Sunday, December 03, 2006

Take A Walk On The Dark Side- W/ Hombre Secreto


Here is an excellent show from PBS Frontline- that addresses the question of why we invaded Iraq.

LINK

Here is Richard Bruce Cheney (AKA Dick Cheney, the Vice President) talking to NBC's Tim Russert on Sept. 16, 2001. The U.S. military has "a broad range of capabilities. And they may well be given missions in connection with this overall task and strategy," Cheney said.

"We also have to work, though, sort of the dark side, if you will. We've got to spend time in the shadows in the intelligence world. A lot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion, using sources and methods that are available to our intelligence agencies, if we're going to be successful. That's the world these folks operate in, and so it's going to be vital for us to use any means at our disposal, basically, to achieve our objective."

Hmm, would these means include manipulation, truth engineering, torture, violence, intimidation, fear engineering, coercion...basically everything dark but no diplomacy and negotiation? I think the record will show that the answer is YES.

SOURCE


Can this be squared with the teachings of Jesus?

"Ye shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall make you FREE" - John 8:32

p.s.
Many people have sometimes referred to those that question whether the presiding administration's motivations for invading Iraq were all driven by nothing but pure, moral instinct as conspiracy theorists. Often in the spin campaign- those that have even dared to suggest anything other than absolute nobility and honesty regarding the invasion have been castigated as Anti- Americans and crybabies and mental defectives.

Well, this documentary suggests otherwise.

I would welcome a presentation of evidence (like the testimony of insiders that were actually involved- as in this documentary) that gives counter testimony. I'm not particularly interested in the bios of the people that made this documentary, about PBS as propagandists or about some "left-wing-media" conspiracy theory.

p.s. othwerwise there's some folks out there that owe the Dixie Chicks a fruit basket and a card of apology from Hallmark.

5 comments:

Scott Starr said...

have been up and down on this. I had recently told a friend that I did not think that our leaders had misled us about the reasons for invading Iraq...that they just misjudged things and made some errors. I think there is, however, a case for the notion that they were aware that some of the things they gave as selling points for the invasion were incorrect....i.e., not true....i.e.,... lies. Is there another way to percieve it- or another, nicer- more PC way to say it? What would be the correct, moral, response to this as a Christian? Silence? Collusion?

What sayeth thee?

Scott Starr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Scott Starr said...

I think it is worth noting that the body of work - the resume' of Mr. Cheney includes not only the questionable pre-war intel for the war in Iraq, but also some "alleged" and some known associations from history to things like the Viet Nam war and its shadowy complexities, the full range of the Cold War and nuclear arms race, Iran- Contra (covertly selling arms to one group that perportedly wants to kill us and using the proceeds to fund another group that used the backing to spread a reign of terror attacks and atrcities), the backing of death squads in El Salvador, enabling Saddam Hussein via arms supplies to Iraq during the Iran Iraq war, backing the Mujahideen (the former outfit of Bin Laden) as "freedom fighters" against the Soviet Union, being part of an administration that may have supplied Saddam with the gas that he used to gas the kurds at Halabja (a crime Saddam was recently sentenced to die for), manipulating environmental data and using it to pimp the plan to drill Alaska, knowledge of the California energy crisis via meetings with Enron and "Kenny Boy" Lay (R.I.P) that no-one is privy to the records of, the torture scandal from Abu Gharaib, the complexities and anomalies of many things about the Iraq... war...clusterbombs...depleted uranium...secret prisons, surveillance, hunting accidents that don't get reported promptly....

Ya know? When the guy has an approval rating that is less than 20%- along with a long career playing on the "Dark side" as he described in his own words, just how is it that people that question this gentleman's characteristic veracity and overall integrity can be brushed off as conspiracy theorists?

It would be reasonable to assume -just based in his own words- notwithstanding the resume'- that the gent is in no way averse to manipulating or engineeering truth.

Will some talk show guy think I am a wimp if I dare to go out on a limb and say that although I may respect his instinct to protect "our interests"...and I love him as my neighbor or my enemy...what ever God judges him to be...
I am not morally comfortable with his methods or overall approach to government. Like my friend Mr.K. said,

"I tell ya, that Cheney's real piece of Work."

I would welcome seeing a well done presentation- a body of work- to show me what a paladin he has been.

Anyone?

Scott Starr said...

Above I said "may have" when referring to the Reagan and first Bush admins. supplying weaponry, including chemical weaponry to Saddam Hussein. I am not sure how that bit of PC slipped in there. The fact is that they did sell him CW and then sold him some more CW (chem. weapons)after the gassing of the Kurds. It is quite Ironic that back in the day- the CIA, and Bush the elder, attempted to blame the attacks at Halabja on Iran. A decade and a half later the story morphed and became a pre-text fro the US invasion of Iraq. Howcumzit no CIA or US officials testified in this case against Saddam? Why do you think the had the trial oiutside of the auspices of the US- the force that conquered and captured him?

I have seen a document obtained by the freedom of information act that marked CW sales to Iraq before and after Halabja. I will try to find it again. meanwhile examine this:

U.S. Diplomatic and Commercial Relationships with Iraq, 1980 - 2 August 1990 @
http://www.casi.org.uk/info/usdocs/usiraq80s90s.html
cut and paste that address to view the info.

Why am I writing about the CIA?
I mean don't some eggs have to get broken to make omlettes?

The Bible aid that the truth shall make you free. It also says that friendship with the world (read as comfort with the infernal techniques and moral compromises employed by worldly governments to maintain their interests) is hatred towards God.

Scott Starr said...

PS, I forgot the no bid contracts in Iraq for Mr. Cheney's former company Halliburton- as part of Mr. Cheney's resume.

Is this more conspiracy theory?

Again, I would welcome seeing a body of work that explains what a sterling character this man has. Surely there is some bastion of the free press still uncorrupted by the "left wing media" (now there's a conspiracy theory)that has the straight story and scoop.