U.S. Launches New FUD Campaign
Dear Americans, last week we told you to be very, very afraid of this Caliph guy. You know the one that may blow up your car tires or something else. We were all wrong with that.
Now look there, no there, THERE! Notice that other guy you never, ever heard about? He is the real menace. He will really blow things up. May be even your car engine!
U.S. Suspects More Direct Threats Beyond ISIS
As the United States begins what could be a lengthy military campaign against the Islamic State, intelligence and law enforcement officials said another Syrian group, led by a shadowy figure who was once among Osama bin Laden’s inner circle, posed a more direct threat to America and Europe.American officials said that the group called Khorasan had emerged in the past year as the cell in Syria that may be the most intent on hitting the United States or its installations overseas with a terror attack. The officials said that the group is led by Muhsin al-Fadhli, a senior Qaeda operative who, according to the State Department, was so close to Bin Laden that he was among a small group of people who knew about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks before they were launched.
Scarry stuff, ain't it? 9/11, 9/11, 9/11. Now why care about the hundreds of Syrians, Kurds and Iraqis ISIS is killing with weapons we provided. Look at this new guy and his group who are a much better bogeyman because:
There is almost no public information about the Khorasan group, ...
That's right. No one ever heard of them. It's only us who tell you they are there. Now bend over already! Why?
Members of the cell are said to be particularly interested in devising terror plots using concealed explosives. It is unclear who, besides Mr. Fadhli, is part of the Khorasan group.
Bend over already! Open up! Can't let anyone fly without a thorough inspection. Now fear, Fear FEAR!
Fear, doubt, uncertainty. That's how we rule!
Posted by b on September 21, 2014 at 10:47 UTC | Permalink
pic.twitter.com/16ilRngAH2 "March of the Traitors" banner hung over the route in Moscow. 'peace' march
Posted by: brian | Sep 21 2014 12:22 utc | 2
I read the story about the "new" boogeyman as well. Some digging on longwarjournal leads to Lashkar-e-khorasan. To be honest... I don't buy it. These are has beens and affiliated with al Qaeda who are being outsmarted and outmaneuvered by the new kid on the block (ISIS).
Today in the news was that ISIS symphatizers planned an attack in Belgium
Foiled attack in Belgium (in Dutch-use google translate)
Now which is the more immediate threat? ISIS or Khorasan?!
Posted by: Gehenna | Sep 21 2014 12:33 utc | 3
Now which is the more immediate threat? ISIS or Khorasan?!
Cigarettes.
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 13:17 utc | 4
b
Just read it, your words express my views perfectly.
And the stupid westerners buy it! oh terror..sigh
Posted by: Anonymous | Sep 21 2014 13:19 utc | 5
Khorasan is a region in Iran, not a terrorist group.
Posted by: Noirette | Sep 21 2014 13:38 utc | 6
They are trying to change the conversation. The Daily Telegraph is having a go at Qatar but the truth is NATO Turkey was officially supporting the same groups and the CIA was vetting the process.
This here is the Daily Telegraph
But Qatar has deliberately channelled guns and cash towards Islamist rebels, notably a group styling itself Ahrar al-Sham, or "Free Men of Syria". Only last week, Khalid al-Attiyah, the Qatari foreign minister, praised this movement as "purely" Syrian.
He added that its fighters had suffered heavy losses while combating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), the group behind the murder of David Haines, the British aid worker, and which is holding John Cantlie and Alan Henning hostage.
Far from being a force for moderation, Ahrar al-Sham played a key role in transforming the anti-Assad revolt into an Islamist uprising. Its men fought alongside Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliate, during the battle for Aleppo and they were accused of at least one sectarian massacre.
Instead of fighting Isil, Ahrar al-Sham helped the jihadists to run Raqqa, the town in eastern Syria that is now the capital of the self-proclaimed "Caliphate". This cooperation with Isil happened for some months until the two groups fell out last year.
And this here is the Washington Post - September 10
The group, Ahrar al-Sham, has been among the steadiest and most effective forces fighting to oust President Bashar Assad in Syria’s civil war. It has also been on the front lines of a now nine-month battle in northern Syria against the extremist Islamic State group.
The deaths of so many of its leaders throws Ahrar al-Sham’s future into question, while also laying bare the tangled dynamics of Syria’s broader anti-Assad scene just as the United States is considering injecting itself into the country’s conflict by going after the Islamic State group. Washington’s efforts to crush the extremists could include ramping up support for Syria’s rebels.The U.S. has long looked askance at Ahrar al-Sham, considering the group too radical for Washington’s tastes and too cozy with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front. For that reason, the limited support Washington has provided so far to rebels was not directed Ahrar al-Sham’s way.
But the group managed to fuse its ultraconservative religious views with a more practical political position, allowing it to act as a bridge of sorts between the more moderate Western-backed rebel groups and hard-line factions. And although Washington had qualms about working with the group, Ahrar al-Sham has been a fierce enemy of the Islamic State group, and has lost thousands of men since January fighting the extremists.
...
Following the death of Ahrar al-Sham’s leadership, it remains unclear whether the group could survive the loss of nearly all of its senior members, including leader Hassan Aboud. They were killed late Tuesday when an explosion struck a high-level meeting in the town of Ram Hamdan in Syria’s Idlib province.It was not immediately clear who was behind Tuesday’s explosion, and there even were conflicting reports on the nature of the blast. The Observatory said it was a car bombing. Ahrar al-Sham’s described it as only an explosion.
According to the Atlantic ISIS is the Saudi project.
So.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 13:57 utc | 7
And the stupid westerners buy it! oh terror..sigh
Posted by: Anonymous | Sep 21, 2014 9:19:42 AM | 5
I'm not so sure about that. Some do, but how many comprise that "some" is open for debate.
Certainly, that's the intent and hoped-for outcome — that people in The West will be frightened and scared, but frankly, there are more than a few who are too utterly distracted to even give it a passing thought.
Robert Baer (of Syrianna fame), a darling of CNN when it comes time to the topic of Middle Eastern Terrorism, specifically said several weeks prior that "the American people are scared." He had no evidence to back up this assertion because the statement was meant to telegraph the intention of the social-engineering. The expectation of their clumsy efforts is for the American people to be scared and so the so-called experts speak on all Americans' behalf to underscore their expectation. The truth of the matter is of no importance. The conveyance of a perspective and perception is the only thing that matters, truth be damned.
Hey Robert, remember FDR's famous saying as he rallied Americans to a much more noble cause? "The only thing to fear, is fear itself." The MSM is 24/7 fear-mongering in direct opposition to FDR's excellent, yet often overlooked and ignored, maxim.
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 14:06 utc | 8
I am sure there will be a simple solution.
Brzezinski: (laughs) I think you know the answer to that better than I, but if I may offer a perspective: this is a highly motivated, good country. It is driven by good motives. But it is also a country with an extremely simplistic understanding of world affairs, and with still a high confidence in America’s capacity to prevail, by force if necessary. I think in a complex situation, simplistic solutions offered by people who are either demagogues, or are smart enough to offer their advice piecemeal; it’s something that people can bite into. Assuming that a few more arms of this or that kind will achieve what they really desire, which is a victory for a good cause, without fully understanding that the hidden complexities are going to suck us in more and more, we’re going to be involved in a large regional war eventually, with a region even more hostile to us than many Arabs are currently, it could be a disaster for us. But that is not a perspective that the average American, who doesn’t really read much about world affairs, can quite grasp. This is a country of good emotions, but poor knowledge and little sophistication about the world.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 14:38 utc | 9
b wrote
Dear Americans, last week we told you to be very, very afraid of this Caliph guy. You know the one that may blow up your car tires or something else. We were all wrong with that.
Hilarious. On the day of September 11, 2001, I said something to the effect of, "if the terrorists (or whoever they are) REALLY wanted to piss people off, they would go around at five o'clock in the morning and let the air out of everyone's tires."
Posted by: editor_u | Sep 21 2014 14:41 utc | 10
To elaborate on my previous post, today is Sunday in America and Sunday in America in September means football. Tune into the major networks, CBS, NBC and ABC and take a gander. After watching the celebratory sports fracas, kindly pen a reply, a rebuttal if you will, to Bob Baer explaining to him that what FDR really meant was "there is nothing to fear, but Football itself."
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 14:43 utc | 11
11;Very rarely,you say something correct.Yes,NFL football is our new religion,and the gridiron it's church.And notice the opprobrium towards it by the MSM lately.They must want the American public to really hate the media,if they don't already.(outside of the fearful.)
Today fear hit's grand slams and doesn't strike out.
Posted by: dahoit | Sep 21 2014 15:01 utc | 12
One of my many-years-ago friends, long since deceased, was a giant, a member of the Morgan family. He said
to me: "Bucky, I am very fond of you, so I am sorry to have to tell you that you will never be a success. You go
around explaining in simple terms that which people have not been comprehending, when the first law of
success is, 'Never make things simple when you can make them complicated.'"
Confuse, Bewilder and Befuddle with an ever-changing alphabet soup of odd sounding and terrifying names of groups, peoples and places. Make the public afraid and get them on board.
It really works.
Posted by: Fast Freddy | Sep 21 2014 15:07 utc | 13
As far as Israel is concerned, the exclusivity IS now enjoys on the American agenda is a substantial problem
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 15:13 utc | 14
Meanwhile, 25'000 people now protesting in Moscow against Russia-sponsored war in Ukraine.
Posted by: BRest | Sep 21 2014 15:24 utc | 15
It won't be long before: If you have a shadow, you will NOT be boarding that plane.
Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Sep 21 2014 15:27 utc | 16
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29301123
Bad bad Turks say the BBC
Posted by: Minae | Sep 21 2014 15:29 utc | 17
@12 I think the NFL, at least the corporate entity, and the NCAA are falling in popularity at least among so-so fans. I was at a college football game last Saturday, and attendance was close to 40k despite a capacity for 64k despite clouds and a high temperature of 75F. It's really easy to dump tickets these days.
What struck me the other day was Chuck Hagel announcing a review of the DoD's relationship with the NFL over the recent scandals. I suspect the tolerance for football fever is dying. Every stadium is gross and not paying local taxes (baseball and indoor arenas are in constant use and can serve as anchors). The NFL is showbiz at the end of the day with much of the revenue going to nameless players. The players and owners hate each other at the moment. Elites in other industries will gladly attack an organization with little real power beyond people liking it. I almost forgot NOW was still an organization, but the President of NOW has been everywhere the last two weeks. She hasn't been that active since Rush Limbaugh insulted a private citizen.
More Americans didn't watch the Super Bowl than did despite the presence of Peyton "let's change the rules so he can win" Manning. The important elites will attack football because they sense a widespread but shallow support, and it's better than being the target of criticism. Most of the owners are gross people on the surface.
Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Sep 21 2014 15:38 utc | 18
I was at a college football game last Saturday, and attendance was close to 40k despite a capacity for 64k despite clouds and a high temperature of 75F. It's really easy to dump tickets these days.
You're so intelligent, it scares me.
Did you ever stop to think that Flat Screen technology is now so advanced, it offers a viewing experience far superior to trotting one's lazy, fat ass to the stadium? Plus, when you're at home in your Lazy Boy in front of the 80" 3-D HDTV Flat Screen, all the beer, chips and dip your heart, and bloated gut, desires are within several paces for a fraction of the price.
But thank you for your input anyway. We're glad to know you're on board with the alphabet agencies' strategy to cement the perspective and perception that Americans are scared.
You really should think before you post.
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 15:48 utc | 19
More Americans didn't watch the Super Bowl than did
Yet the 2014 Superbowl broke records for the most watched event in U.S. history. This is in part because the Superbowl's popularity is spreading far beyond America's borders revealing that the agenda of conquest and consumption that the popular game symbolizes is being increasingly adopted and assimilated by the World's inhabitants — especially those crude Russian Oligarchs.
Super Bowl XLVIII breaks record for most-watched TV event in US history
Despite Bob Baer's admonition, Be Not Afraid
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 15:57 utc | 20
According to the New York Times, Fadhli is 33, which means he was 18 or 19 when, "according to the State Department, [he] was so close to Bin Laden that he was among a small group of people who knew about the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks before they were launched." The article also says he is Kuwaiti, which means he was 1 or 2 when the U.S. rescued his country from Iraqi invasion (at least that's what they told me). So what exactly is this guy's beef with my country's people? Why is it that Kuwaitis like "KLM" are supposedly "masterminds" that are "close to Bin Laden"? Do these people have a real beef, or are they just sleazy operatives in the oily propaganda war against my country's people? Assuming they exist at all - a New York Times article should be but is not authentication for me. Why do we allow our government to terrorize us? Why does the supposedly free and professional press allow themselves to be used as conduits for terrorist propaganda?
Posted by: Me | Sep 21 2014 16:31 utc | 21
how do we turn the conversation into football? pass the ball to cold! yikes... is it true football fans suffer the same brain damage that the players suffer from? it appears so!
Posted by: james | Sep 21 2014 16:36 utc | 22
Also in the New York Times
Suspicions Run Deep in Iraq That C.I.A. and the Islamic State Are United
What is the New York Times trying to tell us?
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 16:38 utc | 23
Sounds likes someone remembered that Yemeni operative, the one responsible for the Underwear bomb and the shoe-bomb and the printer cartridge "bomb" -- the guy whose attempts at miniaturization so far have failed impressively but who, IIRC, was also responsible for the all-fluids-in-all-container ban (presuming some explosive cocktail (NITROGLYCERIN) could either "board" the plane in same or be surreptitiously mixed (stirred, not shaken) aloft. The guy whose skills we were assured -- a few years ago -- were improving and who was part of a group dedicated to attacking the United States ... crickets ... that guy.
What ever happened to THAT guy? someone mused ... and voila ... Mr. Fadhli and the Khorasan group... The only thing missing so far is the be-very-afraid link to Yemen except (from the NYT)
In a speech in Brussels in 2005, President George W. Bush referred to Mr. Fadhli as he thanked European countries for their counterterrorism assistance, noting that Mr. Fadhli had assisted terrorists who bombed a French oil tanker in 2002 off the coast of Yemen. That attack killed one and spilled 50,000 barrels of oil that stretched across 45 miles of coastline.
Excellent Yemen timeline Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Yemen: reported US covert actions 2001-2011 --
Note: GWB signed an agreement in 2001 with Saleh way-back-in 2001.
(Yemen has been in the process of being forgotten -- as well it might be -- what with ISIL dominating the news).
This guy has "scarlet pimpernel" written all over his backside.
Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Sep 21 2014 17:33 utc | 25
One could add that the EU is getting very good too at using the US methods. How come this passed unnoticed?
http://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2014/09/11/eu-kommission-schmettert-buergerinitiative-gegen-ttip-ab/
Posted by: Mina | Sep 21 2014 17:56 utc | 26
somebody @ 23
But the Islamic State was a different story, Mr. Jabouri said. “It is obvious to everyone that the Islamic State is a creation of the United States and Israel.”
yeah, 'interesting' article. and coming from a shill like kirkpatrick, even more so.
"What is the New York Times trying to tell us?"
good question.
Posted by: john | Sep 21 2014 17:59 utc | 27
Consider the great business of American football and its accoutrements - the myriad details - the level of detailed, complex, sophisticated (often esoteric) information, factoids, trivial news and general information regularly and consistently churned out by the media en masse.
For example: statistics, game schedules, players, the antics committed by the players, the injuries, the draft, the salaries, trades, teams, team owners, the antics committed by the team owners, coaches, the antics committed by the coaches, scoring, the scores and highlights, gambling odds, the point spread, the favorites, the underdogs, the over and under, and etc.
All of this information and more is reported via every conceivable media outlet on a regular basis for the average person to absorb - whether he wishes to partake of it or not.
The reporting of American football is sophisticated in depth, breadth and focus. It is wonderfully articulated and highly detailed. You couldn't ask for anything more. No citizen could rightfully complain about not being sufficiently informed by the mainstream media about American football.
On the other hand, relevant information of any kind is scarce in mainstream news.
Posted by: Fast Freddy | Sep 21 2014 18:05 utc | 28
Mina, yes - US methods. After the Vietnam War, US policy elites devised ways to ignore or destroy mass movements. The 250 Euroopeans NGOs who were a part of the 'petition' were treated by the court like SCOTUS treats any threat to corporate power.
Posted by: okie farmer | Sep 21 2014 18:08 utc | 29
All these permutations of Middle Eastern Terrorist Groups reminds me of what Nabisco has done with Triscuits and Oreos. Remember the days when it was just those two products and not a thousand permutations of them? Life was so much simpler back then. The choices were clear and easy. Now, we're bombarded with barely distinguishable options. It's easier to Just Say No to all of it, then to choose between nonsense.
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 18:16 utc | 30
Posted by: okie farmer | Sep 21, 2014 2:08:18 PM | 29
It is the commission that is trying to ignore them - they are going to court now - it is not the end yet.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 18:21 utc | 31
Football, like Terrorism, makes for great comical distraction. If we must be distracted, the following is a less perfidious (Albion?), more constructive way to go about it.
Football Is My Life — I Love Football
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 18:27 utc | 32
Posted by: Fast Freddy | Sep 21, 2014 2:05:56 PM | 28
You summed it up nicely. The resources that are thrown at this spectacle known as Football frightens me more than a few headchoppers in the Middle East. I mean, look what it's done to people as this following routine reveals.
If you think Football is stupid, you're right — but it's my stupid.
He's a typical male Football fan. Do you think this guy, or guys like him, give a shit about the latest brand of Terrorism in the Middle East? I don't think so, Bob Baer.
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 18:35 utc | 33
The link to 33.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY3W9Z4bdS8
Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Sep 21 2014 18:44 utc | 34
somebody, I don't think the Europian Court of Justice will hear the case, for the same reason the Commission rejected it. We'll see...
Posted by: okie farmer | Sep 21 2014 18:53 utc | 35
35) It depends really how much popular support the European NGO's can get, politicians will have to acknowledge it if protests build up, but it is a complicated abstract matter and the negotiations are practically secret to prevent resistance. There are lots of means to prevent TTIP from happening should people really care.
Kurds/Kurdish member of Turkish parliament say 2000 Turkish special forces take part in ISIS
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP Demir Celik stated in a press conference in Parliament that the majority of ISIS’ fighting force was formed of around two thousand Turkish Special Force officers, who in the 1990s were cutting off the noses and ears of Kurdish (PKK) fighters.“Hundreds of years ago states would fight each other but now their subcontracted organisations are fighting on their behalf,” remarked Celik, before adding, “the war in the Middle East is not fate, the war that is being imposed on us by imperialist forces must be put to an end.”
...
The group being presented to us as ISIS is not just formed of jihadist militants. We have information that the majority of ISIS’s fighting forces are formed of Turkish Special Forces who were cutting off the ears and noses of Kurdish fighters in the 1990s. These Special Forces have been staying in hotels and safe houses in Mosul for months and have travelled from Mosul to Makhmour, from Makhmour to Sinjar and are in Kobane now commanding and determining the strategy of ISIS. There are said to be around two thousand of them.
We all know of the train-line between Turkey and Syria. Our sources have told us that these Turkish Special Forces are being provided tanks, artillery and missiles through this train-line. The real reason for Turkey not joining the coalition against ISIS is that the Turkish state wants to prevent and stop the revolution in Rojava (Northern Syria); even though they might seem willing to resolve the Kurdish issue democratically within Turkey, the Turkish state’s real intention is to resolve it militarily.”
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 19:15 utc | 36
@b
Good news are coming from Yemen and may be it would be worth shedding a light on the crucial developments in that region , as the events in Jemen are interconnected with KSA, Qatar and may be Bahrain.
The capital Sana just fell into the hands of the Houthis and apparently KSA is sending fighter jets to save the fascists.
Posted by: Sufi | Sep 21 2014 19:26 utc | 37
Religious cleansing of Mosul and Kirkuk - Turkmen
A closer look at the IS advance in Turkmen regions reveals the following sequence: Immediately after IS captured Mosul in June, the group turned to the Turkmen district of Tal Afar, penetrating Sunni areas first and then moving on to attack Shiite neighborhoods. The group took easily Avgenni, a 10,000-strong Sunni Turkmen town north of Tal Afar, as well as the villages of Sheikh Ibrahim, Muhallabiyah and Juma. Muhallabiyah, which is part of Mosul province and has a population of about 10,000, had already won a reputation as an al-Qaeda stronghold and even has a cemetery for "al-Qaeda martyrs."With IS using bases in Sunni Turkmen areas to mount attacks on Shiite Turkmen settlements, the rift and the conflict in the Turkmen community deepened, though the issue was rarely addressed. Finally, 25 Turkmen villages around Tal Afar and about 30 others around Mosul fell to IS. The militants destroyed and burned down houses in Balilkligol village, taking revenge on its inhabitants, members of the Cholak tribe, who resisted al-Qaeda in previous years.
In remarks to Al-Monitor, a Turkmen source said, “Back in the days when IS had not yet emerged, bomb attacks began to target Shiite Turkmen in Tuz Khormato. We later found out that al-Qaeda militants, supported by Sunni Turkmen in Yengeja, were behind the attacks.”
No doubt, the local support for IS does not mean that all Sunni Turkmen side with the organization. But whatever the scale of support, IS' actions lead to one outcome: The Shiite Turkmen are virtually facing genocide, either being killed or expelled from the region.
There is another little-discussed aspect to the story: Tactics aimed at uprooting Shiites are also underway in Kirkuk, the oil-rich city where the Kurdish peshmerga assumed control as IS captured Mosul and the Iraqi army withdrew from the region. A Turkmen source from Kirkuk said, “The Shiites are being threatened. Notes are being left on the doors of Shiite homes, threatening residents to either leave the city or see their homes 'blown up.' The Shiites are terrified. The source of the threats is unclear. Are they the Baathists or IS? We don’t know.”
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 19:55 utc | 38
@Fast Freddy: some one once said that, despite their know-nothing attitude towards world affairs, you can tell the American people are not stupid by the way they can recite sports trivia. Largely true and a good point you made - if only our political reporting was on the level of detail of that of sports.
Sadly, that's the point of it...
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 21 2014 21:02 utc | 39
@23: Article shows a good snippet of the main difference between the so-called "Shiite Militias" that we hear about in Iraq and Syria - the one side of the coin of the so-called "sectarian war" - and the takfiri monsters the FUKUSIKSA have been supporting:
Omar al-Jabouri, 31, a Sunni Muslim from a predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad who attended the rally and said he volunteers with a Shiite brigade, argued that Mr. Maliki had alienated most Iraqis, regardless of their sect.
No Shia in ISIS, I suppose. Though more than half of the Syrian Army is Sunni, and even members of the al-Sadr's crew, apparently.
Not that such facts get in the way of the MSM crowing about "Crazy Muslim Sectarian wars in the Middle East!"
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 21 2014 21:14 utc | 40
somebody@38
The Shite and Sunni Arabs are being threatened and purged from Kirkut by the Kurds for their own nationalist reasons. The Sunis for being possible IS supporters and the Shia for being Arab transplants. Neither of these excuses is justified and the real reasson, ethnic cleansing, will not be discussed because the Kurds are our allies. The Kurds are leaving the recaptured Sunni towns near Amerli to the Iranian led Shia Death Squads so local Sunnis fear for their lives if they return home.
The Islamic State treats anyone, who opposes them with arms, harshly while the ethnic and sectarian cleansing appears to be the goal of the Kurds and Iranian led Shia militias.
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Sep 21 2014 21:26 utc | 41
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Sep 21, 2014 5:26:09 PM | 41
Turkey has a historic claim to Mosul and Kirkuk. It seems to me that ISIS is carrying out a Turkish strategy of Iraq partition - a Turkey allied Barzani Kurdistan, a Sunni part allied with Turkey, and a Shiite part.
The Islamic State treats anyone, who opposes them with arms, harshly while the ethnic and sectarian cleansing appears to be the goal of the Kurds and Iranian led Shia militias.
Tell that to the Yazidis and Christians of Raqqa.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 21:41 utc | 42
@41
"...Iranian lead Shia Death Squads..." Any proof or just the usual smearing?
Wayoutwest sounds like an outpost of FoxNews.
Posted by: slirs | Sep 21 2014 21:46 utc | 43
Posted by: slirs | Sep 21, 2014 5:46:33 PM | 43
He seems to try to whitewash ISIS
Haluk Gerger: ISIS fighting the Kurds on behalf of Turkey
Writer Haluk Gerger answered these questions. saying: "Turkey has no problem with ISIS. This is the point that must be dwelt upon." Gerger explained: "Turkey's Middle Eastern policy has two facets. Firstly, originating as an appendage of American strategy; secondly, its own special issue, the Kurdish question. It is not possible to understand Turkey's Middle Eastern policy without grasping these two points. The result created by being an appendage of American strategy is reflected in Turkey being influenced by the Sunni axis America has tried to create in the last period. This is the basis of Turkey's relations with opposition armed groups such as Al Nusra, Free Syrian Army or ISIS. But this does not explain it fully. We need to come on to the second dimension, the Kurdish question. US attacks on Iran and Syria have opened the way for Turkey, particularly on account of Rojava, to make a military intervention in Syria, which suits Turkey's Kurdish strategy. Establishing relations with opposition groups in Syria suited Turkey because the Syrian opposition was opposed to the Kurds, due to their being Arab nationalists. They were an element of pressure on the Kurds in Rojava as far as Turkey was concerned. ISIS and other groups waged and are waging a proxy war against the Kurds on Turkey's behalf, something Turkey could not do directly."
Posted by: somebody | Sep 21 2014 21:53 utc | 44
Governance by BOO! is certainly not a new phenomena, and is used in a multitude of political theaters. Even energy policies are shaped by fear inducing propaganda, such as the fossil fuel folks demonization of nuclear energy by citing exaggerated effects of low dose radiation exposure.
Of course, when just the instillation of fear isn't doing the trick of keeping the masses sufficiently cowered, an actual event can be helpful. I'm pretty convinced we are close to being gifted with such a spectacle. The 2001 trifecta is losing its power, and we definitely are in need of a swift kick back to beneath our beds.
BOO!!!!!
(By the way, if the nasty swarthy darkies in the desert don't getcha, ebola surely will.)
Posted by: PissedOffAmerican | Sep 21 2014 22:18 utc | 46
@editor_u
"if the terrorists (or whoever they are) REALLY wanted to piss people off, they would go around at five o'clock in the morning and let the air out of everyone's tires."
Or they'd compile new money lists (D&B, OneSource &c.) of most of the Fortune & Forbes hustlers, as well as old money lists from peerage almanachs and social registers, and then...
As Larry's buddy was paid to say, "The theater, the theater, what's happened to the theater?"
If terra were the threat that it is made out to be by the US gov., there would be a lot more of it domestically than that which has been reported. (Domestic Terra as reported FWIW, has largely been the domain of anti-gubmint Right Wing zealots.)
ISIS and/or the other hobgoblins of terra exist concurrently with an all-knowing yet flawed surveillance state (didn't bother with ISIS until it got WAY out of hand! oops!, didn't prevent 911, Boston Bmobing, etc).
Sidebar: The airlines made out like bandits. Dubya showered them with cash as they suffered thru a temporary shut down post 9ll.
In any case, it is obvious that the means exist to execute terra plots. Especially if one is a suicider (H/T Dubya Bush).
Oddly, nothing of consequence ever happens to the facilities of the billionaire owners of the various corporations which surely represent wicked capitalism in the extreme (unless they have a big insurance policy and an asbestos problem).
Posted by: Fast Freddy | Sep 21 2014 22:47 utc | 48
@23 somebody
What is the NYT trying to tell us?
Look at Kirkpatricks previous article in the NYT. The NYT's is trying to tell us that the Shia militias fighting ISIS are really just temporary situational friends, that they really hate the US and Israel. This sets the stage for the USG to opportunistically turn on them at some point, probably after taking out Assad. The USG will excuse its demarchment by claiming they're just trying to protect Sunnis in western Iraq from violent Shia militias.
Posted by: ess emm | Sep 21 2014 23:18 utc | 50
some one once said that, despite their know-nothing attitude towards world affairs, you can tell the American people are not stupid by the way they can recite sports trivia.
That would be Noam Chomsky…there was a reprint of that interview the other day on Alternet.
Posted by: paulmeli | Sep 21 2014 23:49 utc | 51
Something else Chomsky said in that interview:
"The right to lie in the service of power is guarded with considerable vigor and passion."
Posted by: paulmeli | Sep 21 2014 23:53 utc | 52
Fud seems to me to derive from Gaelic for "pussy" (sl.) hence similarity to puta (Esp), putaine (Fr), puttana (It) etc. Not wholly inappropriate, then...
Posted by: Cortes | Sep 21 2014 23:59 utc | 53
Fud seems to me to derive from Gaelic for "pussy" (sl.) hence similarity to puta (Esp), putaine (Fr), puttana (It) etc. Not wholly inappropriate, then...
Posted by: Cortes | Sep 21, 2014 7:59:00 PM | 53
certainly not inappropriate for describing MOA thread-rats. It's like "FUD central" there, most days.
Posted by: blowme | Sep 22 2014 0:11 utc | 54
In the "nobody's perfect" department. Chomsky is a subscriber to the official government 9ll boilerplate.
Makes him a gatekeeper of the status quo inasmuch as he chooses to defend that gigantic whopper.
Posted by: Fast Freddy | Sep 22 2014 0:22 utc | 55
@54 slow day of trolling for the many-times banned f/o/f/f I guess.
This is why we at least have to show Cold Hole some respect - he participates in his own way. Cold Hole is sort of the scum floating on top of the troll barrel. f/o/f/f here @54 is what you get by scraping the bottom of it.
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 22 2014 0:22 utc | 56
somebody@42
The Islamic State's goal is to conquer all of the ME and unify it under the caliphate and this includes Turkey no matter what the Ruling Class Turks may want. Why would the IS be attacking the Kurds and Baghdad if they were trying to divide Iraq, they already control the majority Sunni parts of the country.
The story about Christians in Raqqa does report the reason they are leaving, they don't like paying their Jizya taxes just as the Christians from Mosul refused to comply and fled. It seems that many of these people see this conflict as an opportunity to claim refugee status and immigrate to the US and Europe, the unverified horror stories add urgency to their claims. This is not new, these groups have been under pressure and attack since the US invadad in '03 and many of their people collaborated with the occupying enemy forces.
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Sep 22 2014 1:56 utc | 57
"The Islamic State's goal is to conquer all of the ME and unify it under the caliphate and this includes Turkey'
This is such laughable hyperbole. Its classic "to not see the forest for the tree".
If you focus on ISIS goals, instead of what they can actually do (and what they are actually doing) not to mention what their existence offers others to do to them and to the region - then you're just prendere lucciole per lanterne ("mistaking fireflies for lanterns").
Sure, ISIS might "want" to conquer a NATO-ally of 80 million people... but do you think its likely?
Somebody may not be exactly right, but he is certainly more right than WayOutWest.
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 22 2014 2:32 utc | 58
@55 If you want to get into what Chomsky thinks about 9/11, I'd suggest reading this.
I would skip the author's intro entirely and just read the email exchange. This is not an endorsement of the site either.I'm personally an admirer of Chomsky's work.
Just read the exchange to see who you feel is right on the issue - and wether you feel that Chomsky actually believes "the government is telling the truth" or if his derision for the 9/11 Truth Movement comes has some other basis entirely.
I'm not saying either is right. I have my own opinions on all of this.
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 22 2014 3:06 utc | 59
Nah
Colden is welcomed here because you morons need someone that you can beat in an argument, otherwise you might realise how moronic you actually are, and lose all hope.
Colden perfoms a sort of social service for clueless knobheads like gimp77, helping such pathetic rimjob merchants avoid dealing with the reality of their own complete vacuousness
Posted by: blowMe | Sep 22 2014 6:03 utc | 60
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Sep 21, 2014 9:56:24 PM | 57
There are things like stated goals and hidden agendas, and fools used as tools, right? Like any PR department, I suggest the PR department of ISIS is lying.
How can ISIS members be sure what they are doing when their leadership is clandestine, their orders cannot be questioned as a cleric justifies them as divine and a different opinion is punished by death? How can you prove divine will (hint: people with very different agendas, point of views and interest claim to know it, how do you know who is right, if any, or maybe you end up following a sick person crazed by torture?)
So the Christians leave because their religion tells them to live and act in a different way, how can you be sure their religion is not right?
Posted by: somebody | Sep 22 2014 8:14 utc | 63
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Sep 21, 2014 9:56:24 PM | 57
And if you think any country is afraid of ISIS, think again. They are taking their time fighting the group doing all kind of side deals in between.
Power is only frightened when power is threatened. ISIL threatens civilians not power. Power is quite happy with ISIS as frightened civilians will accept anything just to get protection. It's like the relation between the wolf and the sheperd dog. sheperd dogs are rarely used to kill wolves - the sheperd has a gun. They are used to keep the sheep in line. But should the owner of the farm cut the pay of the sheperd a few lucky wolves will get fresh sheep.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 22 2014 8:55 utc | 64
There it is
New York Times - Anne Barnard -
Though Adversaries on the Surface, U.S. and Hezbollah Share a Goal
So Israel does prefer Hezbollah and Syria on its border?
Posted by: somebody | Sep 22 2014 9:36 utc | 65
@64 Power is only frightened when power is threatened. ISIL threatens civilians not power.
Anyone killing innocents is on the payroll. But when one of these fellows is filmed in an orange jumpsuit, then...
Interesting article , in French and behind paywall
"Je le sais de source sûre : il y a bien eu un marché entre les Kurdes et l’État islamique qui prévoyait le partage des territoires conquis sur l’armée irakienne, les Kurdes s’octroyant une partie des territoires disputés et Kirkouk, et les djihadistes ayant Mossoul et d’autres territoires. À partir de juillet, au moment où l’avancée des djihadistes vers Bagdad a été arrêtée par les milices chiites et l'armée, les djihadistes ont rendu les Kurdes responsables de l’échec de leur plan commun de prendre Bagdad en tenaille, et l’accord a été dénoncé. Il y a eu une convergence d’intérêts manifeste avant que les deux protagonistes n’en viennent à se combattre."
Posted by: Mina | Sep 22 2014 10:58 utc | 67
Posted by: Mina | Sep 22, 2014 6:58:29 AM | 67
Yes, that is the impression I got. The US was ok with what was happening until ISIS attacked their interests in Erbil.
And ISIS/Baathists do plan for a state, they need oil income for that.
The link between Camp Bucca and ISIS leaders - Al Akhbar - in detail.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 22 2014 11:38 utc | 68
It is possible that the plan depended on the US supporting the independence of Kurdistan and that Iran, Iraq, Russia and China were able to nix it. It is also possible that Saudi nixed it as it would surely have lead to the independence of their own Eastern oil rich region. It is also possible that internal Kurdish disagreement nixed it.
For some reason the BBC suddenly started reporting this year on Saudi Arabia's hidden uprising.
Should the US have succeeded in this manoeuvre, all they needed then would be a deal with Iran to have "friendly access" to most of the oil in the Middle East.
The plan might still be on. That's why the media switches between different serious threats in different regions of the Middle East.
In case there is Saudi / Iranian agreement because of victorious Houthis a lot of facts might come out about CIA involvement in the Middle East.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 22 2014 12:06 utc | 69
@69 I think only Israel has a vested interest in an independent Kurdistan which would be a threat to Jordan too, too many ideas without a king. I think early on Israel recognized Assad or more accurately his regime falling would be bad.
Part of the problem is the machinery was in motion when this was realized, and Turkey and the peninsula powers still want their pipeline and to get rid of hot heads.
My guess is the MIC is divided at the permanent government level because it's still a bureaucracy of competing interests (the money spigot for Northern Virginia is going to be shut off which means countless employees with mortgages they can't afford or sell because NoVa is a dump even if they get relocated; these people need to prove their worth), and Obama is legacy building for his library. He needs a win or at least to silence anyone who may have had promises made to them by the U.S. and it's allies.
Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Sep 22 2014 13:58 utc | 70
18;The ownership of most major league teams in any sport are Zionists who have made the connection of military and sports as propaganda to further indoctrinate the watcher into jihadists against victims of Zion.Total collusion,and when I heard the military was going to curtail their relationship with the NFL over this pinkwashing crap,I cheered.Hallelujah!But of course,they won't actually,its more kabuki.
I love pro football,always have,but college football,essentially the pros minor leagues,doesn't thrill me at all,it's not up to snuff.
Ah,the March of the Traitors in Moscow.The MSM tried to say it was a groundswell,but the reports from Russian sources were of a very small contingent,probably the fans of those pussy riot morons who gave the finger to Russia.
Posted by: dahoit | Sep 22 2014 14:04 utc | 71
They clearly planned for Kurdish independence - someone, something nixed it
Dellawar Ajgeiy, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) representative in the European Union capital expressed delight over that omission."Until now, the European Parliament had stressed the importance of the unity of Iraq, but we feel that the reversal means they had to take account of the new realities," he said. "We think it is very positive, because one cannot dictate to Iraqis and Kurds something that is not in their interest."
The joint motion took note of the announcement by the KRG of a planned referendum for independence. The EU “appeals, however, to the parliament and the President of KRG, Massoud Barzani, to uphold an inclusive process in respect of the rights of the non-Kurdish minorities living in the province,” the motion said.
Rudaw has learnt that the United States, France, Italy, Britain, Turkey, Jordan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are among states that have assured KRG officials they would show understanding, should Kurdistan declare independence.
It is very much like Genscher starting the Yugoslav civil war by recognizing Croatia. Of course, everybody starts creating political facts on the grounds then.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 22 2014 15:18 utc | 72
If they seek to manufacture a new menace, they should do their homework first. Khorasan is a Shiite region, and Muhsin is a predominantly Shiite name.
Posted by: AC | Sep 22 2014 15:21 utc | 73
guest@58
Turkey already has an Islamist government, although it is a very corrupt one, that is ripe for internal revolt. Iraq and Syria have a combined population of 54 million so Turkeys somwhat larger population is not any magic protection from the coming changes.
You say I should look at what the Islamic State is doing and I see that they are conquering the Kurdish areas of Syria now on their way to Damascus. This shows that they are not interested in division or ruling enclaves but are internationalists on the road to Jerusalem with stops at all the capitols of the ME.
Posted by: Wayoutwest | Sep 22 2014 15:36 utc | 75
Putin taking a page from Obama, shut down the net, national security. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/19/vladimir-putin-plan-unplug-russia-internet-emergency-kremlin-moscow
Posted by: TikTok | Sep 22 2014 16:43 utc | 76
This just in from the NYT "no shit Sherlock bureau"
"" As Sunni Tribes Sit on Sidelines, U.S. Airstrikes Don’t Halt ISIS
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK 46 minutes ago
After six weeks of Western air support, Iraqi forces have scarcely budged Islamic State fighters from their hold on more than a quarter of the country.""
Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Sep 22 2014 18:04 utc | 77
Posted by: Susan Sunflower | Sep 22, 2014 2:04:51 PM | 77
same news - different information in the Kurdish press
Iraqi Member of Parliament Ali al-Bredi has claimed that Islamic State (IS) militants are using Chlorine gas against Iraqi soldiers in Fallujah.In a press conference on Monday, al-Bredi revealed that IS have killed 300 Iraqi soldiers with chlorine gas.
He said that the militants deployed the gas in the Siqiliya area located of northern Fallujah, a city in Anbar province, about 70 km from the capital of Iraq, Baghdad.
“Responsibility for this lies with Iraqi PM Haidar Abadi and the commander of the forces in Anbar as they failed to rescue the soldiers,” said al-Bredi.
Expanding on the circumstances surrounding the attack, al-Bredi said, “After the insurgents surrounded the Iraqi soldiers, they used chlorine gas to suffocate them before detonating a car bomb, resulting in the death of 300 out of 400 soldiers.”
Al-Bredi also said that before the crime was committed, the soldiers asked for an urgent rescue mission, but were ignored.
Furthermore, on Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry also reiterated US concern over the use of chlorine gas against civilians in Syria and warned President Bashar al-Assad’s regime that it would be held to account.
Also in the Italian press.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 22 2014 18:26 utc | 78
I remember this from some 90s cartoon. Wasn't it called COBRA?
Posted by: ThePaper | Sep 22 2014 19:21 utc | 79
somebody, from http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/185372#!
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday warned the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad that it would be held to account for using chlorine gas against civilians.
According to AFP, Kerry pointed to a report by the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that concluded with "a high degree of confidence" that chlorine has been used systematically and repeatedly as a weapon in northern Syria.
His comments came as Damascus said it had turned over all its chemical weapons, had cooperated fully with the OPCW and adhered to the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Kerry noted that the OPCW report had cited witness reports that helicopters were used in the chlorine gas attacks, which he said "strongly points to Syrian culpability" because the rebels do not have helicopters.
The report also mentioned that there were additional attacks in August which witnesses said resembled those in which chlorine gas use was confirmed, Kerry said, according to AFP.
"This finding, coupled with deep concerns regarding the accuracy and completeness of Syria's declaration to the OPCW, raises especially troubling concerns that continued chemical attacks on the Syrian people by the regime could occur," he said.
"The United States is gravely concerned about the findings in this report, which point to a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention," added Kerry. "The Assad regime must know that it will be held to account for such use in the international community."
Activists in Syria said several months ago that over 100 people had been killed in a chlorine gas attack in the town of Talmenes in Idlib province, and the United Nations Security Council has called for an investigation into the alleged attack. Since then there were reports of other such attacks.
Posted by: okie farmer | Sep 22 2014 20:28 utc | 80
chinese navy moving to gulf......isis versus the rest of the arabs..........all good,the noose is tightening
Posted by: jub | Sep 22 2014 21:38 utc | 82
Ah,FUD.His solution was to go to army surplus and pick up a tewwowist detector.Sorry,couldn't help it,looney tunes was one of my cultural touchstones.
Posted by: dahoit | Sep 22 2014 22:05 utc | 83
Ah blow me, blow/Me.
You're the saddest sack of shit that's ever logged into a TOR node.
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 23 2014 4:07 utc | 84
At WayOutYonder:
I thought the Khorasan thing was interesting as I took it to mean they intended to liberate this Arab area of Perisa (that it is full of Shia, not withstanding).
If we do take that ISIS is meant to battle Iran, then what better way that to "liberate" an "oppressed" Arab area under Persian rule?
A US-backed ISIS can always play the role that US-backed Saddam played: invader of Iran and defender of the Shatt al-Arab.
_______________________________
You say I should look at what the Islamic State is doing and I see that they are conquering the Kurdish areas of Syria now on their way to Damascus. This shows that they are not interested in division or ruling enclaves but are internationalists on the road to Jerusalem with stops at all the capitols of the ME.
On their way to Damascus? They've just been chased out of it. And no - they show no indication of being Jerusalem bound Except in your endless "warnings".
These guys are stuck in the middle of a vast desert, with only their reputation as heart eaters and beheaders saving them from certain death. They should one thing to battle Israel (instead being treated at their hospitals) if they want to prove...something. But it won't change that they surely are mostly out to kill Muslims.
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 23 2014 4:17 utc | 85
@85 - I screwed that up. The bottom part is for WayOutWest, the top is just a general post.
Posted by: guest77 | Sep 23 2014 4:18 utc | 86
Lol
Like pretty much everything you put your hand to, evar
Posted by: blowMe | Sep 23 2014 9:13 utc | 87
This reporting about the iranian "Khorasan" could also serve another purpose. The neocons still "don't like" the fact that the US is reaching out to Iran.
http://consortiumnews.com/2014/09/21/neocons-grow-frantic-over-iran-progress/
Is Iran next on the list, after Assad is gone and the lebanese Hezbollah has been destroyed ?
Posted by: Willy2 | Sep 23 2014 13:16 utc | 88
Oops. According to one newspaper I read "Khorasan" was "iranian backed" but that could have been a mistake.
Posted by: Willy2 | Sep 23 2014 13:21 utc | 89
Posted by: TikTok | Sep 22, 2014 12:43:51 PM | 76
why post the Guardian? its british state media
Posted by: brian | Sep 23 2014 23:00 utc | 90
at 1 million a pop,[1] pentagon has been raining tomahawk missiles on empty buildings ? [2]
no wonder obomber boasted of zero collateral damage !
hehehehe
who'd u think might have tipped off the isis ;-)
[1]
http://space4peace.blogspot.sg/2014/09/paper-enemy.html
Posted by: denk | Sep 25 2014 4:02 utc | 91
@ b Reference Korasan
From Angry Arab:
http://angryarab.blogspot.ca/2014/09/lies-of-obama-administration-there-is.html
Lies of the Obama administration: there is no such thing as the Khorasan organization
Suddenly, this week, the New York Times dutifully carried an article based on administration claims about this horrific terrorist organization called Khorasan. This article in As-Safir exposes the lies of the US administration: that there is no such thing as Khorasan: and those who are referred to as leaders of Khorasan are in fact none other than leaders of Nusrah Front. Khorasan merely refers to Al-Qa`idah operatives and cadres dispatched by Ayman Dhadawhiri to join Nusrah Front. The reason why the US suddenly declared the existence of this organization is to create a fake distinction between it and between Nurrah Front which is a close allies of its "moderate Syrian rebels" and to members of the American coalition of loyal Arab states.
PS Nusrah Front a few hours ago confirmed that no such organization exists.
Posted by: Yul | Sep 25 2014 16:01 utc | 92
The comments to this entry are closed.
The problem for the TSA is that in the near future A LOT OF people LESS will fly. Then the TSA is out of work as well.
Posted by: Willy2 | Sep 21 2014 11:21 utc | 1