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November 05, 2001
Fighting corruption with corruption
By A. H. Hotep
The United States and its allies claim that they are assisting other Afghanistan groups to form an alternative government to the Taleban regime. Their crusading rhetoric states that the Taleban government is corrupt and has mismanaged the country, which is responsible for the famine crisis today.
Before September 11, the media continually reported that the food shortage in Afghanistan was due to a long period of drought. If the government was or is corrupt, few of us have any direct evidence of this but we can speculate at worst that they are no more corrupt than most governments elsewhere including France, England and the United States. Full Article
There is no War on Terrorism
By John Pilger
If people were not being killed and beginning to starve, the American attack on Afghanistan might seem farcical. But there is a logic to what they are doing. Read between the lines and it is clear that they are not bombing large numbers of the Taliban's front-line troops. Why? Because they want to preserve what the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, calls the "moderate" Taliban, who will join a "loose federation" of "nation builders" once the war is over. The moderate Taliban will unite with "elements of the resistance" in the Northern Alliance, the bomb-planters, rapists and heroin dealers, who were trained by the SAS and paid by Washington. Full Article
Our war on terrorism may miss Osama bin Laden and kill democracy
By Salim Muwakkil
At home, the civil liberties that give this democratic republic its unique flavor are threatened by ominous legislation, the USA Patriot Act, recently signed into law by President Bush. Abroad, our bombastic diplomacy endangers the prospects of a democratic future in emerging Islamic countries.
Among other things, this new bill--officially titled the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act--gives the government enhanced powers to conduct secret searches in cases that may be unrelated to terrorism; leaves the definition of terrorism in the right-wing hands of Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft; reduces judicial oversight of phone and Internet spying; allows the government to jail non-citizens based on mere suspicion and more. Full Article
Yugoslavia and Afghanistan – How to Understand Media Spin
By John Keller
Propaganda has accompanied the majority of wars, as a precursor, during the war, and then as official history after the dust has settled and the conquerors (aka peacekeepers) move in. From Cato and Carthage down to Kuwaiti incubator babies, truth is indeed the first casualty. Arguably, the first defeat for the US military in the propaganda war was Vietnam. Being in the business of winning wars, the U.S. military concocted new ways to control the media, and has adapted new strategies for an increasingly connected world. The first test, and so far greatest victory for the New World Order spin-masters, was the Persian Gulf War. We saw the daily press briefing evolve into its current form as a carefully crafted propaganda session designed to give the media the good news about how well the war is going, and how the evil-doers are being punished. We saw the media assigned to specific press liaison officers, and trucked around from location to location under constant supervision. The press, as usual, ate it up. Full Article
