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'War criminal':UK ex-PM Tony Blair heckled during inquiry into Murdoch
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Capt. Justice
May 29, 2012, 9:09:34 PM5/29/12
to
'War criminal': UK ex-PM Tony Blair heckled during inquiry into Murdoch
scandal
.
http://sg1.msntv.msn.com/News2/Handler.ashx?url=http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/28/11914747-war-criminal-uk-ex-pm-tony-blair-heckled-during-inquiry-into-murdoch-scandal?lite
2 days ago (**Today is Tues 5/29/12 ) .
.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was accused of being "a war
criminal" by a heckler who burst into a courtroom as he testified at an
U.K. inquiry into media ethics on Monday.
By NBC News' Baruch Ben-Chorin and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson
.
Updated at 10:49 a.m. ET: LONDON -
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was accused of being "a war
criminal" by a heckler who burst into a courtroom as he testifed at an
U.K. inquiry into media ethics on Monday.
The protester, who gave his name as David
Lawley-Wakelin, shouted that Blair should be arrested -- but only
seconds later he was bundled away by security staff.
He yelled at Blair, who is a : "This man should be arrested for war
crimes. JP Morgan paid him off for the Iraq war, three months after he
invaded Iraq."
In response to the outburst, Blair said:
"Can I just say on the record what he said about Iraq and JP Morgan is
completely and totally untrue. I have never had a discussion with them
about that."
Lawley-Wakelin describes himself online as a documentary film-maker
working on a project called the "The Alternative Iraq Enquiry", for
which he has traveled to Iraq.
.
he was being questioned by police, but later released.
.
how he entered the secure area of the court - an embarrassing breach of
security less than a year after Rupert Murdoch was hit by a custard pie
at a inquiry into the same subject at Britain's parliament.
Prior to the interruption, Blair was facing questions about his
relationship with Murdoch.
Blair, who served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007, was the
latest senior politician to appear at the investigation set up last
year in the wake of a phone-hacking scandal when it emerged that
reporters at the Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid had routinely
hacked into the phones of public figures. Other witnesses have included
actor Hugh Grant, as well as Murdoch and his son James.
.
Blair is godfather to one of the powerful News Corp. chairman and CEO.'s
children.
.
Ordered by Prime Minister David
Cameron, the inquiry has tarnished Britain's elite by laying bare the
collusion between politicians, the police and the media.
.
Tony Blair faces questions over Murdoch relationship
.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair testified this morning about
his close ties to media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who's News of the World
tabloid is in the middle of a phone-hacking scandal. NBC's Stephanie
Gosk reports.
.
While Blair is no longer active in British politics, the inquiry may
still prove uncomfortable as it examines issues such as his decision
after stepping down as prime minister to become a godfather to Murdoch's
daughter Grace at a ceremony on the banks of the River Jordan.
.
"Blair led the way in having no shame about courting Murdoch," said Ivor
Gaber, professor of political journalism at City University. "He set the
style and the standard and if you regard Cameron as the 'heir to Blair'
then it's not exactly surprising that he followed suit." , giving
evidence earlier in May, one of Mr Blair's former Cabinet ministers told
the inquiry he felt the relationship had "arguably" become "closer than
wise".
.
Murdoch told the inquiry last month that he had never asked a prime
minister for anything.
.
Blair set the tone for his relationship with Britain's press when he
flew to Australia in 1995 to speak before a gathering of Murdoch's
executives who had previously used their British tabloids to vilify his
Labour Party predecessors.
.
'Into the lion's den' .
.
The decision infuriated much of his left-of-center party who saw the
Australian-born tycoon as a right-winger who had helped to keep them out
of power for years.
.
"People would be horrified," Blair said later in his autobiography. "On
the other hand ... not to go was to say 'carry on and do your worst,'
and we knew their worst was very bad indeed."
.
Former CEO charged in phone hacking scandal
.
Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her
husband, Charlie Brooks, have been charged with perverting the course of
justice during the U.K. phone hacking scandal. ITV's Keir Simmons
reports.
.
"The country's most powerful newspaper proprietor, whose publications
have hitherto been rancorous in their opposition to the Labour party,
invites us into the lion's den. You go, don't you?"
.
With the backing of Murdoch's top-selling Sun tabloid, Blair swept to
power in 1997 and again in 2001 and 2005. But with an ever-increasing
reputation for public relations "spin", he started to face questions
over his sincerity.
.
"Tony Blair quickly became famous in Fleet Street for inviting in one
group of newspaper people and telling them how skeptical he was about
Europe; and then inviting in another lot and telling them how keen he
was on Europe," Andrew Marr, a senior BBC journalist, told the inquiry.
Rupert Murdoch 'not fit to run a major company'
.
May 1: Rupert and James Murdoch are severely criticized after
investigations into phone-hacking allegations - and three of their
senior executives are accused of misleading parliament. ITN's Juliet
Bremner reports.
.
"But the different groups compared notes, and his reputation was not
hugely enhanced."
.
Much of that came to a head when Blair and then President George W. Bush
agreed to invade Iraq, going against the public opinion in Britain
.
Blair is likely to be asked why he spoke to Murdoch three times in the
days leading up to the Iraq war and whether this had any impact on the
fact that all Murdoch's papers supported the unpopular invasion.
Murdoch admits phone hacking cover-up
Rupert Murdoch returned to the Leveson Inquiry to give evidence for a
second day. ITV's Paul Davis reports.
.
He will also be asked whether his reliance on Britain's press meant that
he did not properly scrutinize their role in society and whether any
group, such as Murdoch's UK arm, News International, had too much
control of the market.
.
"There was a desperation to get the Sun onside and to get News
International on side, basically at all costs," Liverpool University's
political professor Jonathan Tonge, told Reuters. "And if that meant
sacrificing a serious analysis of the relationship and the health of the
relationship, then so be it."
____ .
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
. .
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
Two Americans held over death of student in Japan after Nicki Minaj
concert
UN Security Council condemns Syria massacre
Iran state TV: We'll build second nuclear plant
Video: Intrigue behind arrest of Pope's butler
Budget cut overkill? Canada axes entire marine pollution program
scandal
.
http://sg1.msntv.msn.com/News2/Handler.ashx?url=http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/28/11914747-war-criminal-uk-ex-pm-tony-blair-heckled-during-inquiry-into-murdoch-scandal?lite
2 days ago (**Today is Tues 5/29/12 ) .
.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was accused of being "a war
criminal" by a heckler who burst into a courtroom as he testified at an
U.K. inquiry into media ethics on Monday.
By NBC News' Baruch Ben-Chorin and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson
.
Updated at 10:49 a.m. ET: LONDON -
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was accused of being "a war
criminal" by a heckler who burst into a courtroom as he testifed at an
U.K. inquiry into media ethics on Monday.
The protester, who gave his name as David
Lawley-Wakelin, shouted that Blair should be arrested -- but only
seconds later he was bundled away by security staff.
He yelled at Blair, who is a : "This man should be arrested for war
crimes. JP Morgan paid him off for the Iraq war, three months after he
invaded Iraq."
In response to the outburst, Blair said:
"Can I just say on the record what he said about Iraq and JP Morgan is
completely and totally untrue. I have never had a discussion with them
about that."
Lawley-Wakelin describes himself online as a documentary film-maker
working on a project called the "The Alternative Iraq Enquiry", for
which he has traveled to Iraq.
.
he was being questioned by police, but later released.
.
how he entered the secure area of the court - an embarrassing breach of
security less than a year after Rupert Murdoch was hit by a custard pie
at a inquiry into the same subject at Britain's parliament.
Prior to the interruption, Blair was facing questions about his
relationship with Murdoch.
Blair, who served as prime minister between 1997 and 2007, was the
latest senior politician to appear at the investigation set up last
year in the wake of a phone-hacking scandal when it emerged that
reporters at the Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid had routinely
hacked into the phones of public figures. Other witnesses have included
actor Hugh Grant, as well as Murdoch and his son James.
.
Blair is godfather to one of the powerful News Corp. chairman and CEO.'s
children.
.
Ordered by Prime Minister David
Cameron, the inquiry has tarnished Britain's elite by laying bare the
collusion between politicians, the police and the media.
.
Tony Blair faces questions over Murdoch relationship
.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair testified this morning about
his close ties to media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who's News of the World
tabloid is in the middle of a phone-hacking scandal. NBC's Stephanie
Gosk reports.
.
While Blair is no longer active in British politics, the inquiry may
still prove uncomfortable as it examines issues such as his decision
after stepping down as prime minister to become a godfather to Murdoch's
daughter Grace at a ceremony on the banks of the River Jordan.
.
"Blair led the way in having no shame about courting Murdoch," said Ivor
Gaber, professor of political journalism at City University. "He set the
style and the standard and if you regard Cameron as the 'heir to Blair'
then it's not exactly surprising that he followed suit." , giving
evidence earlier in May, one of Mr Blair's former Cabinet ministers told
the inquiry he felt the relationship had "arguably" become "closer than
wise".
.
Murdoch told the inquiry last month that he had never asked a prime
minister for anything.
.
Blair set the tone for his relationship with Britain's press when he
flew to Australia in 1995 to speak before a gathering of Murdoch's
executives who had previously used their British tabloids to vilify his
Labour Party predecessors.
.
'Into the lion's den' .
.
The decision infuriated much of his left-of-center party who saw the
Australian-born tycoon as a right-winger who had helped to keep them out
of power for years.
.
"People would be horrified," Blair said later in his autobiography. "On
the other hand ... not to go was to say 'carry on and do your worst,'
and we knew their worst was very bad indeed."
.
Former CEO charged in phone hacking scandal
.
Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her
husband, Charlie Brooks, have been charged with perverting the course of
justice during the U.K. phone hacking scandal. ITV's Keir Simmons
reports.
.
"The country's most powerful newspaper proprietor, whose publications
have hitherto been rancorous in their opposition to the Labour party,
invites us into the lion's den. You go, don't you?"
.
With the backing of Murdoch's top-selling Sun tabloid, Blair swept to
power in 1997 and again in 2001 and 2005. But with an ever-increasing
reputation for public relations "spin", he started to face questions
over his sincerity.
.
"Tony Blair quickly became famous in Fleet Street for inviting in one
group of newspaper people and telling them how skeptical he was about
Europe; and then inviting in another lot and telling them how keen he
was on Europe," Andrew Marr, a senior BBC journalist, told the inquiry.
Rupert Murdoch 'not fit to run a major company'
.
May 1: Rupert and James Murdoch are severely criticized after
investigations into phone-hacking allegations - and three of their
senior executives are accused of misleading parliament. ITN's Juliet
Bremner reports.
.
"But the different groups compared notes, and his reputation was not
hugely enhanced."
.
Much of that came to a head when Blair and then President George W. Bush
agreed to invade Iraq, going against the public opinion in Britain
.
Blair is likely to be asked why he spoke to Murdoch three times in the
days leading up to the Iraq war and whether this had any impact on the
fact that all Murdoch's papers supported the unpopular invasion.
Murdoch admits phone hacking cover-up
Rupert Murdoch returned to the Leveson Inquiry to give evidence for a
second day. ITV's Paul Davis reports.
.
He will also be asked whether his reliance on Britain's press meant that
he did not properly scrutinize their role in society and whether any
group, such as Murdoch's UK arm, News International, had too much
control of the market.
.
"There was a desperation to get the Sun onside and to get News
International on side, basically at all costs," Liverpool University's
political professor Jonathan Tonge, told Reuters. "And if that meant
sacrificing a serious analysis of the relationship and the health of the
relationship, then so be it."
____ .
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
. .
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
Two Americans held over death of student in Japan after Nicki Minaj
concert
UN Security Council condemns Syria massacre
Iran state TV: We'll build second nuclear plant
Video: Intrigue behind arrest of Pope's butler
Budget cut overkill? Canada axes entire marine pollution program
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