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Mehdi Hasan

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The mythical marriage of Iran and al-Qaeda

Iran Watch, part 2

Iran Watch, part 2

Writing in the Independent yesterday, columnist and comedian Mark Steel observed:

Governments and commentators keen on promoting a war against Iran should be stridently opposed, not so much because of the threat to world peace, but because their reasons display a shocking lack of imagination. The most common one is that Iran has "Weapons of Mass Destruction". How pathetic to pick the same excuse twice in a row.

In fact, not only have they picked on WMDs "twice in a row" but they've also gone for the fear-mongering classic: yes, a link to - wait for it - al-Qaeda! Yes, al-Qaeda!! Woo-hoo! Gotcha!

Neocon Clifford May, writing on the National Review's website yesterday, in a piece headlined "Al-Qaeda's Big Fat Iranian Wedding", claimed the Obama administration is

reluctant to articulate what has become indisputable: Iran and al-Qaeda are affiliated.

Hmm, where I have I heard something similar to that before? Oh, yeah, here, here and here. And whatever happened to all those claims of a link between secular Iraq and Islamist al-Qaeda? Oh, wait, this, this, and this.

May nods towards the recent headline-grabbing Sky News report which claimed that

Iran and al Qaeda's core leadership under Ayman al Zawahiri have established an "operational relationship" amid fears the terror group is planning a spectacular attack against the West.

Then there's the recent Telegraph piece which claimed

recent intelligence suggested Iran and al-Qaeda could attempt to find a common project in Europe, possibly targeting the London Olympics, which opens in July.

"Possibly" the Olympics? Well, I suppose anything's possible.

Yet, unlike in the run-up to Iraq, this time round some intelligence officials seem to be pushing back. Yesterday, Reuter's Mark Hosenball reported:

U.S. and European officials are downplaying allegations that Iran and al Qaeda have recently stepped up cooperation in preparation for possible attacks on U.S. and other Western targets.

The officials, who are familiar with security issues, and private experts, discounted recent news reports about a possible new deal between Iran and what remains of al Qaeda's core leadership, now headed by Ayman al Zawahiri, long-time deputy to the late Osama bin Laden.

"This should not be overblown," said one U.S. official, who asked for anonymity when discussing a sensitive subject.

"This has been a very strange relationship for a decade or more," the official added. "We're not seeing any change in that relationship at the moment."

The Reuters report quoted another anonymous US official saying:

The relationship between al Qaeda and Iran is best described as complicated. The Iranians keep watch on what al Qaeda facilitators are up to. Sometimes the Iranians crack down on their activities; other times they don't. Al Qaeda moving fighters or money is one thing, while planning major terrorist attacks against the West from Iranian soil is probably something they won't allow. Al Qaeda is not necessarily friendly to Iran. . . Al Qaeda is sort of like a nasty parasite to Iran. It feeds off its ability to operate in Iran, with or without the Iranians' approval.

According to Bruce Riedel, a former CIA Middle East expert who has advised Presidents Obama and Bush, the history of Iran's dealings with al-Qaeda is "murky". Riedel has expressed doubts about the recent anonymous intelligence claims of a collaborative or operational relationship, noting how Iran has held al-Qaeda leaders under detention and house arrest over the past decade.

Another former CIA Middle East expert, Paul Pillar, notes:

It has been known for some time that al-Qaeda members have been inside Iran. It has been less clear just what the terms of their residence there have been. Most indications suggest that it has been something between imprisonment and house arrest. At least some of the al-Qaeda people in Iran have been able to conduct business of the group from there, but it is unclear again how much of this business is condoned or even known by the Iranian regime.

In fact, as Iran expert Trita Parsi notes in his new book, A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran, senior Iranian officials had offered to hand over al-Qaeda figures to the United States and work, side by side, with the US government in its "war on terror" in the days and weeks after the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. They were rebuffed by the Bush administration which decided to instead include Iran in its "Axis of Evil".

But the much bigger and more important point is this: it is difficult if not impossible to believe that Shia-fundamentalist Iran and Sunni-fundamentalist al-Qaeda would want to work together, even if it was on the crude, self-serving basis of my "enemy's enemy is my friend". The mutual loathing, hatred and distrust between the two is just too high; the theological and political differences almost insurmountable. Then again, I wouldn't expect officials in the US intelligence or security communities to understand this key point: shamefully, as an investigation in 2006 discovered, many of them can't tell the difference between a Sunni and a Shia or even identify whether al-Qaeda is a Sunni or a Shia terrorist group.

Ironically, the country that has done most to boost and strengthen al-Qaeda over the past 12 months is not Iran but the United States: intervening in Libya allowed al-Qaeda-linked Islamist groups to take power while intervening in Syria to topple Bashar al-Assad will be a gift to Ayman al-Zawahiri. (Incidentally, if Iran and al-Qaeda are on the same side, then how can Iran and Syria be on the same side, given how Syria and al-Qaeda aren't on the same side? See how ridiculous this all becomes??).

Oh, and on a related note, here's the best piece of evidence to undermine all this new nonsense about an al-Qaeda-Iran "marriage": former al-Qaeda bigwig Anwar al Awlaki - who we were told by the Americans was the most dangerous and influential al-Qaeda terrorist in the world until his death last year - speaking about Iran in November 2010:

Al-Awlaki warned against Iran's military weaponry, saying that it aims at the Sunni Gulf states whose peoples will be the first Iranian targets. "O Sunni scholars, what is your plan to resist the spread of apostasy that is sweeping the region from Iran to Yemen? ... Are your guardians capable of resisting Iran? Iran spends its oil revenues to build its army, and your guardians spend money to protect and guard the American occupation from the blows of the mujahideen."

As the Atlantic's Max Fisher wrote, after reporting on the Awlaki comments:

Iran hawks and al-Qaeda-watchers have long suspected a possible connection for the understandable reason that the two groups share mutual enemies: the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Awlaki's open renunciation of Iran, which comes despite all the strategic incentives he might find for supporting Iran, underscores just how ideologically incompatible al-Qaeda is with official state sponsorship of nearly any kind. Al-Qaeda's ideology is so extreme, and its ideological obedience so rigid, that it would be difficult for the group to tolerate, much less ally with, any regime other than the Taliban.

Nonetheless, people who should know better continue to spin this line about Iran and al-Qaeda. And why not? It worked so well last time round.

So, for instance, despite the fact that the 9/11 Commission report concluded that there was no evidence linking Iran to the 9/11 attacks, ludicrous claims continue to be made. I mean, check out this billboard image which appeared in New York late last year.

Salon's Glenn Greenwald summed up the hawks' simplistic, propagandistic mindset in a single tweet:

Iran and Al Qaeda, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Yeah, but how about some proper evidence this time?

Tags: Iran Watch  al-Qaeda  Iran

119 comments

jankaas's picture

^

"Jankaas, you are Gert Wilders and I claim my £5."

his 1st name is Geert, and i think he is an opportunistic piece of shit. so now you can give £5 to the charity of your choice.

btw you haven't answered my direct question regarding the value of pages from books of which there are literally billions of copies. why is that? is it all a bit too much for a person like yourself?

"And it didn't escape my attention that on the other thread you still abused my name even though I had stoppd by then."

and you miss the point here also, every time i insult you via your username it's always because you started abusing my name 1st. fact. go check for yourself. if you really think i am wrong and you are right. then come back and tell me what you found.

Kev Con's picture

Tussant - "Medhi Hassan has a pathological hatred of Canada"

Refer his ass to the UN or get Seal team six to go round his place and execute him or something.

Total nonsense

bro's picture

@ Sir Michael @ Jankass the jerk arse -the jihadist twin. Jihadist "one who argues for peace'
Waiter, Could I have one??

Islam is a fraud and a jihadist is a killer by any definition.

The only time Islam talks about saving mankind is when Mohammad plagiarised a apocryphal Jewish literature; this time in the Jewish Mishnah Sanhedrin.

The Qur'an reads: Qur'an 5:32 "On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone slew a person - unless it be in retaliation for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew all mankind: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all humanity."

The Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 says: "We find it said in the case of Cain who murdered his brother, the voice of thy brother's blood cries out [this is a quote from Genesis 4:10, but not the rest...], and he says, it does not say he has blood in the singular, but bloods in the plural. It was singular in order to show that to him who kills a single individual, it should be reckoned that he has slain all humanity. But to him who has preserved the life of a single individual, it is counted that he has preserved all mankind."

Kev Con's picture

Julie Harris et al

Where do you source your research? Season 3 of 24? Fox news?

Sir Michael's picture

"Islam is a fraud and a jihadist is a killer by any definition."

Yes...

So if we are arguing for peace (peace being a state where people are not killed or hurt) we can't be Jihadists by that definition can we?

Hello? Am I typing slow enough?

Rick's picture

Does anyone even take Mehdi hassan seriously anymore. He's just a religious apologist dressed up as a journalist.

Parkour Pete's picture

@Arminius - Not all Zionists are Jewish just as not all Jews are Zionists

I think you're being a wee bit disingenuous here. I think the vast majority of people who use the word zionist when speaking against Israel tend to mean Jewish Israeli or Jewish supporters of Israel.

And for what it's worth (I posted this on another thread) I am opposed to war with Iran or any other country and I hope this present stand-off can be resolved through means other than violence.

Julia Harris's picture

NEWS FLASH, WE TRIED TO TELL YOU...

The UN nuclear agency says Iran has increased production of higher-grade enriched uranium, raising fresh concerns about how quickly it could make an atomic bomb.

A confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said Iran had failed to give a convincing explanation about a quantity of missing uranium metal.
Diplomats have said the missing amount could be used for experiments to arm a warhead.
Iran insists it has no intention of making nuclear weapons and maintains the sole purpose of its activities is to generate energy.
But the report expresses "serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme."

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16176547

bro's picture

Read
your
terrorist
manual
the Quran

Sir Michael's picture

"Sir Michael: John Bolton is outspoken. And unlike run-of-the-mill diplomats doesn't lie for his country."

What?

He has just TOLD you he lies in the video I linked. That's him, explaining why lying is totally ok. It's not David Hasselhoff with a false moustache and a wig. It's John Bolton.

If you believe a man who tells you right to your face he doesn't care for honesty you are a ridiculous person.

@Jankaas:

Some ten minute clips if you have time to kill this weekend...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-19-2010/extremist-makeover-...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-september-13-2010/islamophobiapalooza

I'm convinced that during these sorts of "debates" it's important to not get too entrenched into ones position, and to that end an external arbiter with impeccable logic is sometimes required to provide some kind of counter measure to becoming partizan. But when I turn to my typical arbiters in this case, be it philosophers, or current affairs voices of wisdom, I find the whole argument of the other side completely absurd. It makes no logical sense at all and seems to actually be founded on the idea of hatred is a good indicated of fact.

bro's picture

Islam, a religion of peace?
Qur'an:9:88 "The Messenger and those who believe with him, strive hard and fight with their wealth and lives in Allah's Cause."

Qur'an:9:5 "Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war."

Qur'an:9:112 "The Believers fight in Allah's Cause, they slay and are slain, kill and are killed."
Qur'an:9:29 "Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission."

Ishaq:325 "Muslims, fight in Allah's Cause. Stand firm and you will prosper. Help the Prophet, obey him, give him your allegiance, and your religion will be victorious."
Qur'an:8:39 "Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah."

Qur'an:8:39 "So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)."

Ishaq:324 "He said, 'Fight them so that there is no more rebellion, and religion, all of it, is for Allah only. Allah must have no rivals.'"

Qur'an:9:14 "Fight them and Allah will punish them by your hands, lay them low, and cover them with shame. He will help you over them."

kr's picture

@ Sir Michael
I agree with your comments above. I'm not one for belittling anyone,but get rather frustrated with comments filled with so much hatred, so much so that it seems to some people, dropping bombs on some people's heads is quite natural. Perhaps I should try and keep a cooler head towards such comments!

kr's picture

@sir Michael
I've just read the links you posted above. Very interesting indeed. thank you.

willoyen's picture

@ Willp

well said!

jankaas's picture

@bro

kiss
my
hairy
Dutch
secular
arse

Tussant's picture

Iran - al quada - Mehdi Hasan: the common denominator here is a pathological hatred of Israel, the Jews, the USA, western liberal democracy, Canada, Australia, Gay rights, women's rights and the right of women not to be stoned to death.

Tussant's picture

Arminius/Sir Michael you are a pair of Islamist bigots. Go stone some of vile women to death.

Arminius's picture

Parkour Pete - "I think you're being a wee bit disingenuous here. I think the vast majority of people who use the word zionist when speaking against Israel tend to mean Jewish Israeli or Jewish supporters of Israel" - I stand by my statement as being entirely correct; what others mean whilst using the term Zionist is up to them. There have been Christian Zionists in the UK since the 19th century and there are large numbers of such individuals in the USA. In my view these people are as much an obstacle to peace as any Palestinian extremist group.
I am pleased that you are opposed to war since war with Iran has the potential to be a greater disaster for the west than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

Arminius's picture

Tussant - Its nice that your carers allow a fruitloop such as yourself use of a computer but you should not abuse the privilege.

joe's picture

The west is so hypocritical that have supporteres terrorist all over the world , in fact all countries have atsine point to achieve strategic goals

On Al Qaeda however Iran does not support them . Even Iif the CIA is turning a blind eye to al Qaeda fighters leaving Iraq for Syria .

Terrorism is a legitimate foriegn policy tool used by all countries from the mujahideen in Afghanistan to the Panamanian separatist

Hamas and Hezbollah don't target minorities they only attack nations which are at war against them

So what is Iran sells missiles to Syria ? Didn't Reagan sell missiles to saddam ? Or Obama to king saud

jankaas's picture

@JJ

"So while you you bring us YouTube videos I'm happy in the meantime to educate you, Sir Mo."

you didn't watch that clip of Bolton did you? the clip where he literally says that he lies whenever he decides it is ok to lie. no mincing of words, Bolton freely admits that he personally has no problem telling lies for his country.

be honest now JJ. you didn't watch it coz if you did then you'd look insane by posting as you did the following statement; "John Bolton is outspoken. And unlike run-of-the-mill diplomats doesn't lie for his country"

so what happened JJ?

jankaas's picture

"It's not David Hasselhoff with a false moustache and a wig. It's John Bolton."

brilliant.

i think it's safe to conclude that the NS threads are just about an absolute waste of energy if one is looking for informed debate, and a frank exchange of different opinions. you and i keep having to explain to a motley crew of half-wits how; up is not down, and white is not black, correlation is not causation, and facts don't have a political bias.

i have found it on the whole bitterly disappointing, though there have been a few bright interludes. and yes i agree that there is not a single voice i've heard that appears to provide a convincing argument for a military strike against Iran. i am willing to listen to one, but they appear to not exist.

(p.s. will check out those clips later on)

brummy's picture

@Sir Michael @Jankass @Arminius et al - I am sure you know why Muslims like you are all so stupid - your Allah & your terrorist prophet said that Muslims are made of slimy smelly clay unlike us infidels. Just read your Quran LOL!!

Tabari I:258 &
Qur'an 15:26 "Allah created Adam from sticky clay, meaning viscous and sweet smelling slime, being stinking. It became stinking slime after having been compact soil."

Tabari I:258 "Allah sent Gabriel to the earth to bring Him some clay. The earth said, 'I take refuge in Allah against you mutilating me. Then He sent the angel of death. He took some soil from the earth and made a mixture. He did not take it from a single place but took red, white, and black soil. Therefore, the children of Adam came out different."

So @ Sir Michael @ Jankass @Arminius - which smelly clay is yours??

Ken's picture

bro....Islam, a religion of peace?
-------------

I can find you load of quotes from the Bible that say all knids of hateful shit but I guess they do not fit your silly assed agenda..

Sir Michael's picture

Tussant: "Arminius/Sir Michael you are a pair of Islamist bigots. Go stone some of vile women to death."

Educate yourself...

http://www.cracked.com/article_18911_5-ridiculous-things-you-probably-be...

In some places Islamic women are more liberated than western women.

Julia Harris's picture

PG: Is Iran a danger to the U.S. now? How is that likely to change in five years?

RK: Unfortunately, not many in the U.S. realize that the leaders in Iran not only pose an existential threat to Israel, but also to America. The fact that the U.S. could destroy Iran in a matter of minutes in case of an attack will not deter the Islamic regime in Iran from an attack on U.S. soil. The Iranian assets, including Quds forces and Hezb'allah cells, have long infiltrated the U.S. The Iranians run a complex operation through several entities and organizations, such as mosques, Iranian Islamic student associations, the Muslim Brotherhood's Muslim Students Association, and others. In helping U.S. intelligence, I once established contact with a Revolutionary Guard commander who posed as a student here in the U.S. Another time I was informed of a very important Guard commander who had come to the U.S. under a fake passport, and was meeting with the heads of Muslim Students Association groups. So not only terrorism at home is very likely when the leaders in Iran decide to take action, but a more dangerous scenario is a launched missile with a nuclear payload, either from Iran or off of a ship close to U.S. shores.

PG: Why is Iran funding the Sunni jihadis of Hamas and the Taliban?

RK: That's another misunderstanding by the West. Though the help by the Islamic regime to Sunni forces also is tactical to confront the U.S. and Israel, also in Islam the main enemy is the infidel. And so in pursuit of that final glorification of Islam, the Iranian leaders will collaborate and help any Islamic force that could help with the destruction of Israel and the demise of America.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/reza_kahlili_and_the_truth_about_...

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/reza_kahlili_and_the_truth_about_...

jankaas's picture

@Julia

different day, different thread, same old shit though...

"U.S. District Court Rules Iran Behind 9/11 Attacks"

you posted this previously, and the following fact was ignored by you; the official US 9/11 Commission did not find that Iran was directly responsible for the Twin Towers attack.

http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Exec.htm

if you search for the word "Iran" in that summary and then "Saudi" you'll find the former occurs once and the latter 10 times.

people should read the source material rather than cite what they sort of remember from news articles, and the opinions of those poor bereaved persons. i do feel we let the bereaved down by allowing bullshit conclusions to take precedence over informed evidence based conclusions.

Julia Harris's picture

@ Vikakshana, Its not my fault if you don't have anything poignant to say and are generally too ill informed or thick probably.

I know the truth hurts and I'm sure my posts have your Islamofacist Lefty side telling yourself that its all lies and rubbish as to concede to anything anyone says about Islam would be morally wrong in your mind?

You can live in denial if you like, but deep down you know my words to be true.

jankaas's picture

@Parkour

"Actually, it's great for a lot of self-professed left-wing people or anyone, come to that, who's a racist but hasn't got the courage to admit it"

so your theory is that anyone who uses the term Zionist is a racist? wow, perhaps you should inform the following organisations;

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Zionism/wzo.html

http://www.greenzionism.org/

there are plenty more like that, run by Jewish people who according to you are racists. or is that not what you meant..?

Sir Michael's picture

"You smell"?

Congratulations on lowering the tone to pre-teen levels.

I am not a Muslim, so I won't call you an infidel. I have no problems calling you infantile though.

Parkour Pete's picture

@jankaas - "there are plenty more like that, run by Jewish people who according to you are racists. or is that not what you meant..?"

No it's very much not what I meant. I meant it's a term used by certain haters of Israel to avoid using words Jew or Jewish - camouflage if you like. See some recent postings by Maximefm on one of the other threads for example.

jankaas's picture

@Tussant

"Go stone some of vile women to death."

what exactly is it that makes those women vile in your eyes?

i ask because you keep saying this sort of thing, and no-one's ever picked you up on it as far as i know. can you answer it, or is it just something you've got into the habit of writing?

jankaas's picture

Sir M

"But a few seconds later"

yep, i know what you mean. good call btw.
i am astonished how much vitriol the more reasoned and evidence based posters attract.

guess it just goes like that sometimes. not sure who's on your list of 'waste of pixels' but mine is growing like a rash, JJ just having made it on there. all he'll get from me is the odd poke with a sharp stick. so it goes.

jankaas's picture

@Parkour

"No it's very much not what I meant."
ok. i stand corrected.

"See some recent postings by Maximefm on one of the other threads for example."
who, on that thread, i denounced as a vile cretinous Holocaust denier (actually she was self confessed, but you get the point. i don't stand for abuse of Jews for being Jewish, period)

but i do think that there is a serious problem with the, let's call them, True Zionists. much as Arminius said, these are persons who view all actions by Israel through rose tinted specs, and refuse to allow balance between all parties involved. their insistence that any-one, including Jews, who criticise anything the Israeli administration does is by definition anti-Semitic, does nothing to assist constructive meaningful debate.
do you recognise that as a problem?

Nathaniel Myers's picture

Does no one else just get tired of how childish Mehdi writes in all of his articles...? *Sigh*

A lot of it was very good, but I just had to take issue with the whole Saddam Hussein's 'secular Iraq'. You're a smart guy, who was it that decided to put that line from the Qur'an on the Iraqi flag, just out of interest?

Parkour Pete's picture

@jankaas "do you recognise that as a problem?"

Absolutely, and it's one I grapple with a great deal. Of course Israel should not be immune to criticism (mild or severe) the same as any country in the world. But there's a difference between criticism based on facts (both sides of the arguement), and demonisation based on prejudice or a fixed mind-set.

JJ's picture

Ha ha! what a depraved crew the islamists have put up here: Jankaas with his constant harping on about his arse, either asking people to kiss it and how he would wipe his arse with the bible and Koran.

Sir Mohammed with his wisecracks insults and deflections. He's soooo weary of having to debate people he disagrees with, yet he lurks around here with nothing better to do.

Maxine with her Holocaust Denial and wishing for a new Holocaust which twisted logic is par for the course for the Islamists.

Priceless!

BTW, Sir Michael, John Bolton is one of the greatest political thinkers of our time.

jankaas's picture

@brummy

same advice i gave you when you called yourself "bro";

kiss

my

hairy

Dutch

secular

arse

JJ's picture

Of course, Jankaas professes to be 'secular' just as the haters of 'Zionists' profess to be 'half Jewish'. It's the get out of jail card for them. But they are easily found out.

Meanwhile, STILL no condemnation of the butcher Assad from Tony Benn, Booth, Ridley and the rest of the loopyfruit Left.

Julia Harris's picture

@ Nathaniel Myers, yes they are childish, biased, blinkered and overly emotional.

jankaas's picture

@Parkour

agreed, there's no room for prejudice, which i think is an enormous obstacle. the biggest problem of course being the reluctance of those with prejudice to listen to facts, and work with those.

reminds me of the quote (as i remember it); "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."

so if we track back to the facts, as they relate to this specific thread, we should acknowledge that Al-Qaeda as an international organisation, was wished into existence by Western politicians and media. at the time of 9/11 it just didn't exist in that way. now Al-Qaeda is becoming what we were told it already was 10 years ago...

this man knows his onions, don;t be put off by the low view rate, he is an academic expert on this subject and contributes to the White House under Republican as well as Democratic administrations. skip to 2 mins 30;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJA_f1VyWlg&feature=related

mike cobley's picture

JH hilarious quote - "...yes they are childish, biased, blinkered and overly emotional."

Oh, stop, please stop! - I'm in danger of laughing up my ribcage!

Meanwhile, back in the real world, it is discovered that the Islamofascist Martian Commies of Iran spend on their military 1% of the amount spent by America. Various nations end up rolling on the floor, laughing helplessly.

Khosrow's picture

Since the Cold War the mass media have increasingly become an indispensable political tool, though the Nazi and Communist propaganda machines had set the first major records in the 20th century.
If the West claims to be a ‘PARTICIPATORY’ DEMOCRACY, based on active role of the citizens in the formation of their societies and freedom of speech, and responsible mass media, rather than being led by a certain group IN THE NAME OF THE MAJORITY, then considering the shocking information provided by these authors, that reveal the skilful CONTROL OF PUBLIC OPINION by certain groups, the EFFICIENCY of the WESTERN DEMOCRACY, its MEDIA and the accuracy of the western public opinion are questionable, especially when issues such as war are imminent.
I am not sure of the accuracy of the information provided by these sites; some of them may have a bad reputation as fanatics, but here my concern is mainly with the PARTICULAR ‘INFORMATION’ made public by them. I hope the ZIONIST CONTRIBUTORS to this blog would feel responsible to ENLIGHTEN THE READERS by ‘OBJECTIVELY’ DEMONSTRATING the inaccuracy of the information provided by these site and books:
1- John J. MEARSHEIMER & STEPHEN M. WALT: THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND US FOREIGN POLICY (2007)
The authors’ extensive research demonstrates the power of the Zionist lobbyists in America and how Israel for years has strived to prevent any close relation between Iran and America to become reality.
2- ILAN PAPPE: THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF PALESTINE (2006)
Pappe’s research takes us to the heart of Israel’s ethnic cleansing policies from its very inception.

3-- Jewish Dominance of America - Facts Are Facts
http://www.rense.com/general59/sdom.htm

4-The Jewish Propaganda in British Media (1997)
http://theunjustmedia.com/media/the%20jewish%20propaganda%20in%20british...

5- The Jewish media-power in Britain (2002)
http://radioislam.org/islam/english/jewishp/gbmedia/gbmedia.htm

6- Jewish Power in the American Medias
http://radioislam.org/islam/english/toread/whorules.htm

7- JEWISH "MEDIAS"= Jewish Propaganda
http://radioislam.org/medias/index.htm

jankaas's picture

@Rick

i think a more interesting question is if those who disagree with Mehdi on principle ever bother to read what he actually writes? i think Mehdi is sometimes right, and sometimes wrong, and i say so. and you?

Julia Harris's picture

Someone tweed this article to Mehdi...not sure if they thought it might help...but the opposite is the case...

Virtually unnoticed, since late 2001, Iran has held some of al Qaeda's most senior leaders. Several of these operatives, such as Yasin al-Suri, an al Qaeda facilitator, have moved recruits and money from the Middle East to central al Qaeda in Pakistan. Others, such as Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian that served as head of al Qaeda's security committee, and Abu Muhammad al-Masri, one of the masterminds of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa, have provided strategic and operational assistance to central al Qaeda. The Iranian government has held most of them under house arrest, limited their freedom of movement, and closely monitored their activities. Yet the organization's presence in Iran means that, contrary to optimistic assessments that have become the norm in Washington, al Qaeda's demise is not imminent.

Perhaps more disturbing, Iran appears willing to expand its limited relationship with al Qaeda. Just as with its other surrogate, Hezbollah, the country could turn to al Qaeda to mount a retaliation to any U.S. or Israeli attack. To be sure, the organization is no Iranian puppet. And the two have sometimes been antagonistic, as illustrated by al Qaeda in Iraq's recent attacks against Shias. But both share a hatred of the United States. U.S. policymakers should think twice about provoking a closer relationship between them and should draw greater public attention to Iran's limited, but still unacceptable, cooperation with al Qaeda.

Evidence of the Iranian-al Qaeda partnership abounds -- and much of it is public. This past year, I culled through hundreds of documents from the Harmony database at West Point; perused hundreds more open-source and declassified documents, such as the U.S. Department of Treasury's sanctions against al Qaeda leaders in Iran; and interviewed government officials from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia.

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/137061/seth-g-jones/al-qaeda-in-i...

Arminius's picture

brummy - Ho hum....another arsehole sockpuppet.....

Buckskins's picture

Keep up the good work Julia. You're fantastic.

Julia Harris's picture

@mike cobblers - You are correct about 1 thing, the regime in Iran is Islamofascist, the people are trapped.

So because Iran spends 1% does it entitle them to have Nukes and terrorize the region? 1% still buys allot of dead infidels.

Would you prefer that Iran had a bigger Military budget than the US and was the worlds policeman, would you feel safe?

I actually don't think you found what I said funny at all, in fact it annoyed you very much, Good! :)))

Cobblers to you!

mike cobley's picture

Oh god, Julia, Julia! - are we locked in some kind of star-crossed haters embrace? How are thou so wrong - let me count the ways.

Iran has no nukes and does not terrorise the region - thats America's job. Oh, and pointing out that Iran's military spend is 1% of America's does not mean that I want them to have a bigger budget. How on earth did you get that out of what I wrote?

As for annoyance, well, if you were writing from a stance that possessed so much as a scintilla of rationality I think the annoyance factor would be greater since there would be some perceptible proximity to sanity and compassion. But your outpouring display no such qualities - muslims and anyone who opposes or criticises any action or policy of Israel and the US is in your eyes a diabolical creature fit only for your particular brand of corrosive despite. Which is I find you funny. I guffaw in your general direction, ma'am.

bro's picture

@ Sir Michael, @Jankass et al
Make my day, just pack up and go back to your own countries living among your jihadist brethren - I am sure you won't - as they ae still stuck in the year 632 AD

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