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Father knows best | JoE bagEant
revisiting the miners’ strike | granvIllE wIllIamS
the Forgotten coup | John PIlgEr
ColdT ype
writing worth reading ISSUE 84
the battle
for ukraine
j.p. sottile l Diana johnstone l sasha maksymenko l alan
piascik l ranDall amster l norman solomon l FreD reeD
cover:
Sasha maksymenko
www.maksymenko.com.ua
ColdType
ISSUE 84 / aPrIl 2014
new – click on title to go directly to page
3. write a letter, read a book … rEadErS’ lEttErS
5. setting the orgreave record straight grAßnvIllE wIllIamS
13. 25 years after exxon valdez: the real culprit grEg PalaSt
16. a kuffiya for tony benn ramzy baroUd
18 lights, cameras, arrest John w. whItEhEad
21. the forgotten coup John PIlgEr
24. the benefit claimants the government loves gEorgE monbIot
28. is my old friend a political assassin tIm KnIght
32. whose revolution? J.P. SottIlE
35. when will america come to its senses? dIana JohnStonE
39. how about sanctions against america? andy PIaScIK
42 ordinary people SaSha maKSymEnKo / tony SUtton
46. imperial blowback randall amStEr
49. heard the one about international war? norman Solomon
51. pickle boy steps up frEd rEEd
53. silver anniversary for the world wide web Sam PIzzIgatI
55. father knows best JoE bagEant
57. recalled to life chrIS hEdgES
64. the soccer war davE zIrIn
66. us desperate to keep futile peace accord alive Jonathan cooK
68. cruise missile liberals davId EdwardS
72. a radical imagination chEllIS glEndInnIng
79 it’s what they do for a living wIllIam blUm
Editor: tony Sutton – [email protected]
2 ColdType | April 2014
letters to colDtype
write a letter,
ColdType
read a book . . .
readers give their opinions on duncan mangham’s photographs,
Useful Idiots, priestly abuse in Ireland – and exposing tyrants
G
ood news for readers of ColdType. Starting this
issue, we’re giving away a new e-book, “The
Watchman’s File”, by Barry Lando, for every let-
South Africa
ter we publish on these pages. before the
Frreveoluetiondom’s
Lara Marlowe, correspondent for the Irish Times, says
of the book, “Not since John le Carré’s Little Drummer Children
Girl has there been such a nailbitingly suspenseful nov-
el about the Middle East. Only a veteran investigative Photographs by
Duncan Mangham
reporter with Lando’s intimate knowledge of the US and
Israel could have written ‘The Watchman’s File’, which
ColdType
is rooted in historic precedent and is frighteningly cred-
ible.” “sadly, it would appear that the majority of rural black
Write a letter and see if you agree with Lara. But, first folk in south africa has only had unfulfilled promises for
read this issue – beginning with these letters: the past 20 years, while many politicians and their cronies
Tony Sutton, Editor have become exceedingly wealthy . . .”
———
useful idiots journalists, thought Lenin said it or wrote it. Appar-
Another stimulating issue of ColdType – very much ap- ently he didn’t, although he might have thought it. Who
preciated. One little niggle I have is the uncritical use of knows? Despite the phrase being attributed to Lenin,
the phrase “Lenin’s useful idiots” in the otherwise inter- Grant Harris, senior reference librarian at the Library of
esting article on Doris Lessing by Trevor Grundy. This is Congress, tells us: “We have not been able to identify this
used innumerable times in the European media, usually phrase among Lenin’s published works.” I will use the
by liberal and right wing political commentators (as ob- phrase sparingly in the future – Trevor Grundy
viously it fits into the idea of Lenin as a Machiavellian
manipulator par excellence who was ‘no better than where are they now?
Stalin’), including here in Denmark. I have attempted to Duncan Mangham’s photo essay, Freedom’s Children
track down the origins of the phrase with little success, (ColdType, March), was a very interesting piece of work
even asking the ‘establishment Sovietologists’ who use – it would be interesting to follow up on these subjects
it to give me a reference in Lenin’s works where he uses to see how the children’s lives have benefited, or oth-
to phrase – they cannot. Does Mr Grundy know better? erwise, following the radical political changes in the
– Stephen Parsons, Sønderborg, Denmark. country. Sadly, it would appear that the majority of ru-
ral black folk in South Africa has only had unfulfilled
l Sorry, Stephen, I can’t help. I, and a few thousand other promises for the past 20 years, while many politicians
April 2014 | ColdType 3
letters to colDtype
and their cronies have become exceedingly wealthy and won’t admit it. I keep forwarding these articles to people
have lost sight of the fact that a politician works for the but they still believe in mainstream media. Well, you
people, not the other way round! can only change if you want to. I salute all those who
Many black people phone the various radio stations made great sacrifices in bringing this info to the world
saying the houses built for them by the apartheid re- and may you grow from strength to strength. We lack a
gime were far superior to the “RDP” houses with all their few of you guys here in South Africa, or we are not hear-
defaults now being built by black entrepreneurs with ing from them. God speed and know that you have the
multi-million rand contracts, and that rural schooling gratitude and admiration from someone on the tip of
was more disciplined and of a higher standard than that Africa who is a great and grateful fan.
being given today! Who knows the truth but it is sicken- – Ebrahiem Astrie, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
ing for someone like me who is apolitical to see all the
corruption, blatant exploitation and police violence of a l Good to hear from you, Ebrahiem. I thought South Af-
black on black nature. It has to stop. rica still had a very vocal media. I know it used to be very
The upcoming national election on May 7 will be the vibrant, because I cut my teeth in radical journalism in
first one in which the so-called “Born Free” generation Joburg in the seventies and eighties, with magazines such
can participate. Apparently, there are several million as Jim Bailey’s Drum, Frontline and working with many
of them and they could have a major impact on what of the anti-apartheid alternative media. – Editor
after all is their future, but the sad reality is many of
them have had a favoured and cushy life with plenty church abuse
of bursary money for good education, preferred job op- “The whole ordeal lasted about an hour, but it seemed
portunities due to the still prevailing affirmative action like an eternity. When I was eventually released I was that
initiative, but apartheid was not part of their life experi- mad that I just wanted to kill him and I caused the cattle
ences. They are relatively disinterested in politics and, as to stampede from a barn close by. He just got out of the
a result, there is great apathy with the majority not even way in time, but gave me a terrible beating afterwards. He
bothering to register for voting. So the current nonsense accused me of startling the animals.” When I read state-
will probably continue – unbelievable! ments such as this from Alan Rodgers’ story about sex
– Richard Jones, Johannesburg, South Africa. abuse in Catholic homes in Northern Ireland (ColdType
March), my blood boils. When will the Pope and his
l It’s amazing how the new South Africa came, over 20 henchmen in Rome take real action to stop this evil?
years, to look so similar to the one it replaced. George Or- How many more tales of abuse must be read before we
well’s classic “Animal Farm” is perhaps as relevant today get more than political posturing? As an atheist, I don’t
as it ever was, and not only to South Africans – Editor believe in religious mumbo-jumbo, but there ought to
be is a Hell, and I know who should be first in line: the
coldtype rocks evil men who commit these crimes and the leaders who
Thank you so much for your enjoyable e-mag. So many fail to stop them.
people whinge about Muslims being biased towards – John Francis, Vancouver, Canada.
(you know who). So, from really professional investiga-
tive journalists, ColdType is definitely helpful in show- l And it’s not just the Catholic priests. Remember the
ing the world who the tyrants are out there. Your ar- abuse at native schools that rocked the Anglican Church
ticles really opened up my eyes and a few others who in Canada a few years ago? – Editor
write a letter, reaD an e-book . . .
we’d love to read your comments about this, and previous, issues of coldtype. Each
letter we publish will earn the writer a frEE copy of Barry Lando’s acclaimed novel,
the watchman’s file, in pdf format
please send your comments to [email protected]
4 ColdType | April 2014
the miners’ strike – 30 years on
setting the orgreave
record straight
an excerpt, by granville williams, from a new book on the 30th anniversary
of the british miners’ strike of 1984-85 shows how police falsified statements
after the battle of orgreave, when 95 miners were charged with rioting
“We had a very fortunate collision of timing, following. On 14 September, two days af- the core of the
the right elements being at the right time to ter the panel’s report was published, West programme was
bring it altogether and strike a chord.” Yorkshire Chief Constable, Norman Betti- the revelation
– Dan Johnson son, a SYP chief inspector at the time of the by bbc reporter,
Hillsborough disaster, issued a statement dan Johnson,
Sometimes television pro- saying fans ‘made the job of the police... that a batch of
grammes can catch the mood harder than it needed to be’ and then is- south yorkshire
of the time and stimulate ac- sued a second statement in which he apol- police witness
tion by individuals and ogised for appearing to partially blame statements for
institutions. The BBC supporters. On 12 October miners arrested
Inside Out programme the Independent at orgreave
on Orgreave which went out in the Police Complaints demonstrated the
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region Commission (IPCC) extent of police
oTthnhe e 2 r2ce ovOreecl atootfibo etnhr e2b 0yp 1r2Bo BgdrCiad m rjeumpsote r ttwheara,st . tSheE MeTdiaT, tLhe IPoNlicGe & tShe CMinOerRs’ SEtriSke rtysh aieni dtb oii gtp gowelsiacts-ee vblaeeurh naicnvhiqoiunuigr- ftahber eicvaidtieonnc oef
Dan Johnson, that a batch of in the wake of the HIP
South Yorkshire Police (SYP) Edited by Granville Williams report and on 24 October
witness statements for miners Bettison resigned as chief
arrested at Orgreave [on June constable of West York-
18, 1984, during the miners’ shire with immediate ef-
strike] demonstrated the fect. Three weeks after the
extent of police fabrication Inside Out programme SYP
of the evidence. self-referred their conduct
The programme was aired settling scores:: at Orgreave to the IPCC men-
just one month after the Hills- the media, the police tioning the programme and
borough Independent Panel & the miners’ strike naming the reporter Dan John-
(HIP) report [into the 1989 di- son personally in the referral.
Edited by
saster when 96 soccer fans were I first met Dan Johnson at a
Granville Williams
killed], which triggered a stream national Union of Mineworkers’
Campaign for Press &
of announcements that ensured weekend school in Scarborough
Broadcasting Freedom
the behaviour of SYP was rarely in December 2008. I mentioned
out of the news in the weeks price: £6.99 that I was trying to pin down at
April 2014 | ColdType 5
the miners’ strike – 30 years on
for his student which pit the hilarious snowman incident grew up with the stories about the strike,
dissertation he had really occurred. Dave Douglass tells it like took an interest, and always had a sense
spoken to one of this in All Power to the Imagination: there was unfinished business there, some-
the miners who “The miners of Silverwood, having been thing had not been told to people’s satisfac-
was at orgreave, told they were confined to six pickets only, tion,” he said. (1) His interest in the min-
one of those built themselves a seventh comrade in the ers’ strike (he was born half way through
charged, tried and shape of a large snowman, wearing for good it) developed whilst studying for a geog-
acquitted, and measure a plastic policeman’s helmet. raphy degree at Leeds University when he
he remembered “Next morning, Chief Inspector Nesbitt was researching energy policy. His disserta-
that he had all appears on the scene and seeing the jeering tion was on the miners’ strike, with a focus
the statements, miners and their steely eyed companion, on police tactics. He also did a couple of
not just the ones ordered the constables to knock it down. articles about pit closures for the student
relating to his This order brought rebellion to the police paper. Later, after a post-graduate journal-
own arrest but the ranks as PCs declined to, ‘look so fucking ism course at City University, he got work
ones relating to stupid knocking down a snowman’. ‘Very with Radio Sheffield covering the decline
everybody’s arrest well,’ shouts the irate Nesbitt, jumping in of coal mining, the closure of Rossington
his Range Rover and charging off to demol- pit and later Maltby.
ish the snowman, as pickets ran laughing
making the programme
for cover.
“Maybe it was a trick of the light, or The idea for the programme came from an
maybe a twinkle glistened in the icy coun- article by David Conn in The Guardian. It
tenance on the snowman’s fixed expression made the connection between the SYP be-
– we shall never know, as the Range haviour at Hillsborough and the way
Rover made contact and came to miners described their actions at
a dead stop, smashing front grill, Orgreave and other events dur-
bumper and headlamps and ing the miners’ strike. (2) “But
hurling the shocked Nesbitt into Conn had not nailed it,” Dan
the steering wheel. PCs found said. “There wasn’t any evi-
excuses to walk away or suppress dence to actually prove it. I was
body-shaking laughter while pick- thinking about it and I know
ets fell about on the ground with side the Inside Out team were thinking
splitting mirth. The snowman had been about it separately. It was only when
constructed around a three foot high two the Hillsborough panel report was pub-
foot thick concrete post!” lished and there was that clear evidence
Dan contacted John Nesbitt, at the time about police statements being changed and
of the strike the SYP chief superintendent the prime minister gave a full apology and
who arrested NUM President Arthur Scar- announced the steps that would be taken
gill at Orgreave on 30 May 1984. Nesbitt’s to remedy the injustice that we heard mut-
name was always associated with the story terings ‘that’s not the first time statements
but he told Dan the incident never hap- were altered by SYP’ but again the question
pened. Nesbitt cited as evidence the fact was ‘how do you prove it – where’s the evi-
that the South Yorkshire Police Authority dence?’”
ordered an inspection of all Range Rovers The idea that the statements had been
for damage and they couldn’t find any- altered sparked a tiny flicker in his mind.
thing. He conceded, however, that his as- For his student dissertation he had spoken
sociation with the story caused him some to one of the miners who was at Orgreave,
career problems. one of those charged, tried and acquitted,
Dan Johnson was born in Barnsley. “I and he remembered that he had all the
6 ColdType | April 2014
the miners’ strike – 30 years on
“as soon as you
start looking
through them you
realised the second
one is the same
as the first one
and the third one
the same as the
second – you start
recognising the
pattern”
tv reporter dan Johnson with the bundle of documents that contained the evidence of police
collusion, the same phrasing appearing in many of the statements.
statements, not just the ones relating to own, being able to go through the state-
his own arrest but the ones relating to ev- ments, analyse exactly what phrases are
erybody’s arrest. Dan had looked at these repeated and how many times,” he said.
way back in 2005-06 for his dissertation, “They did a cross reference to how many
thought them very interesting, a bit of his- officers had used exactly the same phrases
tory, flicked through them, and gave them word for word and which force those of-
back. But after the Hillsborough report he ficers were from. They pieced together an
thought ‘that’s it’ – the former miner had analytical breakdown of how much repeti-
got the evidence and he managed to tion there was.”
get in touch with him and obtain The statements also gave the
the statements. names of the officers. The next
“There were 120 original task was tracking down the of-
statements mouldering away ficers named in the statements.
in a garage, quite stained Dan recalls the overwhelming
and smelly, but definitely the impression that the police didn’t
genuine article, with just one want to talk about it. Some were
page missing. As soon as you start very angry about being contacted.
looking through them you realised the One in particular he remembers: “I went
second one is the same as the first one and round to his house, he lived locally and
the third one the same as the second – you his wife answered the door, and I just ex-
start recognising the pattern,” Dan said. plained what we were doing and asked if he
He pays tribute to the people he worked could get in touch. She obviously rang him
with on the programme, particularly the straight away and he rang me from work
‘very good’ researcher, Lucy Smickersgill. as I was driving away: ‘What are you do-
“The Inside Out team really came into its ing knocking on my door, interfering with
April 2014 | ColdType 7
the miners’ strike – 30 years on
the police version my wife. You’ve no right. at Orgreave it was a little
of events at How have you found bit frustrating when you
orgreave was that me? This is absolutely say ‘I am trying to high-
there had been atrocious. I am astound- light this and address it’.
a violent assault ed that the BBC is trying I don’t know if it was be-
on the police and to hunt people down to cause it was personally
there had been talk about these issues difficult to revisit some
no choice but 30 years on. Disgraceful. of this stuff or because
to send in the No, I do not want to talk they don’t think it will
mounted police about it. Leave me alone achieve anything, or
– your approach is defi- they think so much time
nitely unwelcome.’” has passed and they
A few spoke anony- have so little faith in the
mously and a couple system that they want
were willing to appear on to leave it alone. It was
camera and talk about very pleasing in the end
their statements. One in that some of those who
particular described how didn’t want speak to us,
he was sent into a room when they saw the pro-
and a CID officer came michael mansfield: “the police had no gramme, contacted us to
in and said, “Here’s the idea of the extent to which their un- say ‘good job, wish I had
way you start your state- lawful activities were being filmed.” done’.”
ment.” His claim was that The programme fell
all the CID officer was doing was setting the into place then. “We needed to tell the his-
scene, giving them a generic description of tory of the strike, the key events, and fill in
what happened at Orgreave that day, but the background to Orgreave for people who
that he wrote down his own details of the didn’t know the story. That was enough for
arrests he made. us to sell the programme,” he said.
Although Dan hasn’t had any contact
the programme
with the police officers since he says, “I
have a suspicion they may feel regret for Dan Johnson’s introduction links the two
being involved now they realise the impact events of Hillsborough and Orgreave:
the programme has had.” “While Hillsborough resonated around
The other key element for a credible pro- the world, what happened at Orgreave has
gramme involved the former miners whose been left as a footnote in history,” he says.
names were on the witness statements. A rapid summary of the key events of the
Some had passed away, but others didn’t miners’ strike up to Orgreave in June 1984
want to be interviewed. Of the miners con- follows, placing events at Orgreave in the
tacted it was evenly split between those context of a previous miners’ victory – the
willing to participate and those strongly closure of the coking plant in Birmingham
against it. “When some of the miners don’t during the 1972 strike. (3) “Saltley acted
want to be involved you start ques- as a template for the picketing at Or-
tioning the whole thing then,” greave 10 years later only this time
Dan said. “You think are we the miners placed a police force
actually pursuing a worthy and a government determined
aim here? Having grown up not to be beaten,” he comments.
with these stories and hear- Ten thousand miners were at Or-
ing that an injustice was done greave on 18 June with at least five
8 ColdType | March 2014
the miners’ strike – 30 years on
thousand police from the bottom of the hill I’d “not a single
many different police got injuries while I was in police officer was
forces from across the their custody...Bruises, fa- prosecuted, even
country, there to stop cial cuts, bleeding. I was the one caught on
the miners shutting the marched down the field, camera beating a
coking plant. Dramatic both arms behind my defenceless miner
footage of the mounted back, and when we got to the ground in
police charge is inter- to the police line I was one famous case.
spersed with commen- banged onto the police not a single police
tary from Yvette Vanson shields, they bounced me officer prosecuted,
(who made the power- off, the shields opened not a single police
ful Battle of Orgreave and I was punched, officer even
in 1985), the former kicked, prodded, you disciplined”
Hadfield Colliery miner name it. I walked in and I
Dave Douglass and two was nearly carried out.”
police officers. When the miners were
Michael Mansfield put on trial in Sheffield
represented several the case collapsed in
miners in the first Or- spectacular style after 16
greave trial of miners stef wysocki: “i was punched, kicked, weeks when it became
held in Sheffield in 1985. prodded, you name it. i walked in and i clear the police evidence
In the programme he was nearly carried out.” wasn’t reliable. Dan John-
points out that police son compares the fabri-
video footage of events that day show a cation of police witness statements at Or-
completely different picture to the one the greave and Hillsborough and says that the
BBC and most other media broadcast. The manipulation of police witness statements
police version was that there had been a at Orgreave appeared to be even more ma-
violent assault on the police and there had nipulated than at Hillsborough. He cites
been no choice but to send in the mounted one example where 31 officers from four
police. But there were also a lot of in- different forces used this identical phrase:
dependent monitors, with note- ‘As we stood there in the line a contin-
books, cameras and one with uous stream of missiles came from
a movie camera in a tree. the pickets into the police line...
Mansfield says, “The police there were no shields being used
had no idea of the extent to at this point’. He asks, based on
which their unlawful activi- the extensive fabrication of evi-
ties were being filmed. Put- dence in the statements, whether
ting the combination of that it was the intention of the police to
package together you had a re- present evidence to support a charge
cord, an almost unchallengeable record, of of riot – which carried severe penalties –
a completely different version of events.” rather that a public order offence, which
Stef Wysocki, a former Derbyshire min- would mean a fine.
er, gives his shocking testimony of his Vera Baird, who also represented miners
treatment that day when he was arrested: at the trial, comments on the behaviour
“I hadn’t done anything so I didn’t think I of SYP detectives who told police officers
would get charged. When I was arrested at what to write: “You can see in a way that
the top of the hill there were a lot of photos they were trying to set the scenario but
of me with no injuries but when I got to what they were actually doing was ‘teeing
March 2014 | ColdType 9
the miners’ strike – 30 years on
mark george, a
sheffield barrister,
after analysing
the statements,
concludes the
level of repetition
in the statements
provided enough
evidence for
the charge of
attempting to
pervert the course
of justice
different statements, same words: part of the evidence of yorkshire police collusion, exposed by
the reporting of dan Johnson for the bbc programme, inside out.
up’, perverting the course of justice.” the bulletins but the Orgreave programme
In the final section of the programme got some good pre-publicity. Breakfast
Michael Mansfield points to the miscar- News, Look North and The Guardian ran it
riage of justice at Orgreave: “Not a single that morning. The Today programme and
police officer was prosecuted, even the one 5 Live ran it as well as local radio stations.
caught on camera beating a defenceless Yvette Cooper, Labour MP for the former
miner to the ground in one famous case. mining areas Pontefract and Castleford and
Not a single police officer prosecuted, not a Shadow Home Secretary, mentioned it in
single police officer even disciplined.” Parliament and said it needed investiga-
Mark George, a Sheffield barrister and tion. Lunchtime national news ran it with
an independent voice with no previous a plug to watch it. Local papers ran it the
involvement in the Orgreave case, after next day or later in the week. But the big
analysing the statements, concludes the outcome from the programme was, as Dan
level of repetition in the statements pro- Johnson, “Three weeks after SYP did self-
vided enough evidence for the charge of referral to the IPCC and the programme
attempting to pervert the course of justice. and I were mentioned in the referral so it’s
pretty obvious what sparked the SYP deci-
the impact of the programme
sion.”
On the same evening the Inside Out pro- He thinks the programme was, “A good
gramme went out an hour-long special Pan- example of regional current affairs televi-
orama programme was to be shown sion, and I don’t see that going on
at 10.35pm investigating what the anywhere else. The BBC is doing
BBC knew about Jimmy Savile, this and is able to shout about
his actions and the events it on wider platforms. It is the
around the dropping of the only place I can see that I could
Corporation’s own Newsnight make films like this. There
investigation into the subject. have been cuts to regional news
The Panorama programme led all and current affairs but Inside Out
10 ColdType | March 2014