Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog

Post via Islamic Emirate 2nd January 2018

As usual, last year was full of failures and embarrassments for the heterogeneous setup of Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah. The year 2017 began while the humiliating issue between General Dostum and Eschi was the breaking and leading news in media. The aged and white-bearded deputy of Junbish party claimed that he was not only tortured and agonized but also sexually abused by Dostum and his armed militiamen.

In the beginning of January 2017, some free political analysts and supporters of peace process like Faiz Mohammad Zaland, Nazar Mohammad Mutmain and Asad Wahidi complained that they were receiving text messages and phone calls from unknown numbers and an effort is made to fabricate a dossiers of having contacts with Taliban. Later it was revealed that this conspiracy was initiated by the so called national security organ of the puppet regime.

Another noteworthy issue in January 2017 was the expressions of Abdul Hakeem Mujahid, the deputy head of the high peace council. He called Taliban the angels of peace, which provoked the harsh and vicious reaction of ‘Shora-i-Nazzar’ (i.e. the factional military and political northern alliance) mainly that of Abdullah and Atta Mohammad Noor. The later one demanded that Mujahid should be imprisoned and the former one claimed his dismissal from the post. But Abdul Hakim Mujahid, enjoying the support of Ashraf Ghani, blatantly rejected the orders of the so called chief executive by adding that since his appointment was signed by the so called president therefore he is the only one who can remove him from his post.

In the meantime, six hundred liters of wine was discovered in Balkh province, which revitalized all those roaring debates and discussions that most stooge officials of the heterogeneous puppet regime are widely involved both in the use and trade of alcoholic drinks which are forbidden both in Islam as well as the established laws of the state.

In the closing days of January 2017, an Israeli defense magazine revealed a provocative secret by publishing that Israeli drones are playing a crucial role under the emblem of NATO’s resolute support mission inside Afghanistan by relentlessly killing the innocent Afghan people on the daily basis. Though it was a deeply embarrassing and humiliating discovery for the stooge heterogeneous setup but they did not bother at least to clarify the situation as they could not dare to react on this felony or aggression against their foreign masters.

At the end of this month, the body guards of Haleem Fidae, the stooge governor of Logar province ruthlessly killed innocent civilian people in the area. This tragic incident widely echoed in the media but unfortunately the blood of these people was squandered like all others. It has been nearly one year but neither the so called governor was trialled nor any of his body guards were held responsible for the incident due the impunity enjoyed by all those in power against all oppressed masses.

At the juncture of January and February 2017, two ridiculous assertions were made by the puppet regime which could not hold for long and were proved baseless which, instead of benefiting, badly undermined the stooge regime.

For the first time, the high ranking stooge officials claimed that a key Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Salam was killed in Kunduz province but shortly after this claim, he gave an interview and proved the white lie of the puppet regime.

In the second case, a fake letter was issued by the puppet national security organ on behalf of Mullah Abdul Manan, the governor of Helmand province, stating his differences with the leadership of the Islamic Emirate. But soon after this letter was published, Mullah Abdul Manan gave a detailed interview to media, thus proving the whole story a baseless and fabricated one.

In the ending days of February, media reported that a driver was ruthlessly killed by local police of puppet regime in Farah province for failing to give 20 Afghanis in bribe, which once again instigated the old discussions of inefficiency and arrogance of police forces in the media.

In March 2017, media reported that visas were banned by the American embassy in Kabul for all interpreters working with foreign invading forces. Similarly, visas were denied for members of the so called national assembly delegation intended for visiting America. In the meantime social media activists reported that corpses of local armed forces killed in Helmand province were not being shifted to their families in their respective provinces by the defense ministry of puppet regime and their bodies were rotting and decaying in the battle-field. Analysts said that these forces are backed and sponsored by the high ranking officials of puppet regime so as long as they are alive and can fight to protect their vested and malicious interests. And when they die, there is no one to lament, take care of their corpses or look after their families.

In March 2017, severe differences emerged between two top ranking officials of stooge admin, i.e. Atta Mohammad Noor and Abdullah Abdullah. Atta Noor who was close to Ashraf Ghani at that time, uttered severely harsh words against Abdullah by calling him a scorpion. In these days, another member of the bogus national assembly, Laly Hameedzai, who was excessively drunk got out of his home at midnight and opened indiscriminate shelling for several hours, thus spreading panic and a sense of insecurity among the people of Kabul city. Furthermore, the health ministry of puppet regime announced that 20 people were killed in Kabul in March 2017 due to use of contaminated alcoholic drinks.

The human rights commission said in its report of March 2017 that police force of puppet regime is widely involved in sexual abuse of children. In the same month, sever fighting broke out in Faryab province between Naeem Cherik, a notorious commander of Junbish Party and Khal Mohmmad, an unrestrained commander of Jamiat Party in which heavy losses and casualties were inflicted on both sides.

In the last week of March 2017, SIGAR (the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction) announced that most of American funds are stolen, misused and wasted in different ways and not properly utilized inside Afghanistan.

In the beginning of April 2017, the chieftains of ‘Shinwari Tribal Council’ said that Daish (ISIL) is widely and openly supported by the puppet regime. This claim was reiterated by Zahir Qadeer and several other local officials, but no adequate or acceptable answer was given by the stooge admin authorities. In the same month, Mother of all Bombs was dropped by the savage American invading forces in Achin district of Nangarhar province which had a widespread echo in the world media, though it was not as terribly harmful as perceived to be. The American authorities widely propagated to pretend their seriousness about the issue of Daish (ISIL), but several analysts including Karzai declared that it was only the testing of American war technology and the soil of occupied Afghanistan was chosen only as a testing ground.

Another issue which resulted in roaring disputes inside the stooge admin was the dismissal of Zia Masood, special envoy of the stooge head for good governance. Zia Masood, who came to know his sacking through media, warned about his fierce reaction and resistance but practically he showed little.

On Thursday 4^th May, Gulbadin Hikmatyar entered Kabul and surrendered to the stooge admin of Ashraf Ghani in the wake of an non-guaranteed deal. Some of his followers were quite enthusiastic at that time as they were promised prestigious posts in the stooge setup including a separate new housing enclosure. But it was later revealed that just like Dostam and Zia Masood, Hikmatyar was also deceived by Ashraf Ghani and his sponsors and the surrender agreement and other promises were just a mirage.

In May 2017, General Dostam – the so called first deputy of the stooge regime accused of sexually abusing Eschi – was expatriated to Turkey. In the same days another member of the bogus parliament from Bamyan province demonstrated his powers beyond the law. The supporters of Shahidani barred an airplane of Kam airlines from landing at Bamyan airport because this plane had not waited for the aforementioned parliamentarian in center and had taken off. In the meantime, severe verbal clashes raged between Atta Noor and Hikmatyar when they taunted each other for their past and present felonies. In the closing days of May, a mysterious blast of a tanker took place near Zanbaq square in the heart of Kabul which instigated widespread protests and anger of masses against the inefficiency of the stooge admin in securing the life of civilian people even in the capital city.

In the beginning of June 2017, the above mentioned demonstrations, the fortified tents and ‘Ratakhaze Change’ named civic societies and their flags formed the news headlines in media. The stooge admin tried to control these protest by bullets, in which the son of Ezidyar, the deputy head of so called senate was killed. On the following day, another mysterious blast took place in the funeral ceremony of the above incident. And Salahuddin, the head of Jamiat party, directly accused the so called national security council of Kabul and Hanif Atmar for these tragic incidents. This brawl had not cooled down yet, as severe fighting broke out between the unrestrained armed militiamen of Hizb and Jamiat in Takhar province in which 22 people were killed.

During June 2017, two other opponents of the stooge admin appeared. Rahmatullah Nabeel, the former intelligence head announced a new party called ‘Mehwar’ (i.e. the axis or pivot), while Dostam, Muhaqqiq and Atta Noor announced a new alliance called ‘Nijat’ (i.e. the salvation) in Turkey. They warned the stooge admin about widespread protests if their demands were not fulfilled; the puppet regime raised the issue of Eschi and on the other hand, Dostam’s plane was also barred from landing anywhere inside Afghanistan and was instead diverted back to Turkey. In these days, media reported that the heterogeneous stooge setup headed by Ashraf Ghani is still deeply involved in corruption as 20% of custom revenues go to pockets or bank accounts of individuals which was a huge loss for the country and its deserted people.

At end of June 2017, Washington Post published a detailed article that the mercenary forces of puppet regime are widely involved in sexual abuse of young boys. In the meantime, the body guards of Muhaqqiq opened indiscriminate fire on participants of a wedding ceremony and ruthlessly killed the bride.

In August 2017 one of the strangest incidents took place. Asif Momand, a member of the so called Balkh provincial council had some longstanding differences with the stooge governor of the respective province. While wanting to return from Kabul to Mazar Sharif, he was detained by the unrestrained armed militiamen of Atta Noor. He was then taken to Atta Noor who initially severely beat him and then bit off his ear. Asif Momand appeared some days later in front of media while his head was bandaged and his left ear was torn.

In September 2017, fliers dropped from American planes in Parwan province contained images of ‘the creed word of Islam’ on a dog’s body. This untoward incident provoked widespread public protests but they could not wake up the sleeping or even dead conscience of stooge authorities of the puppet regime. In the same month, Ashraf Ghani appeared in the UN conference where he only addressed some of his own colleagues while most of the remaining seats were vacant. In the meantime, a letter of Sawabuddin Makhkash (an official of the so called presidential palace) was exposed, revealing the deep ethnic and racial differences prevailing inside the palace.

This issue had not yet cooled down when SIGAR (the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction) released another report stating that the widows of the killed forces are asked for sexual bribe by the vicious officials of the heterogeneous setup in return of financial aid from their respective organs. Though it was a highly sensitive issue but it still failed to stir up the dead consciences of stooge heads of the puppet regime as they were either busy in their personal vested interests or they were helpless in addressing and solving such provocative issues.

In the beginning of October, two significant incidents took place. In one case, the military post of mercenary forces in Grishk district of Helmand province was deliberately bombed by the savage American invading forces, killing a total of 20 soldiers including commander Torjan. On the other hand, an armed man killed several American people at a party in Los Vegas. But the astonishing thing was the reaction of Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah regarding these similar but separate incidents. Both of them neither expressed their sympathy for the bereaved families of their forces nor raised any complaint against their American masters. But on the contrary, they released lengthy messages of sorrow and condolences about the incident in Las Vegas by deeply sharing in the American grief.

In the meantime, surveys conducted by an international organ revealed that the heterogeneous stooge regime is completely failed and inefficient and Afghanistan is facing one of the highest famine ratio despite the huge amount of international funds provided over the years. John Sopko, the head of SIGAR announced that the number of casualties of local mercenary armed forces have significantly increased and the stooge admin in Kabul and their American masters have agreed not to reveal the real number of their casualties and losses from now onwards. On the other side, the power supply company in Kabul said that high ranking stooge officials owe nearly 10 billion Afghanis and they have not paid their electricity bills for years.

On Monday 23^rd October, both Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah went to Bagram airbase to meet the American secretary of state Rex Tillerson. The people working in the so called presidential palace tried their best to bring necessary modifications in the pictures taken in Bagram using photoshop to conceal this embarrassment of the stooge head and his deputy but it was all in-vain as all details of this meeting were published and broadcasted by American media.

Another interesting incident of October 2017 was that of Laly Hameedzai and Hamayun Hamayun, two influential members of the bogus parliament violently entered the television archive of parliament by breaking its main gate and went away with whatever record or information needed by them but none of the puppet admin organs bothered themselves with pursuing this aggressive violation within the stooge setup.

In the beginning of November 2017, the bogus national assembly decided that two key terms of ‘Islam’ and ‘Afghan’ should not be removed in the newly intended electronic identity cards. In the meantime, a deeply shameful video of Colonel Ghulam Rasool Laghmani, a prominent doctor in the mercenary army, was published in the social media but the officials in the palasilence and the issue was set aside and forgotten as usual. In the meantime, a new controversy started between Arghandiwal and Hikmatyar, as the former claimed that the later one has no right to register a party called Hizb-i-Islami in ministry of justice because this party title was already registered and occupied by him in the relevant department.

On the other hand, the United Nations announced that poppy cultivation has significantly increased by 87% in Afghanistan under the surveillance of American invading forces and their stooge Ashraf Ghani. And the so called national assembly blamed the palace for promoting ethnic and racial biases on national level. The stooge deputy head of chief executive office defended and declared support for Afghan nationals who were sent as mercenaries by Iranian authorities to the ongoing war in Syria. At this critical time, a letter was revealed which was formerly issued by the public admin headquarters stating that a new force should be developed from other ethnicities except Tajik people. This untoward incident had severe reverberation among the masses but no tough and efficient action was undertaken to prevent the repetition of such felonies.

The last hot news of last month of last year was an anti-stooge-admin gathering in Kandahar province. In this meeting several members of the supposed parliament were to participate. The governor of Balkh province, the son of General Dostam and some other influential people wanted to participate travel to the meeting but their plane was not allowed by the stooge authorities to take off from the respective airport. Zahir Qadeer announced an ultimatum of 12 hours for the stooge admin but could not dare show any visible reaction even with the expiry of the aforementioned ultimatum.

In this month, a statistical report of a regional area study center stated that 67% people of Afghanistan are of the viewpoint that Ashraf Ghani is least interested in bringing and restoring peace and stability in the country. In this month, the female hostel of Afghan-Turk lycee (an institute of higher secondary school level) was raided by forces related to the so called national security directorate, in which some female teachers were kidnapped. This felonious act of the national security organ was called a highly sensitive issue and a grave violation of all Islamic rules and Afghan traditions just like all their previous violations, but no one was held responsible for this incident.

The year 2017 came to an end while tensions between Ashraf Ghani and Atta Noor peaking as the whole stooge setup is completely drowned in its internal brawls under the atmosphere of complete uncertainty. On the one hand the resignation of Atta Noor was accepted by Ashraf Ghani and a new governor was appointed for Balkh province, but on the other hand Atta Noor will not give up his seat and will not leave so easily. This has brought into question the authority and status of the people in the presidential palace. It is still not clear who will come out as winner in this tussle between palace and Atta Noor!!!

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a former Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate Nov 29th 2017

Recently a religious madrassa and a mosque were targeted and indiscriminately bombarded in ‘Narkh’ district of ‘Maidan Wardak’ province in which several pious and innocent students were ruthlessly martyred and wounded in addition to the complete demolition of both mosque and madrassa. This is not a unique and unprecedented incident of its type. For the last sixteen years, no single day has gone in which a mosque or madrassa and its students are not targeted and attacked by the savage American invaders either independently or in collaboration with their internal mercenaries.

Indubitably, chasing their malicious and vested economic and military objectives in the region were amongst the main factors which tempted America to invade Afghanistan under the disguise of ‘War on Terror’ but the prominent cause for this brutal and illegitimate military invasion of our homeland was mainly a crusade and religious in nature. And it was explicitly announced by the former American president Bush in 2001 that since they were leading a crusade in Afghanistan, therefore they were definitely going to win it, as it enjoyed the military and financial support of several other crusaders of the modern world.

There is one major difference between the illegal and brutal invasion of Iraq and that of Afghanistan. When Iraq was invaded, the resistance movement of Mujahidin remained incessant only in some limited areas and did not enjoy wide range public support either. Secondly, most of those Mujahidin did not belong to Iraq as they had come from other countries to participate in Jihad against the foreign invaders. But it was totally different in the case of Afghanistan. Here the resistance was simultaneously initiated in several areas with great fervor and enthusiasm which spread all over the country in a considerably short span of time.

The distinction of a strong and successful resistance movement against the savage foreign invaders which foiled all strategies of NATO and American forces and more than 50% Afghan territory was liberated from their vicious presence, is that here in Afghanistan the ongoing Jihad and holy struggle is guided and controlled by the religious and spiritual leadership of the country, who are deeply rooted in the pious and Muslim masses of this country by enjoying their full and unwavering support both physically and financially.

This is the main reason that American invaders and their internal mercenaries could not enervate and encounter the Jihadi spirit and passion of the noble and revered Ulama (scholars) and Sheiks of Afghanistan by drawing a line of cleavage between Mujahidin and the pious masses, though they left no stone unturned to achieve this malicious goal.

Both the American invaders and their internal stooges have fully realized that whosoever enjoys the support of the religious and spiritual leaders and the valiant and freedom loving people of this country, cannot be easily pacified or surmounted. Therefore, the American invaders and their NATO and European allied forces fully equipped with modern and sophisticated weapons, could not escape from a humiliating and embarrassing historical defeat despite all their political and intelligence maneuvers.

Since the ongoing Jihad and freedom struggle has deep religious and spiritual roots among the Afghan society and masses hence the easiest way for the savage American invaders is to destroy and take their barbaric revenge from the madrassas, mosques and those pious students who are studying there.

But it should be realized by Trump and all other brutal crusaders that each and every bomb which hits a mosque or a madrassa, martyring and maiming students, actually enflames the zeal of even tougher resistance and even more sacrifices among our pious and freedom loving people against the savage foreign invaders and their internal mercenaries. New Mujahidin burst forth from each and every village and home with a strong determination and vow to take the revenge of these destroyed mosques and madrassas and the innocent students martyred and wounded there.

Therefore, the actual task for the ill-advised and brutal foreign invaders is to reconsider their newly assumed strategy, by finding the answer for the big question, whether this strategy helps them or it deteriorates the situation for them by pushing them towards a final and humiliating defeat inside Afghanistan and the collapse of their colonial powers in the world. As the history repeats itself, we are determined and assured that Afghanistan, the land of pious and freedom loving people, will once again become a graveyard for these modern and brutal invaders. In-sha Allah (God-willing)!!!

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a former Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate Nov 25th 2017

In his recent visit to Washington, Dr. Abdullah, the execute head of the puppet heterogeneous regime of Kabul told the Washington Post and some other leading American papers that the new warring strategy of Trump is an inclusive, successful and Afghan-rescue strategy.

According to Dr. Abdullah the main reason of its success is that it is boundless in space and time, which explicitly means that it is for time interminable.

While answering a question posed by the Washington Post regarding Trump’s strategy for Afghanistan, he said that it is going to be successful from various aspects.

Firstly this strategy is not bound by a specific time frame rather it will be effective till Afghanistan is cleared to terrorism.

Secondly by using the military force, the opponents (i.e. the Taliban) will be compelled to accept the peace process and sit with the (stooge) Afghan government for negotiation.

These are the expressions of the second top official of the heterogeneous setup uttered about the vicious Trump’s strategy which has caused hundreds of innocent Afghan civilian deaths and injurs in the short span of one or two months.

The savage strategy which is regarded as a complete failure by most American analysts who consider it only as continuation of a futile war and thus destabilizing the whole region!!!

The brutal strategy in which more than 1000 bombs were indiscriminately dropped on the vulnerable Afghan masses as its inauguration!!!

The strategy which resulted in the ruthless bombardment of Afghan wedding and funeral ceremonies in which hundreds of innocent people were killed and wounded!!!

The strategy in which mosques, madrassas and health centers were bombed and demolished indiscriminately!!!

The strategy in which hundreds of families were destroyed, children were orphaned and women were left helpless and hopeless!!!

The strategy which was called a murderous and homicidal one by several members of the so called senate and the national assembly of the puppet regime themselves!!!

But the executive chief of the stooge heterogeneous setup still considers it as an inclusive, successful and Afghan-rescue strategy by asking Trump to implement it in its real sense.

No wonder then it is an explicit interpretation of the true face and function of a puppet and dependent setup by one of its own stooge and effeminate head Abdullah (the double) which is published in American media to hurt the feelings and sentiments of the noble and valiant Afghan people.

In fact the then American state secretary had laid down the foundation of this mercenary and heterogeneous setup in the American embassy in Kabul for the sole purpose of fully respecting and protecting the malicious American interests by saying ditto to all their legal or illegal commands and demands.

The innocent and helpless Afghan masses will be ruthlessly killed, wounded and indiscriminately bombed under the reign of this puppet regime so that the security of their American friends (masters!!!) is maintained and guaranteed in Washington.

And this brutal genocide of the noble Afghan people will be considered neither a crime against humanity, nor the violation of basic human rights; rather all these violations and brutalities committed by the savage American invaders inside Afghanistan will be labeled as Afghan-rescue operations by their internal mercenaries and interpreters.

In fact, this is the inhuman and absurd logic of the coward officials of the stooge setup supported and sustained by the American occupying forces, to delude the heroic Afghan nation.

But they should know that the vigilant and discerning Afghan masses have realized their true nature as well as the malicious objectives of their devious masters hence they have resorted to fighting with honor and bravery.

The freedom loving Afghan people have distinguished their emancipation in constant resistance and Jihad against the wicked foreign invaders especially the American occupying forces as well as their internal mercenaries, and they will perpetuate this struggle as their ultimate aspiration until their beloved homeland is freed and its sovereignty is restored.

In-sha-Allah!!! (God willing)

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a former Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate 23rd Nov 2017

In an interview published recently, Mr. Hugo Lawrence, the American ambassador for Afghanistan told the media that American forces would stay inside Afghanistan for time unknown, and according to the newly announced strategy, the decision of withdrawing our forces will be taken at an appropriate time. He added that the interests of Kabul and Washington are common, and the American forces will continue their (military) operations against the armed opponents until they are completely defeated.

He further said that besides military operations, regional and international pressures will be increased on Taliban to force them to lay down their arms and join the peace process.

Prior to this, some well-known American media outlets revealed that Americans are planning to build a huge base of CIA on regional level in Kabul for the surveillance of Afghanistan as well as the regional countries, besides searching and targeting the centers and hideouts of their armed opponents.

The New York Times reported that according to the new strategy, powers and jurisdiction of CIA had already been increased significantly which is going to build its largest intelligence bureau in Kabul on the level of South Asia and for this purpose, the expansion and development of green zone had already been launched in the heart of Kabul.

The American president Trump has also expressed clearly that American forces will remain inside Afghanistan till indefinite time. He criticized his predecessor Obama for announcing a specific time-frame for the withdrawal of American forces, which was seized as a golden opportunity by Taliban fighters by increasing and accelerating their attacks to achieve their goals.

It is an undeniable fact that following the illegitimate and brutal occupation of Afghanistan, whosoever is appointed as ambassador, he does not represent America only. Contrary to the ambassadors of other countries, he is the real ruler of Afghanistan. He draws the guidelines of internal and foreign policies of this country, besides taking decisions on all crucial matters. His words and deeds should not be compared with the hollow expressions of Ashraf Ghani, the stooge head of the puppet regime in Kabul. On one side, his statement is fraught with dreadful meaning for the Afghan masses while on the other, it is alarming for Russia, China and other neighboring countries.

Our country was brutally invaded and has been occupied in violation of all international norms by the savage American and allied forces for the last sixteen years. During this entire era of foreign occupation, every hill, meadow, city, town and village is attacked. Civilian houses were raided in the dark of nights. Mosques, madrassas, schools, hospitals, even wedding and funeral processions of the oppressed Afghan masses were frequently and indiscriminately bombed. In some cases, over a 100 civilian people were killed and wounded in a single incident. In short, our country has been occupied by the savage American invaders and our helpless and oppressed people have suffered tremendously.

But we are not the only target of this brutal invasion. In reality the entire region and especially those countries are main target of this maneuver which are labelled as rogue states by America, or those who pose a potential threat to their geo-economic and geo-political interests of freeing the world from the present unbalanced and unipolar status.

Americans are here with bad intentions. Had we not stopped them in Afghanistan by exhausting them in the longest and costliest war of their contemporary history by inflicting colossal financial and human losses on them, the regional countries would have known better the real motives and intentions of the American intrusion in Afghanistan. Even today, if we give up our legitimate resistance against the foreign invaders, or (God forbid) our struggle is weakened, the real and malicious objectives of America will be revealed to our neighboring and other concerned countries rather quickly.

We have always raised our voice that it is unfaithful and hurtful on behalf of regional countries to leave us alone in the face of the largest military alliance in history led by America that is threatening the whole region. The major regional powers did not bother to provide us moral or political support against this blood-thirsty and cruel common enemy rather they said ditto to America and fulfilled their demands in most cases.

Therefore, we once again call upon the regional countries and powers that America has invaded our country for her long term objectives. It is still an opportunity to come together and support the ongoing resistance of courageous Afghans, as they are given tremendous sacrifices to defeat and expel the American invaders, so that their malicious objectives are not and cannot be implemented in the region.

The above expressions of the American ambassador were also meant to boost the morale of their foreign invading partners as well as their internal mercenaries. As far as the internal stooge forces are concerned, they cannot fight and resist against the heroic Mujahidin who are sacrificing their lives in defense of their creed, country and people. The mercenary forces have realized that their defeat is definite therefore most of the youth are abandoning the mercenary army. This is the reason that despite spending millions of dollars during the last sixteen years, the targeted number of the mercenary army has not be achieved by the savage foreign invaders.

One the other side, the brutal western alliance is on the verge of disintegration after suffering heavy losses and casualties in Afghanistan, and now they are absconding the battle-field one after the other. As far as America is concerned, which is leading this grand alliance, none of its authorities is sure or even optimistic about winning this futile and bloody war. Some days ago, even their defense secretary clearly said that the present American strategy against Taliban has failed and the ongoing war cannot be won in this way. Trump himself has said clearly that it was a useless, costliest and unsuccessful war for America.

The ongoing resistance of courageous Afghan people is not based on worldly gains, as they cannot be enervated by the deployment of additional foreign occupying forces nor by sophisticated modern warfare of the savage foreign invaders. This war is a holy struggle for our Mujahidin whose prime objective is to defend their creed, country and people. And by the grace of Almighty Allah, we are on the verge of achieving our lofty goals!!!

The heroic Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate bravely fought for the last sixteen years in a backward country like Afghanistan against the most powerful military alliance of the world comprising of nearly forty eight countries. They rendered great sacrifices and thus pushed this gigantic alliance on the verge of collapse. The morale of our steadfast, determined and committed Mujahidin is rejuvenated day by day as new volunteers are joining them with the increase of barbaric and indiscriminate bombing and raids of foreign invaders and their internal mercenaries, in which, huge financial losses and casualties are inflicted upon the innocent civilian people of our country.

The marvelous thing is that no signs of weakness or wavering are witnessed in the leadership nor on the lower level of our followers. Here every one, even the beloved son of His Excellency the ‘Amir-ul-Momineen (may Allah safeguard him) is ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of Islam and liberation of the country. This is the reason that our Mujahidin are so enthusiastic and devoted to their mission. Consequently, they are advancing by leaps and bounds and with the passage of every single day, vast areas are brought under control by liberating them from the wicked enemy.

Our progress is not confined to any specific area or zone, as our Mujahidin are advancing in Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western areas of the country by capturing districts and military bases of the enemy. And now, several stooge governors have warned the puppet regime in Kabul that various provinces are on the verge of collapse to Taliban. The world knows that more than 50% territory of Afghanistan is now controlled by the heroic Mujahidin of the Islamic Emirate.

In 2001, the largest military alliance in human history under the American supervision and leadership invaded and eventually occupied Afghanistan. Nearly one hundred and twenty thousand forces, fully equipped with the most sophisticated weapons, under the coverage of hundreds of most modern fighter planes, came to Afghanistan. Taliban lost the control of last single district. They had no financial resources but, still, they did not lose their courage and morale due to their unwavering belief in their lofty mission. Therefore they re-organized their people with minor weapons and tiny resources but with high morale and enthusiasm to confront the enemy. They have been successfully fighting for the last sixteen years, by liberating more than half of the country from the wicked foreign invaders and their internal mercenaries. Most members of the vicious alliance have already absconded the battle-field and the devious leader of the alliance is now perplexed, weather to go forward and fall, or go backward and mar all!!!

The above expressions of the American ambassador will have no effect on the high moral of our courageous Mujahidin, as they are determined to continue their struggle till the unconditional withdrawal of the last foreign occupying soldier from our beloved homeland. In-sha Allah (God willing)!!!

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a former Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Post via Islamic Emirate Nov 17th 2017

It has been sixteen years since the brutal and illegitimate invasion of Afghanistan by the savage American forces. Most American thinkers believe that in the recent years, instead of gaining anything new, they have mostly lost their previous achievements. Michael Colman, in this regard told CNN that in 2001 American forces succeeded in toppling the Taliban regime in a considerable short period of time, as Taliban could not resist against them for long. The invaders thought that the story was finished but it was soon revealed as a bitter reality that that starting a war is easy however bringing it to a successful end is a herculean task.

The Americans learnt this bitter lesson in their futile war in Vietnam and subsequently in their invasion of Iraq. Reports say that after 2001, Taliban are now in control of larger areas than ever before and their expansion is increasing day by day. Though the American invaders spent billions of dollars and lost thousands of their military personnel but despite these huge financial losses and casualties, instead of achieving anything further, they have lost the achievements of all the previous years.

Mr. Colman added that the Americans not only failed in restoring peace and security to Afghanistan, they failed to stabilize its economy as well. Afghanistan is the top-list country receiving tremendous funds collected and paid for by the Americans. In 2014, the puppet regime in Kabul received more 7 billion dollars aid from America and presently more than 4 million dollars are required to meet the extravagant spending of the stooge regime in Kabul.

The economy of Afghanistan had a growth of 12% in 2012, but in 2015 it was on the verge of total collapse, as it had 0.5% growth only. The hasty withdrawal of foreign occupying forces severely undermined the Afghan economy, as it was not a well-established and real economy, rather it was a ‘war economy’ sustained and supported by the illegitimate presence of foreign occupying forces. When most of the foreign invaders evacuated, this illusive and instable economy broke down instantly.

Ronal Lend, another American analyst elaborated the devotion and sincerity of Taliban by illustrating the example of one Talib fighter, narrated by ‘Abdul Jabbar Qaharman’, an old and seasoned commander of the mercenary forces in Helmand province then. He said that six sons of that Talib volunteer sacrificed their lives one after the other in fighting against the American invaders. When one of them was killed, the second one picked up the Kalashnikov and went to fighting; when he lost his life, the third one came forward, and so on. Eventually when all the six sons sacrificed their lives, the father himself girded up his loin and went to the battle field.

Abdul Jabbar Qaharman, a member of the bogus parliament in Kabul who admits that 60% of Afghan territory is controlled by Taliban, added that no one can pacify these people in war as their numbers grow rapidly to substitute those who are killed in fighting. Ronal Lend concludes that Taliban have plans to resist and fight for time interminable, as they enjoy the control of vast areas surrounding districts and provincial centers which have almost turned into besieged islands, where only the flag of the stooge regime is hoisted and nothing more.

Five years ago, the American security and intelligence agencies had estimated the total number of Taliban fighters to be roundabout 20,000. On the other hand, it is claimed by the American invaders that roughly 10,000 Taliban are killed per year. In this way, they should have finished in two or three years. But instead of vanishing, their number is increasing by leaps and bounds and their control is widening rapidly. It proves that they have long-lasting plans and have incalculable volunteers to substitute the deceased ones. This is the real picture of that futile war for which Donald Trump has launched his new ridiculous strategy in hope of bringing it to a successful end as desired by the ill-advised American invaders.

Ann Jones writes in the weekly ‘The Nation’ of New York that Trump has entirely forgotten about his strong antagonism of ‘Obama’s war strategy’ in his election campaign. He now has taken a U turn by stating that we are not there (in Afghanistan) for nation building but for eliminating terrorists. He says that we will not allow Afghanistan to be become sanctuary for terrorists once again. The same ridiculous and baseless rhetoric was repeated by his predecessors i.e. Bush and Obama.

It seems that Donald Trump does not know or does not want to know that none of the 19 attackers of 9/11 were from Afghanistan. They belonged to the Middle East and their sanctuaries were in San Diego, Arizona, Phoenix, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Hollywood and Fort Lee. Trump should realize that all these places are situated in America and not in Afghanistan. That 19 people had the American licenses and were living there.

Ann Jones concludes that now, as additional forces are being sent to Afghanistan, I don’t really know what lesson we have learnt in the previous sixteen years from Afghanistan. In 2010 after meeting my colleagues in Afghanistan, I realized that the American forces are given a free hand there, as whatever serious felony is committed by them, it is not properly reported in the media. The report released by the American generals depict a picture showing that all their war strategies are working effectively and they are succeeding in their fight by eliminating terrorists (mentioning no signs of everyday civilian losses and casualties). But when it comes to reality, Taliban have not been defeated rather they have increased and expanded. Isn’t it astonishing that American forces are still considering themselves triumphant and unbeatable? The bitter reality is that they (the American forces) cannot achieve anything even if they remain there for sixteen years more!!!

Trump is insisting on a long-lasting war in Afghanistan, but all know that he has not properly analyzed the real situation yet. The American forces have been extremely demoralized by suffering huge financial losses and heavy casualties in the longest and most futile war of their contemporary history. They have suffered both physiologically and psychologically, therefore they have lost their morale substantially. Twenty percent of suicide incidents occurring in America are related to these war torn military personnel. Number of suicide cases in American armed forces have significantly increased after their invasion of Afghanistan and then Iraq. In 2001, one hundred and forty five (145) soldiers had committed suicide.

The period from 2004 to 2009 was the most hazardous and difficult time for the American invading forces, as thousands of suicide cases were reported among them during that time-period. In 2012 three hundred and fifty (350) soldiers committed suicide, whereas according to their own confirmation 311 troops were killed in the battle-fields during current year. At that time a high ranking commander of the American forces committed suicide, as he had been fighting for long in various military operations and was suffering from severe mental disorders. He wrote in his last message, ‘my colleagues might think I was very strong but the reality is that I was totally broken from within.’ The spouse of that commander said that after returning from Iraq, her husband was deeply upset due to his three close comrades who had already committed suicide.

Most of the American troops who were discharging their duties in Afghanistan and Iraq, have joined their families by returning to their hometowns but they are still suffering from deep anxiety and stress. Their main concern is that they might be deployed once again in the futile conflicts waged by the American war-monger authorities in various parts of the world, particularly the incessant war in Afghanistan which is not going to come to an end as vowed by their new president. These veterans are in constant trouble with their families as they are not properly revered by the masses for their futile military services therefore they resort to drugs and other intoxicants and most of the time they lose their lives due to excessive and heavy drinking.

Prudent experts believe that the motives behind the rising number of suicidal incidents are the extensive and intensive wars waged by America for achieving their colonial and vicious objectives in different parts of the world under the disguise of fictional slogans of ‘war against terror’ and ‘safeguarding human rights’. Therefore, Dominic Terry had written in 2015 in the ‘Atlantic’ magazine that talking about Afghanistan is actually talking about one’s death. It has become a nightmare for the people and they want to change the topic abruptly.

Irrespective of Trump desires and strategy for Afghanistan, the reality is that a significant majority of American military commanders and other related authorities want to end this futile and interminable war in Afghanistan. A war which has become a quagmire for all the foreign invaders, as the more they use their force, they more they are entrapped. They now seek to relieve their shoulders by shifting this quandary either completely to NATO or to share it with their Indian stakeholders. In the recent visit of the American defense minister, James Mattis, to New Delhi in the last week of September, the Indian government was formally asked to send their troops to substitute the American forces and shouldering the war in Afghanistan. But the Indian defense minister, Mrs. Nirmala Seta, unequivocally told the Americans that they are not ready to deploy their forces to Afghanistan.

A renowned Indian writer, Dr. Ved Partab, who enjoys quite close relations with the Indian Prime Minister Mody, recollects his memories by writing that he had a long 3 hour meeting with his old friend, Babrak Karmal, the then puppet president of Afghanistan. His opening remarks were that if the Indian forces could replace the then Soviet troops in Afghanistan, it would work out. At that time I fully explained all the constraints and limits why the Indian forces could not be deployed there. Since history repeats itself, now it is the same scenario where the freedom loving people of Afghanistan have beaten the Americans and other allied forces, they want to transfer their misfortune to their Indian counterparts who are not ready to assume this unresolvable dilemma!!!

End

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a former Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Despite being given 2 awards for challenging a government report into Contaminated Blood in 2006 my dissertation research was repeatedly blocked by several organizations

The BBC reported this week that “Government officials have apologised for using a discredited report into the contaminated blood products scandal that left thousands of NHS patients infected with viruses including HIV.” The report is known as the Self-Sufficiency in Blood Products in England and Wales: A Chronology from 1973 to 1991. The title itself a lie as the UK has never achieved self-sufficiency in blood products. It was referred to by government as the “definitive” report into how haemophiliacs became infected with multiple viruses including hepatitis C and HIV and was used to back numerous controversial decisions by the government. See following link,

“Contaminated Blood Report full of Lies”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42410301

The government have indeed apologized to Baroness Featherstone who to her credit approached Sir Christopher Wormald recently on this issue however the one person they haven’t yet apologized to is the author of a twice awarded dissertation both critiquing and challenging the Self-Sufficiency report over a decade ago. That author is myself, a widow who lost both her husband and brother-in-law both haemophiliacs to contaminated blood.

Haemophilia Society trustees (supposed to advocate for victims of this scandal) allegedly blocked my report from its website for years only recently changing their stance in 2017 with the arrival of new staff and a general apology for the behaviour of the past though no mention of this specific incident. The block was despite it being minuted by a former CEO that the Society would place my research on their website. The question is who blocked it and and why? One former employee of the Haemophilia Society, Dan Farthing-Sykes (now Haemophilia Scotland) did decide to help me in his own capacity by putting the dissertation on CD for distribution to campaigners and anyone else that wanted a copy.

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Haemophiliacs and Contaminated Blood were also sent a copy of my dissertation with a letter offering to discuss my research with MPs but this was never taken up by the APPG. I did however find 30 other ways to distribute the research, as part of my award was some funding to help educate on the findings.

So here is some background and timeline of challenges to the government’s report from myself but first a quote from the Haemophilia Society that did actually recognize the problems with the publication which makes it all the more strange that they blocked me.

Margaret Unwin of the Haemophilia Society stated,

“The Government has already admitted that it has shredded many of the documents that refer to the time period in question, but that still doesn’t explain the strange assortment of references they have made in the report- ranging from clinical journals to the Sun Newspaper. (She goes on to say) This document is greatly flawed and has, I believe been produced to deflect the call for a wide-ranging public inquiry into the whole issue. The report has been produced internally, informally and very poorly by the Department of Health. It is not public, not an inquiry and merely reflects the views of the Department itself.”

(Haemophilia Society Website, 26^th Feb, 2006)

She goes on to say,

“Reading the report- which does not have a named author- it appears to be a fairly blatant attempt to gloss over the details of the events of the time and even to lay blame at the door of the patients themselves.”

(Unwin, Haemophilia Society Website, 28^th Feb, 2006)

Points from myself

1. The Self Sufficiency in Blood Products in England and Wales from 1973 to 1991 report (published 2006) was written as a direct response to a dossier of documents sent by the Newcastle Journal and myself in our joint “Bad Blood” campaign begun by the excellent Louella Houldcroft (former reporter at the Newcastle Journal) and I around 1999/2000. Louella did a great job and won 2 awards for health reporting, writing numerous stories on this when the national media were afraid to pick up on some issues. Louella wrote her stories using many of the documents I had researched which were checked out by the newspapers’s legal team before publication.

Dept of Health report is on the following link,

http://haemophilia.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Self-sufficiency-in-blood-products-in-England-and-Wales-A-chronology-from-1973-to-1991.pdf

Louella’s awards,

BT Young Journalist of the Year 1999 (Runner Up)
Winner of the North East Cordner Awards, Health Journalist of the Year, 2000 and 2001

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sage/staff/profile/louellahouldcroft.html#background

2. In 2006 following the death of my husband Peter a haemophiliac infected with HIV, hepatitis B and C and exposed to new variant CJD, I went to Sunderland university and wrote a research dissertation critiquing and challenging the DOH report showing what was important wasn’t what was in the report but what was left out. In order to do this I legally acquired copies of many documents held in a Newcastle solicitors office Blackett Hart and Pratt (formerly Deas Mallen Souter) which was part of the generic evidence in the 1991 HIV litigation. (My late husband was a litigant). The documents were not seen by haemophiliacs at the time and the case did not go to court with government refusing compensation and opting for some financial support through the MacFarlane Trust.

I utilized copies of documents the government stated in writing to me were “inadvertently destroyed by a junior civil servant” some years back along with former Health minister Lord David Owen’s files. Owen gave a commitment for the UK to become self-sufficient in blood/blood products. He complained to the Parliamentary Ombudsman regarding his missing files and has supported my research in writing. Lord Warner stated this destruction of documents “should not have happened” but no one was held accountable for destroying key evidence.

3. In 2006 I returned copies of many of these destroyed documents that formed part of my dissertation to government via a solicitor for release to the public via the National Archives at Kew. Documents are being released in batches and the return is covered in legal letters, Hansard (2006) and the Guardian (2006) as well as the Newcastle Journal. I recently received a letter from the Dept of Health detailing progress of their release after writing to them questioning why they had not kept me informed as had been agreed.

My dissertation link is here, http://haemophilia.org.uk/support/day-day-living/patient-support/contaminated-blood/dissertation-carol-grayson-contaminated-blood-products/

My ESRC award is here, Michael Young Prize winner 2009: Tackling the blood trade (ESRC Issue 4 2009)

https://web.archive.org/web/20101015225531/http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk:80/ESRCInfoCentre/about/CI/CP/societynow/issue4/blood_trade.aspx

4. The dissertation though awarded the Michael Young ESRC (Economic and Research Council) prize in 2009 and a further international award received from COTT Committee of Ten Thousand (US Haemophilia Advocates) at Washington DC in the name of my late husband Peter and myself for services to haemophilia and to those with HIV and hepatitis viruses for “upholding truth and justice” was largely blocked for a decade by government. They refused to address the contents sending only a short letter congratulating me on my award.

In a bizarre coincidence Sir Peter Bottomley who sits on the APPG for haemophilia was asked to present me with the award in his role as a supporter of research. My fellow campaigner Colette Wintle, a female with a bleeding disorder infected with hepatitis C  with whom I have campaigned for over 20 years worked very hard to highlight the contents of my dissertation but was also largely ignored.

5. In 2010, fellow campaigner Colette Wintle and I met with then health minister Anne Milton who gave a commitment to responding in writing to my research conclusions that the DOH report was a whitewash and also to continued meetings at the Dept of Health. Civil servants were present including Rowena Jecock. Colette has campaigned for many years for women with bleeding disorders and was infected with hepatitis B and C through treatment for her hereditary condition where the blood does not clot. We have worked together for over 20 years.

6. Baroness Featherstone (who had a nephew infected with contaminated blood) and Lynn Kelly (Haemophilia Wales) who also campaigns on Contaminated Blood challenged the report more recently coming to me for details of omissions in the report as they did not have the necessary evidence. They met with Sir Christopher Wormald at the Department of Health. We exchanged numerous emails where I assisted them. I wished to present my own research but was initially excluded from the meeting and only later invited after a somewhat heated discussion regarding my exclusion. I declined as I was not comfortable attending only as an afterthought and was greatly disappointed I was not encouraged to present my own research findings rather than them being discussed second hand.

7. Sir Christopher Wormald has now instructed in writing that ministers cannot use the DOH disgraced report.

8. The DOH report was previously used for years as back-up to justify key decisions made by the DOH since 2006.

9. Theresa May announced a Public Inquiry earlier this year into Contaminated Blood, an issue Andy Burnham calls “a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale.”

10. The Dept of Health is seen as not suitable to investigate themselves and the Inquiry was passed to the Cabinet office.

11. Campaigners recently met with Damien Green (Cabinet Office) to look at a way forward regarding the Inquiry but he has now resigned “after a Cabinet Office investigation found he had misled the public and MPs over what he knew about pornography found on an office computer” (see following link)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/20/breaking-theresa-mays-effective-deputy-damian-green-quits-pornography/

12. A chairperson to the Contaminated Blood Inquiry is due to be announced this week.

13. The BBC contacted me several weeks ago to film an interview on Contaminated Blood. I highlighted that the DOH report was a whitewash and asked if they could cover this story. They did so interviewing Baroness Featherstone and I. However they excluded the fact that I had written an awarded dissertation challenging the report in 2006 referring only to Baroness Featherstone’s recent meetings to challenge the government. I have emailed to ask why this was omitted.

The government now have a major problem on their hands…Despite haemophiliacs being infected with deadly viruses many years ago, the Department of Health don’t actually have a “definitive” report on Contaminated Blood anymore. In an ironic twist, as my campaign colleague Colette Wintle stated,

“the only ‘definitive’ report on the Contaminated Blood Scandal in England and Wales that stands right now, externally accredited and awarded is that written by Carol Grayson”

As the government have been so unreliable, victims have had no choice but to do the research themselves. The lies and false narrative from the state have delayed and denied justice to haemophiliacs and their families for decades. Many have now died and others are in very poor health with family members providing 24 hour care often unsupported. We are still waiting…

Links

Research prize for blood campaigner (Newcastle Journal, 14^th March 2009)

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/research-prize-blood-campaigner-carol-4485637

Carol Grayson wins award for Contaminated Blood campaigning

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/carol-grayson-wins-award-contaminated-4471449

Praise for press campaign nearly 10 years on (Hold The Front Page) March 2^nd 2009)

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2009/news/praise-for-press-campaign-nearly-ten-years-on/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a former Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Arkansas Prison blood donor dying of hepatitis C: UK treatment for haemophiliacs was sourced from Arkansas, prisoners with deadly viruses HIV and hepatitis C were allowed to sell their blood for the global market

(Image sent to me via sister of prisoner donor above )

I welcome the news that the Cabinet Office is to lead the Public Inquiry on Contaminated Blood instead of the Department of Health. It would have been highly inappropriate for the DOH to investigate itself given the many allegations regarding behaviour and safety violations over the years. Now it is important to move forward and appoint a suitable Chairperson and panel.

Haemophilia Action UK is concerned that haemophilia cases, where persons became contaminated with HIV and hepatitis viruses via a product called Factor Concentrates (often imported from the US) will be buried under whole blood cases where persons were infected from blood sourced within the UK. It is essential that the two cases which were always viewed as entirely separate legal cases continue to be viewed independently of each other within the Public Inquiry. It would be like comparing chalk with cheese and the safety violations and human rights abuses are also different in nature due to haemophiliacs receiving blood from skid-row, US prisons and from plasma wagons outside bath houses which specifically targeted gay men as plasma donors considered high risk for HIV and hepatitis during the 1970s and 1980s.

The national Haemophilia Society that represents many haemophiliacs will likely be called to give evidence however they can only legally represent those with inherited bleeding disorders such as haemophilia whereas the Hepatitis C Trust represents whole blood cases that could have received a transfusion following a car accident for example. In order for the Inquiry team to investigate properly, they would need to set up separate panels each within their own speciality.

I support both haemophilia and whole blood cases being investigated and the need for justice for both but this must be done separately within the Inquiry so as not to confuse the issues.

The Cabinet Office perhaps need to be reminded that Virginia Bottomley (Conservatives) designated haemophiliacs with HIV a Special Status category many years ago which was then applied to litigation ex-gratia payments in 1991. This was in recognition that haemophiliacs had a hereditary condition which ran in families and were disadvantaged from birth. Therefore multiple family members with bleeding disorders within the same family could be infected with HIV, hepatitis B and C and then later exposed to variant CJD which had an enormous impact on families. This was the case with my own family where 2 brothers were infected with multiple viruses, my late husband with HIV, hepatitis B and C and exposed to v CJD and my brother in law infected with HIV and hepatitis viruses who died of AIDs, both men through factor concentrate treatment.

I have argued for many years that the Special Status category should also have been applied to haemophiliacs with hepatitis C that should now be included within this category.

To quote several of Bottomley’s numerous references in Hansard between 1989 and 1991 on the Special Case, she states,

“The ex-gratia payments given to provide help for haemophiliacs with HIV and their families recognised their wholly exceptional circumstances. Haemophiliacs were already suffering from a disability which affected their employment prospects, insurance and mortgage status. Also the hereditary nature of haemophilia means that more than one member of the family may be infected with HIV.”

“We do not believe that any useful purpose would be served by such a survey of the financial circumstances after infection of any particular group with HIV. Our ex-gratia payments to haemophiliacs recognise their wholly exceptional circumstances whereby they were doubly disadvantaged by their pre-existing haemophilia as well as the HIV infection. We have no plans to extend these special arrangements to other groups”

“There is hardly any need for me to remind the House of the lengthy campaign on behalf of haemophiliacs—supported by many right hon. and hon. Members, the public and the media—whose advocates reiterated that haemophiliacs were an exceptional and specific group who merited exceptional treatment. The Government remain convinced that their case is exceptional.”

“In reaching the decision a year ago that the haemophiliacs in question should be offered financial assistance because they were a special and specific group”

“We have no evidence to suggest that those people who have become infected with HIV via blood transfusion were similarly disadvantaged before the illness or accident leading to the need for transfusion.”

Virginia Bottomley also noted that often more than one member of the family was infected through factor concentrates. The following shows some early findings,

“Among the haemophiliacs infected with HIV, we understand that there are 65 pairs and six trios of brothers who are infected. We believe there may be a significant number of other cases where HIV-infected haemophiliacs are related, for example, grandfathers, grandsons, uncles and nephews, but these cannot be readily identified from the available information. In addition, there are a number of cases where the haemophiliac’s spouse or partner has become infected.”

(This was an important factor but was somewhat gender biased as it failed to mention females with bleeding disorders that had infected sisters that would also have increased the figures)

The government has always refused to pay compensation unlike the government of Eire that paid compensations to haemophiliacs and their families on the grounds of “extraordinary suffering” paying out on “loss and need”. A private Inquiry held by the respected former attorney general Lord Archer of Sandwell (now deceased) gave the same recommendations here which were welcomed by the haemophilia community but so much misinformation was spread by government on the Eire settlement that this was not carried out. This was despite a haemophiliac Andrew March winning a Judicial Review in 2010 with key documents obtained from Irish lawyers, Eire government and Irish haemophilia Society in 2004 by Carol Grayson and Colette Wintle.

The current government still refuses to change their stance and have continued to rely on a false narrative regarding Eire thus denying justice and financial compensation to UK victims.

End

Carol Grayson (Haemophilia Action UK) 3^rd November 2017

Links

Cabinet Office To Lead Inquiry Into Contaminated Blood

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cabinet-office-to-lead-inquiry-into-contaminated-blood-scandal-downing-street-says_uk_59fc39bbe4b0b0c7fa3963f2

Contaminated Blood scandal to have “full statutory inquiry”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41860182

Full statutory inquiry to be held into tainted blood scandal

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/03/full-statutory-inquiry-to-be-held-into-tainted-blood-scandal

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Virginia Bottomley recognized the Special Status of haemophiliacs in the early 90s (Image via BBC)

Back in the late 1980s, early 1990s, haemophiliacs born with a bleeding disorder where the clotting of the blood is compromised and who were infected with HIV through their treatment factor concentrates were fighting for compensation from the British government. It was a long hard fight leading to an ex-gratia payment as government refused to compensate for reasons which will hopefully be explored at the forthcoming Public Inquiry. The litigation was kept out of court but was a formal legal agreement with certain conditions overseen by Justice Ognal and solicitors acting for both government and haemophiliacs.

Part of the reason payments were made to haemophiliacs was that campaigners had fought hard to show that haemophiliacs were as a group disadvantaged from birth due to their hereditary condition of haemophilia which impacted on their schooling, employment, insurance, mortgage years BEFORE their infection with HIV. This meant they were doubly disadvantaged with the addition of HIV infection and the appalling discrimination that went with it.

In those days there was already discrimination against those living with a hereditary bleeding disorder, predominantly males but also some females. Often there were several members of the same family living with haemophilia which led to multiple family members being infected with hepatitis B, HIV and also (though largely covered up at the time, hepatitis C, previously known as non-A, non-B). This put a considerable strain on families often impacting on day to day living.

Haemophiliacs lost out on schooling due to bleeds and were sent to special schools such as Lord Mayor Trelor in Hampshire. As they grew older they struggled to overcome discrimination when looking for work.

Haemophiliacs were seen as a distinct patient group, a community as opposed to whole blood victims, that were individuals that became infected with hepatitis C at a time before testing was introduced. For example a person may have needed a blood transfusion during pregnancy, due to an accident at work or through receiving blood for other health conditions.

Haemophiliacs had their own support organization, the Haemophilia Society which only has a legal remit to deal with persons with bleeding disorders so for the past 30 years haemophiliacs have campaigned as a distinct patient group. This led to a Private Inquiry into Contaminated Blood under Lord Archer of Sandwell when the government refused to hold a Public Inquiry. The statement “the worst medical treatment disaster in the history of the NHS” (Lord Winston) applies specifically to the Haemophilia Community though it is often misused in the press to include others.

Recently changes are being made to the 5 separate Trusts that provide financial support to haemophiliacs with HIV and hepatitis C and whole blood victims. These Trusts are now being amalgamated under one government body and many questions have arisen regarding protecting patient rights following transition and the legality of such a merger.

The Macfarlane Trust arose through a legal fight and settlement whist other Trusts emerged due to public campaigns for justice but without a legal agreement. I raised this issue of Special Status with the Haemophilia Society, MPs and with Dan Farthing-Sykes (Haemophilia Scotland) who decided to put his questions to the Department of Health. Haemophilia Scotland also wish to ensure no laws are being broken with their financial agreement for Contaminated Blood victims.

Freedom of Information request (see link)

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/special_status_of_people_with_ha

I have now written to Jeremy Hunt Secretary of State for Health to ensure the Special Status of HIV haemophiliacs as stated by Virginia Bottomley (formerly working in the Department of Health) is maintained as part of the original HIV legal agreement. This cannot be retrospectively altered but haemophiliacs infected with hepatitis C also fit the criteria for Special Status and could be added into this category.

Letter from Carol Grayson to Jeremy Hunt dated 23rd October 2017

Dear Mr Hunt, (For attention of Jeremy Hunt, Sec State for Health)

I have 6 questions for you and any other relevant government bodies on the Special Status of haemophiliacs infected with HIV through factor concentrates and their families with regard to the recent financial Consultation. These are numbered for your attention. Here is some background.

The Special Status was recognized around 1989/1990 by Virginia Bottomley (Minister of State at the Department of Health 1989) as opposed to the recent Special Mechanism 2017. The Special Status went on to form part of the HIV ex-gratia payment scheme in 1991 and distinguished haemophiliacs from whole blood cases. Here is some of the language used throughout Hansard by Virginia Bottomley referring to haemophiliacs with HIV and their families, “wholly exceptional” “unique” “special case” “doubly disadvantaged” “exceptional combination of circumstances of those persons”.

I have collected all the relevant Hansard debates and references over a 2 year period. I would argue that the Special Status criteria should be extended to haemophiliacs with hepatitis C and their families and both cases should have been fought together in the 1991 litigation. The government allegedly withheld much of the evidence on the dangers of hepatitis C in 1991 so as not to have to pay out for 2 viruses.

To quote several of Bottomley’s numerous references in Hansard between 1989 and 1991 on the Special Case, she states,

“The ex-gratia payments given to provide help for haemophiliacs with HIV and their families recognised their wholly exceptional circumstances. Haemophiliacs were already suffering from a disability which affected their employment prospects, insurance and mortgage status. Also the hereditary nature of haemophilia means that more than one member of the family may be infected with HIV.”

“We do not believe that any useful purpose would be served by such a survey of the financial circumstances after infection of any particular group with HIV. Our ex-gratia payments to haemophiliacs recognise their wholly exceptional circumstances whereby they were doubly disadvantaged by their pre-existing haemophilia as well as the HIV infection. We have no plans to extend these special arrangements to other groups”

“There is hardly any need for me to remind the House of the lengthy campaign on behalf of haemophiliacs—supported by many right hon. and hon. Members, the public and the media—whose advocates reiterated that haemophiliacs were an exceptional and specific group who merited exceptional treatment. The Government remain convinced that their case is exceptional.”

“In reaching the decision a year ago that the haemophiliacs in question should be offered financial assistance because they were a special and specific group”

“We have no evidence to suggest that those people who have become infected with HIV via blood transfusion were similarly disadvantaged before the illness or accident leading to the need for transfusion.”

Virginia Bottomley also noted that often more than one member of the family was infected through factor concentrates,

“Among the haemophiliacs infected with HIV, we understand that there are 65 pairs and six trios of brothers who are infected. We believe there may be a significant number of other cases where HIV-infected haemophiliacs are related, for example, grandfathers, grandsons, uncles and nephews, but these cannot be readily identified from the available information. In addition, there are a number of cases where the haemophiliac’s spouse or partner has become infected.”

This was an important factor but was somewhat gender biased as it failed to mention females with bleeding disorders that had infected sisters.”

Question 1… What consideration has the current government given to ensure that the Special Status of HIV haemophiliacs and their families is MAINTAINED as part of the new Contaminated Blood Haemophilia Consultation and financial payments now going ahead? Please show me where I can read about the Special Status in the Consultation.

Question 2… What has the government done to ensure this Special Status is maintained throughout the current financial scheme and that nobody infected or affected will be financially worse off now or in the future?

Question 3… What contact has been made with the original solicitors for HIV haemophiliacs and their families or firms that took over from them to discuss any changes to financial support so that they can ensure their clients are represented, protected under the Special Status and made fully aware of how any changes could affect them financially?

Question 4… What has the government done to ensure widows under the Special Status that are no longer fit for work keep their monthly allowances which they rely on and do not suffer any reductions?

Question 5… What impact will the amalgamation of Trusts have on the Special Status?

Question 6… How many haemophiliacs and their partners come under the Special Status?

The Special Status was part of a LEGAL ex- gratia agreement overseen by Justice Ognal and had representation from solicitors for both parties, government AND haemophiliacs. I believe any scheme IGNORING this would be allegedly illegal. Bottomley recognized the part of lawyers in the ex-gratia settlement here in Hansard in January 1991 stating,

“the detailed provisions of the proposed settlement are under discussion with the lawyers representing the plaintiffs. It would be inappropriate to publish further details until all plaintiffs and the court have had an opportunity to consider the full terms of the settlement and to approve them” which they did shortly afterwards.

I look forward to your response.

With thanks

Yours sincerely

Carol Grayson

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad.  She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.