Seymour Hersh on the Arab Spring, "Disaster" U.S. Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the Looming

[tekisui]

Source: Democracy Now!

Veteran investigative reporter Seymour Hersh assesses the popular uprisings sweeping the Middle East and North Africa amidst ongoing U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. Despite touted gains and an upcoming U.S. military withdrawal deadline in Iraq, Hersh says, "Whatever you’re hearing, Iraq is going bad... It’s sectarian war. And the big question is going to be whether we pull out or not." On the uprisings, Hersh says Saudi Arabia, fearing an overthrow of the regional order, is driving the embattled regimes’ attempts to crush the protests.

Audio at link: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/6/3/seymour_hersh_on_the_arab_spring

[gratuitous]

1. Popular uprising in Libya? Gaddafi's a bad guy this week, we are so there!

Popular uprising in Saudi Arabia? Crickets from the State Department.

[Distant Observer]

6. Libyan intervention was strategic to distract from the crushing of protests in Arabia.

That was the deal done between the Western powers and the GCC (The Gulf Cooperation Council -- Saudi, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain etc)

[tekisui]

8. The morethese events unfold, the more reasonable that theory sounds.

[JohnyCanuck]

16. NATO Wants to Free Africa From the Africans

As far as the United States and Europe are concerned, Africans have nothing to say about what happens in Africa. South African President Jacob Zuma made a second trip to Libya this week, on behalf of the African Union, seeking a diplomatic end to NATO’s war against Mouammar Gaddafi’s government. Just as with a previous African Union peace keeping mission, back in early April, Col. Gaddafi agreed to the peace plan. And just as before, the so-called rebels and their American and European bosses refused even to consider a cease fire. As has been obvious from the beginning of this “humanitarian” farce, the Great White Fathers of Europe and the “Wall Street mascot” from the United States, as Obama has been called, will be satisfied with nothing less than regime change in Libya – and to Hell with what Africans think!

The Euro-Americans will soon prove just as contemptuous of their erstwhile North African Arab allies, based in Benghazi, who claim to be leading a “revolution” against Gaddafi. But these rebels lost their legitimacy the second they decided to become the ground troops for a neocolonial invasion of North Africa. Revolutionaries fight the Power. The gang from Benghazi are mere pawns of imperialism and have no credibility whatsoever as revolutionaries. This is an imperialist war, fought for imperial objectives. The rebels have chosen to become imperialism’s mascots, waiting like pitiful little Gunga Dins for the British and French to arrive with attack helicopters to burn and kill their countrymen.

http://blackagendareport.com/content/nato-wants-free-africa-africans

[sad sally]

17. And like Iraq in the Gulf War, we may be forever contaminating the people & land of Libya

Since the start of the war against Gadhafi, speculation by critics on the likelihood or risk that Western powers use the discredited weaponry in Libya has primarily focused on the potential inclusion of depleted uranium in two types of weapons; as warhead or armor enhancing material in cruise missiles; and as part of the shells fired by A-10 military planes. In view of the past, inclusion in the shells fired by the A-10 Thunderbolt is more than likely.

Although Western officials routinely deny that they have used depleted uranium in the war on Libya, they have not excluded its possibility either. There are ample reasons to suspect that the denials are a war tactic, as was the initial denial stating that Western powers do not target bringing down Gadhafi’s government. The fear is justified that the Libyan civilian population will face long-lasting radiation effects from depleted uranium weapons used over their territory.

(Inter Press Service)

[tekisui]

2. This is must hear! Sy says Obama is most isolated President.

No one can get to the president to give dissenting voices.

Iraq is going very badly. There is a question on whether we will pull out or not.

[EFerrari]

3. Insulated, maybe. n/t

[Cerridwen]

4. That was the part that was most chilling to me.

And I’ll tell you the biggest problem he has, as awful as those things are, as counterproductive, and as much as he’s following, oh, yes, Bush and Cheney in those policies—and I think the President—I’ll be writing about this—I think he was really sandbagged by the Pentagon after he got into office, when he was new and innocent. And I still think—I think right now—I would almost use the word "cult" to describe what’s going on in the White House. Everything is political. He’s isolated. Very good people say they’ve never seen a president this isolated, in terms of being unable to get to him with different opinions, etc. So here’s really captive of a few people there. I know this may sound strange, but I know what I’m talking about. You can’t get to the guy—and even, for example, Pickering, as competent as he is. And Pickering has done some wonderful stuff for the United States intelligence community undercover, and so he’s known as a trusted guy. Those guys who have been involved in talking to Iran off the record, Track II policy talks, for years can’t get to the President. He may not even know they’re looking for him. I just don’t know. {emphasis added}

[tekisui]

11. I didn't know this to be the case. It explains a lot though, especially

in regard to Obama's foreign policy decisions.

[Cerridwen]

14. "sandbagged by the pentagon" explains some of the things

coming from a couple of his military guys. I don't remember who said what but they've sent mixed messages with regard to several things. I thought they were 'knee-capping' him on some foreign policy.

I have no idea if it's true but it would sure as hell explain a lot if it is.

[Distant Observer]

9. Thought something weird was happening when he went against all Intel that questioned the basis of

of intervention in Libya -- both Defense intel and CIA said that claims could not be substantiated yet the Pres chose the path of escalation that has paralyzed other options for diplomatic engagements in the region.

[EFerrari]

15. Obama's foreign policy is almost indistinguishable from what came before. n/t

[Distant Observer]

10. Thought something weird was happening when he went against all Intel that questioned the basis of

of intervention in Libya -- both Defense intel and CIA said that claims could not be substantiated yet the Pres chose the path of escalation that has paralyzed other options for diplomatic engagements in the region.

[kenny blankenship]

5. Iraq is going the way it was always going to go.

If one side cooperates with us, it is with a view to their long run advantage versus the other side, and not because they've had a change of heart about us, or about their enemies. They are cooperating in exchange for guns and money. You can string this out, but you can't change it and staying there isn't FREE either. It costs us huge just to stay and do nothing.

Obama apparently didn't understand this and consequently based his Afghanistan policy on Bush's Iraq "Surge". Now that note is coming due as well.

There was NEVER going to be a "good time" to leave Iraq. Which is why we should have left immediately starting Jan 2009 and ending Jun 2009. (that last one is for for all the lying smartasses who're about to tell me that but but but he DID start leaving Iraq!) When a lying shitbag politician tells you he's starting this or that policy or he's beginning to withdraw forces etc. is 100% immaterial. The only thing that matters is when the policy is completely implemented. The deadline for the when the last troop leaves Whoositstan is the only date that matters at all. Until they are ALL out, they are still in, and the commitment remains OPEN. All the rest is lies told to make people go away.

[slipslidingaway]

7. knr nt

[sabrina 1]

12. Iraq is going 'bad' as he said. For Iraqis mostly.

They want us out, and they want a real government that they choose, not the brutal puppet government they now have.

Their demonstrations have been brutally suppressed, many killed, many more wounded and jailed.

This is US model of Democracy??? A complete failure, but then it WAS a success for the profiteers, not so good for the American people either who had to pay for it.

And still no investigations into who is responsible for that criminal venture.

[Distant Observer]

13. The ruthless arrogance of the West re shaping other societies for the "better" usually

means blood and death for a lot of those "other" people as these societies disintegrate.

[slipslidingaway]

18. kick nt