Condi Rice is Coming to Liverpool - Is this Rendition Hosted by Lennon and McCartney?
Condoleezza Rice apparently loves the Beetles, and some time next week she is flying into Liverpool for the return leg of the love in with No. 1 supporter Jack Straw.
She is expected to fly in to the recently renamed Liverpool "John Lennon" Airport, which is somewhat ironic, as Liverpool John Lennon Airport has just been identified as one of those which have hosted CIA aircraft identified as being involved in Extraordinary Rendition.
These involved flights to and from Luton, Stansted, Heathrow and Liverpool airports, including one stopover in a flight from Washington to Saudi capital Riyadh and others to or from Tel Aviv, Barbados, Paris, Madrid and Venezuelan capital Caracas as well as Newark, New Jersey.
[The full answer can be seen here]
Whether the flight that passed through Liverpool was transporting hooded shackled detainees returning from a trip to a 3rd party state for a little 'local interrogation' is of course impossible to know or prove - but I guarantee you Jack won't be asking Condi to find out.
We don't know what the man himself would have thought of the airport that bears his name either being used for the repugnant practice of Rendition, or for that matter to welcome the woman tasked with defending and justifying kidnap and torture to the world. But I think we can hazzard a guess...
But we do know that Paul McCartney is more than willing to lend his name to a cause. He has recently been speaking up for the seals being slaughtered in Canada. So it is puzzling to have heard nothing from the man himself about the institution he founded playing host to Condi when she gets to here.
Students at LIPA will meet the politician, who is a talented pianist, when she stops off at the academy with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
It is expected to be the first destination on her packed itinerary after disembarking from the presidential jet at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Against a wave of local protest, the principal of LIPA is looking forward to Condi's visit. It would be interesting to see if Paul McCartney is aware of the visit, and if so, is he prepared to be associated with her and what she represents.
To suggest Lennon or McCartney endorse either Condi's visit, or Extraordinary Rendition on the back of this would be ridiculous. But their names are being associated with it, and if Paul or those who look after John's estate aren't happy for it to be so, they should say so.
But, we must be careful in critcising the visit our 'cut-out and keep' ultra loyal Blairite MP has warned us. If we don't give an unqualified open armed welcome to Condi we are in danger of letting ourselves down, and she has pronounced herself disappointed at playwright Roger McGough's decision to pull out of a Gala Concert to be held in Condi's honour:
And she warned: "Liverpool is in danger of letting itself down in the eyes of the world's press.
"Ms Rice will have international media with her and is being brought to Liverpool by the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, because he believes it's a place worth seeing."
I think Jane Kennedy might find the people of Liverpool think it is her and her ilk that are letting the people of Liverpool down.
Condoleezza Rice is not welcome here.
I can't find the reference,
I can't find the reference, but I clearly remember Paul McCartney being interviewed on the BBC relating to one of those big anti-war protests in 2003 (eg Feb 15) and being asked why he wasn't getting involved. He said something lame about a friend of a friend, or some relatives who were soldiers in Iraq, and he didn't want to undermine them by getting involved in any anti-war movement.
For all his musical abilities, I think he's got a simple mind with regards to politics, and arguments like Jane Kennedy's -- "Liverpool is in danger of letting itself down" -- work well with him. Remember, unlike us, he gets to meet important people like Condi Rice and probably finds them extremely charming. I am sure he feels that if he stepped out of the safety zone his relations with these wonderful people would turn immediately sour.
Ultimately, the celebrite lifestyle and respect is more important than anything else. They've got it and they don't want to lose it and with it all their friends. It's too much to ask of them. Still, imagine what it would be like if celebrites were willing to take effective action when it was obvious they could. But it ain't going to happen.
Oh, and the correct link for
Oh, and the correct link for that Commons Written Question is:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2006-03-17a.57681.h
You shouldn't link to the "Official" parliamentary page because it goes out of date in a few weeks.
Its a far cry from the day
Its a far cry from the day when John Lennon handed back his OBE over Britain's support of the Vietnam war.
may i express my excitement
may i express my excitement that Condoleeza Rice is coming to such a prominent city at the end of the week. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE DOESNT GET THE WRONG END OF THE STICK ABOUT LIVERPOOL. Condi is "disappointed" that Roger McGough's concert will not be endorsing her visit, AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW... in memory of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians, and coalition troops that have died at the hands of our american "friends", we should all come together on Friday 31st and really disappoint her. lets make sure she leaves liverpool with the right idea, NOT WELCOME.