The Pentagon has reached a new low. It has accused Newsweek of being “irresponsible” for suggesting that interrogators desecrated the Holy Koran. The Guardian reports a spokesman for the Pentagon saying:
” ….our reaction is that Newsweek reported something that was factually inaccurate on several points. It’s demonstrably wrong, and Newsweek has acknowledged that. But they have not retracted it, and have tried instead to water it down.“They printed a story based on an erroneous source or sources that was demonstrably false and that resulted in riots in which people were killed. I don’t know how else to parse it.”
Ahem. the Pentagon also thinks that Newsweek has damaged American image abroad.
ROTFL.
Well, Mr.Pentagon, if the USA has a half decent reputation outside its borders it is because of your Press, your movies, your Academia, your people - not because of the Pentagon or American politicians. The last two have caused too much death and destruction in too many parts of the world to be thought of well. Newsweek merely printed something that most people expected will happen. Its like a bunch of Redneck Soviets burning the Torah in the bad old days of Communism or a bunch of Nazis doing the same. It is an expected form of behaviour.
Now, let’s get back to the alleged Desecration of the Koran.
For an Army of Occupation that thinks nothing of chaining people up and dragging them along, in the nude, like animals - desecrating the Koran or anyother holy book is no great shakes. After all, the manner of torture was to humiliate the prisoner -as it voilated their cultural norms. As Edward Kennedy put it, last year:
In the Middle East and too often today, the symbol of America is not the Statue of Liberty; it’s the prisoner standing on a box wearing a dark cape and a dark hood on his head, wires attached to his body, afraid that he’s going to be electrocuted
Do you think that the same bunch of people in charge - of the torutre - would hesitate in flushing down a Bible (or whichever sacred book) if they thought it would break the prisoner.
Furthermore, do you honestly think that the kind of people we all saw in videos last year terrorizing prisoners would know the difference between the Koran and a telephone directory.
Incidentally, Newsweek has apogized. Its retraction is slightly wishy washy. but it has apologised. Whereas all is quiet on the Pentagon Front.
btw this is the same Pentagon that went war against Iraq based on unverified reports of Weapons of Mass Destruction. There hasn’t been any apology either from the Pentagon or its bosses.
Todays’ scanning through news on the web brings the news that US attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzles condems torture tactics condems torture tactics. would have been so much more civilized if he had condemed torture outright!
Sphere: Related ContentSaudi Arabia is finally having municipal level elections early next year, ushering in the first whiff of Democracy. In this too there is a caveat. Women cannot vote. The excuses offered are ridiculous. Lack of female staff and photo identity can both be overcome if the Government has the desire to do so.
We are in 2004. How much longer before no eyebrows are raised about civil and professional acceptance of women at all levels?
Sphere: Related Content…. the answers my friend is blowing in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind
sang, Joan Baez - , sometime last century. About another war based on another lie. Another people who were decimated at the altar of Democracy.
Today’s news was that there were no WMD’s in Iraq after all. That is the official verdict. No WMD’s in Iraq since the 1990’s and little or no capacity to produce them.
All the people killed, the terror that has been unleashed, all the death, destruction , the grief and the instability that this war has caused - all based on a lie.
I find the American political system warped. If a President lies about sex he is impeached. If a President lies about the reasons for going to war - he is a patriot. Quite bizzare!
The only gainers out of this is the Al Qaeda. The US administraion has given them an amazing recruitment campaign.
The Guardian today had a selection of letters from Iraq excerpted from Michael Moore’s new book. The letters are terribly heart rending.
… I was so scared. Didn’t know what to think. Seeing dead bodies for the first time. People blown in half. Little kids with no legs. It was overwhelming, the sights, sounds, fear. I was over there from Jan’03 to Aug’03. I hated every minute. It was a daily battle to keep my spirits up. I hate the army and my job. ..
t’s just so ridiculous, which leads me to my next point. A Blackwater contractor makes $15,000 [£8,400] a month for doing the same job as my pals and me. I make about $4,000 [£2,240] a month over here. What’s up with that?
… The illiteracy rate in this country is phenomenal. There were some farmers who didn’t even know there was an Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was when I realised that this war was initiated by the few who would profit from it and not for its people. We, as the coalition forces, did not liberate these people; we drove them even deeper into poverty. I don’t foresee any economic relief coming soon to these people by the way Bush has already diverted its oil revenues to make sure there will be enough oil for our SUVs.
Dear Mr Moore, my name is Tony Pietsch, and I am a National Guardsman who has been stationed in Kuwait and Iraq for the past 15 months. ….. I don’t know how the rest of my life will turn out, but I truly regret being a 16-year-old kid looking for some extra pocket money and a way to college.
The list goes on. I can’t but feel sorry for the men and women in the US armed forces. An Executive that sacrifices her troop for a lie, is it truly an Executive that the armed forces will trust again?
Sphere: Related Content…is a commone phrase you will find in blogdom, in reference to the Hostage Tragedy in Russia. The term refers to the mother who chose between taking her son to freedom and her daughter to freedom.
My father commented this morning, even in Russia the life of the son is more important than that of the daughter.
Sphere: Related ContentA brilliant description from the Angry Arab News Service
Sphere: Related ContentThe only reason that somebody like Muqtada As-Sadr (who has limited knowledge, no oratorical skills, and no charisma) can achieve this level of popularity is only due to the incompetence, stupidity, and unpopularity of his enemies.
The success of Harry Potter not withstanding, it is a bit difficult - for someone brought up as a religious rationalist - to believe in witchcraft. Not that I don’t know people who don’t.
I have an aunt who told me that her side of the family came to severe trouble after someone put a hex on them. And she wasn’t the uneducated type but a Masters in Economics and a Communist to the boot. I have a friend who has done “shanti” for a child his wife lost in a miscarriage - and whose soul was still disturbed and “haunted” their home. In both cases I smiled a ” of course I understand” smile, while smirking inside. Because in this day and age if you believe in witch craft - then well…..
So today when in my travels through the WWW, I read about a woman in South Africa - Miyi Shongi - who claims that she is being followed by a hail of stones. And she doesn’t seem to be able to lose them. An exerpt from the story:
When the problem first began in Lombani, her family called the police for help.
“We were there for nearly the whole night and saw stones falling from the sky like rain,” said Vhembe police spokesperson Ailwei Mushavhanamadi. “We went around the area to make sure someone wasn’t throwing stones on the roof on purpose, but we didn’t find anyone.” Police then advised the family to consult with spirit mediums about the phenomenon.
Why is the lady being pursued by stones? Well, she believes a trader cast an evil spell on her, as she had failed to pay for clothing she’d bought from the trader on credit.
Funny. Truly funny - unless it happens to you! I wonder whether I can adopt a similar tactic with my company’s creditors!
Sphere: Related ContentThere was a story of a boy called Ramu who herded sheep deep into the forest. Now Ramu was a lazy boy and didn’t like long walks into the forest. He would rather sit by the edge of the forest and play with his friends. One day he chanced upon someone screaming “wolf attack” and villagers chargingto rescue. Ramu was sent home to and didn’t have to herd sheep. So a couple of days later Ramu shouted “wolf” - villagers turned up - there was no wolf. They chided Ramu and went away. This happened a couple of other times - with the same result. The following day the wolf really turned up. Although Ramu screamed and shrieked - no one came.
This was a story told to me by my mother when I was a kid, really tiny, to tell me about the ills of lying. Even today - when I am about to utter a lie (white one, I hasten to add) the story flashes by as a warning.
It is a pity that Barbara Bush didn’t instill GWB with this while she was bringing him up. To cry wolf about terrorist attacks for political mileage is a fairly stupid idea. Because, when the attack does happen - as it is bound to (terrorists are that type) - then people and law agencies are going to be caught napping.
GWB’s warning on possible future attacks based on ” recent” intelligence on Al Qaeda’s activities turns out to be 4 years old, apparently a response to a boost in the ratings of John Kerry, in the aftermath of the Democratic Party convention. Nothing wrong of the leader of a country to warn the population to be alert. Because, lets face facts the US is the prime target for the Al Qaeda. But, to lie about “new” threats as a scare tactic to get votes is kind of stupid. But then, the man did tie for the Stupidest Person in the world award.
