Bush's PR victories?

DiscoStu

The bombing in Bali lat week and now the arrest of John Allen "Muhammad" in relation to the Washington DC sniper case. Something just doesnt add up.

Both are events that polarized the world with fear and in both cases the idea that islamic fundamentalists are involved.

Jemaah Islamiyah a group with links to Al-Queda were mentioned after the the bombing. Authorities then claimed that C4 explosive was used strenghtening links to a well organised and well funded terrorist organisation. Later it emerged that it was infact a classic irish way of bombing, the fertilizer bomb. Before the nature of the bomb was known US intelligence agencies jumped onto the bandwagon claiming that they had warned of immenent terrorist attacks.

Now we have the Washington Sniper. During the weekend it emerged that a letter was left at the scene of the saturday shooting. It was mentioned (on CBS by the way) that the grammer and general language used was so bad they belived that the shooters first language was not english. Now a muslim convert John Allen is arrested.

Both of the cases have brough the war on terror back home to most americans and could not have come at a better time for bush. It appears the most americans are more worried about the economy and if they will loose there jobs and not a man half way across the world. the fact that the bombing in bali was of such a huge scale and the sniper with islamic belifes hit so close to home, bush's home could ploarize public opinion back in favour of the war on iraq. The question is, why did these pr victories come at just the right time?

[edit]When i said "classic irish way of bombing" i meant "cheap and cheerful" not that the ira were involved. but how cheap and cheerful can a bombing be?[/edit]

seamus

Thing is, given the time, you could link any terrorist group to Al-Queada (sp). There's obviously going to be a limited number of weapons smugglers, bomb technicians, etc etc in the world, so if the IRA sourced from some guy that a friend of Bin Laden's did, suddenly there's a link between the IRA and Bin Laden. It's not uncommon for unrelated terrorist groups to pool their resources, or engage in co-operative training/intelligence, regardless of whether they support each other's cause or not, so suddenly there's another 'link' between them.

As well, if this sniper guy is some madman, who has never spoken to a member of Al-Queada, but has numerous cuttings, pictures, websites cached about the terrorist group, then the US will claim he is 'linked' with them. I have links to a certain incumbent Irish telco(as do most Irish people).....does that make me a 'part' of that organisation? No.

But the Bush administration can gain cred by citing these 'links', and making it look as if his farcical campaign is working.....

Raskolnikov

Originally posted by DiscoStu



Now we have the Washington Sniper. During the weekend it emerged that a letter was left at the scene of the saturday shooting. It was mentioned (on CBS by the way) that the grammer and general language used was so bad they belived that the shooters first language was not english. Now a muslim convert John Allen is arrested.

LOL, that sounds like a crackpot theory to me that is just based on assumption. Could it possibly be that the sniper is a US citizen who is the product of an inadequate education system? I seriously doubt that the sniper has any links to any Islamic fundamentalist groups

It seems that Bush has been on a crusade to try and tar everyone and everything with the Al-Queda brush so has to drum up fear and make Al-Queda seem to be a far more global and dangerous group then it actually is. Of course this policy will only harm moderate American Muslims and create more hostility against the West

DiscoStu

sky news have just stated that he and a friend trained in an al-queda training camp in alabama or something before sept 11

Meh

Originally posted by DiscoStu
sky news have just stated that he and a friend trained in an al-queda training camp in alabama or something before sept 11

We need a UN resolution authorizing military action against the Alabamanian government, or the terrorists have already won.

Planet Potato

Why do people assume that everything is a conspiracy? There is no evidence that the Washington sniper is related to a terrorist group, and the police are at pains to say this. Even if he is, is the obvious answer to assume it was someone in the US government who is trying to manipulate him?

It's like the bomb blast in Bali. Instead of focussing on the obvious suspects, we get comments like "it would be very easy to suspect the CIA".

Let's try eliminating the obvious suspects before we start building conspiracy theories

DiscoStu

But they are so much fun

i dont think its a conspiracy i just dont like the way the Bush administration massages the facts to fit its great right wing agenda. The way that they can whip up public anger in the states to such a frenzy that they can get away with anything is what i object to.

Its a lot like the two minutes of hate. Now where is Goldstein when you need him.

Clintons Cat

For some reason the Sniper case reminds me of Timothy McViegh.

seamus

Originally posted by DiscoStu
The way that they can whip up public anger in the states to such a frenzy that they can get away with anything is what i object to.

Heh, that's like Sky News last night. They were doing the 'In tomorrow's papers' bit, and looking at an American paper. They guy they had in to read the papers goes; "So at least now it looks as though life is returning to some sort of normality in the US. Well, as normal as life can get in the US......."

adnans

Originally posted by Clintons Cat
For some reason the Sniper case reminds me of Timothy McViegh.

the sniper reminded me of that movie Dirty Harry where that guy terrorises the city and asksfor ransom money.

adnans