Propaganda

Von

Reports in the papers a couple of days ago said that the american kid who went and joined the taliban has disclosed that a biological attack on the US is imminent. There was a lot of other rubbish about the "third phase" of the campaign against america making the information look very detailed and all the rest. Only the very gullible very scared or very stupid would believe that a kid who just arrived in afghanistan from america (of all places) would ever be given any knowledge of top secret evil terrorist plans. The US govt is terrorising its own citizens with propaganda and disinformation as a prelude to kicking off the new global arms race. Bush just pulled out of the ABM Treaty. China, Russia, Pakistan and India are next.

There's excerpts from a book about propaganda called Rape Of The Mind written by a WW2 Dutch Resistance member here.

Gargoyle

Maybe you saw something I didn't see, but the *only* place I saw that report was the Irish Times.

bonkey

There's almost no doubt that its propaganda alright. Its a question of who's propaganda this is!

It is entirely possible that the kid did say these things. He wanted to join Al Qaeda (apparently) and did fight for the Taliban. He apparently is still quite "pro" their side in all of this.

I can see how it could be complete fiction made up by the US. I can also see how it is accurately reported that the kid made these claims. Perhaps he is the propagandist, trying to either make himself sound more important, and/or trying to still bolster "his" side's case by spreading additional fear and terror.

The fact that the US govt have come out and completely disregarded his claims (publicly) on reasonably intelligent grounds makes me tend to lean towards the latter possibility.

There is, of course, an outside possibility that he is telling the truth. If this is the case, he's a stupid idiot for giving out this information to the targetted parties, and the US government are stupid idiots for allowing it to be issued to the press.

Remember - this kids family have not been allowed to see him yet. I doubt that he's issued any statement to the press which hasnt been vetted by those in charge. If they are willing to let it be printed, then it is almost definite that he or they made it up.

I tend to think he did.

jc

Von

Originally posted by bonkey

I can see how it could be complete fiction made up by the US. I can also see how it is accurately reported that the kid made these claims. Perhaps he is the propagandist, trying to either make himself sound more important, and/or trying to still bolster "his" side's case by spreading additional fear and terror.

It's possible that they're giving him a deal. "Say what we want you to say if you want a lighter sentence." Lighter than the chair anyway.

The fact that the US govt have come out and completely disregarded his claims (publicly) on reasonably intelligent grounds makes me tend to lean towards the latter possibility.

Standard propaganda tactic really. Leak some disinformation then deny it. The public will still tend to believe there's something in it. The British used it during them troubles constantly.

Got story from The Washington Times

the real reason I posted this was to direct anyone who's interested in psychology and propaganda to that Rape Of the Mind book.

Chaos-Engine

Originally posted by Gargoyle
Maybe you saw something I didn't see, but the *only* place I saw that report was the Irish Times.

Don't believe everything you read in that paper of all irish papers.. Its written for america more so than ireland

In fact its the only thing I would agree with Harney on
"The Irish Times is nearer Boston than Berlin"

I saw an excellent report on the US after the 11/9/2001 the other day on BBC2

Basically it should a ppl that no longer trust there media and are hungry for unbiased truthful information. Something the Large media corps don't provide(BSkyB, CNN, NBC blah blah)
Alot of yanks saying they try and watch BBC news as much as possible as they get pissed listening the "War on America"
etc... The Propaganda is strong... "Search for the truth"
AS I have always said and have been saying for many years

"INFORMATION IS AMMUNITION"

Typedef

Just while the subject is on propaganda and Bush pulling the US out of the ABM or (Anti Ballistic Missile) treaty. Seeing as how Vladimir Putin the Leader of the Russian Federation called this withdrawal a mistake, is the world now witnessing a murky kind of renewal of the Cold War? If so who honestly believes in 10 years or so anyone will attribute the withdrawal of the US from the ABM as the principal exponent of renewed hostilities?
I suspect no-one would, I suspect in 10 years or so, after the US has built it's war toys and the Russians and Chinese have responded in kind with Russian and Chinese war toys that popular belief, or hollywood or maybe even some right-wing scolars will remember how the Russians forced Bush to withdraw from the ABM by, attempting to bring North and South Korea together, introducing free-market "reforms" to Russia etc, clearly provocational. I'm sure we all realise that the North Koreans don't have enough money to feed themselves but, somehow pose such a threat via the Taepodong Ballistic Missile that the US needs to start a new arms race? Clearly while India was developing ballistic weapons and nuclear weapons the US was wholely right in allowing this happen, but wait, when North Korea, ravaged by famine develops a missile that can clear the west cost of Japan, well then, that's the time to bring to an end any attempt to stop missile proliferation, thanks for clearing that up Bush.

Sand

Its my belief the kid was listening to too much Taliban propaganda. Its kind of similar to to the Japanese after the first nuke was dropped by the armericans. Their were rumours amongst the survivors that Japan was dropping similar weapons on the american cities. Basically Bin Ladens were getting whupped and they spread comforting rumours that America would pay etc etc, to hopefully keep morale up. Thats conjecture of course but not unreasonalbe i think.

The kid probably did say what was reported- from what ive read on him he appears to have become an extremely fanatical muslim (Yemen wasnt Islamic enough for him apparently)- As such hed be happy to believe and spout such vague threats of apocalypse for America.

What the US gains from lying about what he said? Little in my opinion. Everyone knows its highly likely that the terrorists want to hit the US again and may be in the US already. So the kid says little new.

The kid stands to get little out of it either. A deal might be possible but apparently its harder to get a conviction of treason in the US than you mgiht think ( due to American concerns over British abuses of treason laws). Apparently requires two eyewitnesses or a confession in open court. That might be slightly difficult (No Sir, I never ever waged an act of overt war against the US- If you think otherwise then try ask my fundamentalist buddies to sell me out to the US)

As for Typedefs post: So far off topic, so speculative. Not even going to bother.