Antony Loewenstein

I’ll be in Canberra for the weekend so postings will cease until early next week. In my absence, feel free to offer thoughts in comments about the “TAFKATWOT” (The Artist Formerly Known as the War on Terror) or any other musings.

Check out this fascinating read by one of Israel’s top journalists, Gideon Levy. It’s an interview with the Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs, Mohammed Dahlan.

And yes, political shenanigans are bound to happen in the nation’s capital. I expect to be offered the leadership of one political party, just not sure which one yet.

Prime Minister John Howard calls the IRA “terrorists” who “murdered people.” “The reason that the British security forces and police are so effective in responding to terrorist attacks”, he says, “is the bitter 30 years’ experience of dealing with the IRA. There was nothing heroic about the IRA campaign, although it is still shrouded in romanticism in the eyes of some.”

Let me get this straight. Howard is comfortable comparing the IRA struggle – brutal, criminal and uncompromising as it once was – to the recent London attacks, carried out by men with absolutely no comparative ideology, motives or ideals. It’s so politically convenient labelling every act of violence as a terrorist act, therefore negating any distinguishing reason or background. The London suicide bombers are completely irrelevant to the IRA campaign of the 1970s and 1980s. Once again, “we” are the unwitting victims of “them.”

Of course, Howard presented former “terrorist” Nelson Mandela with an Order of Australia in 1999.

It’s coming…

The only book likely to compete with Finkelstein’s explosive tome is Robert Fisk’s upcoming, “The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East“, out November 8.

While the Sydney Morning Herald mentions their monthly dose of disaster yarns on page one (today it’s the record breaking rainfall in Mumbai) Indian blogger Sixo paints a much clearer picture of the devastation. He’s clearly a rich man (or at least comfortable) as he talks about “my poor servant Neeta.”

UPDATE: Speaking of India, a number of Indian bloggers are expressing concern about the city of Gurgaon, centre of Western multinationals and “development.” But what about worker rights and police powers?

“The U.S. Government is now openly supporting the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, an Iranian resistance movement designated as a terrorist organisation by the US State Department…This kind of hypocrisy reveals much about what the global “war on terror” is really about. It’s not a war against terror as such, but rather a war of terror to subdue resistance to the US designs in the region.”

William Van Wagenen, July 28, Electronic Iraq

Yasser Salihee was an Iraqi journalist. Joe was an American sniper. On June 24, 2005, fate brought them together on a Baghdad street. A fascinating Salon feature on modern day Iraq under occupation. Trigger happy US troops are causing such anguish and mayhem that any residual feelings of affection are dissipating by the day.

Jordan has become the bridge between North America and Europe and the Middle East and bloggers are at the forefront of this debate. A recent bloggers meet-up proved the diversity of opinions and attitudes.

In response to those arguing that blogging is simply for the wealthy and well-connected, Jordanian bloggers have an idea: “A number of Jordanian bloggers are interested in organising outreach efforts through community internet access centres in rural areas, encouraging people to blog about community events, possibly using audio and photo blogging to make the process more accessible to less literate participants.”

“Senior media figures on the mainstream ‘left’ are where they are because they know how to play this game. The idea is to talk a good fight, to elicit applause from the ‘left’, but also quiet nods of acceptance from the media gatekeepers, the people they are supposed to be challenging. A key talent is to appear passionately radical while subtly indicating that one is not ’extreme’, that the rules of the media club are accepted. The first rule of media club is: Don’t talk about the inherent contradiction of a corporate ‘free press’. The second rule: Rule one does not exist. The third rule: Do not discuss the existence or non-existence of rules one and two.”

Medialens, July 27, The New Statesman Editor And Blair’s ‘Mistake’

Peaceful protest of Israel’s “security” fence is deemed dangerous by Israeli forces, according to a stunning Haaretz report. Most disturbingly, numerous IDF soldiers have been caught lying about the circumstances in which Palestinians are arrested and making up false testimony about stone throwing and other violence.

Israel’s descent continues.

WASHINGTON, DC—President Bush officially responded to the latest round of London transit bombings Monday, challenging terrorists to “do their worst.” Said Bush, in a televised statement from the Oval Office: “The proud and resilient people of London can take anything the forces of evil and cowardice can throw at them. They will never live in fear of you. Bring it on.” Prime Minister Tony Blair thanked Bush for his comments, inviting him to visit London and ride the Underground in a show of solidarity.

The “shock” resignation of NSW Premier Bob Carr has caused much of the press pack to compete for superlatives. I won’t even bother trying to compete with those hacks.

I met Carr a few years ago while researching Not Happy, John! about the Hanan Ashrawi affair. He had bravely resisted pressure from Zionists to withdraw his support from the Sydney Peace Prize. I found him engaging, interesting and knowledgeable. Our interview lasted around one hour in his stunning office overlooking the city. He struck me as more of a talker than listener.

My view of him has changed greatly in the years since. Since learning of his affection for “my good friend” Henry Kissinger, I’ve become even more aware of his love of being close to power. Kissinger represents the worst of the American establishment, a war criminal still feted by politicians the world over. What did Carr see in him? Hard to say, but I suspect it had something to do with the former Premier feeling close to the heart of his beloved America.

International relations expert Scott Burchill put it best in June 2004:

“I am sure what it is with the Right of the NSW ALP and their infatuation with US history. Perhaps they like to dress up as Minutemen and recreate battle scenes from the revolutionary war on their days off? They certainly don’t like talking about the extirpation of the native population or the overthrow of democratic governments in Iran and Guatemala by people they admire in Washington. Whatever the true nature of their infantile disorder, let’s not forget that Bob Carr regards unindicted war criminal Henry Kissinger as a mate – and invited him as a VIP to the Sydney Olympics. Carr still wants to be chief brown-noser inside the beltway next time his party gets to sit on the Treasury benches in Canberra. Until then, the pompous and insufferable bore is apparently going to lecture all and sundry about how America truly feels after 9/11 and how to manage the alliance accordingly. What a guy!”

Watch the Australian media completely ignore any of these facts. Too messy, too difficult, too unkind to his “legacy”.

Ahmad Humeid is a Jordanian graphic designer, newspaper columnist and entrepreneur. Listen to his views about the opportunities for podcasting and blogging in the Arab world.