“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.” John Lennon
Just when it seemed unlikely that domestic and international events would unfold to test an already incompetent US government, along comes the acceleration of the movement to destroy Iran. That effort has been well documented over the past few years in scores of articles and position papers from the usual suspects in the media, think-tanks, and the Net. What’s missing in that coverage, though, is an understanding of the consequences of such an action, or consequence management in Pentagon parlance. More’s the pity in this discussion, comes the knowledge that the majority of Americans who are calling for military action—from all strata of society--do so as if they were casually ordering a pizza from Dominoes. Just pick-up the cellphone and, while salivating, order the Iranian War Special. Sit back and enjoy the pizza while watching the war coverage on television and gruesome videos on the Net. Oooo..Ahhh, look at that Specter Gunship at work! Whoa! Look at those body parts flying around. Pass me another piece of pizza!
That attitude is indicative of an intellectually bankrupt society. Does anyone in the USA think anymore? An attack on Iran would result in thousands of casualties for both US and Iranian military personnel, most of whom are youngsters. Civilian casualties would be in the many thousands. The ripple effect from such an action would cause a chain reaction of events that would spiral out of control. With no country, or group of countries, capable of de-escalating such a conflict--save for Russia and China--a world war could ensue. Certainly, the US government is no position to cope with the fallout, particularly if it deploys and uses tactical nuclear weapons. For some sane commentary on the matter, one has to rely on the lucid commentary of Martin Van Crevald over in Israel. His piece in Forward titled, Knowing Why Not to Bomb Iran is Half the Battle (www.forward.com) should be force-fed to supporters of an Iranian invasion.
Hello United Free Kurdistan
According to a Reuters bulletin dated April 20th, Turkey has increased its troop presence in Kurdish dominated Southeastern Turkey by 40,000—bringing the total to 290,000. The Turkish government made that move because the American-backed Kurdish government in Northern Iraq/Kurdistan is likely to supply the Kurdistan Workers Party (PPK) with arms and intelligence on Turkish military movements in Hakkari, Van, Sirnak and other major cities in the country. It is likely that insurgents in Iraq have been training the PPK in the tactics that have been wildly successful against US forces in Iraq. Turkey has been ruthless in its oppression of the Kurds, as Saddam Hussein was, and that practice, according to the Kurdish National Congress (kncna.org), continues to this day with the Turkish Army’s secret police, Jitem, terrorizing the Kurdish population. Reliefweb.net, reports that the Kurdish language was not legalized until 1991 and the Turkish government had engaged in forced displacements as late as 2002 to break-up concentrations of the 20 million Kurds who reside in Turkey. Separatist statements by Kurds or talk of recognizing the Armenian Genocide results in doing some hard time in a Turkish jail.
The Turkish government has frequently complained about the duplicity of the US government as it plays its Kurdish cards. The US has largely stayed away from Turkey’s battle with its Kurds while actively supporting Kurdish groups in Iran and Syria with funds and arms. The creation of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq has infuriated Turkish leaders. When Condolezza Rice visits with Turkish officials in late April, these matters are sure to be topics of discussion.
Meanwhile in Iran, there are approximately four million Kurds who have suffered a similar fate as their Turkish compatriots. The Kurds in Iran are split on the type of revolt they want to run. One group formed in January 2006, the Kurdish United Front, wants to work within the Iranian system to gain equal rights. They likely receive funds from the US government via the KNC and other outlets. A Kurdish insurgent group known as Pejak--supported by the US government and working with US Special Forces and intelligence agencies on the ground--advocates the violent overthrow of the Islamic government in Iran.
Back in Turkey, the Kurds are not the only problem. There are accusations by opponents of Turkish President Recep Ergodan that Turkey is becoming a theocracy. Facing an election in 2007, the last thing Ergodan needs is to be perceived as an Islamic radical and incur the wrath of opponents supported by the Turkish military, which is to say the US military. The World Peace Herald, wpherald.com, carried a story titled, Turkish PM Tied to Islamic Forces. “In increasingly bitter verbal exchanges with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Mr. Erdogan rejected charges that he is leading Turkey away from its secular system toward Islamic fundamentalism. Mr. Sezer's latest broadside was a statement to the War Academy that 'religious fundamentalism has reached dramatic proportions. Islamic fundamentalism is trying to infiltrate politics, education and the state, it is systematically eroding values…'”
So, as the bombs fly over Iran, the Kurds would be likely to seize the day and fight for the recognition of a Kurdish state that deletes portions of present-day Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq (http://www.kncna.org/docs/map.asp ) from the map. This is no idle dream. The American based KNC openly advocates a United Free Kurdistan. One day, there will be a Kurdish state. That could be done in a non-violent fashion rather than as a consequence of a misguided military adventure against Iran. Finally, an invasion of that country would likely involve Turkish assets of some kind. As a member of NATO, Turkey houses tactical nuclear weapons and, as reported by Ramin Jahanbegloo in the Daily Star, “Participation by Turkey in a US/Israeli military operation is also a factor [concerning Iran], following an agreement reached between the Turks and Israelis.”
Central Asia and the Middle East would become a bloodbath one minute after an attack on Iran.
Bye Bye Pakistan
In Pakistan, the US is having its cake and eating too. US weapons and technology are being used by the Pakistani dictatorship of President Musharraf to suppress a revolt for independence by the people of Balochistan (http://www.bdd.sdnpk.org ), also home to Pakistan nuclear tests in 1998 and a energy- rich province. The USA is also funding anti-Pakistani insurgent groups in Bolochistan in order to infiltrate drug operations, the black market for nuclear weaponry, Taliban remnants, and assorted Islamic resistance groups like Al Qa’da that have taken up residence in the hinterlands of Balochistan. The US State Department’s 2004 country report on Pakistan was effusive in its praise for Pakistan indicating that it was the key ally in the Long War on Terror and that Pakistan has its internal affairs under control. Yet the situation on the ground is quite different.
A February 2006 piece carried by sindhtoday.net/bs.htm has the following headline: Chemical Gas, Gunship Copters Used Against Baloch People. “Balochistan, the area’s largest and resource-rich province of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, has recently taken another blood bath where many innocent people have been killed in an [Pakistani] army action. [Pakistani] Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao has claimed that no children or woman have been killed in the recent operation but photographs released show that many innocent children were brutally killed in bombardment, as they can not be termed as terrorists.”
Pakistan is suppressing news on the seriousness of its fight against the Baloch. The number of killed-in action (KIA) its Army has incurred combating the Boloch revolt is well over 100 with thousands wounded. These troopers are portrayed by Musharraf as casualties in the fight against foreign terror when, in fact, its akin to a civil war: the Baloch are fighting for independence.
India Monitor reported in January 2006 that “Senator Sanaullah Baloch, a vocal and influential member of the Balochistan National Party…said that if conditions continued to be as oppressive for the people of his home province, we will have no option but to exercise our national right for self-determination for a separate state...Today every Baloch knows that Pakistan is a viable state only because of Balochistan...Pointing to the natural resources and the strategic importance of the province in the region, he said that the information revolution had made the world very small and today the Baloch people could not be fooled, and wanted their rights.” (The dynamics of Kashmir, which threaten Pakistan’s stability, are beyond the scope of this piece).
As Iran is pummeled by US air strikes, and the Kurds make their move, What will the Baloch do? How will rebel groups like Al Qa’da respond? Will they rally to their Iranian comrades? Would the Pakistani military use a tactical nuke to wipe out all its problems in Balochistan? What about India's reaction? What will Turkmenistan and the rest of the Stans do? Would Armenia side with the Turkish Kurds? How will the US troops in Iraq handle the fallout?
In another stellar example of incompetence, the USA-Indo nuclear deal struck by President Bush with Prime Minister Singh this past March was suppose to be a signal to Russia and China that the US is almighty. The USA seemingly gave no thought to what the deal with a country that refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty might create. Pakistan has vowed to increase its nuclear weapons capability. China has offered to build reactors for Pakistan and can tinker with America's prosperity via currency manipulation. Russian nuclear forces are being upgraded. Saudi Arabia is alleged to have purchased tactical nukes and is starting its own commercial and military nuclear capability. In South America, Brazil has ramped up production of its nuclear capabilities and will not allow inspectors into certain nuke facilities. And there can be no question that Venezuela will develop a nuke program or, like Saudi Arabia, just buy the weapons outright on the black market.
You Say You Want a Revolution
Domestic factors in the USA have to be added to this already volatile brew. The Red, White and Blue Revolt of retired US military generals such as Gregory Newbold and Anthony Zinni carried out in the US mainstream media is fascinating. Their call for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation is unprecedented in American wartime history and indicates that the only credible opposition to a civilian leadership gone mad is the military and big corporations. That other party called the Democrats are part of the problem and not the solution. As for President Bush; he dutifully does what he's told by Cheney and Rumsfeld.
Take note that the generals are key players in investment companies like Globesecnine (Newbold is co-founder of globesecnine.com) and Anthony Zinni is a board member of Veritas Capital (along with a who's who of former US military leaders). Wall Street helps fund these groups and they may have figured, finally, that Rumsfeld is bad for the military and business (read Jeffrey St. Clair of counterpunch.org for more on that relationship). US intelligence agencies like the CIA are always involved overtly or covertly in the investment/stock trading business, and likely have involvement in these investment firms. They are saying something too: revenge is sweet.
With rebellion in the military and corporate ranks, and the potential for more indictments of Bush Administration's insiders (Karl Rove?) in the Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson CIA case, one has to wonder how this group of people could possibly manage the day-after realities of an Iranian assault.
The USA is operating as if it really is an unchallenged superpower. What kind of superpower has increasing poverty, homelessness, unemployment and can't even rebuild one of its premier cities—New Orleans—after a hurricane? What kind of superpower refuses to make concessions, to negotiate and treats other nations like China and Russia as inferior entities? What nation is the Paper Tiger now? It never had to be this way.
So what about Iran? The simple answer, in two parts, to all this madness is to turn the Iranian matter over the the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a NATO-like security coalition led by China and Russia. Iran is soon to become a member of that group anyway. Let the SCO monitor Iran as it builds its nuclear commercial and military capability. Iran wants to be a key energy player in a region it knows is dominated by Russia and China. The USA wants that black gold to come West and have geopolitical control over Central Asia. It's never going to happen. It is inevitable that the Kurds and Baloch will have their independent states, the Iranians and Brazilians will have their nuclear power/weapons, the Chinese will have their ascendancy, the Russians will return to the world stage, and the Palestinians will get a fair shake one day.
Secondly, negotiate. More than ever, the USA needs to get back to the negotiating table. Maybe some grand brain out there should read NSC-68, Sec IX, authored in 1950 and designed to deal with the former Soviet Union. “The free countries must always, therefore, be prepared to negotiate and must be ready to take the initiative at times in seeking negotiation. They must develop a negotiating position which defines the issues and the terms on which they would be prepared--and at what stages--to accept agreements... The terms must be fair in the view of popular opinion... This means that they must be consistent with a positive program for peace--in harmony with the United Nations' Charter and providing, at a minimum, for the effective control of all armaments by the United Nations or a successor organization.”
Talking? Negotiating? Why not the SCO?
What an insane thought.
John Stanton is a Virginia based writer specializing in national security and political matters. He is the author of A Power But Not Super and co-author of America's Nightmare. Reach him at cioran123@yahoo.com
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John Stanton is a frequent contributor to Global Research. Global Research Articles by John Stanton
WHO ARE WE?
We are a bunch of political analysts, news junkies, whatever you want to call us, who have personally suffered at the hands of Pakistan-sponsored Islamic terrorism. We have intimate knowledge about the psyche and modus operandi of Pakistan and Pakistani establishment. We understand how Pakistan operates and how it is deceiving the entire world by posing as an ally in war on terror. We believe it is imperative for the entire world to watch what is going on in Pakistan and monitor it closely. The land of Pakistan is infested with Islamic terrorists and the Pakistani establishment is actively supporting these terrorists. Being a nuclear state and a failed state on top of that, it is all the more important to keep a close watch on Pakistan.
WHY WATCH PAKISTAN?
We need to watch Pakistan because:
It is a failed state;
It is an irresponsible state with nuclear weapons;
It is a state sponsor of terrorism;
It is a state that produces 100,000 graduates out of Islamic Madrassas every year;
It is a state that is using US taxpayers' money to fund global terrorist operations;
Its Intelligence Agency ISI is the mother of Taliban;
Every major or minor terrorist act has its roots in Pakistan;
$100,000 wired for 9/11 Operations Chief Mohammed Atta had its roots in Pakistan;
Every major Islamic terrorist outfit has its home base in Pakistan;
The Nuclear-Proliferator-in-Chief A. Q. Khan is based in Pakistan;
Terrorists who killed Wall Street Journal Reporter Daniel Pearl are roaming free in Pakistan;
It is providing military, economic, physical, logistical support to Islamic terrorists who are active in Indian Kashmir;
It is providing safe havens to Al-Qaeda operatives including Osama bin Laden et al; and
the list goes on.......
........
........PAKISTAN - A DREAM GONE SOUR
KEY FACTS:
Full name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Population: 163 million (UN, 2005)
Population below poverty line: 40% (2000 estimate)
Literacy rate: Male: 61.7% / Female: 35.2% / Total: 48.7%
People: Punjabi (66%), Sindhi (13%), Pashtun, (10.9%), Muhajir (7.6%), Balochi (2.5%)
Capital: Islamabad
Largest city: Karachi
Area: 796,095 sq km (307,374 sq miles), excluding Pakistani-Occupied Kashmir (83,716 sq km/32,323 sq miles)
Major languages: Urdu, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi
Religions: Islam (97%), Hinduism, Christianity and others (3%)
Major Political Parties: Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid-i-Azam (PML-Q); Pakistan People's Party (PPP); Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) (a coalition which includes the Jamaat-I-Islami and the Jamiat Ulema Islami) ; Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N); Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM); Awami National Party (ANP)
Terrorist Outfits: An Overview
Of the various ideological streams that currently inspire and provoke political violence and terrorism in South Asia, the most destabilizing and lethal, and the one with the greatest extra-regional impact, is Islamist terrorism. A multiplicity of sub-sets and a complex, sometimes conflicting scheme of inter-linkages, has been documented in connection with the extended range of Islamist terrorist groups operating in the region.
Various shades of radical political Islam color, indeed define, the Pakistani identity and nation, even as the country is positioned at the heart of contemporary Islamist terrorism. Extremist Islam is, and has long been, the state's principal tool of internal political mobilization and of external projection in an extraordinary and audacious enterprise of strategic overextension. Crucially, the footprint of almost every major act of international Islamist terrorism, for some time before 9/11 and continuously thereafter, invariably passes through Pakistan. After 9/11, the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan, and the stark choice given to the Pakistani leadership, the dynamics of the Islamist terrorist enterprise in South Asia have undergone dramatic adaptive adjustments and modifications. Essentially, however, this dynamic, its underlying ideologies, and its motivational and institutional structures, remain intact.
There is strong and cumulative evidence that the Pakistani power elite, located in the regressive military-mullah-feudal combine, is yet to abandon terrorism as a tactical and strategic tool to secure what it perceives as the country's quest for 'strategic depth' in the region. This remains the case despite the increasing 'blowback' of Islamist terrorist violence within the country, and the progressive erosion of the Army's status and control in expanding areas of the country. While the Pakistani Army has taken selective action against particular groups of Islamist terrorists - particularly those who have turned against the state, who have attacked President Musharraf and senior Army and Government functionaries, who have engaged in sectarian terrorism within the country, or who are targeted specifically on behalf of, and under pressure from, the US - it is the case that Pakistan continues to support and encourage the activities of a wide range of terrorist and Islamist extremist organizations. This is particularly the case with organizations that are active in Afghanistan - including remnants of the Taliban - and in India.
Despite cosmetic policy changes and some tokenism - including formal bans on a number of terrorist organizations - many prominent Islamist terrorist organizations continue to operate with a high measure of freedom in and from Pakistan.
ROLE OF PAKISTAN IN SPREADING GLOBAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM
In many ways, a sinister plot develops as fundamentalist Islamic nations of the world conspire with others to strip us of the freedoms and liberties we cherish. China, North Korea, Cuba, and Myanmar (Burma) along with Islamic Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Albania/Kosovo and others wish to form their own New World Order. Except this one will take us back to the middle ages either through Communism or the Islamic sword.
When it comes to supporting terrorism - Pakistan still ranks on top. No matter what the dictator Musharraf says, his actions are clear - forward the agenda of radical Islam. He has done so in the past and continues to do so with no indication of changing with his now famous token public statements for western consumption. As long as he continues to get US taxpayer and Worldbank/IMF money and a pat on the back, he is happy to keep things just the way they are in Pakistan.
Following Media Reports, Expert Opinions, Think-Tank Reports, & US Goverment and Policy Statements, reinforce the fact that Pakistan IS the major sponsor of global Islamic terrorism:
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Country Reports submitted annually to the Congress by the Department of State regarding the status of internationally recognized human rights practices.
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
If you are not able to access the reports using the links specified above, please click here.
Patterns of Global Terrorism
Annual report submitted to the Congress on detailed assessments of foreign countries where significant terrorist acts occurred, and countries about which Congress was notified pursuant to the Export Administration Act of 1979 (the so-called terrorism list countries that have repeatedly provided state support for international terrorism).
2006
"Pakistan remains a major source of Islamic extremism and a safe haven for some top terrorist leaders. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan have become a safe haven for AQ terrorists and Afghan insurgents since the fall of the Taliban in December 2001."
2005
"al-Qaida and Taliban operations in Pakistan continue to pose a threat to U.S. interests, and tribal support for operations against al-Qaida and the Taliban is mixed."
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
If you are not able to access the reports using the links specified above, please click here.
The Nation’s Wikileaks Conspiracy
December 1st, 2010
My father used to tell me that there are only two things in life that are certain – the first is that you will someday die, and the second is that you will answer to Allah. My cheeky uncle used to say that third is taxes also, but my father used to simply brush him aside with a wave of the hand. Let me tell you that I believe my father is correct: If there is a third certainty in life it is not taxes but media conspiracy theories. At least, conspiracy theories have certainly appeared more often.
The latest media conspiracy comes from the Wikileaks documents that were released this week which naturally contains quite a few juicy gossips about Pakistan. While many of our so-called journalists are falling over themselves about what King So-and-So said about President Zardari, The Nation is keeping true to its nature and grabbing the opportunity to make a sensational story.
The disclosures of the US attempt to remove highly enriched uranium from the Pakistani reactor confirm the suspicions of certain political circles in Pakistan that the US has an eye on our nuclear assets, and while doing everything it can to strengthen India, defence-wise and economically, at the same time, it wants to enfeeble Pakistan.
Problem is, that’s not what the cables say at all. In fact, the uranium referred to has nothing to do with nuclear weapons. According to the actual documents, the uranium being discussed was in a civilian reactor that the US provided Pakistan in the 1960s. In fact, the nuclear material was not even being used, but was simply being stored near the reactor.
Here’s how the New York Times characterizes the dispatch:
The ambassador’s concern was a stockpile of highly enriched uranium, sitting for years near an aging research nuclear reactor in Pakistan. There was enough to build several “dirty bombs” or, in skilled hands, possibly enough for an actual nuclear bomb.
In the cable, dated May 27, 2009, the ambassador, Anne W. Patterson, reported that the Pakistani government was yet again dragging its feet on an agreement reached two years earlier to have the United States remove the material.
She wrote to senior American officials that the Pakistani government had concluded that “the ‘sensational’ international and local media coverage of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons made it impossible to proceed at this time.” A senior Pakistani official, she said, warned that if word leaked out that Americans were helping remove the fuel, the local press would certainly “portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons.”
The fuel is still there.
Quite a different story, wouldn’t you say?
Here’s what the actual document says:
SUBJECT: U.S. REMOVAL OF PAKISTAN RESEARCH REACTOR FUEL ON HOLD
Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (S) Kamran Akhtar, Disarmament Director in Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Poloff on May 26 that the recent spate of media attention on Pakistan’s nuclear security has led the GOP to delay an important nonproliferation effort, the removal of U.S.-origin highly-enriched uranium spent fuel from a Pakistani nuclear research reactor. The GOP agreed in principle to the fuel removal in 2007, but has been slow in scheduling a visit by U.S. technical experts to discuss logistical and other issues. In recent months, the Strategic Plans Division and Ministry of Foreign Affairs both indicated progress on the matter and a proposed visit for late May was under review. However, according to Akhtar, a recent GOP interagency review of the program concluded that the “sensational” international and local media coverage of the security of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons made it impossible to proceed at this time. If the local media got word of the fuel removal, “they certainly would portray it as the United States taking Pakistan’s nuclear weapons,” he argued. The visit will have to be delayed for 3-4 months or until the political climate makes it more conducive to hosting a U.S. visit, he stated.
2. (S) Comment: As noted in previous post reporting, the GOP is extremely sensitive to media focus on Pakistan’s nuclear program. In a sign of their growing defensiveness, the Foreign Office Spokesman took significant time out of his May 21 press conference to address nuclear security, stating categorically, “there is simply no question of our strategic assets falling into the wrong hands.” To a question about reported offers of U.S. help with nuclear security, he responded, “we do not need this assistance.” With the postponement of the nuclear fuel removal, it is clear that the negative media attention has begun to hamper U.S. efforts to improve Pakistan’s nuclear security and nonproliferation practices. End Comment.
The Nation, ironically, scoffs at “the hopelessly dangerous defence of Pakistani authorities in order to prevent the US from taking away our enriched uranium”. What the editors don’t realize is that they are actually proving the validity of the very concerns of the official who warned the American Ambassador.
We have observed too often our journalists embarrassing the nation with conspiracy theories about the US trying to steal our nuclear assets. The Nation’s characterization of the information contained in this document is not only misleading, but it perpetuates a conspiracy theory that is a danger to the national security. Attempts to characterize cooperative efforts to secure not nuclear weapons, which we have already well secured, but some old civilian reactor fuel that is not being used is not only embarrassing, it is counter to our national interest. While it is also a certainty that if militants created a ‘dirty bomb’ from such material, conspiracy theorists would try to blame the US/India/Israel bogeyman, the truth is that the blood would be on their own hands for failing to tell the people the truth so that decisions could be made in line with the national interest, and not the personal interest of some journalist.
Journalists have access to a great deal of information that the general public does not. From private discussions with sources inside the government and military agencies, to leaked documents – journalists can often see the details that their dear readers will not be privy to. But this access carries a responsibility and a duty to report honestly what is said and not to colour the statements in a way that creates unnecessary fear or panic.
Tags: Anne Patterson, Conspiracy Theories, nuclear weapons, The Nation, Wikileaks
Posted in Conspiracy Theories, The Nation | No Comments »
Web of Deceit: Cafe Pyala’s Expose of Internet Propaganda
November 29th, 2010
The blog Cafe Pyala recently published an incredible expose of the tangled web of deceit an Internet propaganda ring being run by a group of supposed journalists (original in full below the jump). Far from the conspiracy theories that are relentlessly promoted on several of the blogs that have been exposed, the work of the bloggers at Cafe Pyala shows what investigative journalism is all about – looking at the facts and connecting the dots. It also serves as an important reminder that readers must always consider the source of news, and whether the journalists or publication are reporting facts or simply political talking points.
According to the independent research of the bloggers at Cafe Pyala and their readers, there is a long list of blogs and Internet news sites that appear to have been set up by at least two individuals – Moin Ansari and Ahmed Quraishi – under false addresses and company names for the purpose of spreading a particular political message and attacking those with whom they disagree. Many of these websites appear to have been taken down following their exposure, more evidence that Cafe Pyala’s findings were correct. The list includes:
TheDawn.com.pk
Daily Mail Post
Pakistan Ledger
Rupee News
Pakistan Patriot
Today’s News
Pakistan Independent
The Pakistan Times
Khalistan Times
Times of Kabul
Hindustan Globe
Times of Bombay
The Delhi Times
Dacca Times
The Daily Mail Times
Bharat Globe
Pakistan Akhbar
Musalman Times
Views Times
Ahmed Quraishi is relatively well known to Pakistan Media Watch readers, as he has been exposed several times by this blog for his pseudo-journalistic work as a political consultant – a fact that Quraishi himself does not dispute. And while some of the other pseudo-journalists exposed by Cafe Pyala like Moin Ansari are less well-known outside of conspiracy blog circles, the practice of using journalism as a cover for political operations extends well beyond these exposed websites. Connections with intelligence agencies run deep in parts of the media, and it is often difficult to decipher what is true and what is merely propaganda.
The lesson here is one that applies not only to Internet journalism, but to all forms of media. As readers of Pakistan Media Watch have commented previously, there are times when sources should be anonymous or can justifiably use a pseudonym to protect their security – especially when criticising authority. This works because the facts should be able to speak for themselves. Individuals are entitled to their own opinions, but no one is invited to his own facts.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Ahmed Quraishi, Blogs, Cafe Pyala, Conspiracy Theories, Moin Ansari, Propaganda
Posted in Blogs, Conspiracy Theories | No Comments »
Blasphemy and Opportunism
November 27th, 2010
Ansar Abbasi’s column of 26 November is a curious piece of work. He begins by reporting some statements of Law Minister Babar Awan about repeal of the blasphemy law. According to Ansar Abbasi, the esteemed minister has said that he opposed repeal of the law and that no one should think of repealing it while he is in office.
Abbasi then observes that this is a difference in opinion between Babar Awan and Salmaan Taseer, the latter favouring release of Asia Masih – the Christian woman who was recently sentenced under the controversial law. Because these two politicians of the same political party disagree on the issue, Ansar Abbasi claims that “it shows serious cracks within the ruling elite about its policy on the blasphemy law.”
This was the first item that raised my eyebrows. Actually, two officials having a disagreement on an issue is quite common, is it not? Especially when these two men are not even part of the same government – Babar Awan is a federal minister and Salmaan Taseer is a provincial governor – how is it some evidence of cracks within ‘the ruling elite’? And who exactly does Abbasi mean when he says ‘ruling elite’? Surely Mian Nawaz Sharif and Altaf Hussain must be considered members of the ‘ruling elite’ and they disagree with President Zardari and each other seemingly every day! It seems that Ansar Abbasi has thrown in this bit of his opinion in order to take a swipe at the governing political party and not due to any substance.
This possibility is made even more probable once the reader continues through the final paragraphs of Ansar Abbasi’s column. Here, he deviates from the topic of Babar Awan’s statements and begins listing a series of accusations against the minister as if to soil his name only. Ansar Abbasi mentions Harris Steel Mill case and Monticello University, neither of which have anything to do with the blasphemy law. He then goes on to say, “Babar Awan is also generally believed as the man responsible for the government’s confrontational mode with the judiciary.” Really? This is ‘generally believed’? And what evidence does Ansar Abbasi base this claim on? Has he done some polling of the nation? And even if it were true, what would it have to do with the blasphemy law? Perhaps this is only another instance of Ansar Abbasi being both source and reporter.
The statements of a minister on a controversial law such as the blasphemy laws adopted under General Zia are important news items to be reported. The people should be aware of what their government officials are saying on important topics. But Ansar Abbasi’s practise of infusing his own opinions and adding paragraphs about unrelated scandals reeks of political opportunism, not journalism. Please, Mr Ansar Abbasi, stick to the facts.
Tags: Ansar Abbasi, Babar Awan, blasphemy, Jang Group, Lack of Evidence, opportunism, political attacks, Salmaan Taseer, The News
Posted in Jang, The News | 4 Comments »
Nadir Hassan: 10 things I hate about TV news
November 25th, 2010
Mr Nadir Hassan brings a bit of levity to the discussion of media with his article for today’s Express Tribune, “10 things I hate about TV news“. Some of his observations made me laugh out loud, but at the end of reading I also thought, ‘it’s funny because it’s true!’
1. The dunce on the street. You know the guy; he’s being interviewed only because he was in the vicinity of something producers consider news. His insight, such as it is, consists of saying “you know” a lot and plastering a massive I’m-so-excited-to-be-on-TV grin on his face.
2. The Mini Me analyst. News anchors are supposed to be objective so any time they want to slip a bit of political commentary in, they’ll invite an analyst-for-hire, someone who will say exactly what the anchor wants him to say. But we can trust him; he wears an expensive suit.
3. The apocalyptic teaser. “Are you aware that you might die tomorrow? Join us after the break and we’ll tell you how.”
4. The dancer in the background. There’s always this one jerk, usually lurking in the shadows, who likes nothing better than to add a bit of flavour to a beeper by gyrating madly. He is to the dunce on the street what Bonnie was to Clyde.
5. Important hair. You know why there’s a dengue epidemic in the country? All the spray that should have been used to fumigate our cities is keeping up the hair of vain anchors.
6. Casual racism. You will never see a dark face on news channels. After all, the survival of Fair and Lovely depends on it.
7. The vague Pakistan connection. Never fear, news channels will find the cousin of a Pakistani citizen who was shopping at a mall three blocks away from a fire in Michigan.
8. The child-like fascination with technology. This particularly materialises during elections. Anchors get so aroused by their BlackBerrys, touch screens and other assorted thingamajigs they can barely contain themselves.
9. The illegible ticker. News channels have discovered a new font. It allows you to only read one out of every three words before disappearing from view.
10. The expert for all seasons. No matter what the topic, this chameleon will become an instant expert. He throws in a bit of jargon, comes to some sweeping conclusions and calls on the government to do more.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2010.
Tags: humour, Nadir Hassan, TV anchors
Posted in Express Tribune | 5 Comments »
Ansar Abbasi’s Alter Ego
November 24th, 2010
Talat Hussain found himself the subject of outrage recently after he wrote a scathing article attacking Angelina Jolie for failing to live up to Talat the conservative Islamist’s ideal of the proper role of women. While some were upset with his point of view, most were upset with his blatant hypocrisy, seeing this as another example of two-faced journalists who are not honest with readers but only playing to the crowd. Another journalist has revealed his forked tongue by writing an article that attacks not a foreign woman but our own daughters for failing to observe modesty enough to satisfy his taste. Again, this journalist claims to be a liberal and of course he is only writing this column in Urdu.
The article under discussion is Ansar Abbasi’s column for Jang which takes aim at Fashion Week. Cafe Pyala provides a translation of the article for those who do not read Urdu. The blogger also makes the excellent point that regardless of one’s personal attitude towards fashion week, this is another glaring example of media hypocrisy – journalists and media companies who write in one way for English readers and another way for Urdu readers.
Below is a translation of his Urdu op-ed piece published in today’s Jang (thanks to @tazeen for drawing my attention to it). It is worth a read, not only because it provides a window to the mindset of Abbasi and possibly many, many others. But also because it draws attention, once again, to the linguistic divide that separates the English reading public and non-English reading public, a divide that is not only tolerated but pandered to. (It is extremely unlikely you would ever read anything like this article in the Jang group’s English paper The News or any other English-language paper for that matter.) This article serves to remind you, if anything, that all those post-modernist assumptions about progress in how the role of women in society is discussed, are merely hollow assumptions. Or at least that all those debates have passed Abbasi by without disturbing even a hair in his beard.
I have also yet to understand the mindset of the Jang Group, which launches Amn Ki Asha with great fanfare on the one hand, and has no qualms on the other in making petty-minded jabs about Gandhi and India on Geo on the other (see their coverage of US President Obama’s visit to Gandhi’s samadi). It will willingly tone down the anti-West moral brigade in The News or on Geo, but allow them free rein in Jang. It will make Geo a media partner of the Fashion Week and provide it wide publicity and, at the same time, run such incendiary pieces about it in its publications (and make no mistake, this article is a call to disruptive action)… Do they really think this is what is meant by ‘letting a thousand flowers bloom’?
Perhaps it’s time for Jang Group to change its name to Janus Group. It is clear that the organization is showing two faces – one to English readers and one to those who prefer Urdu. Of course anyone may have their own opinion on social issues, but it should certainly raise eyebrows to know that some of our esteemed journalists and commentators have every opinion on an issue, only reciting what they think their dear readers want to hear. If that is the case, what is the point?
Tags: Ansar Abbasi, hypocrisy, Jang Group, Syed Talat Hussain, Urdu
Posted in Jang, Urdu | 11 Comments »
Express Tribune Photo Caption Error
November 23rd, 2010
Express Tribune on 23 November featured a story, ‘US-based group working to establish caliphate‘ that included a photo of Interior Minister Rehman Malik with the caption, “Pakistani activist of ‘Jamaat-e-Islami Sa’ee’ in FIA custody”.
There is no evidence that Minister Rehman Malik is an activist of Jamaat-e-Islami Sa’ee. Actually, this seems to be an obvious mistake as the article contains a statement from Senator Malik. However, no body has corrected or clarified to ensure that readers do not mistake Rehman Malik for a Jamaat-e-Islami Sa’ee activist.
While this might seem like a slight and even humorous error, it is important that such items are quickly corrected so as to ensure that readers are not accidentally misled.
Tags: Express Tribune, incorrect information, Jamaat-e-Islami Sa'ee, Rehman Malik
Posted in Express Tribune | 1 Comment »
The Nation Repeats Incorrect Data on Drone Attacks
November 22nd, 2010
The Nation today includes an editorial, “Say firm NO to drones” that repeats incorrect data on the number of deaths of innocents due to drones attacks. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that such incorrect data has been published by The Nation which raises the question of whether the newspaper is intentionally misleading the people.
According to the editorial,
The drones have already wrought havoc in the country, killing nearly 2000 innocent men, women and children, and spreading insecurity nationwide, while managing to take out only 30-odd suspected Al-Qaeda operatives.
The authors of this editorial do not reveal what source of information they have taken these numbers, and based on the publicly available data it appears that they have simply made it up from thin air. Possibly, though, they have taken their data from the website Pakistan Body Count by Dr. Zeeshan Usmani. However, this Pakistan Body Count data was recently debunked by independent researchers.
Research by Shahid Saeed and Awais Masood was published by Daily Times in October and is also available at the website http://dronedata.wordpress.com.
The first problem is that Dr Usmani has only two entities in his data, i.e. al Qaeda and civilians. Where do the Taliban fit in, precisely the Afghan Taliban, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Islam (LI)? Where does targeting monsters like Baitullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain Mehsud fit in this scenario? There is no justification for including the TTP, LI or any other militant groups in the same category as civilians. Such gimmicks are only being used to mislead the whole world and any such defence of the flawed data is misleading and unacceptable. We cannot claim whether the data is manipulated and purposely flawed for ideological reasons. What we can assert is that this alone leaves a serious flaw in his data collection and since the government of Pakistan officially declares the TTP, LI and associated groups as terrorists and has been pursuing an active military campaign against them, including their deaths amongst civilians is a serious distortion of the truth, erroneous and contrary to acceptable logic. Their deaths are and should be included as a part of the accuracy of drone strikes.
Mr Saeed and Mr Masood go on to reveal several inaccuracies in Dr Usmani’s data which makes his entire project unreliable. And these are not the only independent researchers that have debunked these statistics. Researchers at the New America Foundation have compiled data based on news reports and other verifiable research. The following is data from Peter Bergen and Katherine Tiedemann’s drones database at the New America Foundation:
Estimated Total Deaths from U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan, 2004 – 2010
Deaths (low) Deaths (high)
2010* 514 841
2009 413 709
2008 263 296
2004-2007 86 109
Total 1,276 1,955
*Through November 21, 2010
Estimated Militant Deaths from U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan 2004 – 2010
Deaths (low) Deaths (high)
2010* 488 781
2009 293 405
2008 106 134
2004-2007 78 100
Total 965 1,420
*Through November 21, 2010
The Nation also recited in their editorial the idea that drone attacks are responsible for suicide bombings. This defies common sense. Actually, Saeed and Masood eloquently explain why such ideas are nonsense on their website:
There lies no factuality in the rhetoric that strives to create a cause and effect relationship between drone attacks and suicide bombing. These are shallow assertions with hollow foundations and no proof to back them up. They can, they are and will be used as a motivating factor, but they are just one amongst the hundreds of motivating factors used by militants. There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that any suicide bomber has been linked to or a potential bomber that has been apprehended had any acquaintance that died in a drone attack. We challenge the other side to bring forward any news report, intelligence report or a case report that states that the person caught or who carried out the bombing had any relative that died in a drone attack and he was avenging his family members. Most of the times, this assertion is made without any evidence. One of the cited examples is of Faisal Shahzad but that it is unbelievable since his life story as is tells how he was led to the TTP. Baituallah Mehsud once claimed that a suicide attack was in revenge for a particular drone strike but it is unbelievable that he and the group of his monsters wouldn’t have carried it anyway.
The prime reason militants fight and suicide bombers exist is the world view of clash of civilizations, an ideological assertion of one’s one faith over the other’s and the view all military operations conducted by our forces are being conducted on the “behest of the US”, where they view death for their “greater cause” as the ultimate achievement and where life itself remains just a step towards a better eternal life they imagine. They view the state’s involvement in the war on terror, including the Operations in Wana, Tirah, Orakzai, Mohmand, Bajaur, South Warizistan, Operation Silence and Swat as only for “pleasing the US”, as guided by infidels. The drone attacks are an additional factor but in no way the prime motivating factor. The toxic religious dogmas of declaring everybody not cooperating with you as Kafir and liable to death is a major factor, not drones.
Obviously, none of this justifies the use of drone attacks in Pakistan or anywhere else. The debate about whether or not drone attacks are a good policy for Pakistan should be discussed openly and transparently, and each individual is entitled to his own opinion. But nobody, including The Nation, is entitled to his own facts. Using misleading and inaccurate data only undermines an argument. In a debate as serious as the issue of drone attacks, only honest facts should be considered. For a newspaper to knowingly continue using inaccurate data is dishonest and unprofessional.
Tags: Awais Masood, data, Dr Zeeshan Usmani, Drone Data, drones, fact checking, New America Foundation, Pakistan Body Count, Shahid Saeed, The Nation
Posted in The Nation | No Comments »
Anchors, Ratings…and Consequences
November 20th, 2010
The words of prominent TV anchors may be considered all in good fun or perhaps merely words and therefore not of any consequence. “If you do not like a programme, do not watch it” say the defenders of this ‘anything goes’ media ideology. But words have consequences, and the statements of prominent TV anchors can have powerful repercussions that are far beyond what was intended. Maheen Usmani relates a few stories of anchors causing rather extreme consequences in her post for Express Tribune today, and raises some valuable questions: How do we hold TV anchors accountable when their words result in disastrous consequences? And what do media problems say about our own responsibility as viewers?
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Aamir Liaquant Hussain, Ahmadis, Bloggers, consequences, Ethics, Express Tribune, Maheen Usmani, Murder, professionalism, Rakhi Sawant
Posted in Ethics | 1 Comment »
Missing the Point
November 17th, 2010
By now you have probably heard the story of Asia Bibi who was handed down the death sentence in Nankana district for violation of blasphemy laws. This has created quite a debate in parts of the media – but not the debate you might expect. Actually, most of the discussion has been about whether or not the government should overturn the sentence for Asia, with little discussion of the underlying issues. Saroop Ijaz makes an important observation in today’s Daily Times about the way that media reports often miss the bigger picture of a story.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Asia Bibi, Daily Times, Ghazi Salahuddin, priorities, Saroop Ijaz, The News
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
HAARP Conspiracy Debunked By Preeminent Pakistani Nuclear Scientist
November 16th, 2010
Pervez Hoodbhoy is not a very good conspiracy theorist. He is, however, a very good scientist. He is professor of physics at Quaid-i-Azam University, and as a scientist, he is getting quite frustrated with people trying to use pseudo-science to make up crazy conspiracy theories that confuse and scare people for no good reason. Writing for Dawn, he takes direct aim at the conspiracy theory that has been sent around in emails and even published by The Nation and Dawn which claims the CIA is controlling the weather with a top-secret machine called HAARP.
