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April
10, 2003
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Grossman
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the Victory, the Harder the Peace
Uri
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The Night After
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Bush and Rummy's Drunken Drive-by
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of the Day
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April
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Alexander
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The Iraqi Humanitarian Relief is
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William
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April
4, 2003
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Tristam
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War Web Log 04/04
April
3, 2003
Uri
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David
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Can You Hear the Silence?
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Colin Powell Telemarketer
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Now That Iraqis Are Being Killed Is Israel Any More Secure?
Jo Wilding
From Baghdad with Tears
Anton
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Alison
Weir
Israel, We Won't Forget Rachel Corrie
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War's First Week
Steve
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War Web Log 04/03
Hot Stories
Paul de Rooij
Arrogant
Propaganda
Gore Vidal
The
Erosion of the American Dream
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Impeach
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April 11,
2003
Propaganda
Stinkers
Fresh
Samples from the Field
by
PAUL de ROOIJ
"Allies breach Saddam's
'red line'!!" read the screaming
front-page headline in London's The Independent on April
1st. The Independent, CNN, and BBC intimated that as soon
as US troops would step over this magic line, then the Iraqis
would unleash their chemical weapons --finally providing
an after-the-fact pretext for this war. However, it was not the
Iraqi generals who drew a line in the sand, it was the "play
by play analysts", the retired US generals on CNN, who drew
this circle around Baghdad. The "red line" is a propaganda
construct.
When the US forces crossed the so-called
red line most TV news and print media, especially CNN, were full
of references to the risk this entailed. Several authors of articles
containing references to the "red line" were contacted
and asked how they justified using this terminology. Predictably,
most of the journalists in question didn't reply. However, two
unembedded journalists did reply and categorically denied using
the "red line" term. In other words, their newspapers
in London and New York introduced the "red line" references
and elaborated significantly.
What would happen when the troops moved
past the "red line"? An American Colonel explained
on CNN that they would go to a "level two chemical attack
preparedness" -- this must be equivalent to an "orange
alert" in the US. What this entailed was wearing the chemical
suit without closing it off. However, a few things made one question
the legitimacy of this episode. First, a flag was visible in
the picture, and thereby anyone's propaganda alert signals should
start flashing. In the same scene, a soldier could be seen in
the background walking around in his regular combat fatigues.
Furthermore, in the subsequent days when the troops were near
Baghdad airport, well within the "red line", they obviously
were not wearing any chemical suits. This is proof that the "red
line" was actually a red herring, and it really was meant
to remind Americans this war has a justification in the form
of combating chemical weapons.
Imagine if the military had believed
their own propaganda; this could easily have become the primary
cause for casualties. The day the Americans crossed the "red
line" it was 41ºC (106F)! By requiring the use of chemical
suits the army would risk scoring an own-goal with most soldiers
dehydrated in the field. The forced separation of the propagandists
from the military commanders is fast emerging as an urgent military
requirement. Propaganda contamination could easily become the
leading contender for "allied" soldiers' deaths. It
already claimed some victims [1].
Uncomfortable Snippets
The propagandists attempt to feed the
insatiable 24-hour newscast monsters. When so many news items
must be produced rapidly, then invariably mistakes will occur
contradicting the propagandists' aims. Both BBC and CNN have
shown scenes where Saddam's pictures or statues came to an unceremonious
end. These scenes reinforce the message that the "US-uk"
have "come to get Saddam". In one such BBC episode,
the soldiers tore down Saddam's photograph, but then another
was shown on top of a hospital removing the Iraqi flag. Hmmm
This conveys a very different message. So, what else do the "US-uk"
have in store?
Al Jazeera continued to produce reportage
that potentially could embarrass the Americans. This perhaps
explains why the hotel where Al Jazeera was staying in Basra
was bombed on April 1st, and why their offices in Baghdad were
bombed on April 7th killing one cameraman [2]. Al Jazeera journalists
have been targeted before [3]. One of the Al Jazeera reports
contained some nuggets and raised questions about the hidden
player in this war --one whose name CNN or BBC don't dare to
mention, Israel. Al Jazeera showed footage of an unexploded Israeli
missile, and elsewhere bits of metal with Hebrew markings. Perhaps
it is too much to expect CNN to ask who fired these missiles.
(After the 1991 Gulf War, an Israeli Air Force reservist engaging
in a bit of R&R skiing in France, boasted to this author:
" if you only knew where I have been." He barely could
hide his glee at the outcome of that war.)
Depleted Uranium (DU
Ammo)
Propaganda is as much about what is censored
as it is about the projected message. In the case of DU-Ammo
and its consequences propaganda aims to hide this from public
view. Now, between April 6th and 9th American A-10s were busy
over Baghdad spreading DU-Ammo. Similarly, US tanks were firing
at will --possibly with DU-Ammo. There is no secret about this,
and it is plain to see on CNN --it is the consequences that aren't
discussed. DU-Ammo aerosols are thought to be the cause of the
permanently debilitating "Gulf War Syndrome." Professor
Doug Rokke, the US Army physicist responsible for cleaning up
Kuwait, has stated that the use of these weapons amounts to "a
war crime" [4] --and he wasn't referring to their use inside
a city like Baghdad. We only know about the devastating effects
of this weapon from the fact that 36% US Gulf War veterans sought
disability benefits, and 6% were diagnosed with the debilitating
syndrome. Now, the DU aerosols will spread over a city of six
million people, and of course US troops [5].
Some key questions emerge about DU Ammo,
questions that any free press should ask. Are US-uk soldiers
going to be exposed to more DU-aerosol than during the Gulf War?
How about the Iraqi population? Is Baghdad going to be rendered
uninhabitable? No statistics are available on the number of deformed
children born to the Gulf War veterans --perhaps this time they
will keep a better tally. Hospital wards in Basra, the city most
affected by DU aerosols in 1991, contain the prospect for many
Iraqis, i.e., many deformed new-born and still-born infants.
Terrorism is back!
During a recent president's press conference,
the ugly word terrorism reappeared. The reference pertained to
guerrilla actions against the US Marines. The next day a general
repeated the claim, but stated that the attack had the "look
and feel of terrorism." Oh, the public needs to be reminded
that this war has something to do with terrorism! However, to
lend to the CNN theatrics, what is really needed is the Israeli
pronunciation of this word. Shimon Peres' gargled pronunciation
is the best and perhaps he should offer some instruction; repeat
after him: "Terrrrrrorrrrizm".
The increasing references to terrorism
also suggest what to expect in the coming days after the Americans
claim victory. Just as there was no official declaration of war,
we shouldn't expect a formal ending to this war either; there
will be no official surrender ceremony. Maybe this would be too
grotesque if Saddam is hanging from a lamppost, or if the US
plans to kill many members of the vanquished government. It is
also likely that reaction against Americans will continue indefinitely
from "pockets of resistance", and it is more than likely
that this will be classed as terrorism. However, violence against
an occupier or an invading military force is NOT terrorism, and
the US is definitely not in a position to define what is legitimate
violence. It is also absurd for it to draw lines in the sand
and expect violence to be contained by them. Perhaps Americans
should consider that the shockwaves of bombs don't necessarily
stop at national borders. Iraqis whose nation has been demolished
by the US may have an understandable wish to seek revenge --and
New York or London may be the targets of choice. Has this war
done anything to reduce this threat?
Questions any free
press would ask in the coming weeks
Iraqi oil exports are due to restart
very soon. What will happen to the oil revenues?
What will happen to the Iraqi trade with
Jordan and Syria? Iraq was a major trading partner of these countries.
So, will the US extract onerous concessions before reestablishing
trade? How many months will it be before the Mosul-Haifa(Israel)
pipeline starts flowing again? What will happen to the Kirkuk-Baniyas
pipeline, which the US alleged was used to "smuggle"
Iraqi oil through Syria in contravention of UN sanctions? Will
Syria be punished with this oil being redirected to Haifa?
The Israeli press and AIPAC gloat over
the Iraqi opposition leaders visiting AIPAC offices --none other
than Kanan Makiya has shown up. Do AIPAC or the neocons have
veto power over appointees? (see: Nathan Guttman's "AIPAC
and the Iraqi opposition", Ha'aretz, April 8, 2003)
Will Iraq reemerge as an independent
country or will it be torn asunder? The Kurds have been led to
believe that they can expect something in the North. Why are
British forces tearing down Iraqi flags?
Postscript: The Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline was sabotaged
by US special forces on April 9th. The main oil supplies of
Syria have been cut.
Notes:
[1] Some of US soldiers caught in an
ambush stated that their officers had told them to expect no
resistance! The only way such a misconception was spread was
because the military believed their own propaganda.
[2] Brian Whitaker, "Speculation
mounts over Saddam's fate", The Guardian, April 8,
2003
[3] Jason Deans, "Al-Jazeera's Basra
hotel bombed", The Guardian, April 2, 2003
[4] Neil Mackay, "US Forces' Use
of Depleted Uranium Weapons is 'Illegal' ", Sunday Herald,
March 30, 2003.
[5] Until recently the population of
Baghdad hovered around five million. According to a recent report,
the flight from the smaller villages has increased the city's
population significantly.
This article is a follow up to:
Arrogant Propaganda: www.counterpunch.org/rooij04012003.html
And the Glossary of Warmongering www.counterpunch.org/rooij03132003.html
Paul de Rooij
is an economist living in London, and can be reached at proox@hotmail.com
(NB: attachments will be deleted automatically.)
Today's
Features
Zoltan
Grossman
The Perils of Occupation: the Easier
the Victory, the Harder the Peace
Uri
Avnery
The Night After
Wayne Madsen
The Telltale Signs of Empire
David Krieger
Before You Become Too Flushed with Victory, Think of Ali Ismaeel
Abbas
Jeremy
Brecher
What Can the World Do Now That Tanks Prowl Baghdad?
Robert
Jensen
The Unseen War
Geoffrey
Neale
Ashcroft's War on the Constitution:
A Patriot Attack on America
Jeffrey
St. Clair
Last Tango in Baghdad
Hammond
Guthrie
Rumors of War
Joseph
Heller
Nately's Old Man
Steve
Perry
War Web Log 4/10
Website
of the Day
The
Third Page
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