Huckabee Cartoon Attempts Woeful Retelling of 9/11 Attacks
In a new “history” cartoon aimed at children, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, now a Fox News personality, spins an animated, less-than-nuanced retelling of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., with a distinctly pro-Bush, pro-torture spin.
The US-Al Qaeda Alliance: Bosnia, Kosovo and Now Libya
Twice in the last two decades, significant cuts in US and western military spending were foreseen: first after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and then in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. But both times military spending soon increased, and among the factors contributing to the increase were America’s interventions in new areas: the Balkans in the 1990s, and Libya today. Hidden from public view in both cases was the extent to which al-Qaeda was a covert US ally in both interventions, rather than its foe.
How a Clueless "Terrorism Expert" Set Suspicion on Muslims
Immediately after news of the bombing of government buildings in Norway’s capital Oslo, the Internet buzzed with speculation about who might have done it and why. Most speculation focused on so-called Islamist militancy and Muslims. The urge to speculate after grave events is understandable, but the focus of speculation, its amplification through social media, its legitimization in mainstream media, and the privilege granted to so-called experts is a common pattern. The danger of such speculation is that it adds little knowledge but causes real harm by spreading fear and loathing of Muslims, immigrants and other vulnerable and routinely demonized populations, and whether intentional or not, assigns collective guilt to them.
The Meaninglessness of "Terrorism"
For much of the day yesterday, the featured headline on The New York Times online front page strongly suggested that Muslims were responsible for the attacks on Oslo; that led to definitive statements on the BBC and elsewhere that Muslims were the culprits. The Washington Post‘s Jennifer Rubin wrote a whole column based on the assertion that Muslims were responsible, one that, as James Fallows notes, remains at the Post with no corrections or updates.
Why the US Won't Leave Afghanistan
The record since 9/11 shows that’s exactly what’s happening. The war on terror has totally depleted the US treasury – to the point that the White House and Congress are now immersed in a titanic battle over a $4 trillion debt ceiling. What is never mentioned is that these trillions of dollars were ruthlessly subtracted from the wellbeing of average Americans – smashing the carefully constructed myth of the American dream. So what’s the endgame for these trillions of dollars? The US corporate media simply refuses to cover what is one of the most important stories of the early 21st century.
The "Visa Express" Program
Why make it easier for one of the leading countries that sponsors terrorism, including “al Qaeda,” which happens to be Bush friendly, to issue visas to get into the United States at a time when the OBL threat level was so high? It just seems suspiciously convenient that this program was implemented. History Commons: “Visa […]
9/11 and Who Rules Saudi Arabia
from Real News Network: Madawi Al-Rasheed on the Saudi dictatorship and the incubation of al Qaeda
Shahzad Book: ISI Scripted Mumbai Attacks
The Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people and brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war were scripted by ISI officers and approved before execution by al-Qaida commanders, according to a book just written by slain Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad. The 40-year-old reporter in his book titled “Inside Al Qaeda and the Taleban – beyond bin Laden and 9/11” describes the Mumbai plan as one pushed through by Ilyas Kashmiri, a key al-Qaida ally with wide links with the Pakistan defense establishment. Shahzad, who was an authority on terrorism in Afghanistan and the neighbourhood, says in the book that the plan was authored by Inter-Services Intelligence officers and executed by Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Charges Filed Against 9/11 Terror Suspects
US military prosecutors at Guantanamo were expected to file fresh charges on Tuesday against the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and four alleged co-conspirators.
CIA's Bin Laden Hunter Told to Stand Down 10 Times
During his 22 years in the CIA – three and a half as head of a 18-man Osama bin Laden unit – Michael Scheuer told his bosses at Langley on 10 occasions that he had a clear opportunity to kill or capture the terrorist chief. On all 10 he was told to hold his fire.