It turns out that the CIA has realised for years that drone attacks are of very limited utility. Like so many of the injustices of the “War on Terror”, they are in fact a driver for armed hatred of the West, not least because they kill more civilians than targets.
But of course, the “war on terror” is very much about boosting the standing of politicians who are “fighting terror” on behalf of their citizens, and about boosting the ever-inflating powers – and budgets – of the security services. SO counterproductive measures are, paradoxically, the most attractive to those whose aim is not to obtain peace, but rather to maintain the concentration of power and finance consequent upon an eternal state of phoney war.
The BBC World Service is being financially outgunned by Russian and Chinese state-owned news channels, its former director Peter Horrocks has warned, amid high-level concerns that Britain and the US are losing a global “information war” with the Kremlin.
Horrocks said ministers should review Britain’s spending overseas and consider freeing up extra World Service funding to combat the wave of Moscow-backed propaganda sweeping Europe.
“Medium to long term there has to be an anxiety about the spending of others compared to what the BBC are putting into it,” Horrocks said.
“You can take a view of the overall national interest and things we spend on international influence, like military spending. When you look at that it would take it in a certain direction.”
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/dec/21/bbc-world-service-information-war-russia-today
…………………………
Looks like the the corrupt state broadcaster could be losing the propaganda war.
After decades of shouting its lies the loudest, the government broadcaster is in a position where it be drowned out in the war of words.
n the clearest indication of the growing dangers threatening Al-Aqsa Mosque, in an opinion piece published on Saturday, Haaretz discussed a group of rabbis who met to discuss the scheme for the establishment of the Third Temple on the ruins of the mosque. The newspaper published a photograph of a number of rabbis and engineers studying a map of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In a piece written by Professor Ronnie Ellenblum entitled “Bells are ringing for the ultra-Orthodox and Secular” [hebrew], the paper discussed the future of Al-Aqsa Mosque which Jews refer to as the Temple Mount.
Although the paper did not identify the rabbis who appeared in the picture, one of them has been identified as Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, president of the Temple Institute, a religious authority that is considered the most enthusiastic about destroying Al-Aqsa Mosque and establishing a temple on its ruins.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/15922-rabbis-plan-to-build-temple-on-al-aqsa-ruins
………………………………
That lot are desperate to get their hands on the site.
Overnight, my NPR radio station plays BBC news. So I have the radio on in my bedroom while I’m in bed and hear a good deal of what they report during my moments of wakefulness. Then, after I get up, I listen to NPR news until Democracy Now! begins at 8 AM, when I listen to that. After I get to work, I listen to Democracy Now! and then RT in the office while I work. There’s no comparison. Democracy Now! and RT are vastly superior to the other two.
Putin has invested very wisely in RT. RT can’t be trusted when it deals with Russian issues, but most of the issues that it deals with are not Russian. It deals with the scandals of the U.S. and allied governments, and on that it has proved very trustworthy.
A thousand of the vile trolls on this blog are not worth one Dr Mads Gilbert who has love in his heart.
MH370 was ‘shot down by US military’, claims former French airline boss
‘A former French airline CEO Marc Dugain claims that the US may have shot down Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 and then covered it up, adding to a rash of conflicting theories about the missing plane.
In a six-page article published by French weekly Paris Match, Dugain claims that the Boeing 777 may have got into trouble and as it was approaching the US military base on the British territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, it was shot down. US forces may have feared the plane was attempting a 9/11 style attack on the base, Dugain said.
“It’s an extremely powerful military base. It’s surprising that the Americans have lost all trace of this aircraft. Without getting into conspiracy theories, it is a possibility that the Americans stopped this plane,” Dugain said, English-language website The Local reported Friday.’
http://rt.com/news/216675-mh370-shot-down-us/
Armond White sounds a nasty piece of work. He referred to Steve McQueen the British film director as “an embarrassing doorman and garbage man”.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/08/steve-mcqueen-new-york-critics-circle-apology
The New York Critics’ Circle of which White is a member have apologized for the remarks.
Who is White – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armond_White
Uk Labour asking (almost begging) Rev, Stu Campbell for a cash donation, Oh the chutzpah, of ed Miliband.
Meanwhile his Scottish lacky manager, is looking to raise £1 million quid to fight his corner in the 2015 GE.
I can’t donating £1 million to Blairite Murphy, even the unions backed Neil Findlay, so he won’t get their cash either.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/god-loves-an-optimist/#more-64770
VIP child abuse whistleblowers were ‘murdered’: MP says men were poised to lift lid on scandal.
Mystery deaths probe ‘may expose child abuse ring’:
Talking of David Miliband, I don’t ever want to see any of these torturing people in power again in this country. Gordon Brown’s second shuffle:
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP
The Rt Hon David Miliband MP
The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP
The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP
The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
The Rt Hon The Lord Mandelson
The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
The Rt Hon John Hutton MP
The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP
The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP
The Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
The Rt Hon James Purnell MP
The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP
The Rt Hon The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon PC
The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
The Rt Hon John Denham MP
The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
The Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP
The Rt Hon Nick Brown MP
The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP
The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP
The Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP
The Rt Hon The Lord Malloch-Brown KCMG PC
The Rt Hon The Lord Drayson PC
The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
The Rt Hon The Baroness Scotland of Asthal PC QC
The Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP
The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP
A veritable blizzard of “posts” from Mary, Republicofscotland and Lysias.
Christmas bonuses?
RepublicOfBrazenLies writes (to Resident Dissident):
“Erm! I think you’ll find Habb is the Zionist infiltraitor, and he has no qualms about showing it.
He seems to agree with you..”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
But Habbabkuk wrote (at 14h04):
“It is clear from his posts… that “Republicofscotland”… is either barking mad or an infiltrator (BUT NOT A ZIONIST ONE)” (emphasis added).
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
There are lies, damned lies….and “Republicofscotland”. 🙂
I made my last post before seeing Mark Golding’s effort on treason from within. The irony is somewhat overpowering.
Considering the irony, bitterness and derision of your last comment to me I will now only write in the third person in that his statement was irresistible, seductive in fact, for one sincere to the established norms.
Nonetheless the benchmark for the traditional, the conventional is evolving. Only a fool remains static in their thinking.
To illustrate this with a view to our own journey here, the paradox that is the heart-breaking (I did cry) downing of MH17 is now a certainty as truth succeeds.
A treasonous British Broadcasting Company (BBC) implied it was a Russian BUK supplied using picture and images to make their case (remember the Iraq picture to illustrate Syrian massacre) Oh the irony!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29109398
At my own time and choosing I will reveal a statement OF TRUTH from the Ukraine pilot who shot down Malaysian Airlines passenger plane MH17 over the rebel-held eastern part of the country last summer.
Here is a preview:
http://rt.com/news/216871-ukraine-military-mh17-report/
RepublicOfBrazenLies writes (to Resident Dissident):
“Erm! I think you’ll find Habb is the Zionist infiltraitor, and he has no qualms about showing it.
He seems to agree with you..”
__________________________
Habb
I think you’ll find my comment at 9.51 pm was directed to ANON, and not Resident Dissident.
Unless of course you’ve just blown RD cover, which seems likely, after all you’re a dithering old fool, or have your formulated thoughts turned into a full blown bowel movement.
I served my youth in the military. I know you cannot mistake a commercial airliner flying at 23,000 feet from an SU25. Shame on you Denmark for denial. Shame on you agent Cameron for suggesting[Daily Mirror] Russia supplied pro-Russian rebels with the BUK when you know it was the Ukraine airforce THAT FIRED THE CATASTROPHIC projectile.
Shame on you President Obama, you bastard, for blaming Russia.
Mr Doug Trappett will be Australia’s first resident Ambassador to Ukraine.
Mr Trappett’s appointment coincides with the first visit to Australia by a President of Ukraine. His Excellency President Petro Poroshenko is currently visiting Australia.
The Prime Minister thanked President Poroshenko for Ukraine’s support following the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in which all 298 on board died, including 38 Australians.
The appointment of Australia’s first resident Ambassador to Ukraine will facilitate continued cooperation between our two countries, including on the international investigations on MH17 currently underway.
I hope Mr Trappett, as his name suggests, will expose this ruse and deliver some sort of completion to the 38 bereaving Australian families whose lives have been destroyed by this “appalling, shocking, horrific incident” – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10975874/MH17-plane-crash-David-Cameron-urges-those-responsible-for-downing-jet-to-be-held-to-account.html
https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-12-12/first-resident-ambassador-ukraine
Mark I see Trappett is being accommodated by the Canadian embassy in Kiev.
How nice to see members of the USUKIsNATO axis working together so nicely.
http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2014/jb_mr_141212.aspx
Mary @ 12;44
Thanks. it was only a few weeks ago ( 29th Nov ) that we had a minute’s Silence at the 45 rally Edinburgh, the one Craig was speaking at;.
We had a 6 minute Silence, and lit some candles outside the bbc in Glasgow today, at occupy bbc demo, with Anonymous – i took some video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbtD8v7EEi8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJqDrTeqNrM
Well done Brian. The two policemen must have been a bit edgy.
Photos here – http://www.demotix.com/news/6536698/protest-staged-bbc-scotland-offices-against-bias-and-cover-ups#media-6537058
@Giyane:
That’s a bit unfair on John Denham. He resigned from his post in 2003 in protest at the upcoming war on Iraq.
Thank you Mary
I hadn’t seen those fotos… great images there exists one of me That didn’t take myself Lol
i wonder what Oblivious passers by must have been thinking..all these Masked people.. sitting in total Silence for Six minutes.
i Hope you get a good nights rest Mary… Dream of Wonders
From lysias’ quote, 23 Dec 9:12 pm:
So sexual abuse of children, and murder, have been concealed as a matter of national security. I’d suspected so for years, but seeing it in black and white is still shocking.
Staggering.
“The government has spent $1.6 trillion on warfare since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington – a staggering sum that works out to about $337 million a day every day for the past 13 years. By contrast, the U.S. spent $341 billion of inflation-adjusted dollars waging war on North Korea between 1950 and 1953, $38 billion on the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1975, and $102 billion on the first Persian Gulf War.
This new total is about half a trillion dollars more than when the CRS last tried estimating the overall cost in 2010. The entire tab for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom and related military action was placed on the government’s credit card. In other words, the money going to the war through a special “Overseas Contingency Account” was added directly to the federal debt.
“All of these figures do not take into account the long-term consequences, in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder or long-term veterans’ bills,” said Gordon Adams, a professor of international relations and military history at American University. “The costs go on. Iraq and Afghanistan will end up being the gift that keeps on giving because – as we did with Vietnam – we will be living with the consequences for many, many years.”
Related: Can the U.S. Defeat ISIS Without a War Powers Deal?
The $1.1 trillion omnibus spending package passed by Congress and signed by President Obama sets aside $554 billion for defense spending through next Sept. 30, including $490 billion for running the Pentagon and buying weapons and $64 billion for the war effort. That total represents an $18 billion decrease from fiscal 2014 spending, according to the Military Times, reflecting Obama’s drawdown of troops from Afghanistan as he tries – not always successfully – to wind down that episode of the war on terrorism.
The new CRS report found that slightly more than half the $1.6 trillion in total spending went to military operations in Iraq, where allied forces toppled Saddam Hussein’s regime and then waged war for years in a desperate effort to prop up a new government. An additional $686 billion was spent on U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, which began with U.S. forces seeking to hunt down Osama bin Laden and others behind the 9/11 attacks.
The wars seem to go on forever – though overall U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq began to decline at the tail end of President George W. Bush’s second term and early on in the Obama administration. Over time, annual war costs declined from a peak of $195 billion in FY2008 to $95 billion enacted in FY2014, the CRS said.
Under the latest timetable outlined by Obama last May, the 32,000 American troops now in Afghanistan will drop to 9,800 after this year. That number would then be cut in half by the end of 2015. If all goes as planned, there would be only a small residual force to protect the embassy in Kabul by the end of 2016. At the height of American involvement, in 2011, the U.S. had 101,000 troops there.
Related: McCain Moves Center Stage on War and Foreign Policy
The withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq began in December 2007 with the end of the so-called troop surge. It was completed by December 2011, which technically brought an end to the Iraq War. The number of U.S. military forces in Iraq peaked at 170,300 in November 2007. Yet with security conditions deteriorating, U.S. forces returned last summer under a new Iraq Status of Force agreement.
With al-Qaeda and the Taliban still a deadly force in Afghanistan and ISIS claiming vast swaths of Iraq and Syria, the Obama administration and Congress are bracing for what may be a much longer engagement in the Middle East.
“It’s like we cannot get out of there,” said Adams, the military expert. “The entire Afghan army and police force rely on U.S. and other international dollars for their salaries. And the Iraqis are going to rely on us for aerial bombardments to deal with the ISIS crisis.”
Adams added, “This long-term crisis is in part a direct outgrowth of the U.S.’s decision particularly to take down Saddam Hussein. We’re going to live with that for God knows how many years because it created an instability in the heart of the region that is now spilling over everywhere.”
Related: The War Against ISIS Will Explode Our Nation’s Debt
Last week, a Pentagon official said that since August, the government has spent more than $1 billion on airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and parts of Syria. The administration also said it was deploying another 1,300 troops to Iraq as advisers, bringing to 3,000 the total number of U.S. advisory troops in Iraq.
Obama has vowed not to send in ground troops to try to weed out or destroy ISIS, but Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and many other leading Republicans say it will be impossible to defeat ISIS with airstrikes alone.”
http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2014/12/23/Endless-16-Trillion-War-Terror
RoS
“The BBC World Service is being financially outgunned by Russian and Chinese state-owned news channels, its former director Peter Horrocks has warned,”
No. The BBC World Service has dumbed itself down to the extent of being irrelevant. That is a policy decision not a budget one.
They realised that us idiots were taking benefit from their nightime broadcasts and learning stuff we’re not supposed to know about from the horses’s mouth.
Peacewisher
John Denham. What an extremely honourable decision. Why has he decided not to stand at the May election?
Peshawar schoolchildren.
The Pakistan military have used their position of power to acquire land and money for personal gain. It’s the same in Egypt. Ransoms for prisoner release are in fact extortion. Women and children are targeted in their campaigns against the Taliban.
Both the army and the Taliban have brought these consequences on their own shoulders and they will have to live with them.
They are both equally to blame. Blair’s swivel-eyed invasion is also to blame.
Islam is full of fantasists who believe that because there is a prophecy that people from Afghanistan will defeat the West, they are the chosen ones, regardless of their behaviour or belief or treatment of civilians, or because their name is Mahdi, they must be the imam Mahdi, regardless of their complete lack of adherence to the basic tenets of Islam.
The world would be a better place without Zionist fantasists or the other ones from Islam. Fantasists like John McCain who both sponsor ISIS and talk about defeating them are clearly schizophrenics on the rampage of fundamentalist Zionism. The leader of Al Qaida Zawahiri, patently the same.
I do believe that without these lunatics it will be possible to build a future for both Syria and Libya. If you like the swivel-eyed and you listen to them, don’t be surprised if you eventually become one of them.
You have to reject them if you are a Muslim. We don’t have the right to subject ourselves to the authority of madmen.
Sorta off topic. I’m in UK for a couple weeks. I have deliberately taken time to watch the BBC. Lordy but it sucks. It’s all terrorism, interspersed with happy lies about the improving economy, and general bullshit about xmas. I hate to say it, but I agree with Murdoch: the BBC should be sold off, and the license fee scrapped. It’s just awful, 24/7 state propaganda, and capitalist baloney. How many business shows does the BBC really need?
I live in Australia – I know all about terrible television – but the BBC is the equal in badness of anything Australia can produce. Perhaps the whole concept of the license fee has had it’s day. There is nothing remotely left wing about anything on the BBC, that’s for sure.
BBC’s Kafkaesque response to complaint over Gaza coverage
Tue, 12/23/2014
Broadcaster pats itself on the back as it routinely ignores Israeli breaches of Gaza ceasefire.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/amena-saleem/bbcs-kafkaesque-response-complaint-over-gaza-coverage
BBC backs report that omitted killings of Palestinians during Gaza truce
10/22/2014
The BBC’s obliviousness to the reality of Israeli aggression against Gaza has been staggeringly highlighted in a BBC Trust ruling.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/amena-saleem/bbc-backs-report-omitted-killings-palestinians-during-gaza-truce
Save the Children FB appeal still being blasted by vast majority of responders, re Bliar
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2851150/Growing-outrage-Blair-s-award-Donors-volunteers-celebrity-ambassador-attack-Save-Children-100-000-sign-petition-honour.html
Shoot to kill.
Black Teen ‘Shot Dead By Police’ In St Louis
Wednesday 24 December 2014
A black teenager has reportedly been shot dead by police in the same city where the killing of Michael Brown sparked protests.
US media said the 18-year-old was killed at a Mobil petrol station in St Louis, Missouri on Tuesday night.
http://news.sky.com/story/1397150/black-teen-shot-dead-by-police-in-st-louis
No details yet.
Brendan
“There is nothing remotely left wing about anything on the BBC, that’s for sure.”
________________
You end your post with the above, which appears to be the nub of what most of the denigrators have against the BBC – it’s not left-wing (ie, their sort of left-wing).
But why should it be?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would also point out that news and current affairs form only part, and not even the major part, of BBC radio and TV. Not so sure about the (non-news) TV part, which is generally deplorable, but there seems to me to be a lot of reasonably good and intelligent good stuff on the (non-news) radio. Does that sound fair, given that probably only a minority of listeners are news junkies.