[Air-l] <nettime> Aljazeera VS. U.S (fwd)

[Karim R. Lakhani]

here is an interesting dialog between Al-Jazeera and CNN.  I don't think 
Al-Jazeera has the monopoly on showing gruesome pictures, recall Somalia 
and the pictures and video that was aired on CNN and other media outlets.

http://www.kieranhealy.org/blog/archives/000332.html#000332

> 
> Not to defend US media, which I don't trust much myself, but when gatsby
> says the US press "NEVER mentions" that the US supported Saddam Hussein
> in the 80's, I wonder which planet he lives on.  Certainly not the one I
> live on.  Moreover, putting Saddam Hussein in place in the  80's in the
> midst of the cold war seemed a reasonable thing to do, much like
> supporting the Afghani mujahadeen against the Soviets did. 

so it was fine to support him when he was our b@$t at rd? and he oppressed 
and gassed the Kurds, launched a war against the Iranians and gassed 
their armies too.  the threat from iran to iraq was always overblown in 
the west.  recall that Iraq is majority shia arab.  yet during the time 
of the ayatollah kohemenni and the .iq/.ir war - the shia arabs never 
rebelled against saddam.  in fact basra was never at risk.

the force that sparked the ignition for political islam was the russian 
invasion of afghanistan and the cia/saudi/wahabi recruitment of jihadis 
from around the muslim world.  as 5 million (?) refugees streamed into 
pakistan, the US government and the rich gulf states did not send them 
books, doctors, teachers, food, or shelter - rather wahabi mullahs, 
twisted translations of the qur'an and jihadi teachings (courtesy uni of 
nebreska, AK-47's and stinger shoulder launched missles were sent.

so much for *unintended* consequences

  It might be
> remembered that Iran overthrew the Shaw in 1979, and containing Islamic
> fundamentalism with a strong neighbor was reasonable.  At that time, did
> the West have any idea what Saddam Hussein would become?  
there is a famous film of sh, as he came to power, announcing the names 
of his enemies and friends in a baath party meeting.  one by one he 
announced names of people that were made to "disappear".  this film was 
widely distributed in .iq as warning to his opponents. let me guess the 
nsa never saw it.  you can get it here 
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/longroad/

oh yeah, i almost forgot, the shah came into power after the cia helped 
in the assassination of the iranian prime minister.

Anybody who
> has ever had a divorce might realize the illogic that drives this
> particular argument.

never had a divorce so i don't know ....