The recently released Wikileaks files on Guantanamo Bay showed a US empire arrogant on fear and power. But here’s an insight from Lawrence Wilkerson, retired Army colonel who served as Colin Powell’s right-hand at the State Department, that explains a lot. From a speech in 2009 on the “mosaic philosophy”: This philosophy held that it…
Showing all posts tagged Afghanistan
Killing our enemies from the comfort of a distant bunker
The future of warfare is largely privatised, unaccountable, designed to kill “terrorists” and almost guaranteed to convince US war planners that conflict is cost-free in terms of American lives: Here’s how the U.S. Air Force wants to hunt the next generation of its enemies: A tiny drone sneaks up to a suspect, paints him with…
New Zealand soldiers possibly complicit in torture in Afghanistan
How many US or Australians are potentially equally responsible for caring too little about gross breaches of human rights? Labour is adding its support to calls for an inquiry into claims Kiwi troops handed over Afghan prisoners to authorities who tortured them. Journalist Jon Stephenson claimed on TVNZ’s Marae programme that NZ’s Special Forces in…
Obama appoints pro-war Petraeus to run thuggish CIA
This Washington Post story accurately reflects the kind of world Barack Obama both inherited and expanded; he ain’t no peace President: Gen. David H. Petraeus has served as commander in two wars launched by the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. If confirmed as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Petraeus…
Australia set to undermine East Timor (once occupied and now “free”)
Is there truly anybody who still believes Wikileaks is not releasing essential information to better understand our world? The revelations just keep on coming and indicate a government in Canberra that is more than willing to play the post-colonial game. From simply fighting with the big boys in Afghanistan to creating trouble themselves closer to…
Where are the Arab voices in Aussie BDS debate?
My following story appears in today’s edition of Crikey: A few weeks after the start of the Iraq war in 2003, I talked to a senior editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and asked her why there were basically no Iraqi voices in the paper, either for or against the conflict. “I never thought of…
Slamming US occupation of Afghanistan is too biased for Murdoch
Here’s a non-story to fill the pages of the Murdoch Australian. I appeared on ABC TV News24’s The Drum last week and discussed a variety of issues, mostly foreign affairs. On most nights the show has a range of guests, usually from the soft left to the soft right, and a number of more strident…
ABC News24 on killing Afghan civilians, Assad and ignoring indigenous lessons
Last night I was a guest on ABC TV News24’s The Drum to discuss issues of the day (video here). Foreign issues were front and centre. America’s Kill Team in Afghanistan – US troops murdering civilians for fun – is just the latest example of occupiers in inhospitable lands treating those they’re supposed to protect…
West to send private mercenaries to “help” Libyan rebels?
The idea of providing arms and support to the “rebels” in Libya shows a West with no historical memory. Remember Afghanistan in the 1980s? Now we learn that a privatised force is being considered: Private contractors could be sent by the US to Libya to help rebels fighting Muammar Gaddafi under plans being considered in…
Canberra should ditch Serco and offer support for people not firms
This is what Australia has created. A militarised and privatised system to house asylum seekers. Christmas Island remains in a state of heightened tension. The Australian offers a little more information about the state of dysfunction between the federal government and British multinational Serco: While private security firm Serco has come under scrutiny for understaffing…