We're not supposed to, for example, picture Iraqi families dying when we drop bombs. Instead, it's supposed to just be this abstract "Iraq" being targeted.
It's awful when governments do that.
It's awful when they get away with it.
But, let's be honest, they couldn't get away with it unless they had the press on their side to whore for them.
That said, sometimes the press chooses to go to war all by itself.
Take CONSORTIUM NEWS.
They've published a piece by -- who exactly?
Alastair Crooke is a former British diplomat who was a senior figure in British intelligence and in European Union diplomacy. He is the founder and director of the Conflicts Forum.
Thank goodness.
Because it's so sad how intelligence agencies have so little control over the press.
That was sarcasm.
So an MI6-er shows up at CONSORTIUM NEWS and writes a piece revolving around AEI -- you know, the neocon American Enterprise Institute.
The piece is an epic fail on every level.
Try this:
And now, presidential and parliamentary elections — hastily called in the wake of the Oct. 3 death of former Iraqi President and Kurdish political leader Jalal Talibani — have descended into a mess. Rather than settle “the succession” upon his eldest son, Masud Barzani may instead have opened a wider struggle over leadership of the Kurdish people.
I'm sorry, I didn't realize that CONSORTIUM NEWS was now using the slogan "We're a bunch of lying bitches."
Let's go to RUDAW:
Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani has set November 1, 2017 for parliamentary and presidential elections in the Kurdistan Region. In a decree signed on July 12, a copy of which was obtained by Rudaw, Barzani officially called the elections, saying the date was set in accordance with the presidential law passed by the Kurdistan legislature in 2005.
“All concerned parties are committed to do the necessary work and will support and coordinate with the Kurdistan Higher Independent Election Commission and Referendum to implement this decree,” the decree continued.
What's the date on that story?
Oh, yeah, July 19, 2017.
Sometimes "Crooke" is a fitting name.
The election were announced in the summer.
They were not announced last week and only a very stupid, lying piece of trash would think they could get away with claiming otherwise.
Shame, shame, shame.
How did this happen?
Robert Parry has integrity so how could he publish such crap?
Because the people of Kurdistan are not people.
Instead, they and the entire country are proxies of Israel.
That's how they're seen.
Regardless of where the government of Israel stands on Kurdish independence, the fact does not change that 90% of the Kurds in the KRG voted for independence.
You don't like the government of Israel, I get it.
That doesn't mean you treat the Kurds like crap. That doesn't mean you get to lie about them or distort reality.
WSWS and CONSORTIUM NEWS -- among others -- have refused to stand with the people. The people voted for independence.
And another thing on the CONSORTIUM piece, Barzani?
Massoud Barzani is now a hero.
That will not change -- barring some sex scandal. He could even survive a money scandal at this point.
Kurds around the world want to see a Kurdish state.
No one has ever brought them closer than Massoud.
No matter what happens next, he is a hero.
He didn't throw in the towel -- the way Jalal Talabani did in 2009.
And we were the only ones to call it out, weren't we?
As usual we do the heavy lifting here and everyone else gets to lie and gas bag.
We said it was awful and harmful in real time.
And we weren't at all surprised to see Talabani's party take a dive in the 2014 elections -- losing not only to Barzani's party but also to the upstart (and CIA-backed) Goran.
It must be nice just to make up stuff.
Must be real easy too.
NPR did it this week. They offered a 'scoop' (we'll address it at THIRD).
Funny scoop though. Ruth, Ava and I reported it years ago.
But then we actually attended Congressional hearings as opposed to take political party talking points and pretending that was 'research.'
Back to the Kurds.
It's a shame that a people who have been so mistreated by so many are not seen as people but instead as the latest thing to bash in the war against the government of Israel.
They're people, not proxies.
They are persecuted throughout the region and refusing to see them as people is appalling.
ALSUMARIA reports that today Massoud Barzani met with Iraqi vice presidents Ayad al-Allawi and Osama al-Nujaifi regarding the sanctions the Baghdad-based government has imposed since the independence vote.
The following community sites updated:
- Maybe the world is changing8 hours ago
- BLADE RUNNER 20499 hours ago
- Aging10 hours ago
- Maybe the world is changing8 hours ago
- BLADE RUNNER 20499 hours ago
- Aging10 hours ago
- Hedges1 day ago
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
