Orwellian Denials: See with your own eyes
Orwellian disinformation continues . . .1. "The C.I.A. asked the Justice Department to open an investigation to find out who leaked information about a network of secret U.S.-run torture centers (known as "black sites") to the Washington Post. When asked about the prisons, President George W. Bush said, "We do not torture." U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley later clarified Bush's statement, suggesting that there were some cases in which torture is appropriate. "
Why isn't it the other way around by the way -- isn't the Justice Dept supposed to be investigating this CIA violation of the American Constitution? And does Bush really believe that we are that stupid? Are we?
2. "A former U.S. soldier named Jeff Englehart said that he witnessed "burned bodies, burned children, and burned women" after a white phosphorus attack on Fallujah in 2004. The United States Army denied that it had used white phosphorus in the attack. "
White phosphorus is the new jargon for napalm bombing which is illegal now. See with your own eyes the video below if you want to realize what is meant by Orwellian denials by the US Army. But be forewarned of graphic scenes of reality, including burned children.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/110805Z.shtml
posted by E. Heroux @ 9:36 PM
2 Comments:
Technical update:
"In Geneva, Protocol III (Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons) of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons is adopted on October 10, 1980, making it illegal to use incendiary weapons on civilian populations and restricting the use of these weapons against military targets that are located within a concentration of civilians. Such weapons are considered “to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects.” 51 countries initially sign the document and on December 2, 1983, its provisions are entered into force. By the end of 2004, 104 countries sign and 97 ratify the protocol. [UN, 11/19/2004 Sources: Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Protocol III] The US is not a party to this protocol and continues to use incendiary weapons in all its major conflicts. It is the only country to do so. [Independent, 8/10/2003]"
Also, the white phosphorous bombs, a.k.a. Mark-77 firebombs, are now admitted by the Pentagon to have been used on Falluja, but only admittedly against combatants, not civilians. The video, however, will show that this is not the whole truth.
Finally, the Pentagon and the US State Dept insist that
1. Mark-77 is not napalm.
2. Both are legal anyway since the US didn't sign the international agreement.
This disinformation campaign conforms to the irrational pattern of denial called "kettle-logic" as described by Sigmund Freud:
1. I never borrowed your kettle.
2. Besides I returned it in perfect condition.
3. Those holes in the kettle were already there when I borrowed it.
The pattern of disinformation campaigns often follows this chronological release of excuses, in sequence. The result is confusion where the boggled mind shuts down and attempts to forget the whole thing. But obviously the problem is that the residents of Falluja are not going to forget nor forgive so easily just because of some kettle-logic.
This week's update:
The confusion continues. Our "agnotology" assessment is that the confusion was deliberately constructed. For an essay that attempts to cut through this confusion to the real problems that remain, see once again good ole George Monbiot, at:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/112305L.shtml
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