Tuesday, September 17, 2002

Antidote to Disinformation Antidote to Disinformation Do you ever feel you are being subjected to a psy-war campaign out of the 1950's, complete with a personality cult around the leader, a unanimous chorus of officially approved views in the press, and rabid attacks and then oblivion for those who question what they're told.  This is how the current climate feels in America today. Thank god for an antidote, which is the ability to connect with people who do manage to see things in their own way and keep their head above water.  Today I am especially grateful to Jeralyn E. Merritt at Talk Left for her post on the Buffalo 8 , the unfortunate Americans of Yemeni parentage who may be terrorists, but are more likely the latest victims of the propaganda war on terror.  These Americans are the supposed terror cell uncovered by the FBI in Lackawana, NY, a suburb of Buffalo.  As Talk Left points out ..The entire case against the five Americans consists of the fact that they allegedly, while on a pilgrimage to study Islam in Pakistan, took a side trip into Taliban Afghanistan and visited what later became known in the American media as the "al-Farooq terrorist training camp." "The trip allegedly took place before the Sept. 11 attacks and the onset of "the war on terrorism," at a time when it was legal to travel to Afghanistan, when the U.S. was funding Taliban drug eradication efforts and when U.S. oil companies were still hoping to cut a deal with the Taliban to build a trans-Afghanistan pipeline." "While present, Usama bin Laden spoke to all camp participants including the five for whom arrest warrants have been issued." "The FBI has not yet presented any evidence, argument or charges that would indicate the Lackawanna men constituted a "terrorist cell" as alleged by the Justice Department and countless newspaper headlines. " It appears that these Americans will not be whisked away into secret military detention, as Jose Padilla, but that they will have some time in court.  One issue, I think, is how much these types of arrests are being used for republican political gain.  I would feel more comfortable if law enforcement wasn't so partisan-- it makes it very hard to distinguish between genuine investigative police work and partisan fear mongering.  The news conference announcing the arrest was a 100% republican affair. One other note of thanks to Arianna H. in Salon who points out the hypocrisy of Jeb Bush calling for jail time for non-violent drug users unless they are Bush family members, like his daughter Nicole. She also makes the point that under Republican policies, Jeb Bush should be evicted from public housing since a family member used drugs, even off the premises. 10:58:10 PM   comment []

© Copyright 2002 Toby Sackton. Last update: 12/26/2002; 9:30:20 PM.