Pretexts for War
March 30, 2008
Gareth Porter speaks on Antiwar Radio about ‘Fox’ Fallon’s resignation and an earlier attempt by the Clinton administration to establish a pretext for war with Iraq, thwarted by the then Centcom commander Anthony Zinni.
Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses the “retirement” of Adm. Fox Fallon from his position as the head of Centcom, his repeated clashes with the White House over Iran policy, Robert Gates role, his belief that war is still unlikely, the U.S. government propaganda again blaming Iran for all the problems in Iraq, Obama and his advisers, Bill Clinton’s 1997 attempt to have former Centcom commander Gen. Anthony Zinni to create a pretext for war with Iraq and Zinni’s play to shut it down and attempt to pin bin Laden’s Khobar Towers attack on “Iranian-backed Saudi Hezbollah” as a pretext for war against Iran.
MP3 here. (27:32)
Some relevant Porter articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Dr. Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on U.S. national security policy who has been independent since a brief period of university teaching in the 1980s. Dr. Porter is the author of four books, the latest of which is Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam (University of California Press, 2005). He has written regularly for Inter Press Service on U.S. policy toward Iraq and Iran since 2005.
Dr. Porter was both a Vietnam specialist and an anti-war activist during the Vietnam War and was Co-Director of Indochina Resource Center in Washington. Dr. Porter taught international studies at City College of New York and American University. He was the first Academic Director for Peace and Conflict Resolution in the Washington Semester program at American University.
Iraqi Vichy in Trouble
March 30, 2008
For once I am willing to take the occupation’s claim at face value. Americans are claiming that Iraq’s puppet government started the present round of fighting without notifying them. It is plausible. The success of the ‘surge’ was an illusion sustained by the drop in violence due to the Sadrists unilateral ceasefire. However, the US-Iranian-backed Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq fears the Sadrists would gain a majority in the upcoming elections. This appears like ISCI’s attempt to crush the nationalist Sadr and his Mehdi Army with the assistance of the US-UK forces while they are still there. Recall that it was the ISCI’s Wolf Brigades, tied to the Badr militia that started the sectarian war as part of the Pentagon’s Salvador option in late 2004.
Battle of Basra
March 30, 2008
Al Jazeera’s coverage.
Pepe Escobar on the Battle of Basra.
‘As the Iraqi army’s assault on Shia militias in the city falters, the government’s strategy is looking to be a dangerous gamble’, writes Patrick Cockburn. Ever since the establishment ‘Left’ helped neocons banish Ron Paul from the presidential race, Iraq has barely featured in the debates.
The US is facing a new crisis in Iraq that may determine the outcome of the presidential election, as American military forces are drawn into supporting the Iraqi government’s faltering attempt to crush the main Shia militia.A US warplane strafed a house in Basra killing eight civilians, including two women and a child, Iraqi police said yesterday. The house was in the city’s Hananiyah district, which is a stronghold of the Mehdi Army militia of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Human Rights and Media Manipulation
March 30, 2008
From Pinochet to ‘Human Rights’ in China. Michael Barker on the Regime-Change Industry, its humanitarian pretenses and its nexus with the Israel lobby.
When the twentieth century becomes history it will be seen as distinctive, I believe, for three developments in liberal Western societies: the growth of democracy; the rise of huge concentrations of economic power, known as corporations; and the professionalizing and institutionalizing of propaganda, especially as a means for safe-guarding the power of free-enterprise corporations against democracy.” (Alex Carey, 1987) [1]
Most regular readers of alternative media will be acutely aware of the US government’s antidemocratic history. Indeed, according to William Blum and Dr Danielle Ganser, since 1945 this much neglected history has seen the US government attempt to “overthrow more than 40 foreign governments”, “crush more than 30 populist-nationalist movements” and provide support to right-wing terrorist (stay behind) armies in every European country. Unfortunately as most members of the public rely upon the corporate media – for the most part unaware that a useful and democratic alternative media exists – they are for the most part unaware of the extent of this antidemocratic foreign policy (and perhaps more importantly still they are unaware that they can do something to change it).
A Great Leap Backward
March 30, 2008
Sami Ramadani on the follies of Iraq’s Vichy regime.
Whoever they are, the people who planned and put in motion the onslaught on Basra have yet again dragged themselves into the quicksands of the Sadr movement. If the US vice president, Dick Cheney, fresh from a visit to Baghdad in the days before the biggest troop deployment of the US-trained Iraqi armed forces, doesn’t phone the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, to demand a hasty retreat, then Iraq is heading for a major uprising.
Maliki, as commander-in-chief, went to Iraq’s second city himself to direct operations against the Sadr movement, at the helm of two armoured divisions and thousands of policemen. Bombardment of neighbourhood strongholds began at midnight on Monday, with British and US planes providing air cover. Maliki gave the Mahdi Army (without naming it) 72 hours to surrender. Within minutes, it became clear that the Mahdi fighters, led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, were in no mood to do so. They fought back and tightened their grip – joined by deserters from government forces.
How Muslims are Treated
March 29, 2008
Normal people being heroes and villains – silence is complicity.
Thanks to Sabbah’s Blog – “Listen carefully to the results at the end of the clip. They are scary!” (15% approving of the racism, 54% silent, 32% challenging the racism).
Why Don’t We Ask What’s Best For the Iraqis?
March 29, 2008
Noam Chomsky: without a doubt the greatest intellectual of the past century, just as lucid in this one (via Alternet).
As Chomsky bluntly states, aggressors have no rights. Our occupation is criminal. What Americans want for Iraq is irrelevant.
During this election season we’ve already heard Republicans and Democrats alike discussing the best way for America to save face in Iraq, as if the sake of our ego is of enough importance to defy international law. Obama, Clinton, and McCain will all keep troops in Iraq indefinitely, despite the will of the Iraqi people. That “democracy” we brought them sure isn’t worth a damn when we don’t respect it ourselves. Just as the Palestinians learned when they elected Hamas into power, the will of a people in their own land is only legitimate when it coincides with our imperialistic Western vision for the region.American politicians are regularly asked what they think the best option is for Iraq. As Chomsky bluntly states, aggressors have no rights. Our occupation is criminal. What Americans want for Iraq is irrelevant.
We Think
March 29, 2008
The 20st Century = mass production for mass consumption.
The 21st Century = mass innovation.
More ideas being shared by more people than ever before.
Great stylish video on the culture of sharing ideas.
Support the UCU Boycott
March 29, 2008
I hope the UCU takes the boycott even further forward this time – eventually, with support, they will succeed. This article by Ilan Pappe is good on the reasons for a boycott. The following artilce in the Jewish Chronicle describes actions against the boycott underway already.
A thinly veiled attempt by the University and College Union national executive to reintroduce an academic boycott of Israel by the back door has brought a swift communal response.
The Stop The Boycott campaign, launched to defeat last year’s proposal — successfully — has been reactivated, and communal leaders have spoken out strongly against the UCU executive.
A motion called “Palestine and the Occupation” by Tom Hickey of the Socialist Workers Party, and seconded by UCU president Linda Newman, who made anti-boycott statements prior to her election last year, will be tabled at the union’s conference, due to be held in Manchester in May.
Glasgow Supports Vanunu
March 29, 2008
Glasgow City Councils follows the good example of its University students and supports Vanunu. Well done Glasgow and well done the Green Party! The following by Elham Asaad Buaras.
Despite opposition from a regional Zionist group, Glasgow City Council has voted in favour of a motion supporting the Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu. Critics had argued that the Scottish city was wrong to debate “what another country has done.”
The Glasgow motion comes amidst the backdrop of the revelation that Tony Blair’s Government attempted to prevent a reference to Israel contained in the “dodgy dossier” from being published. Vanunu was convicted in Israel in 1988 of publishing state secrets on Israel’s nuclear industry. Vanunu completed his sentence but has since been sentenced to a further six months after breaking an order banning him from speaking to foreign journalists.
The motion, debated at a Council meeting on February 21, was raised by Scottish Green Party councillor Martha Wardrop.
The passing of the motion now means the Council will support campaigns for the nuclear whistle-blower’s release and support him in his role as rector of Glasgow University.
