Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar, doesn’t want his territory to become like another US-backed wasteland, Afghanistan: The Hamas co-founder was bitterly critical of Western policy towards Hamas and Gaza over the four and half years since the Islamic faction won the last Palestinian elections. “Why did the Western people boycott Hamas after the election?”…
Showing all posts tagged Afghanistan
How Rolling Stone should spread its wing
I’ve talked extensively here about Michael Hastings’ piece in Rolling Stone that helped fire General Stanley McChrystal (more savvy comments here). But what of the magazine itself? The Guardian comments: The resignation last week of General Stanley McChrystal had the impact of a pterodactyl egg dropping on the US news agenda from 30,000 feet. A…
Reporters are not supposed to thank the establishment at the end of the day
Journalist Michael Hastings believes in journalism. You know, asking questions, not protecting military men because they’re in the military and telling things how they are. Crazy ideas, I know. Others, like The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, rather like war and Israel and like to contribute to the Middle East being filled with the former as much…
The noble war in Afghanistan is against 100 people?
Let me get this straight. Tens of thousands of Western troops are fighting in Afghanistan because of this or are we actually occupying the country for another reason altogether? In an EXCLUSIVE interview on “This Week,” CIA Director Leon Panetta told host Jake Tapper that there were “at most” only 50-100 Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.…
America can never progress in Afghanistan without leaving
Patrick Cockburn, The Independent, 27 June: General David Petraeus is taking command in Afghanistan to stage-manage a war that the US has decided it cannot win militarily, but from which it cannot withdraw without damaging loss of face. General Petraeus has so far said surprisingly little about Afghanistan, aside from noting how different it is…
Jon Stewart on what journalists should be asking
And it’s not pissing off the US military and missing “access”: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c McChrystal’s Balls – Honorable Discharge www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party
Reporters must back war, demands Murdoch man
Some journalists, especially in the Murdoch press, see themselves as backers of wars that are invariably “noble”, “important”, “vital” and “about freedom”. So here’s Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera hammering Michael Hastings after his article on Stanley McChrystal: While guesting on The O’Reilly Factor tonight, Geraldo Rivera compared writer Michael Hastings (whose article in Rolling Stone…
Paying compensation to all Afghans
Democracy Now! interviews three US soldiers who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and now returned to be campaigning vigorously against them. The interview takes place at the US Social Forum, an event that received very little mainstream coverage: VICTOR AGOSTO: Well, I think General Petraeus will be less critical of the Obama administration’s plan…
Julia Gillard will serve our agendas fine, say Washington and Tel Aviv interests
The elevation of Julia Gillard to position of Australia’s new Prime Minister has been welcomed, indeed blessed, by both the Zionist and American lobbies. Gillard can certainly be relied upon to follow her predecessor’s attitude towards the Jewish state and Washington, namely that independent thought is frowned upon and obedience is the necessary Australian way.…
Australia wakes up to a new leader and yet…
Australia has a new Prime Minister today, Julia Gillard, the country’s first female leader, a woman of the Left (supposedly) who has came into power thanks to the power of the Right. Already the commentariat are telling Gillard how to “avoid the same fate as Kevin Rudd“, as if they’re players in the game, wise…