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The New Print Edition of CounterPunch, Only for Our Newsletter Subscribers! General Petraeus' Fake War
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The New Print Edition of CounterPunch, Only for Our Newsletter Subscribers!
General Petraeus' Fake War
How the Press and Congress Eagerly Swallowed It
EXCLUSIVE to subscribers in our latest newsletter, Gareth Porter dissects two years’ worth of successful lying by Gen Petraeus and his propaganda team. Guess what? The FBI AND DOJ didn’t specially target Muhammad Ali. Those G-men were just following normal procedures! Alexander Cockburn reviews the latest effort to “revise” the Sixties. Dick Cheney “didn’t understand the legalities.” James Abourezk describes his efforts to close down the lethal liquor operators that prey on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Whatever happened to the class war? Read Serge Halimi and find out. Get your copy today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! CounterPunch books and gear make great presents.
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Today's Stories July 5 / 6, 2008 Robert Fantina July 4, 2008 Kathy Kelly Dave Lindorff Paul Krassner Jackie Corr Laray Polk Dan Bacher Walter Brasch Charles Modiano Website of the Day July 3, 2008 Sharon Smith Andy Worthington Laura Carlsen Peter Morici Ramzi Kysia Martha Rosenberg Anne Landman Dave Zirin Kristin Bricker Website of the Day
July 2, 2008 Patrick Irelan Vijay Prashad Brian Cloughley Ralph Nader Robert Fantina Dave Lindorff Parvez Ahmed Robert Bryce Website of the Day July 1, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Mike Whitney Douglas Macgregor Steven Higgs Andy Worthington Binoy Kampmark Dave Lindorff Roger Burbach Richard W. Behan Gary Leupp Website of the Day June 30, 2008 Peter Lee Jeff Sommers David Macaray Martha Rosenberg David Price Alexandra Early June 28 / 29, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Joan P. Mencher Nikolas Kozloff Jason Hribal Alan Maass Robert Fantina Bill Moyers / Mike Whitney Justin E. H. Smith Pham Binh David Yearsley Christopher Ketcham Jeremy R. Hammond Kathleen M. Barry Walter Brasch Brett Drugge Susie Day Website of the Day June 27, 2008 Franklin C. Spinney Jonathan Cook Brian Cloughley Saree Makdisi Liliana Segura Paul Krassner William S. Lind Candace Cohn Ron Jacobs Binoy Kampmark Website of the Day June 26, 2008 Patrick Cockburn Nikolas Kozloff William P. O'Connor Saul Landau Ashley Smith Dave Lindorff David Macaray Binoy Kampmark Matt Reichel Remi Kenazi Website of the Day
June 25, 2008 David H. Price Stephen Soldz Andy Worthington Marjorie Cohn Joanne Mariner Ralph Nader Robert Weissman Christopher Brauchli Suren Pillay Seth Sandronsky Website of the Day June 24, 2008 Ishmael Reed P. Sainath Nikolas Kozloff Gregory Kafoury Betty Shamieh Mike Whitney Andy Worthington Bill Christison Philippe Marlière Website of the Day June 23, 2008 Michael Hudson John Ross Peter Montague Ramzy Baroud Robert Fantina Robert Weitzel David Macaray Howard Lisnoff Richard Rhames Gail Dines Tim Matson June 21 / 22, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Pam Martens Mike Whitney Chris Floyd Tim Wise Paul Craig Roberts Michael Winship Ron Jacobs Ramzy Baroud Alan Farago Michael Yates Dave Lindorff Bernard Chazelle Linda Mamoun Jo-Shing Yang Robert Jensen Website of the Weekend
June 20, 2008 Robert Oscar Lopez Paul Craig Roberts Bouthaina Shaaban Bill Quigley Moshe Adler Patrick Cockburn Andy Worthington Norman Solomon Martha Rosenberg June 19, 2008 Ralph Nader Chellis Glendinning Neve Gordon Dave Lindorff Sheldon Richman George Bisharat Jackie Corr Farzana Versey Website of the Day June 18, 2008 Nicole Colson Rev. William E. Alberts Vijay Prashad Parvez Ahmed Bob Moss Dave Lindorff David Wilson June 17, 2008 Conn Hallinan Wajahat Ali Marjorie Cohn Uri Avnery David Macaray Rannie Amiri Website of the Day June 16, 2008 Uri Avnery Corey D. B. Walker Howard Lisnoff Dennis Loo Paul Craig Roberts June 13 / 15, 2008 Douglas Valentine Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Peter Linebaugh Ishmael Reed Joe Bageant Harry Browne Andy Worthington Jeff Sharlet Binoy Kampmark Alan Farago Brian Cloughley Manuel Garcia, Jr. Reza Fiyouzat Patrick Bond / David Yearsley Niranjan Ramakrishnan Ronnie Cummins Dan Bacher Michael Dickinson Seth Sandronsky Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend June 12, 2008 Judith Levine Patrick Cockburn Saul Landau Christopher Brauchli Norman Solomon Helen Redmond Laura Carlsen Jeremy R. Hammond Anne Landman Website of the Day June 11, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Ralph Nader Joshua Frank Clifton Ross Muhammad Idrees Ahmad Stephen Lendman Diane Farsetta Ron Jacobs Deborah Rich Hop Wechsler Website of the Day June 10, 2008 Alan Farago James G. Abourezk Saree Makdisi Malini Johar Schueller John Ross Wajahat Ali Peter Morici Jordan Flaherty Gary Macfarlane Joanne Mariner Website of the Day June 9, 2008 Uri Avnery Nikolas Kozloff Allan Nairn Dennis Loo Harry Browne C. Hand Peter Morici Kenneth Couesbouc Martha Rosenberg James L. Secor Website of the Day June 7 / 8, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Ishmael Reed Jeffrey St. Clair Nikolas Kozloff Dave Lindorff Robert Fantina Conn Hallinan Neve Gordon Tom Barry Patrick Irelan Tim Wise David Ker Thomson Joshua Frank David Yearsley James T. Phillips Joe Allen P. Sainath David Macaray B.R. Gowani Fred Gardner Peter Harley Michael Dickinson Jen Roesch Poets' Basement Website of the Day
June 6, 2008 Frank Barat Patrick Cockburn Gary Leupp James Abourezk Peter Morici Faheem Hussain Andy Worthington Ayesha Ijaz Khan Dave Lindorff Website of the Day June 5, 2008 Patrick Cockburn Sharon Smith Nikolas Kozloff Linn Washington, Jr. Omar Barghouti Scott Pellegrino John Walsh Dan Bacher DC Larson Robert Jensen Website of the Day June 4, 2008 Eric Walberg Gary Leupp Ralph Nader Dave Lindorff George Wuerthner Victor M. Rodriguez Remi Kanazi Stephane Luçon Farzana Versey Laray Polk Website of the Day June 3, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts / Mike Whitney Steve Early Manuel Otero George Bisharat Nikolas Kozloff Dan Bacher Website of the Day June 2, 2008 Uri Avnery Nikolas Kozloff Allan J. Lichtman Malini Johar Schueller Robert Weissman Peter Morici Manuel Garcia, Jr. John Ross Ahmad Al-Akhras Website of the Day May 31 / June 1, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Gary Leupp Stan Cox Rannie Amiri P. Sainath Binoy Kampmark Robert Fantina Seth Sandronsky Corporate Crime Reporter Anthony DiMaggio Karl Grossman Matt Reichel Paul Myron Hillier Andy Worthington David Yearsley Daniel Cassidy Charles Thomson Gary Corseri Wajahat Ali Ron Jacobs Poets' Basement Website of the Day
May 30, 2008 Bassam Aramin Andrew Cockburn Saul Landau Nikolas Kozloff Robert Sandels Dave Lindorff Martha Rosenberg Harvey Wasserman Doug Giebel Shaun Harkin Website of the Day May 29, 2008 Jeffrey St. Clair Nikolas Kozloff Col. Dan Smith Karl Grossman William S. Lind Robert Weissman Dave Lindorff David Macaray Chris Genovali Laura Carlsen Website of the Day May 28, 2008 Wajahat Ali Ralph Nader Brian McKenna Corporate Crime Reporter Brian Cloughley Eric Walberg Michael Dickinson Ijaz Khan Website of the Day May 27, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Greg Kafoury Jean Bricmont Tim Wise Ricardo Alarcón Stephen Soldz Andy Worthington Alan Singer Richard Neville Susie Day May 26, 2008 Uri Avnery Bill Quigley Col. Dan Smith Cindy Sheehan Marjorie Cohn Fred Gardner Raymond J. Lawrence Harvey Wasserman Moncia Benderman David Rovics Website of the Day May 24 / 25, 2008 Alexander Cockburn Jeffrey St. Clair Barbara Rose Johnston Nikolas Kozloff Adriana Kojeve Robert Fantina Dave Lindorff David Yearsley Nelson P. Valdés Kathleen M. Barry John Ross Allison Kilkenny Fred Gardner Elizabeth Schulte Daniel Gross Christopher Brauchli Richard Rhames Daniel Cassidy Poets' Basement Website of the Weekend
May 23, 2008 Paul Craig Roberts Alan Farago Conn Hallinan Mark Engler George Wuerthner Kamran Matin Sandy Boyer / Robert Weitzel Cindy Sheehan Liaquat Ali Khan Website of the Day
May 22, 2008 Vijay Prashad Joanne Mariner Sharon Smith Jeff Birkenstein Brendan McQuade Peter Morici Niranjan Ramakrishnan Dave Zirin Ron Jacobs Stephen Lendman Website of the Day May 21, 2008 Jeffrey St. Clair Nikolas Kozloff Alan Farago Dave Lindorff David Model Eric Walberg Franklin Lamb Kenneth Couesbouc Website of the Day
May 20, 2008 Ralph Nader Uri Avnery Patrick Irelan Ray McGovern David Macaray Chris Genovali Ibrahim Fawal Christopher Ketcham Andy Worthington Martha Rosenberg Website of the Day May 19, 2008 Saul Landau Paul Craig Roberts Brian McKenna Patrick Cockburn B. R. Gowani Dr. Trudy Bond Cindy Sheehan John Mohawk Remi Kanazi Robert Day Website of the Day |
Weekend Edition How Israel Uses the Word "Terrorist" The One-Word SolutionBy
FRANK BARAT The driver of the bulldozer was then shot by the police and died at the scene. Israel immediate reaction was to say that this was a terrorist attack and started looking for which terrorist organization the driver was “working”. The Israeli media duly followed and the word terrorist was used in every single report issued by the Israeli press during the following hours. The battle was won. Reactions started to pour down on TV, newspapers and websites from “experts”, politicians, commentators and the public. Once more this terrorist attack proved that the Palestinians were monsters, blood thirsty animals and only wanted Israel ’s destruction. This also showed to the world that Israeli Jews had to fear attacks from the Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank but also from ungrateful Palestinians living in Israel itself (usually called Israeli Arabs by the Israeli Jews). Olmert and “his” government promised to respond "swiftly and harshly to break this pattern”. The family home of the terrorist would have to be demolished (by the same type of Bulldozer that ran over buses, people and cars on Jaffa St) the mourners tent taken down and the National Insurance Institute stipends of the family revoked. (2)(3) Before going ahead with all this, the attorney general will first have to prove that the driver was a terrorist but this should not pose any major problem (it would be harder to prove this under international law, but this seems not to apply to Israel). The government said he was a terrorist, the media said he was a terrorist, George W Bush said he was a terrorist and the public said he was a terrorist. Who can argue with this? A few hours later the police issued a statement saying that it feared violence towards Arabs as a result of this attack (4). The words were carefully chosen and the statement insisted on “as a result of this attack”. Once more Israeli attacks were only a response to Palestinian violence, a defensive move. Could people have lost their memory in the heat of the moment? Attacks by Israeli civilians against Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza or living in Israel have happened many times before and most of them were unprovoked. To mention only 2 of the most recent events:
Even so, it is that simple for Israel . The country found its solution to the Palestinian problem a long time ago. They are all terrorists. Yell this word loud enough and everything you do will be considered retaliation. You are not responsible. You are only reacting, defending yourself. You are the victim. This P.R battle, this war of words cannot be lost by Israel. Without this, Israel's finished. It is as important as having the 4th army in the world and more than 200 nuclear warheads. This media battle, constantly won by Israel, shows time after time to the world that Israel is trying to do good but that it faces relentless attacks by anti Semitic terrorists and faces extinction if the world does not help her. What is interesting is that the word “terrorist” is only used when describing Palestinians or Israeli Arabs attacks. For example:
The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as: “the calculated use of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or intimidate governments or societies in pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological." This definition clearly applies for those two cases. Why not using the word then? What happened this Wednesday also reminded me of Shawn Nelson, who in May 1995 “stole a 63-ton Military tank from a National Guard armoury in California and used it to rampage through neighbourhoods, flattening utility poles, fire hydrants and cars before being shot by police” (9) Mr Nelson, an unemployed man in his thirties who had served in the army was never called a terrorist. He was described by his neighbours as someone whose life had been crumbling, his home being in foreclosure and his utilities shut off. He also had a history of medical problems. This was the desperate act of a desperate man. It turns out that the life of the driver of the bulldozer was also crumbling. His name was Husam Tayseer Dwayat. He was also in his thirties. His neighbours said that he was a drug addict, a petty criminal and that he had recently spent a year and a half in prison because “he got into trouble” with a Jewish girl.(10) This girl, who had spent 6 years with Mr Dwayat said that he had no problem with Jews and that he even used to call her to make sure that her family and herself were ok when a suicide bombing or a terrorist attack occurred. Husam Tayseer Dwayat was not unemployed. He worked for a construction company (which, some people said, owned him a large amount of money in back pay (11)) involved in the construction of the Jerusalem light railway system which will soon connect West Jerusalem to settlements in the occupied West Bank. Many Palestinians and people around the globe consider this project as a mean to expand Israeli control, illegal under international law. Was Husam Tayseer Dwayat one of them? Husam Tayseer Dwayat was a sick man with nothing to loose and nothing to look forward to who committed an atrocious and inexcusable act. There are many Palestinians like him all over the West Bank, Gaza and Israel itself. Starving Palestinians living in the open air prison of Gaza, encaged Palestinians who have to go through multiples checkpoints to go to work, school or see their family and face daily humiliations in the hands of the IDF in the West Bank or Palestinians living as second class citizens in Israel itself. Those Palestinians, mostly in their twenties and thirties have been denied everything. They've heard the story of their grandparents who were kicked off their villages during the Nakba in 1948. They've heard the story of their parents who have never been able to return to their villages (when they were not completely erased from the map) and go back to a normal life. And there is their story. They've lost friends during the first and second intifada. They've seen their houses destroyed by Israel, sometimes more than once (around 18000 houses destroyed by Israel). They've been to prison. They've studied to try to better themselves and get a good job but this has not been possible for most of them .All the good jobs are in Israel or abroad and they cannot get a permit or a visa. They went to work on construction sites or as cleaners in Israeli campuses, institutions and hospitals, but even this, since the second intifada has been barred to them. Israel now uses cheap labour from Africa or from the East to do those jobs. The Palestinians have been denied everything. They even have been denied the right to complain, to be heard and understood. They are not considered as equals. They are not “people” anymore. Their voices do not count. What the Israelis have to understand is that this can not go on forever. They have to understand that they live side by side with another people and that those people are like them. They've got feelings, aspirations and want to be able, like them, to look forward to a brighter future for their kids. It is also their country and they will not disappear. The Israelis need to go against their government and start meeting Palestinians again. This is pretty much impossible nowadays. Even if they live a few miles or blocks away from one another, they do not meet. It is forbidden. There is us and them. They are “the others”. The day the Israelis understand that the Palestinians are people like themselves and that what is good for one people is good for both. The day the Israelis look beyond their government propaganda and start to learn about the history of “the others”. The day they realise that it is down to them, the people, to make things change. This day, not only a major battle would have been won, but the peace process will finally be able to start. Frank Barat works with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the PS: While I was finalising this article, Ehud Barak ordered the demolition of Husam Tayseer Dwayat house(12) and Vice Premier Ramon asked for parts of East Jerusalem to be completely cut off from Israel itself to become Palestinian villages (13). Has Ramon realised that this is what the Palestinians want? Give East Jerusalem to the future Palestinian state and a lot of problem will be solved. (1)http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/998294.html
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