Outbreak of Armed Conflict in Kirkuk Feared
Outbreak of armed conflict in Kirkuk feared.
Fighting between Russia, Georgia risks wider war.
Iraq will try to ensure that its army is "self-sufficient" by summer of 2009, when the Iraqi government wants US troops out of its cities and stationed on bases.
The CIA official who told Ron Suskind that the White House had ordered his agency to forge a document tying Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda and suggesting recent uranium purchases on his part in fall of 2003 said that this sort of request typically came from Vice President Dick Cheney's shop, and his chief of staff Scooter Libby. This according to a transcript of a taperecording of the interview done by Suskind with the official 'on the record.'
Surprise!
Why does Pakistan get all the good impeachments?
Muqtada al-Sadr's peace is a bid for power, according to this Abu Dhabi newspaper. That makes more sense than the WSJ's odd conviction that the Sadr Movement is declining (on the basis of what evidence?)
On the American way of propaganda.
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 8/10/2008 01:00:00 AM
|
Facebook
14 Comments:
No propaganda matches American propaganda. Simply the best!
From Propaganda
Although manipulative, propaganda is not necessarily untruthful, as is commonly believed. In fact, many specialists believe that the most effective propaganda operates with different layers of truth—from half-truths and the truth torn out of context to the just plain truth. Propagandists have on many occasions employed lies, misrepresentations, or deceptions, but propaganda that is based on fact and that rings true to the intended audience is bound to be more persuasive than bald-faced lies.
For example, calling a deal for the permanent occupation of Iraq cut with the US puppet government a "withdrawal" plan. It rings "true" because a good number of American forces will be moved on to the occupation of Afghanistan and used to launch terrorist attacks on Pakistan from there. So if you hold your head just right, it can look like a "withdrawal" from Iraq.
But of course it is merely the institutionalization of the occupation of Iraq by American troops "withdrawn" within enclaves, American bases with in Iraq wherein the Iraqi government has no power and the US reigns supreme, and from which the troops of the occupation may spread murder and mayhem by remote control, or actually sally forth to personally spread terror among the civilian population as required.
The article by Kenneth A. Osgood seems to fail to mention the degree to which, like the fighting of war itself, the propaganda function has been "privatised" in the US, most conspicuously by the present administration. The MSM now make little pretense of "investigative reporting", a phrase as "quaint" as "The Geneva Accords", "The Judgment of Nuremberg", or "The Constitution of the United States of America". Instead they vie with one another to repeat most faithfully the propaganda spewed forth from their anonymous, official "contacts" within the belly of the beast.
And we Americans seem quite content with this, ready to vote to continue this unequivocally evil regime in the person of its "lessor" incarnation.
If we do so we will have absolutely no one left to blame but ourselves.
Fool us once... fool ourselves again and again and again.
Cats have nine lives. Not states or their citizens.
There are some inaccuracies here in regards to the characterization of "Shia" Islam. For one Shias do not believe the issue of succession was left for Muslims to determine. They do not believe leadership should be in the household of the Prophet independently, but bc that is what the Prophet himself said on many occasions.
Secondly "Wilayat al-Faqee" is not a 20th centurey "innovation," but rather a concept rooted in centuries old traditions and accepted theorehtically by shia scholars for centuries. to say it is a 20th century innovation is an attempt to undermine its religious legitimacy. That fact that it has been implemented in the 20th century is a different issue.
Good piece on propaganda.Thanks.
I wish the author had discussed the use of "anti-Semite" as a means to stifle counter-propaganda of IAPAC's propaganda.
There were serious US military provocations on Russia's border last month, including two major military exercises.
Operation Immediate Response began July 15. From the USA, 1,000 military servicemen took part in the three week exercise including the United States Army Europe, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Battalion 121 Infantry Regiment Georgian National Guard (Atlanta, Georgia) and 5045th General Support Unit. The US Ambassador H.E. John Tefft outlined the importance of the training, saying: “It is in a spirit of Partnership for Peace, part of the NATO program. Brigadier General William B. Garrett commanded the exercise from American side: "We are conducting this exercise to enhance interoperability with a key coalition partner. Georgia has provided consistent support to ongoing operations in Iraq. Georgia is the third largest force contributor to Operation Iraqi Freedom and that means a lot to the United States." The Russian Defense Ministry started a military exercise in the nearby North Caucasus region at the same time. Ministry spokesman Yuri Ivanov said the drill had “nothing to do” with the Georgian-U.S. maneuvers.
Exercise Sea Breeze 2008 involved more than 2,000 service members from 16 countries and was held in the Black Sea and at land-based Ukrainian training facilities, according to EUCOM [US European Command]. "Everyone participating in this exercise should be very proud of the level of interoperability and cooperation that was achieved among the sea, air and land components as well as among nations," US Navy Captain John Moore, the Sea Breeze deputy commander, said in a statement. Russia's foreign ministry had said at the start of the exercise however that it saw it as a threat. "The nature of the exercises, the attempts to present them as anti-Russian and the participation of states from outside the region inevitably raise questions and some degree of concern," it said.
In addition to recent US military exercises on Russia's borders, the US has had a long-term military training program in Georgia.
Georgia's "Rose Revolution" was planned and centrally coordinated by the US government. The 24 November 2003 Wall Street Journal credited the fall of Eduard Shevardnadze's regime to the operations of "a raft of non-governmental organizations . . . supported by American and other Western foundations."
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2002 – U.S. military officials are making plans to help the former Soviet republic of Georgia train and equip its armed forces to improve internal security, senior Pentagon officials said today. Such assistance would ultimately help the war on global terrorism, they said.
On 29 April 2002 the US Department of Defense announced the beginning of the Georgia Train and Equip program (GTEP). This program implements President Bush's decision to respond to Government of Georgia's request for assistance to enhance its counter-terrorism capabilities and address the situation in the Pankisi Gorge. The 20-month, $64-million plan, involving a maximum of 150 US soldiers, is expected to be duplicated in 20 other countries.
The initial program will consist of command center staff training for members of the Georgian Ministry of Defense as well as staff training for units of the Land Forces Command. The curriculum will consist of performance-oriented training and practical exercises similar to those taught at the National Defense University, Joint Forces Command, and U.S. Army War College. In addition to staff training, tactical training will be provided sequentially and will consist of approximately 100 days per unit. The goal of the tactical program is to instruct Georgian battalions in light infantry tactics, to include platoon-level offensive and defensive operations and basic airmobile tactics. During GTEP, military equipment is slated for transfer to Georgia. Equipment includes uniform items, small arms and ammunition, communications gear, training gear, medical gear, fuel, and construction materiel.
On 23 February 2005, the U.S. in conjunction with the Georgian government conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for an extensive renovation of the Krtsanisi National Training Center (KNTC). The renovation is a 6.5 million dollar project as part of larger 60 million dollar Stability and Security Operations Program (SSOP). SSOP is similar in scope to the previous Georgian Train and Equip Program (GTEP) that ran from 2002-2004. While GTEP trained and equipped 4 infantry battalions, SSOP will train and equip a further 2 infantry battalions, 2 logistic battalions and combat support elements from an infantry brigade from April 2005 to April 2006.
While "Sadr's peace" may be his bid for power, it's hard to argue that he and his movement haven't been significantly weakened in the past few months. I see his newest bid for peace as him trying to even remain relevant. For a while he would come out every week with a new announcement, wavering on certain things, and trying to gain some ground against Maliki, etc. He's always shifted based on what will make he and his movement more powerful, but he's been greatly isolated. At this point, it seems like his desperate last effort at trying to stay relevant in Iraq.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080810/pl_politico/12419
August 9, 2008
"I just spoke separately with Secretary Rice and President Saakashvili about the grave crisis in Georgia. I told President Saakashvili that I was deeply concerned about the wellbeing of the people of Georgia.
"Over the last two days, Russia has escalated the crisis in Georgia through its clear and continued violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. On Friday, Aug. 8, Russian military forces invaded Georgia. I condemn Russia’s aggressive actions and reiterate my call for an immediate ceasefire. Russia must stop its bombing campaign, cease flights of Russian aircraft in Georgian airspace, and withdraw its ground forces from Georgia."
-- Barack Obama
[A disgraceful statement.]
Georgia attacked Ossetia. Georgia slammed rockets on Ossetia and invaded Ossetia and occupied Ossetia and killed Russian civilians and Russian peace-keepers. This was all reported and filmed internationally, and changed here the moment Russia attacked Georgian forces in turn to drive them from Ossetia.
Obama wanders the Middle East and Europe selling war in Afghanistan, and assorted attacks in Pakistan, while being incapable of understanding what has happened in Ossetia. What a disgrace.
Don Bacons stuff on US political and military ops in Georgia is pretty specific, interesting, and consistent what I've read in the press.
Just judging by how fast armored columns were mobilized, both Russians and Georgians were primed for a confrontation, raising 'pre-emption vs provocation' and confusion about spot report innaccuracies.
It's possible that the Georgians saw the clock running out on their 'coalition of the willing' leverage with the outgoing US admin., and calculated to make their move to reclaim S. Ossetia before Putin's resurgent Russian rearmament gathered mo momentum.
Or conversely, the Russians could have witnessed excercises for a US rapid deployment capability into Georgia, and decided to raise the ante before a foreign combat presence or SOFA became operational.
Even as Putin's tank columns were crossing into Georgian territory, his spokesman was saying "NATO can't trust the perfidious Georgians". KGB vs CIA mindsets. Go figure.
RE: The Suskind Revealations.
Glad to hear he has tapes, but so far all we have are transcipts. Both are open to question, and that's before you get to the fine parsing of words done by these guys in the transcript and after the book was published. In the rush to blow the whistle, he/we need to remember the cautionary tale of poor Dan Rather (the fact he had fallen for fabrications obscures the fact that dubya's records have still never been found). Do you homework and lock it down.
Even in this case, look at the degree of "plausible deniability" the WH can maintain, and that assumes this issue will not just go away if they simply ignore it, which is clearly the tact they intend to take. Ironic in a way, given the WH's general contempt for the CIA, that they would entrust such a chore to the Agency. There'd be an untold number of "Butterfields" at Langley who worked with such an instrument (someone ask Seymour Hirsch to mine his contacts......)
Sadr remains relevant as long as no one else champions the poor of Iraq, its fastest-growing group thanks to American disaster capitalism. Sadr's conflict with the Supreme Council and Dawa is a conflict between the poor Arab Shia and the Shia bourgeoise, who seem to tilt closer to Iran right down to their names.
NYT reports Russian armor has attacked into Georgia proper, towards Gori, but spot reports are unreliable.
The trans-Caucusus ethnic jigsaw map puzzle is shown in some detail at Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossetia
A cold pre-battle appreciation of Ossetia, Georgia and Russia from Stratfor. (Sorry about the URL) http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_080808/content/01125106.guest.html
Post a Comment
<< Home