Media propaganda picking up steam

With the United States threatening to embark on military strikes on Iraq the U.S. media has launched its campaign in full swing to justify the anticipated war described by almost all Arab and many world leaders as one which would have devastating and unpredictable consequences and human tragedy.

Will the freedom-loving U.S. media heed these warnings? No. And they can't! Because the media has always been an integral part of the U.S. war machine as it has a role to play - to brainwash and prepare the world to justify the war to ensure the continuity of the defence industry, which is an essential part of the U.S. economy. Thus it has its own vested interest!

The Jewish - owned or controlled U.S. media unleashed its campaign against Muslims and Islam in full force in the immediate aftermath of September 11 events at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon although only a handful of people were accused of involvement.

Even a year after, only around 19 people are suspected of carrying out the attacks. Yet the entire world Muslim community of around 1.3 billion have been portrayed as "terror suspects" and President George W. Bush even spoke of a "crusade" though quick to deny it.

The hate campaign has caused tremendous damage to all Muslims, as the Americans started to detest Muslims and some even afraid to touch The Holy Quran, leave alone the plight of Muslim men with beards and women wearing headscarves. Even Muslims struggling for their freedom and self-determination in many countries were directly or indirectly described as "terrorists".

And, in a way, the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism has given open licence for countries to suppress such struggles.

This well-calculated campaign continues unabated, twisting and distorting anything and everything about Muslims and Islam in its drive to demonise Muslims and Islam. To cite an example, CNN recently televised a five-part programme entitled Trauma of Terror highlighting the plight of Israelis due to suicide bombings by the Palestinians.

Who are these Israeli civilians? They are the Jews brought in from Europe, the U.S., Russia and the Middle East by Jewish organisations at first and then by the Israeli government, with the support initially of Europe, led by UK, and then by the U.S. to settle in Palestine and create the State of Israel after evicting the Palestinians.

Are these settlers innocent civilians? Their only claim to the land has been that their ancestors lived there after migrating from Egypt with the Prophet Moses, around 4000 years ago.

And who are these Palestinians resorting to suicide bombings? They are the sons and daughters of the remaining Palestinian land - West Bank and Gaza - struggling to free them from the medieval style oppression of Israel.

They resort to suicide bombings because their legitimate freedom struggle and decades of sufferings under Israeli occupation was ignored by Europe, the U.S., the United Nations.

In desperation they are turning to suicide bombings to draw world attention to win their freedom and end their sufferings. These suicide bombers and all other Palestinians fighting for freedom are projected as "terrorists". And seldom does the U.S. media use the word "terrorism" to highlight Israeli brutalities and atrocities.

Will CNN telecast another series highlighting the daily sufferings of the Palestinians under the terror campaign of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, known for his life-long crime record, backed by his Nobel prize winning and Qana massacre fame, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres who also endorsed Sharon's plan to drop a one ton bomb in densely populated Gaza, killing 14 and injuring around 150 last month. Unfortunately it is too much to expect!

And this is by CNN which was declared by its founder Ted Turner, when it was founded in 1980, as "an organisation with a difference wanting to take on issues such as world famine, global pollution, arms proliferation and seeking conflict resolution in ethnic and other wars."

Though media always played a crucial part in all wars in guiding and misguiding the world, its prominent role came into limelight especially in the 1990s in the aftermath of the collapse of former Soviet Union.

For example, in the case of the Gulf War to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait it was often said "media won the war by winning the hearts and minds of people all over long before the military accomplished it." In most wars truth, as often stated, is always the first casualty.

A week before Iraq despatched its troops to Kuwait in August 1990 the U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad April Gaspie, during her meeting with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, was reported to have told the Iraqi leader that "U.S. would consider it an Arab-Arab affair if Iraqi troops enter Kuwait. Encouraged by the signal Saddam sent his troops to invade Kuwait and what happened subsequently was common knowledge.

But what was significant was that April Gaspie was kept out of the limelight until the mission was accomplished – Iraqi forces kicked out of Kuwait, thousands of Iraqis killed, its war machines destroyed, its economy pushed back to pre-industrial age, precious Arab resources wasted, Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south battered and, on top of everything, the Arab world divided with a bitterness to remain for ages.

An American analyst then said the money wasted on this war was enough to provide a three-bedroom house for every family in the entire Arab world. Who benefited?

Obviously Israel and its Western supporters. And the truth surfaced only when President George Bush Senior said, in one of his first ever statements after the war, "now that the war is over, Israel is safe in the Middle East and oil flows uninterrupted".

A few days later, addressing a caucus of his party workers, Zionist terrorist turned Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir said, "had the U.S. led coalition forces not taken on Iraq's military might Israel would have to fight Saddam on its own in a war of no choice to overcome the enemy but at heavy cost. Because Saddam's fall and the disappearance of the Iraqi war machinery is necessary for Israel's security".

And now comes the all-out move by the U.S., despite warnings from many quarters, to attack Iraq and change the regime there. Why now? Because the Iraqi regime, Bush advocates, poses a threat to the world! No one in the world, including his own people, has any love for Saddam Hussein.

He not only brutalised his own people but his policies and decisions only helped Israel consolidate its position and allow the U.S. to get a foothold in the region.

Once again it is clear that Bush is planning to strike Iraq only to help Israel and please the Jewish lobbies in the U.S. It is common knowledge that money plays an extremely vital role in the U.S. politics and makes and unmakes politicians there.

The Jewish lobbies, which control the money and the media, are holding the U.S. politicians by the throat - both Republicans and Democrats - Senate and even White House.

The Jewish lobbies and their blind supporters in the administration are pushing for a military strike to cripple Iraq and weaken Syria and Iran and destabilise the entire region to implement the next phase of their agenda for the Middle East.

But fortunately for the world this time there are not many takers, though the media campaign has already started, with Europe, Arab and Muslim World, India, China and even Russia warning the U.S. of the unpredictable consequences of such an initiative.