May 6, 2002
"Dollars for Terror, The United States and Islam," Richard Labévière, trans. Martin DeMers, Algoa Publishing, New York, 2000, ISBN 1-892941-06-6. Originally published as Les Dollars de la Terreur, Les Etats-Unis et les Islamistes, Editions Bernard Grasset, 1999. See algora.com. The Bushite "War on Terror" joins history primarily as puzzlement. To take only one prior puzzlement ending in war, is there coincidence, simple epidemic incompetence or something else in process at the time: In spite of broken codes, voluminous message traffic and intercepts, accurate data on movements, elaborate documentation of orders of battle, etc.; commanders of several nations' militaries -- British, French, Dutch, American, Australian, New Zealand et al. -- pointedly ignored, dismissed, refused to allow minimal responses to Japanese moves in November and December 1941. At Pearl Harbor, at Manila, at Hong Kong, at Saigon, at Singapore, at Batavia, at Rangoon, at Colombo, at Delhi -- without meaningful exception all military commanders of all services ignored the Japanese movements although informed of them. [see as only one of many well-researched, copiously documented sources: "The Emperor's Codes, The Breaking of Japan's Secret Ciphers," Michael Smith, Arcade Publishing, New York, 2000. U.S. edition 2001. ISBN 1-55970-586-X] French author Richard Labévière painstaking examines what he identifies as ". . . a new type of radicalism. Sunni-ite and ideologically conservative. It is supra-national in its recruitment and its ideology. . . ." p.11 A word rarely used in media clearly points to key actors in this emergent drama, "Wahabi." Wahabi names the Islamci sect which now incorporates the ruling families of Saudi Arabia. The origins of Wahabi trace back over a millennium to the Al Ma'mum Caliphate which made Baghdad a wonder in its times. They were then viewed as extreme fundamentalists determined to bring down the Caliphate. The lineage traces through to the 18th century clan that came to dominate and now own Saudi Arabia. Now seen as Sunni to western eyes, they are seen quite broadly within Islam as fanatical and fundamental in their beliefs and actions. From Pyrénées to Balkans, from Balkans to Altais, from Altais across Siberia and into China, the 'enemy' is named Wahabi. Scratch any problem related to Islamic assertiveness outside the relatively narrow reach of Shiite Iran and it will be named Wahabi. When the many states and nations of Middle and Near East, Central Asia and Chinese border regions clamor for a position in the War on Terror, they define the enemy as Wahabi. When Putin of Russia acclaims the War on Terrorism, he is hoping for help against Wahabi interests threatening Russia across her broad southern and eastern belly. In the increasingly convoluted double binds and polymorphous perversities which now come to govern these matters, U.S. geopolitical interests, petro-politics, etc. coming together to create strange bedfellows, creative allegiances and perverse alliances, the whispered word is Wahabi. Given the run-ups over the last twenty-something years and converging on September 11 events, the mythic snake has taken a firm bite of its tail. With precise documentation page by page, Labévière establishes links, names names, identifies places, provides context within which U. S. agencies, primarily C.I.A. (Central Intelligence Agency), D.I.A. (Defense Intelligence Agency -- Pentagon conglomerate of service intelligence) and D.E.A. (Drug Enforcement Agency) are inextricably enmeshed in aiding and abetting Wahabi interests -- those with whom the U. S. and allies are nominally at war. Irony? Yet another grand puzzlement of history. Read all about it. "A specter haunts the world -- the specter of religious fanaticism. Against a backdrop of economic and social woes, theocratic ideologies have declared a cold war on the democracies. Fanatical Christian, Jewish and Muslim cults are proliferating along with related associations and criminal organizations. Those endowed with faith have a common goal: to end the separation of church and state, politics and religion, belief and citizenship. They have a horror of the republican [lower case 'r'] exception." p. 13 "In responding to Islam with missiles, the United States. . . is reinforcing that against which it claims to be fighting. . . .It knows better than anyone else that you don't respond to terror with bombs. . . . " p. 345 "Fascism always starts with contempt for history." p. 378 "Averroes, Spinoza, Rousseau wake up! They've gone mad!. . . ." p. 378 Does anyone notice the coincidence between the quite open actions of the Bush II theocracy and the above? Does anyone notice that coverage of political links to Enron have disappeared? Does anyone notice the lengthening list of mega-corporations doing shadow games with numbers? Does anyone notice that the coup d'état in Washington has succeeded? · · · · · ·
Milo Clark, a founding member of Swans, had it all: Harvard MBA, big house, three-car garage, top management... Yet, once he had seemingly achieved the famed American dream he felt something was missing somewhere. As any good executive he decided to investigate. Since then, he has become a curmudgeon and, after living in Berkeley, California, where he was growing bamboos, making water gardens, listening to muses, writing, cogitating and pondering, he has moved on to the Big Island in Hawaii where he creates thought forms about sunshine. Do you wish to share your opinion? We invite your comments. E-mail the Editor. Please include your full name, address and phone number. If we publish your opinion we will only include your name, city, state, and country. Please, feel free to insert a link to this article on your Web site or to disseminate its URL on your favorite lists, quoting the first paragraph or providing a summary. However, please DO NOT steal, scavenge or repost this work without the expressed written authorization of Swans, which will seek permission from the author. This material is copyrighted, © Milo G. Clark 2002. All rights reserved. |
This Week's Internal Links
The United States v. Democracy - by Stephen Gowans
The Wrong Stuff - by Deck Deckert
The Hand Of God - by Alma Hromic
Of Rice And Men: The Mistaken Promise Of Genomics - by Jan Baughman
Self Interest - by Milo Clark
Israel - by Milo Clark
Massacre Or Not? It Depends On Which Side Of Washington's Ledger You're On - by Stephen Gowans
Blackmailing Palestinians: Plucked, Cooked, Baked And Packaged - by Gilles d'Aymery
Going Home: i - Looking Back - Poem by Alma Hromic
Going Home: ii - Taking Flight - Poem by Alma Hromic
Blighted National Priorities - Book Review by Milo Clark
Milo Clark on Swans
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