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During 23 years with the BBC, and 40 years in journalism, for our Editor Welshman Phil Parry exposing huge political failings and outrageous attempts to cover them up by accusing others, has always been central. Now this is underlined by the fall out today following the appalling massacre of innocent concert-goers in Moscow.
Sometimes what happens makes your jaw drop.
More details are now emerging of how Vladimir Putin ignored warnings from the Americans and others that a terrorist attack was about to happen in Moscow, and afterwards outrageously tried to cover up his failure to keep his people safe, by blaming Ukraine.
The death toll following the assault in the Crocus City Hall is at least 143 (it rises all the time), but Mr Putin was forewarned of it all so these casualties could have been avoided, and the historical parallels involving his country are incredible.
In June 1941 Stalin had also received warnings which he chose to ignore, before the Soviet Union was invaded in the huge Nazi Operation Barbarossa.
It’s now believed that he was told of the exact, or almost exact, date of the invasion 47 times in the 10 days before Germany struck.
Millions died.
Mr Putin also disregarded warnings – this time from the perfidious west – and carnage again resulted.
In early March, under their ‘duty to warn’ policy, American officials shared their intelligence about a planned attack in Moscow by the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), otherwise known as Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).
On March 7 the FSB (Russian security service) said it had killed two Islamist radicals who were planning an attack on a synagogue in the city.
Later that same day America’s embassy in Moscow said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow”, including concerts.
Nevertheless, on March 19 Mr Putin blasted the American warnings as “blackmail” intended to “intimidate and destabilise our society”.
Three days later gunmen attacked a show by the rock group Piknik, mowing down spectators and setting the building ablaze.
Afterwards, when ISIS-K/ISKP claimed responsibility, the Kremlin tried to blame it on Ukraine.
Alexander Bortnikov, the head of the FSB, quickly echoed his boss, blaming the attack on America, Britain and Ukraine.
These sort of absurd comments have been seen in the past – usually from politicians or dictators flailing around to blame others for their own mistakes.
Stalin did it in 1941, and now Mr Putin has done it as well!
The memories of Phil’s decades-long award-winning career in journalism (including some of the unlikely situations he has been in as a reporter) as he was gripped by the rare disabling condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order it now!
Regrettably publication of another book, however, was refused, because it was to have included names.
Tomorrow – how during his career writing or speaking correct words have always been central for Phil, and this has once more been highlighted by the court case now underway against Donald Trump.
Demonstrators supporting Mr Trump held up placards outside the courthouse where he has made history as the first former US president to face a criminal trial, accused of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels in an effort to cover up their alleged affair and falsifying business records in order to do so. They proclaimed it was a ‘kangaroo court’ and a ‘witch hunt’, but these are clichés which Phil has always studiously avoided.
