John Reid, war criminal, Celtic chairman *updated*

It was heartening to see some Celtic fans objecting to John Reid's appointment as Celtic chairman with cries of "war criminal".

This was a man who was one of the most vociferous in favour of going into Iraq, believed that the response to Iraqi prisoner abuse by US and UK troops was to be "slow to condemn" and be "very quick to support and understand", and is a former drinking buddy of another war criminal Radovan Karadzic. He is also said to have sexually harassed Labour colleague Dawn Primarolo.

In the words of other colleagues, Reid is a "patronising bastard". This was amply demonstrated by his call last year for Muslim parents to watch their children. This from a man who regularly belted out IRA ditties during his own youth.

I think I'm probably down about this as I thought we were getting shot of this man at the next general election. Rather, we're going to be treated to more Reidisms in the years to come. At least Tony Blair had the common sense to bog off to the Middle East. Still, it could be well worth getting a hold of some Celtic shares just to turn up to the AGM.

UPDATE: The ETims article I linked to above uncovers the possible reason for Reid's appointment:

... according to Katherine Griffiths, City Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph”, Reid was offered the post simply to further Dermot Desmon’s own business interests: “The appointment of Mr Reid, 60, has been pushed for by Dermot Desmond, the Irish entrepreneur who is the largest shareholder in the club. Mr Reid might also become involved in the airport security company, Daon, which is backed by Mr Desmond. Sources said the financier is keen to get access to Mr Reid’s formidable contacts book, which includes people such as America’s head of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff.” Griffiths then goes on to use the usual nameless sources: “Meanwhile, sources said Mr Reid’s potential involvement with Mr Desmond’s other interests might make him unpopular with Celtic’s fans. ‘Being chairman of Celtic is of great importance in Scotland. If it seems Reid is getting it so he will help Desmond sell his airport security company’s services around the world, it will not be popular,’ one source said.”

Doan if you didn’t know is involved in developing biometrics technology to identify people through physical features such as eyes, facial scans and fingerprints - in other words the same technologies the government is hoping to use in the proposed, and highly controversial ID Cards and other security projects. One would argue that a politician who has responsibility for such a policy, suddenly upping sticks and receiving money from a company that could benefit from his previous decisions, could be classed as out and out corruption.

Comments

[Ted]

Celtic fans, including the author of the Etims article, have never bothered about Dermot Desmond - see Private Eye issue 1193 for a charming profile of the man - or Brian Quinn, who was embroiled at the BofE in the Bank of Cocaine and Crooks International scandal. Nor, as you say, have they ever bothered about the support for the IRA that is endemic at Celtic Park. Now all of a sudden we're meant to believe that the appointment of a former Communist and former Home Secretary has led to an outbreak of moral outrage amongst them. Pull the other one. Ouch. Not so hard.

I think John Reid is thoroughly deserving of Celtic Football Club and they of him. Hell mend the pair of them!

[aineliva]

You language is becoming a bit "bog-standard" Osama.

And please those songs that you label and typecast "IRA Ditties" may also be Irish folk songs that we all sing now and then; yes I know it's a really difficult job to seperate out the "Irish" from the IRA; we know the English government never tried to do it, they just labelled us all the same,(it suited their purpose) don't fall into that trap, please.

[Balpreet.]

"Belfast,Donegal soon there will be no protestants at all"

"Say ohh ah up the Ra,say oh ah up the Ra"

Are they Irish folk songs?.

The mock offence from Celtic fans is hillarious.

[aineliva]

Well of course I would not be acquainted with the sort of songs sung at Scottish Football Grounds.

However when describing them as IRA Ditties, Balpreet, then that is doing the same thing that Osama is always harping on about how the press and the media generalising the actions of some Muslims to all Muslims.

That is what I am saying. IRA ditties and you obviously haven't heard the best of the bunch could be any Irish Folk Song you choose, it depends who is singing it and what the purpose.

I've hear of the barbaric warfare that has existed in Scotland between two football teams who's names escape me now, it's been going on for years.

In fact Billy Connolly immortalised it in a song, one line of which is "We'll stop sh***ing in their shoes, when they stop pi**ing in our Bovril". True.

Of course there is a possibility that you are not old enough to have heard this ditty, or know of these events.

In any case purpose of my previous comment, that Osama might practice what he expects others to, and not follow their example.

[Osama]

Actually, no, I wouldn't be unilaterally offended on someone else's behalf if someone accused them of singing Al-Qaeda ditties. It would be for them to defend if anything, as it is a very specific allegation that concerns them rather than the whole Muslim community.

If you had followed the link I handily provided, the person making the allegation is George Galloway. He's someone of Irish background himself, so would presumably know the difference. From what I know, he also backs Irish reunification. Galloway is not someone who doesn't know the difference between homely country songs and those that espouse terror.

I really can't understand why you're defending it, when even Reid himself hasn't!

[aineliva]

O, You are absolutely right, I didn't follow the link.

And if I had I've have been even more angry. George Galloway as an expert on things Irish!! Don't think so, though his followers may well see him as an expert on most everything, those of us with a more neutral sight can see him for what he is.

Mr Galloway, indeed, and you use him as a reference O; pointing out your double-standards does not qualify as defence. But of course you would interpret it as that.

And to Mr G's Irish background and using him as a benchmark for what might and might not be consider Irish as opposed to IRAish, well try that any night on the streets of Dublin, you'll be laughed out of town, after some buys you a Guiness.

[joe90]

Here is an audio clip -
http://www.gopetition.com/online/14473.html>George Galloway talks about John Reid

Sign the petition here -
http://www.gopetition.com/online/14473.html>Stop appointment of John Reid

all the best!

[Ted]

It's weird. I remember when the Argentinian military junta invaded the Falkland Islands, it was celebrated by the Celtic support in the aptly-named Jungle with shouts of 'Malvinas' as they won the title in 1982. Now the same people would have us believe they're *opposed* to totalitarianism and military oppression.

Hmm. Someone's telling fibs, that's for sure.

[joe90]

Now the same people would have us believe they're *opposed* to totalitarianism and military oppression.
- who are these same people?

The US and UK governments, which sold WMD to the neo-nazi Argentine junta perhaps, before they re-took the Malvinas stolen from them by the British Empire?

Or perhaps the Israeli government, which knew full well the neo-nazi Argentine junta was persecuting and murdering Jewish-Argentinians, fully supporting them by selling them arms. After all, zionists hate Jewish people who don't follow orders just as much as neo-nazis hate Jewish people.

Or the same US and UK governments that supported the totalitarianism and military oppression of Saddam of Iraq, selling him WMD as well, before he bit the hand that fed him?

Or the same US and UK governments that sell WMD to their favourite Islamic fundamentalist gang of amputators and beheaders in Saudi Arabia?

The thing is, folks like me have never supported these regimes, ever, unlike the US and UK governments and their merry band of brainwashed believers and fellow deadheads, who only start to complain about how cruel and vicious their former favourites are, but only after these vicious regimes have stopped following their orders.

[Steve Clarke]

"Celtic fans, including the author of the Etims article, have never bothered about Dermot Desmond"

On the contrary I have written a considerable amount on Dermot Desmond, as is well known by those who are aquainted with my articles. So I've no idea where this came from. Try knowing what you are talking about.

AS for singing songs in praise of the IRA, I make no apologies for that. The Celtic support have a large percentage of Irish supporters, and an even larger percentage of those of Irish descent. If they chose to voice support for the struggle of the Irish people to defeat British imperialism then that was their right.

The "no protestants at all" diddy was ever only a joke song, but I agree it was unacceptable and has never been sung for a long time now.

We are used to capitalist dregs in the celtic boardroom, we're not used to war criminals and anti-immigrant, right-wing fascists.. maybe we should, maybe that's modern football.

Until that time: HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

[Neil Craig]

Bit tough blaming Karadic for associating with Reid. As far as I know not only has Karadic not been tried he has never bombed or invaded another country as Reid's lot did in both Iraq & Yugoslavia.

The Final nail in the charges against him is that, due to the rotating presidency of Bosnia & Hercegovina he was in factb the legal president of the country he was accused of attacking. The "moderaste minded multiculturalist", if the BBC's word is ever, in any way to be believed, Moslem Izetbegovic (formerly of Hitler's SS & publicly committed to the genocide of all non-Moslems in B&H) actually started it.

[William Frederick]

Nice to see someone telling the truth in the Scottish media for a change. John Reid and Celtic FC are a match made in heaven. Both can sing all the little Irish numbers about killing innocent civillians in bomb attacks, whilst faking their moral outrage at Muslim extremists doing likewise.

A Roman Catholic terrorist supporter, is no different from a Muslim terrorist, or any other religious nutter for that matter.

However the Scottish media are now so steeped and entrenched in their pro Celtic views, we will never hear anything untoward about Reid or his club.

Welcome to Scotland 2007, where Celtic and their fans and management are untouchable