War on Terror

Spinning it to the blogs

Filed under: War on Terror

How do you make a very unpopular war ring favorably to Americans surfing the net? Pay the bloggers to spin your message. Just don’t tell anyone.

Danger Room reporter Noah Shachtman uncovered a 2006 report written for U.S. Special Operations Command that suggests “clandestinely recruiting or hiring prominent bloggers.”

"Hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering," write the report's co-authors, James Kinniburgh and Dororthy Denning.

Admitting the creepiness of this idea, the authors continue:

…Such operations can have a blowback effect, as witnessed by the public reaction following revelations that the U.S. military had paid journalists to publish stories in the Iraqi press under their own names. People do not like to be deceived, and the price of being exposed is lost credibility and trust.

Therefore, don't rely on the bloggers to sell out, simply create your own propaganda machine.

An alternative strategy is to “make” a blog and blogger… (T)here are people in the military today who like to blog. In some cases, their talents might be redirected toward operating blogs as part of an information campaign.

A spokesman for the U.S. Special Operations Command called the report a “thought provoking” “academic exercise” and said the views expressed don’t represent those of the U.S. Government or Department of Defense.

The 33 page report (download the PDF) also highlights the relationship between mainstream media and the blogs, opening with the story of how right leaning sites like Free Republic and Little Green Footballs took down CBS news and Dan Rather in the now infamous Killian memo forgery.

Posted by Beth Walton at April 1, 2008 10:38 AM | Comments (0)

 

Local liberals attend surrender party at the library last week

Filed under: War on Terror

Nearly 100 pro-Constitution radicals were on hand at the Minneapolis Central Library on June 14 to witness a pair of Minneapolis attorneys spout their anti-torture propaganda. During the hour-long discussion "The Guantanamo Bay Challenge: Finding the Balance Between Our Nation's Security & Our Nation's Ideals," James Dorsey and Nicole Moen succeeded in undermining America's War on Terror by raising questions about Guantanamo interrogation tactics, thus emboldening the Enemy.

The duo—who practice at Fredrickson and Byron—described their on-going experiences representing Ahcene Zemiri, a 39-year-old Algerian man who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay since April 2002.

"Most [of the detainees] had been tortured or abused and were not well psychologically," said Moen, who acts as an Arabic translator in addition to her legal duties.

According to Dorsey, "enhanced interrogation techniques" devised by psychologists and behavioral scientists in Guantanamo include shackling the evildoers into uncomfortable squatting positions for hours on end in addition to dismantling their faith by having women approach them in inappropriate ways on their way to prayer and cutting off bathing water before splashing them with what they are told is menstrual blood.

Moen demonstrated a shameless bias in favor of due process when she implicitly suggested that habeaus corpus—the common law-era writ which guarantees prisoners the right to know the charges filed against them—is somehow an essential component of justice, individual liberty, legal rights, and other hippie buzzwords.

She went on to underhandedly disparage the Military Commission Act of 2006 for doing away with the aforesaid writ, going on to say that her client "has not been charged with anything." This, despite the fact that Zemiri has long admitted to practicing Islam.

Posted by Matt Snyders at June 18, 2007 2:44 PM | Comments (6)

 

The Complicity Chronicles

Filed under: War on Terror

Chalk up another first for University of Minnesota physician-ethicist Steve Miles: Earlier this week the U's Center for Bioethics and Human Rights Center launched an online archive of documents Miles collected while writing a book about medical operations at U.S. prisoner of war facilities overseas. The searchable database is thought to be the first ever human rights archive documenting an ongoing series of abuses.

In 2004, when Miles, a UM medical professor, first heard the reports about abuse at Abu Ghraib, he wondered about the doctors and other health care workers who had to have known--or covered up. After two painstaking years of research via the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, much of it conducted by the ACLU, Miles had amassed 35,000 pages of autopsy reports, e-mails, memos, medical records and other grim source materials, some handwritten, some containing just a footnote or offhand reference to a prisoner's death.

Miles read every single one of the documents, cross-referencing each by prisoner, detention facility, and type of abuse or death. He catalogued his findings in "Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror," released last year.

After its publication, Miles heard from a number of people who wondered whether he could share the raw data, and still others who had more documents to contribute. The whole time, reams more documentation were becoming declassified. Last week, when the archive went online, it contained 60,000 pages.

"Each document has a little slice of a story," says Miles. "This way you can see the whole story."

Never mind that the Internet made the historic archive possible, many of the scattered documents were PDFs, meaning Miles had to read each and every word, tag each document with a number identifying the detainee in question, and create a searchable index. As a result, the archive makes it possible to cross-reference documentation from different branches of the government pertaining to an individual.

There are seven records on homicide of prisoner no. 80, for example, from both the Defense Department and Medcom, a database of clinical reports and other medical documents, most of them from Iraq. Named only as Dilwar, he was found dead, restrained in his cell at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, supposedly after being forcibly subdued following an escape attempt.

Some of the documents raise new questions, Miles says. A footnote in an otherwise uninteresting report refers to a child who died of untreated tuberculosis while in custody; he's been unable to locate any other reports of a child dying in custody.

One of the most recent additions to the collection describes a pregnant detainee giving birth in Abu Graib and the efforts of military personnel to find a relative or orphanage to take the baby before her interrogation.

The archive is part of the UM's Human Rights Library, located in the Law School and used by 200,000 people from 150 countries each month.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at April 25, 2007 2:35 PM | Comments (0)

 

Retired Northwest Airlines pilot joins the 9/11 conspiracy movement

Filed under: War on Terror

As anyone who spends much time trolling conspiracy theory websites knows, 9/11 has become the JFK assassination for a new generation. Naturally, there is considerable dissent among the "truth movement" types about the particulars. Some believe a commercial airliner struck the Pentagon on 9/11, others contend it was a missile. But most are in agreement that the dark conspiracy has links to the Bush White House.

Then there is retired Northwest Airlines pilot Field McConnell. McConnell, who lives in rural Glyndon, Minnesota, claims that another 9/11 attack is imminent, Muslim terrorists are scapegoats, and that commercial airliners have been rigged with "Improvised Killing Devices."

McConnell, who is currently suing Northwest on the grounds that the airline cannot guarantee the safety of its passengers, writes on his website that Northwest "implied he was crazy be asking him to undergo psychiatric tests."

Although McConnell does not provide full details on his theories about 9/11 (that will be forthcoming "9/11 Solved" DVD), he intimates that the plot has connections to Hillary Clinton and the Rose Law Firm.

McConnell, who could not be reached for comment, did issue a warning to the "treasonous traitorous cowards" behind the plan, writing: "Take a look at who is pursuing you and is in position to send a skinny little heat seeker up your great big tailpipes."

Posted by Mike Mosedale at March 12, 2007 3:23 PM | Comments (3)

 

Minneapolis-St. Paul only one of four major metro areas prepared for a crisis

Filed under: War on Terror

A Department of Homeland Security report, due to be released today, states that only four major metropolitan areas have emergency communications allowing police, fire, and medical officials to coordinate fully during a crisis. The cities that received the "most advanced" status include Washington, D.C.; San Diego, California; Columbus, Ohio; and Minneapolis-St. Paul. To achieve this status, cities had to have standard procedures for interoperable communications, working knowledge of the emergency equipment, and plans in place to meet further communications goals. The emergency systems of 75 urban and metro areas around the nation were surveyed, with cities such as Chicago and New York City coming up short.

Posted by Corey Anderson at January 3, 2007 10:00 AM | Comments (0)

 

Minneapolis FBI: See no Evil

Filed under: War on Terror

Local agent in Moussaoui case issued 70 terror warnings

On the stand yesterday in Virginia in the sentencing phase of 9/11 conspirator, a Minneapolis FBI agent offered some horrific testimony about his attempts to investigate Moussaoui's al Quaeda ties while the convict was incarcerated in Sherburne County, Minnesota.

An FBI agent who interrogated Zacarias Moussaoui before Sept. 11, 2001, warned his supervisors more than 70 times that Moussaoui was a terrorist and spelled out his suspicions that the al-Qaeda operative was plotting to hijack an airplane, according to federal court testimony yesterday.

Agent Harry Samit told jurors at Moussaoui's death penalty trial that his efforts to secure a warrant to search Moussaoui's belongings were frustrated at every turn by FBI officials he accused of "criminal negligence." Samit said he had sought help from a colleague, writing that he was "so desperate to get into Moussaoui's computer I'll take anything."

That was on Sept. 10, 2001.

The Washington Post has a compelling story on the testimony; CP's sister publication, the Village Voice has a short, pointed version.

Posted by Beth Hawkins at March 21, 2006 3:27 PM | Comments (0)

 

Al Jazeera posts text of bin Laden audiotape

Filed under: War on Terror

The English-language Al Jazeera website has posted most of the text of an audiotape that the network broadcast earlier today, allegedly recorded by Osama bin Laden in December. Some excerpts:

"The new operations of al-Qaida has not happened not because we could not penetrate the security measures. It is being prepared and you'll see it in your homeland very soon," the voice attributed to bin Laden said, apparently addressing Americans....

"This message is about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how to end those wars," it began.

"It was not my intention to talk to you about this, because those wars are definitely going our way.

"But what triggered my desire to talk to you is the continuous deliberate misinformation given by your President [George] Bush, when it comes to polls made in your home country which reveal that the majority of your people are willing to withdraw US forces from Iraq.

"We know that the majority of your people want this war to end and opinion polls show the Americans don't want to fight the Muslims on Muslim land, nor do they want Muslims to fight them on their (US) land.

"But Bush does not want this and claims that it's better to fight his enemies on their land rather than on American land.

"Bush tried to ignore the polls that demanded that he end the war in Iraq.

"We are getting increasingly stronger while your situation is getting from bad to worse," he told the US, referring to poor US troop morale and the huge economic losses inflicted by the war.

"The war in Iraq is raging and the operations in Afghanistan are increasing."

"In response to the substance of the polls in the US, which indicate that Americans do not want to fight Muslims on Muslim land, nor do they want Muslims to fight them on their land, we do not mind offering a long-term truce based on just conditions that we will stick to.

"There is no problem in this solution, but it will prevent hundreds of billions from going to influential people and warlords in America--those who supported Bush's electoral campaign--and from this, we can understand Bush and his gang's insistence on continuing the war."

Addressing Americans again, he said: "If your desire for peace, stability and reconciliation was true, here we have given you the answer to your call."

Read the Al Jazeera post.

Posted by Steve Perry at January 19, 2006 11:15 AM | Comments (0)

 

The War Comes Home

Filed under: War on Terror

A few weeks ago, Hank Kaszynski celebrated a friend's birthday at the Liffey in St. Paul. An Irish band was playing, the whiskey and Guinness was flowing, and the 80-year-old father of eight ended the night by dancing enthusiastically with all comers.

For much of the night, Hank and his wife Mary Helen sat back and played the role of wallflower party guests. They talked about their passion for walking and biking, and about the spirit of their oldest son, Bruce, who was born with cerebral palsy and who has lived with the couple all their lives. There was also some worried talk of their 39-year-old son Kyle, a St. Paul policeman who had recently taken leave from his job to work for a private contractor in Iraq.

Kyle Kaszinski was killed Thursday when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle as it traveled from Baghdad to Baquaba. Last night, the devastated family's home in south Minneapolis was surrounded by candles, lit by well-wishers and fellow mourners, many of whom received this email, forwarded by Hank at the beginning of the week:

Let's all go and Totally Enjoy the Christmas Season.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it.

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them! again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, margarita in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Posted by Jim Walsh at December 23, 2005 11:32 AM | Comments (1)

 

Minnesota by the numbers: Iraq war edition

Filed under: War on Terror

In terms of the number of its native sons and daughters who have been killed in Iraq, Minnesota is faring better than most of the country. As of the November 26, according to the Nation magazine, Minnesota recorded one Iraq war death for each 196,000 residents. That trailed only Hawaii (one death per 210,000), New Jersey (212,000) and Utah (265,000).

So who is making the biggest sacrifices? Among states, Vermont has been hardest hit, with one Iraq war death for every 44,000 residents. But when you take into account soldiers who hail from commonwealths, territories, and protectorates, the picture becomes even more grim. American Samoa, for instance, has sustained one war death for every 12,000 residents. Put another way: if the U.S. had the same casualty rate as Samoa, approximately 24,000 soldiers would have lost their lives in Iraq. The actual total stands at just over 2,100.

Posted by Mike Mosedale at December 7, 2005 3:00 PM | Comments (0)