The Joys of Airstrikes and Anonymity

[StarfarerBill]

by Glenn Greenwald

"Each time the U.S. bombs a new location in the Muslim world, the same pattern emerges. First, officials from the U.S. or allied governments run to their favorite media outlet to claim -- anonymously -- that some big, bad, notorious, "top" Al Qaeda leader "may have been" or "likely was" killed in the strike, and this constitutes a "stinging" or "devastating" blow against the Terrorist group. These compliant media outlets then sensationalistically trumpet that claim as the dominant theme of their "reporting" on the attack, drowning out every other issue.

"As a result, and by design, there is never any debate or discussion over the propriety or wisdom of these strikes. After all, what sane, rational, Serious person would possibly question a bombing raid or missile strike that "likely" killed a murderous, top Al Qaeda fighter and struck a "devastating blow" to that group's operating abilities? Having the story shaped this way also ensures that there is virtually no attention paid to the resulting civilian casualties (i.e., the slaughter of innocent people); most Americans, especially journalists, have been trained to ignore such deaths as nothing more than justifiable "collateral damage," especially when a murderous, top Al Qaeda fighter was killed by the bombs (besides, as Alan Dershowitz once explained, "civilians" in close enough proximity to a Top Terrorist themselves may very well bear some degree of culpability). The adolescent We-Got-the-Bad-Guy! headline also ensures there is no attention paid to the radicalizing effect of these civilian deaths and our attacks for that country and in the region.

"Yet over and over and over, it turns out that these anonymous government assertions -- trumpeted by our mindless media -- are completely false. The Big Bad Guy allegedly killed in the strike ends up nowhere near the bombs and missiles. Sometimes, the very same Big Bad Guy can be used to justify different strikes over the course of many years (we know we said we killed him four times before, but this time we're pretty sure we got him), or he can turn up alive when it's time to re-trumpet the Al Qaeda threat (we said before we killed him in that devastating airstrike, but actually he's alive and more dangerous than ever!!). Just like the "we killed 30 extremists" claim or the "we got Al Qaeda's Number 3" boast, this is propaganda in its purest form, disseminated jointly by the U.S. Government and American media, and it happens over and over, compelling a rational person to conclude that it's clearly intentional by both parties."

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/27-1

[ixion]

1. kicked and recommended

... the sad and brutal folly of empire. :(

[leveymg]

2. In the case of al-Qaeda bad guys, they're usually "our bad guys", or working for the Saudis, anyway.

Such is the case, again, with the latest airstrike in Yemen that apparently has failed to kill the radical U.S.-born cleric, Iman Anwar al-Awlaki, who was the religious counselor to the Flt. 77 hijackers in San Diego and again in Northern Virginia, who then popped up yet again this year, after the feds let him leave the country after 9/11, as the e-mail Iman to the Ft. Hood shooter.

This follows another underlying pattern of attempts to get rid of the agent provocateurs and double-agents.

[Goldstein1984]

3. Terrorism is a crime

Targeted killings of criminals is illegal.

Imagine what the response would be if the CIA were to target and kill an Al Qaeda operative with a missile strike from a drone, killing "30" civilians in the process, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Is it different just because the civilians being killed aren't U.S. citizens?

[leveymg]

4. The victim of the first CIA drone attack was a US citizen. Google Ahmed Hijazi

He was a primary conduit for organizing the "Lackawana Five", a group of US citizens who traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan shortly before the 9/11 attacks. He was also involved in the USS Cole and an earlier pre-9/11 attack on a US Navy ship in Aden Harbour, Yemen. Like the mysterious Iman, he always seemed to travel in and out of the US freely. Then, afterwards when attention falls on him, death from above. Silence.

[Goldstein1984]

6. The New Inquisition continues

[leveymg]

8. More like the Third Crusades - chaos, Kosovo, and knights errant

How slowly the meat grinder turns.

[Goldstein1984]

9. I'm researching it all now

Loss of civil liberties at home
Support for coups abroad
The blurred line between crime and war

It's frightening when you put the pieces together

[leveymg]

10. War is organized crime. You should know that.

We have no more civil liberties than it's convenient to allow us to believe we have at any given time.

Support for coups abroad? That's what we do when we don't want to actually invade some petty feifdom.

This is normal. Look at the history of any empire.

[Goldstein1984]

11. Zero disagreement from me

I'm actually researching the semantics of the whole process. How does a government deny what it is doing when it is doing it blatantly? Why do people believe what they believe?

As Smedley Butler said, "War is a racket."

[leveymg]

12. Speaking of semantics and belief in the opposite of apparent reality, Orwell said, "Black-white"

How can so many deny the obvious? Second-nature for most proles after generations of conditioning and for members of the Inner-Party, it's mandatory. Same as it ever was.

[Goldstein1984]

13. Ignorance is strength & War is peace

One part "1984"
One part "Brave New World"
One part "Fahrenheit 451"
One part "Animal Farm"
Add a dash of "Lord of the Flies"

[leveymg]

15. Throw in some Chomsky and Frankfurt School critical theorists, and you have a heckuva sub sandwich

;-) :9 :toast:

[Goldstein1984]

16. I was limiting myself to fiction-become-reality

But your additions would put the bread around the sandwich.

I suggest a little Howard Zinn, Eduardo galeano and Naomi Klein as condiments.

[pangaia]

14. Yes and..

Yes, and they are rarely, if ever, white of skin..

[Goldstein1984]

17. Absolutely true

So much easier to excuse crimes against those who are not like "us."

They need to look around, though, and get an update of what "us" looks like

They can put any sort of spin on it they want, or make any excuse they want, but we're committing murder.

And whether we like it or not, armed drone attacks have increased under President Obama, and there's been no backing off of Bush/Cheney policies in this regard.

[Joanne98]

5. It's just a matter of time before they use the drones on us!

They'll start with the Mexican boarder then they'll be flying over our freeways writing speeding tickets in no time.

[defendandprotect]

7. Insane and frightening -- amazing how long we've been trapped in this right wing nightmare ....

Oops . . . it supposedly ended when we elected Dems . . . !!!

[ShamelessHussy]

19. that is is supported by both parties is what is truly frightening, yes.

i think this is the establishments last hurrah, with the current admin, as folks will not settle for mere words any more from the throughly corrupt parties and demand a thorough and fundamental restructuring of american politics.

well, that is my hope anyways...

[defendandprotect]

20. My hope, as well ---

You could say we are fools for voting for any candidate -- including Obama -- whose

pockets are filled with corporate money . . . but I guess it's hope which keeps us doing it.

At some point, we need a new and better plan!!

:)

Happy Winter Solstice -- Nature's New Year!!

[ShamelessHussy]

18. "it's clearly intentional by both parties" - yes, and that's what makes it so scary

to be a U.S. citizen today, it is as if we-the-people, have NO say whatsoever in not only foreign policy but even domestic policy.

i do believe that the man behind the curtain's gig will be up after the most recent false prophet, as folks will be so throughly cynical, even our children, that they will actually be out in the streets in full force.

it is a truly scary thing to be the children of a dying empire.