Pakistani, European officials charge US manufactured terror scare

[Hannah Bell]

Britain’s Guardian newspaper published comments Friday from a high-ranking Pakistani government official and European intelligence officials, stating that the recent US terror alert was politically motivated. Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan’s high commissioner to Britain, told the Guardian that the terror alert was being used by the United States to justify an escalation of the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

His statement follows those by several leading European politicians publicly denying the claim by the Obama administration that the threat of terrorist attack was imminent somewhere in Europe.

On October 3, the US State Department issued an amorphous statement warning American citizens in Europe of the danger of attacks by organisations linked to Al Qaeda. No specific country was mentioned, and there only existed “the potential for terrorist attacks”. Britain, Japan, Sweden and Canada promptly issued alerts to their own citizens in Europe to take extra precautions.

However, a number of European politicians, particularly in Germany, came forward to deny that an imminent threat existed, including European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding and German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/oct2010/terr-o09.shtml

[tomg]

1. The way things are going

that is about all we are manufacturing anymore.

Actually, I am teaching overseas this semester and a number of my students (I have American students)asked me how I felt about the alert. I was at Kings Cross in 2005 and I guess they assumed I automatically knew when a rather small group of disturbed people intended to blow up a another group of people to whom they otherwise have no connection. I suggested that it was bullshit. If they wanted to really worry about something, they should be concerned about the pickpockets in the central market or their upcoming midterms.

That was the second alert my students got. We are in a landlocked city in Italy, but for some reason they all recieved warnings about Somali pirates - seriously.

As Colbert says "Keep Fear Alive."

edit: misplaced preposition - another thing my students should be worried about

[Hannah Bell]

2. you're in italy? what are things like there these days?

i read a rather depressing essay contrasting post-war italy (poor, anarchic, but real with social solidarity) to bersculoni's italy -- plastic & crass, money-oriented --

say it ain't so

[Ghost Dog]

3. -- plastic & crass, money-oriented --

I'm afraid 'Americanization' has been going on virtually everywhere.

Sorry.

[tomg]

4. Honestly, I can't say. The people

I know over here tend to be progressive and left wing. They are as legitmately flipped out about the direction of Italy as we were/are about the US. I haven't seen it yet this year, but last year when I was over for the fall, there were constant demonstrations by left-wing and progressive groups. Among those I know, everyone thinks it is all going to hell in a handcart - much like us. Again, though, I only know what the people I come into contact with think. Again, though, I am just a visitor.

Oh, and like us, they pretty much chalk it up to corporate control, control of media.

edit: typo

[malaise]

5. There was a lengthy discussion about this on BBC early

this morning.