Foreign Office FOI reply re Clarence Mitchell's private Foreign Office briefings
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Foreign Office FOI reply re Clarence Mitchell's private Foreign Office briefings
by Tony Bennett 09.09.11 14:43
On 23 July 2011 I wrote this letter to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office FOI Act Section:
From: Anthony Bennett M.A.
66 Chippingfield
Essex
CM17 0DJ
Tel: 01279 635789
e-mail: ajsbennett@btinternet.com
Saturday 23 July 2011
Foreign Secretary
Att. Freedom of information Section
King Charles Street
LONDON
SW1A 2AH
Dear Sir/Madam
re: Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request: Foreign Office briefings to Clarence Mitchell re the McCanns in 2007
On 31 January 2008, the Daily Mail reported as follows:
QUOTE
“British police and child protection officers do not suspect Madeleine McCann's parents of involvement in her disappearance, the couple's spokesman said.
Clarence Mitchell said officials had assured him in private briefings that they were treating the case as one of ‘rare stranger abduction’.
He was speaking last night as he launched an outspoken attack on the "appalling" standards of some media coverage of the disappearance of Kate and Gerry McCann's daughter in Portugal in May”.
UNQUOTE
The report followed his speech at a meeting titled: ‘The McCanns and the Media’ at the London School of Economics the previous day (30 January 2008).
These ‘private briefings’ appear to have been provided by, inter alia, staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, hence my addressing my Freedom of Information Act request to yourself.
In response to my FoI Act request of December 2007 [ FOI 0010-08 (CONS 03/2008) ]on related matters, you replied: “Clarence Mitchell was seconded by the Central Office of Information, where he was the Director of the Media Monitoring Unit, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 21 May 2007”.
At the time Madeleine McCann disappeared, Clarence Mitchell was working as the Head of the Media Monitoring Unit at the Central Office Information, and based I understand in the Cabinet Office.
My questions are:
(1) How many ‘private briefings’ of Clarence Mitchell were held either by Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff, or which were attended by Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff?
(2) On what dates?
(3) Who else attended those briefings?
(4) Who gave the briefings? - please name all Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials who gave those briefings
(5) Did the officials brief that this was a case of ‘rare stranger abduction’ only, or did they brief about other possibilities?
I await hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Anthony Bennett
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The gist of their reply was this:
"I apologise for the delay in answering your request but it was important that we conducted the necessary searches for information you requested. However, after extensive searches, I can confirm that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold any information relating to 'private briefings' attended by Clarence Mitchell".
And that's it!
From: Anthony Bennett M.A.
66 Chippingfield
Essex
CM17 0DJ
Tel: 01279 635789
e-mail: ajsbennett@btinternet.com
Saturday 23 July 2011
Foreign Secretary
Att. Freedom of information Section
King Charles Street
LONDON
SW1A 2AH
Dear Sir/Madam
re: Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request: Foreign Office briefings to Clarence Mitchell re the McCanns in 2007
On 31 January 2008, the Daily Mail reported as follows:
QUOTE
“British police and child protection officers do not suspect Madeleine McCann's parents of involvement in her disappearance, the couple's spokesman said.
Clarence Mitchell said officials had assured him in private briefings that they were treating the case as one of ‘rare stranger abduction’.
He was speaking last night as he launched an outspoken attack on the "appalling" standards of some media coverage of the disappearance of Kate and Gerry McCann's daughter in Portugal in May”.
UNQUOTE
The report followed his speech at a meeting titled: ‘The McCanns and the Media’ at the London School of Economics the previous day (30 January 2008).
These ‘private briefings’ appear to have been provided by, inter alia, staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, hence my addressing my Freedom of Information Act request to yourself.
In response to my FoI Act request of December 2007 [ FOI 0010-08 (CONS 03/2008) ]on related matters, you replied: “Clarence Mitchell was seconded by the Central Office of Information, where he was the Director of the Media Monitoring Unit, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 21 May 2007”.
At the time Madeleine McCann disappeared, Clarence Mitchell was working as the Head of the Media Monitoring Unit at the Central Office Information, and based I understand in the Cabinet Office.
My questions are:
(1) How many ‘private briefings’ of Clarence Mitchell were held either by Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff, or which were attended by Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff?
(2) On what dates?
(3) Who else attended those briefings?
(4) Who gave the briefings? - please name all Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials who gave those briefings
(5) Did the officials brief that this was a case of ‘rare stranger abduction’ only, or did they brief about other possibilities?
I await hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Anthony Bennett
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The gist of their reply was this:
"I apologise for the delay in answering your request but it was important that we conducted the necessary searches for information you requested. However, after extensive searches, I can confirm that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold any information relating to 'private briefings' attended by Clarence Mitchell".
And that's it!
Tony Bennett- Investigator
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Re: Foreign Office FOI reply re Clarence Mitchell's private Foreign Office briefings
by lj 09.09.11 14:46
Are you suggesting the foreign office is lying?? 
Or are you suggesting Clarrie lied ???
What is this world coming to......
Or are you suggesting Clarrie lied ???
What is this world coming to......
____________________
"And if Madeleine had hurt herself inside the apartment, why would that be our fault?" Gerry
http://pjga.blogspot.co.uk/?m=0
http://whatreallyhappenedtomadeleinemccann.blogspot.co.uk/
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Re: Foreign Office FOI reply re Clarence Mitchell's private Foreign Office briefings
by Tony Bennett 09.09.11 15:12
Based just on making an intelligent guess, this is what probably happened:lj wrote:Are you suggesting the Foreign Office is lying??
Or are you suggesting Clarrie lied???
What is this world coming to...
No-one lied.
Mitchell DID have several TOP SECRET briefings with Foreign and Commonwealth Officials.
But they were so 'hush-hush' that those concerned agreed to make no record of their meetings.
Tony Bennett- Investigator
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Re: Foreign Office FOI reply re Clarence Mitchell's private Foreign Office briefings
by lj 09.09.11 16:16
I buy that, without any hesitation.
____________________
"And if Madeleine had hurt herself inside the apartment, why would that be our fault?" Gerry
http://pjga.blogspot.co.uk/?m=0
http://whatreallyhappenedtomadeleinemccann.blogspot.co.uk/
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Re: Foreign Office FOI reply re Clarence Mitchell's private Foreign Office briefings
by Big Vern 09.09.11 16:30
"Rare stranger abduction"
Not a view shared by Eddie and Keela.
Not a view shared by Eddie and Keela.
____________________
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive
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Re: Foreign Office FOI reply re Clarence Mitchell's private Foreign Office briefings
by aiyoyo 09.09.11 16:38
Tony Bennett wrote:Based just on making an intelligent guess, this is what probbaly happened:lj wrote:Are you suggesting the Foreign Office is lying??
Or are you suggesting Clarrie lied???
What is this world coming to...
No-one lied.
Mitchell DID have several TOP SECRET briefings with Foreign and Commonwealth Officials.
But they were so 'hush-hush' that those concerned agreed to make no record of their meetings.
Or CM was lying...
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Mitchell was probably truthful - nearly
by Tony Bennett 09.09.11 18:14
QUOTE
Clarence Mitchell said officials had assured him in private briefings that they were treating the case as one of ‘rare stranger abduction’.
UNQUOTE
He had to explain why he had suddenly taken on this case, and been whooshed from the Central Office of Information to the Foreign Office, and then told to jet out to Praia da Luz.
Perhaps a clue is in the word 'treating'.
Maybe Clarence asked for clarriefication, and was told:
"This isn't rare stranger abduction, in fact something is involved that we need to cover up, but we are all treating this as a case of 'rare stranger abduction'.
In which case Mitchell didn't lie!
Clarence Mitchell said officials had assured him in private briefings that they were treating the case as one of ‘rare stranger abduction’.
UNQUOTE
He had to explain why he had suddenly taken on this case, and been whooshed from the Central Office of Information to the Foreign Office, and then told to jet out to Praia da Luz.
Perhaps a clue is in the word 'treating'.
Maybe Clarence asked for clarriefication, and was told:
"This isn't rare stranger abduction, in fact something is involved that we need to cover up, but we are all treating this as a case of 'rare stranger abduction'.
In which case Mitchell didn't lie!
Tony Bennett- Investigator
- Posts : 16924
Activity : 24790
Likes received : 3749
Join date : 2009-11-25
Age : 77
Location : Shropshire
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