If bombing a country really made it better, we would have made a paradise of Iraq by now. Instead it is a total disaster, with access to electricity, drinking water, education and health services all far worse than they were before we started bombing it. That is even without the growth of the Caliphate, or ISIS, a direct result first of our deposing Saddam and conniving in the intolerant Shia rule of Maliki, and then of our connivance in arming and funding anyone willing to fight Assad.
So now we are told we have to bomb Iraq yet again, and this time, finally, that will make it all better. There are two extraordinary contradictions in the British position.
1) The justification in international law given by the neo-cons for the current bombing of Iraq is that it is at the invitation of the government of Iraq. But simultaneously they propose to bomb Syria to attack the government of Syria. This is the most astonishing hypocrisy.
2) The Caliphate forces were encouraged and trained by the CIA initially. They continue to be massively financed from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. In fact, the Caliphate is still funded to a massive degree from the very states who are currently bombing them alongside the United States – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. It is the ruling families of those states which are attacking ISIS in an official capacity, who are financing ISIS in a private capacity. The BBC manages to avoid any mention of Saudi funding for ISIS. The interests of the City of London are, as always, the most important factor for the British establishment.
The security state here in the UK needs the “War on Terror” to justify its continued existence and the power and jobs of those who administer it. One thing that is certain to keep the conflict going, and thus keep the security state going, is for us to start bombing the Middle East again.
The right wing old crawler Menzies Campbell just came on the BBC to support British bombing. Stand by to see the Unionist parties united in neo-imperialist brotherhood.
The decadent international but individualistic capitalism in the hands of which we found ourselves after the war is not a success. It is not intelligent. It is not beautiful. It is not just. It is not virtuous. And it doesn’t deliver the goods.
John Maynard Keynes
Britains points of entry are in no way prepared for Ebola, RoS. lets assume that a single infected person manages to evade the flight checks and gets on to a plane, once in flight all the air gets recycled, there are interactions with stewards, not to speak of walking up and down the plane.
______________________________
Nevermind.
The thing is what do we the public actually know about Ebola, not much, we know what the press and media tell us, which is how deadly Ebola is. Yet the masked slipped when the news reported that Ebola wasn’t an airborne contagion, and that you had more chance of catching the flu, an airborne contagion,granted Ebola is far more deadly than the flu.
Even though I say this, I agree the UK isn’t quite prepared for such an outbreak.
Andromeda Strain is still the premiere (after 40 years) statement on man playing with fire in the bio arena.
Except it costs billions to develop a new drug and the ebola virus has only affected a few thousand people and they haven’t got any money.
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FRED
So we’re told, but in reality it could just be a variant on an older drug, which could be much cheaper to produce, also countries may not use the drug, but may well stock large quantities of it just in case
Ebola has one advantage; killing it’s host quickly. The baddest part is incubation period is 2-21 days with an average of 5-7, during which the carrier can infect others.
So far the Spanish Influenza was the worst.
SKY news currently reporting that the UK will increase its involvement in the fight against the Islamic State. Not in my name.
Meanwhile Sky news also reporting that ISL have beheaded a French man.
Latest from Media Lens
“The Purpose And The Pretence – Bombing Isis”
http://medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=776:the-purpose-and&catid=52:alerts-2014&Itemid=245
Dre; From your link.
“Absent from most media coverage is the recognition that these conflicts have been characterised by appalling violence on all sides. A curious omission, given that the same media have focused intensively on gruesome atrocities committed, for example, by the pro-Assad ‘shabiha’ militia in Syria, alleged to have been responsible for the May 2012 Houla massacre.”
This needs to be said; Assad is a bastard, but he’s not the West’s bastard. Deflecting troll whinging 24/7.
https://news.vice.com/article/uk-parliament-expected-to-debate-iraq-airstrikes-as-cameron-warns-you-cant-opt-out-of-fight
The British parliament is expected to be recalled to debate involvement in airstrikes against the Islamic State, it has been reported, as Prime Minister David Cameron insisted that the fight against the extremist group bidding to create a caliphate in the Middle East was not one anyone could “opt out of.”
The BBC reported that the parliament was likely to be convened on Friday to discuss Britain’s role in military efforts in Iraq and Syria, though no official confirmation has yet been made. Britain has so far been hesitant to commit resources to the international coalition carrying out airstrikes against the group, with Cameron reportedly frustrated at the lack of support for such a move from lawmakers.
“Still, fine. If Assad gets knocked back in that sector, Israel can expect a lot worse than Qassams, fired by a wholeheartedly hostile IS. With room to move. I expect we’ll be putting boots on the ground around then.”
Hmmmm,Ba’al, there is not much evidence that this should happen. I think we might not be surprised at all to find that IS has some strange allies, not just among Wahabi’s and salafists.
Would IS be wanting allies in their fight against Shia Iran? Has it been put up to such scenario during its inception? Who designed IS’s course through the middle east, seemingly following the wishlist of western powers?
surely, Iran will be on IS radar, a discourse to come and Israel will be very happy to find a stooge to lighten the fuse.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-29342142
“New gas and water technologies could add decades to the lifespan of oil reserves in the North Sea, according to Edinburgh researchers.
Good thing all this didn’t come out a couple of weeks ago!
The reason the Iraqi Air Force can’t do it’s own bombing is because the UK/US got rid of it in 2003 and hadn’t replaced it by the time they left. Iraq asked the US to bomb IS a few months ago. They couldn’t do it themselves as they’d had the means taken from them. And the US said no.
If the UK wants to help then it should help the Iraqis by helping provide them with the aircraft they need. Not send the RAF in.
The second UK hostage is clearly about to be executed…
‘The second UK hostage is clearly about to be executed…’
So we are committing our country to war on the back of three beheadings and some other cruelties committed.
We are being subjected to the worst propaganda pssible and the taxi driver will create the outcry they are waiting for.
three beheadings and the call from a new unstable stooge Government in Iraq are the combined reasons Cameron wants to go to war for.
I think he’s got other reasons as well, he fears defeast and wants to postpone the elections, the devolution, devo max. Two insurmountable problems solved with another little earner for the Unionist arms manufacturers, a big fat thank you lads to them.
IS is helping to get Obama going, he’s not only Israel’s bitch, IS is as well. Why is Israel supporting Al Nusra against Syria? who are they placating saving them from being bombed?
this whole story is one allmighty make up.
what a coward
To the extent that the unionist parties in Scotland wish to influence current UK politics, their best course would be to declare against bombing Iraq or Syria; and against Trident. It’s almost certainly what the majority of Scottish Labour and Scottish LibDem voters want. Scottish political parties that continue to be subservient to their UK parent parties are in effect giving up engagement on major political issues that matter whether one wants Scotland to be independent or to continue as part of the UK.
[Accidentally posted on an earlier thread.]
When the video of the latest victim appears, see if SITE is the purveyor.
Iain;
Just when you thought you were out, they pulled you back in—Godfather.
I heard someone, I think it was a Tory MP, on Rado 4 saying that the problem with IS now is due to the fact that Assad wasn’t bombed last year. His reasoning was ridiculous. The obvious that bombing Assad would have helped IS escaped him.
Its all to do with never being wrong. They have to come up with some preposterous mental contortion to justify how they were right to want to bomb Assad last year. And they were right to invade Iraq creating IS in 2003 in the first place.
They can’t be wrong. And they never learn.
Boots on the ground drumbeat.
“Pentagon officials downplayed the chances of last night’s airstrikes against Raqqa, the ISIS capital if Syria, having a serious impact on the group’s day-to-day operations, with Lt. Gen. William Mayville Jr. saying ISIS will quickly adapt to the air war and rebound from any losses suffered overnight.”
http://news.antiwar.com/2014/09/23/pentagon-isis-will-rebound-from-us-airstrikes/
in 1980 Jakob von Uexküll sold his stamp-collection and founded an ‘alternative’ Nobel prize in Sweden. The half-million kroner Right Livelihood Award is awarded to an individual who works on practical solutions to the most pressing problems of our time. This year the award will be offered to Edward Snowden, in an ‘honorary manner’
Snowden will thus not directly receive any money, but the foundation will offer to pay his legal bills
back to the wars
Fred:
“Would it explain this quote from Project for the New American Century, signed by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz), Jeb Bush, Lewis Libby and others from the GW Bush government which invaded Iraq 3 years later?”
Well yes. If three nuclear warheads had gone walkabouts Dick Cheney would have been Secretary for Defence at the time, Wofowitz Under Secretary and legally obliged to inform the UN.
So before they were in government, Cheney et al are signatories to a document which says it is imperative for the USA to invade Iraq regardless of Saddam’s behaviour, then when they gain the power to actually order such an invasion, Saddam gives them a cast-iron excuse to do so. How very lucky for them.
…. in fact as lucky as Obama, itching to bomb Syria and now ISIS has conveniently given him the excuse.
Well Said Craig…Great Posts people…
Ishmael Stick aroon Please i have enjoyed your insights 🙂
Nevermind i left you my Fone No
“Humanitarian Air Strikes” against Syria: U.S. Breaks International Law, Again –
http://www.globalresearch.ca/humanitarian-air-strikes-against-syria-u-s-breaks-international-law-again/5404014
This is where it all went wrong and why the Yanks are hell-bent on creating WWIII.
scgnews.com/the-geopolitics-of-world-war-iii/
“In 1973 under the shadow of the artificial OPEC oil crisis, the Nixon administration began secret negotiations with the government of Saudi Arabia to establish what came to be referred to as the petrodollar recycling system. Under the arrangement the Saudis would only sell their oil in U.S. dollars, and would invest the majority of their excess oil profits into U.S. banks and Capital markets. The IMF would then use this money to facilitate loans to oil importers who were having difficulties covering the increase in oil prices. The payments and interest on these loans would of course be denominated in U.S. dollars.”
and
“The Federal Reserve was now free to increase the money supply at will. The ever increasing demand for oil would would prevent a flight from the dollar, while distributing the inflationary consequences across the entire planet.
The dollar went from being a gold back currency to a oil backed currency. It also became America’s primary export.
Did you ever wonder how the U.S. economy has been able to stay afloat while running multibillion dollar trade deficits for decades?
Did you ever wonder how it is that the U.S. holds such a disproportionate amount of the worlds wealth when 70% of the U.S. economy is consumer based?
In the modern era, fossil fuels make the world go round. They have become integrated into every aspect of civilization: agriculture, transportation, plastics, heating, defense and medicine, and demand just keeps growing and growing.
As long as the world needs oil, and as long as oil is only sold in U.S. dollars, there will be a demand for dollars, and that demand is what gives the dollar its value.”
This link might work.
http://scgnews.com/the-geopolitics-of-world-war-iii?
@ Brian. Indeed you have, and I txt you.
“…. in fact as lucky as Obama, itching to bomb Syria and now ISIS has conveniently given him the excuse.”
Has Obama bombed any government held areas of Syria?
As the article I’ve just linked states only one newspaper mentioned that the Security Council had approved measures in 2000 for Iraq to change from dealing in US petrodollars in favour of Euros.
http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/10/30/iraq.un.euro.reut/
What an enlightening article that corroborates my comment of 23 Sep, 2014 – 10:49 pm that oil is still behind everything the Yanks (NATO) do.
Has Obama bombed any government held areas of Syria?
I don’t know and neither do you. He will do if he hasn’t already. That’s the whole point.
I wonder what that cunt Aaronovitch is saying to ME Turkey Shoot redux part X the return of the revenge.
The corporate media fluffers and the politicians are just bouncing off each other now. It’s quite a show. Unfortunately, most viewers/readers are transfixed by it. What was that Pinter quote about a highly successful act of hypnosis?
ISIS is the biggest swizz since left-handed screwdrivers, brought to you by Reserve Currency Productions.
If you can’t see the USA’s long term game-plan here, then you’re dumber than a box of rocks.
“I don’t know and neither do you. He will do if he hasn’t already. That’s the whole point.”
Well lets wait and see shall we?