Mark Smith has quit role in FCDO over department’s complicity in ‘unquestionable’ war crimes, cover-ups and refusal to listen to his whistleblowing – UK media silent
An earlier version of this article showed an image of a different Mark Smith who also works at the Foreign Office.
Foreign Office (FCDO) diplomat Mark Smith – an expert in arms licensing and sales – has resigned from his role saying he cannot serve in a department he thinks is complicit in ‘unquestionable’ war crimes and which has both covered-up Israel’s unfitness to receive UK weapons and ignored his attempts to blow the whistle on it. Smith wrote:
FCDO complicity in War Crimes
I write to you on my last day in the FCDO with a message I never wanted to send. It is with sadness that I resign after a long career in the diplomatic service, however I can no longer carry out my duties in the knowledge that this Department may be complicit in War Crimes.
As former penholder on the arms exports licensing assessment in MENAD, I am a subject matter expert in the domain of armed sales policy. Each day we witness clear and unquestionable examples of War Crimes and breaches of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza perpetrated by the State of Israel.
Senior members of the Israeli government and military have expressed open genocidal intent, Israeli soldiers take videos, deliberately burning destroying, and looting civilian property and openly admit to the rape and torture of prisoners.
Over half of Gaza’s homes and over 80°/o of commercial properties have been damaged or destroyed. Whole streets and universities have been demolished, humanitarian aid is being blocked and civilians are regularly left with no safe
quarter to flee to. Red Crescent ambulances have been attacked, schools and hospitals are regularly targeted. These are War Crimes.There is no justification for the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel yet somehow it continues. I have raised this at every level in the organisation including through an official whistle blowing investigation and received nothing more than “thank you we have noted your concerns”.
Ministers claim that the UK has one of the most “robust and transparent” arms export licensing regimes in the world, however this is the opposite of the truth. As a fully cleared officer raising serious concerns of illegality in this Department, to be disregarded in this way is deeply troubling.
It is my duty as a public servant to raise this.
I urge you as officers of good conscience to join the many colleagues who have also raised concerns over this issue.
The FCDO has some of the most brilliant, hard-working and good-hearted people I have ever known and I have been proud to work alongside you.
I hope that we can look back on history and be proud.
Best regards,
Mark
Despite the explosive nature of Smith’s resignation, the UK ‘mainstream’ media appear to be ignoring it. A search for news about him reveals no ‘mainstream’ coverage:
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And there we have it there Indian’s are resigning yet the big chiefs ignore humanity with these lot is out the door or is it all the monies they are getting that’s making them turn a blind eye to this murdering of people’s
Meanwhile, what passes for a ‘Labour’ Government has employed the former President of New York’s Columbia University, Minouche Shafik, to chair a review of “its [the oligarch bought and paid for UK Government] approach to international development and how to improve capability”.
https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2024/08/17/never-forget-labours-ugly-biases/
Shafik resigned as President of the University after conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism and throwing academic colleagues under a bus “by revealing the names of academics who were still under investigation for alleged antisemitism while being questioned in Congress, and drew condemnation for suspending students and calling in New York police to break up encampments on campus.”
Employing a former senior figure in the World Bank – which, along with the IMF, has impoverished most of the planet with its economic Neo-colonialist privatisation and austerity policies designed to strip mine the planet of other peoples resources for the benefit of the 0.1% – who thinks criticism of the fascist ideology of Zionism is the worse kind of racism in such a capacity tells you all you need to know about the Junta of Herr Starmer which was elected on only around 20% of the popular vote.
Moreover, the (at present failed) objective of 404 to occupy the Kursk nuclear power planet inside the Russian Federation and its drone attack last week on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant – along with previous attacks on that facility – add credibility to reports currently circulating that the coke headed clown and his mad Oligarch Western backers are now so desperate they are planning a dirty nuclear false flag attack on one or both of those nuclear facilities.
Should subsequent events demonstrate the validity of such reports it is more than credible – on the basis of the past record of hate filled Russiaphobia on the part of generations of the UK establishment – to conclude the decision makers of the UK, on our behalf, are just as involved up to their necks here as they are in the Gaza Genocide.
Which generates the thought, to paraphrase, ‘will no one rid us of these troublesome oligarchs?’
Terese Coffey just applied for a finance job with labour. She literally caused hell for anyone on benefits.
She’d fit right in with starver’s posse.
The defeat of Coffey was one of the highlights of the election.
Would anyone like an antibiotic?
https://www.antibioticresearch.org.uk/antibiotic-research-uk-highlights-dangers-of-antibiotic-sharing-following-worrying-statements-from-health-secretary/
Terese coffey https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/13/former-tory-deputy-pm-applies-for-labour-treasury-role/
We recently passed the 50th anniversary of President Nixon resigning and being replaced by autopsy-falsifier Gerald Ford.
Like so many official narratives, this one is false.
Here is a recent article that explains what Watergate was really about:
https://covertactionmagazine.com/2024/08/09/would-liberals-have-cheered-nixons-resignation-fifty-years-ago-if-they-knew-the-cia-was-behind-it/
I’m enjoying that link Tony. The assassination of President Kennedy, Ford’s role in it and the progressive and liberal aspects of Nixon’s presidency fascinate me. The CIA’s role disgusts me. Thanks for the link.
That was a brilliant post, Tony. Covert Action are always wortha butchers but this was top drawer.
I believe Terese Coffey has, applied for a job with labour 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Glad to see people jumping the establishment ship who hace morals.
And talking of dwp (and it’s track record)
The shithouse labour party have blocked the release of dwp deaths.
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/four-weeks-into-a-labour-government-and-dwp-blocks-release-of-more-info-on-
deaths-from-secret-reports/#:~:text=The%20Labour%2Drun%20Department%20for,over%20the%20last%20five%20years.
I read it and WEPT Toffee. 😫
One would expect nothing less from that vile crew. How long have they been in power? What can they do in 5 years. It’s frightening.
One can only assume they mean to go on as the toerags before them. (Well duuuuh!)
They’ve gone from scrapping UC, to merely changing the name of it, to carrying on regardless.
And their slogan was “change”.
I’ve an appointment with the dwp to ‘migrate’ to UC from income support, soon. It’ll be the first time I’ve had to go there for a few years.
I’m expecting to see the same wizened faces of the same old capos behind their desks as were there before.
Friendless, almost automated wretches with their unquestioning and unwavering willingness to effectuate draconian govt measures unflinchingly, who remain in their posts because it’s more probable than not they’d be unemployable elsewhere, and failed the plod entrance exam.
Nevertheless, I expect to be asked the same questions, in the same abrupt, interrogative manner, no doubt looking for me to say something where they can put the kybosh on my claim in order to get another step closer to their m&s voucher ‘bonus’.
Such is the unnecessary stress they’ll insist I be placed under in order to claim my ‘handout’ or ‘largesse’ as most piss-poor hacks in their right-wing rags (all of whom have never done an honest day’s graft in their existences) prefer to label it.
…And keef’s slogan was ‘change’.
BBC reported it today 18th Aug https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyvpm1049d9o At last
Labour will have to find more Challengers to overcome.
The Challengers are already being overcome, alexander:
http://smoothiex12.blogspot.com/2024/08/we-all-remember-this.html
In Kursk.
Just like the German Panzers in the same place eighty-one years ago; the White army just over a century ago; the French Cavalry in 1812; and the best the Swedes could offer in 1708.
Given the news that, courtesy of Biden, we have a temporary reprieve from being held as human shields by the Starmer Junta, I’m glad I’m living in the depressed North rather than anywhere within a hundred-mile radius of London right now.