to the UN human rights council, Wikileaks cables have revealed a “secret deal” suggesting that the British government was a key player behind Riyadh’s nomination.

Some of the 61,000 files from the Saudi Foreign Ministry, dated January and February 2013, translated by both UN Watch and newspaper, The Australian, reveal that the two countries reached a secret deal to ensure that they would both be elected to the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2013, despite Saudi Arabia’s horrific human rights record.

WikiLeaks 

✔@wikileaks

There many additional vote-swapping / “payment” schemes detailed in WikiLeaks Saudi-cables https://wikileaks.org/saudi-cables/ 

8:09 PM – 29 Sep 2015

One of the secret cables, obtained by Wikileaks in June, said: “The ministry might find it an opportunity to exchange support with the United Kingdom, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would support the candidacy of the United Kingdom to the membership of the council for the period 2014-2015 in exchange for the support of the United Kingdom to the candidacy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Another diplomatic wire stipulated that there was a price tag for being on board the influential UN body: One cable revealed that Saudi Arabia transferred $100,000 for “expenditures resulting from the campaign to nominate the Kingdom for membership of the human rights council.”

While the Saudi regime has already managed to execute some 135 people so far this year, the country’s record in 2013 was almost as bad, putting it among the top five countries in terms of the number of executions carried out that year.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Financial War: US Wants to Trigger Wave of Russian Bankruptcies

February 24, 2015

Financial War: US Wants to Trigger Wave of Russian Bankruptcies

[translated by Eric Zuesse, from German Economic News:]

http://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2015/02/23/finanz-krieg-usa-wollen-pleite-welle-von-russischen-unternehmen-ausloesen/

Financial War: US wants to trigger wave of Russian bankruptcies

German Economic News  |  Published: 02/23/15 12:55 clock  

The US government insists on a tightening of sanctions against Russia, and demands that the EU follow suit. Washington now wants sanctions that will have a “devastating” effect, which Russia must “suffer.” Financial measures are planned to trigger a wave of bankruptcies in Russia.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond over the weekend had a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry, concerning the US plan. Washington expects the EU to cooperate to force the Russian economy to its knees.

The US will drastically tighten sanctions against Russia: US Secretary of State John Kerry said this weekend in London that Russia was “guilty of gravely violating the Minsk truce.” Kerry said Russia had the city Debalzewo attacked, and supported paramilitary warriors in the region, and contracted new troops near Mariupol. Kerry said: “This is a violation of the ceasefire. We are serious: there will be more actions that cause additional pain in the Russian economy.”

He went on: “There is a serious discussion between us and our European allies, as to what sanctions we will bring next and when they are due to come into force. I am confident that there will be additional measures in response to Russia’s violations of the ceasefire.”

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond fully backed the remarks by Kerry. A few months ago American Vice President Joe Biden explained how the US created the EU’s role in the strategy directed against Russia. The collaboration now appears to function somewhat smoother than it did at first.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

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