More "War is Peace"

It would be interesting to know how many times NPR has coupled the name of the "Middle East Quartet" with such words or phrases as "peacemaker," "seeks peace," "promotes peace," etc. It's nothing new, of course, but you'll be counting a long time if you do the research. Does anyone seriously think the Quartet is interested in a just solution of Israel's attempt to destroy Palestinian culture? Can someone name one step that the Quartet has taken to demand that Israel renounce violence and return territory annexed and stolen since 1967? The Quartet may seek "resolution" of the conflict, but it is the same resolution that the US/Israeli expansionists want - subservience and capitulation by the Palestinians. One might hope that the Quartet's move of appointing the discredited Tony Blair as Middle East (NPR has a soft spot for Blair anyway) envoy would highlight the cynical aims of the Quartet, but no such luck. Here were a few of the choice remarks from yesterday and today:

• On ATC Norris states, "Tony Blair has a new job today….appointed as representative of the so-called Middle East Quartet, that’s the group of nations trying to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians." In the same piece Rob Gifford adds, "...the so-called Quartet, which seeks to bring peace to the Middle East." (That's subtle.)
• Then this morning Montagne notes "Tony Blair...was offered a new job...that would be promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinians." (No bias there!)

I can't wait to hear who's next on the peace train, maybe that bleeding-heart, peace-loving Henry Kissinger can get called into action before he dies--after all he's buddies with the new British Prime Minister.

Blah, Blah, Blair

Ok, were you brave enough for Inskeep and Blair?

Well trooper, the problems for Bush and Blair are all about confidence and a lack of patience! Blair tells us about "a fall in the confidence in your country and my country" about "what were doing in Iraq." Yes "we" are doing some amazing things in Iraq and Blair is all over it: "...that’s where you’ve got just very carefully to analyze what is actually happening there in order to see what you should be doing."

Blair concludes that "the reason why people in Britain, people in America have lost patience to an extent is because they see the carnage and the bloodshed...and that must mean the thing is wrong, and the truth of the matter is, it is being driven largely by al-Qaeda on the one hand, Iranian backed elements on the other hand who are linking up with a minority of extremists inside Iraq..."

Man, that is a wheelbarrow full, yet Inskeep says nothing to challenge this fantasy of al-Qaeda and Iran being the root of all problems in Iraq--and why should he? It's the standard line of NPR news anyway.

From Iraq, the interview moves on to Palestine and Israel (Be afraid.) Blair shows that he can match chutzpah with the best of the AIPACers: "You know, if you take the Palestinian issue, the reason why there’s not—you know the reason why there isn’t progress in Palestine in the way there should be is because the same forces are at work. Look there’s absolutely no doubt at all that you could get a Middle East peace process that would deliver an independent, viable Palestinian state and an Israel confident of its security living side by side in peace. The reason you can’t is that every time we get anywhere near progress, the same terrorism erupts—"

Same forces! He means al-Qaeda and Iran of course. And by terrorism he is only interested in the deaths of innocent Israelis (which is terrible). That Inskeep doesn't counter any of this is sad. Can you imagine him being so compliant if a Palestinian spokesperson made a nearly identical quote, but instead said, "you know if you take the Palestinian issue, the reason why there’s not—you know the reason why there isn’t progress in Palestine in the way there should be is because those in the US and Israel who thrive on war and conflict for power and profit are at work derailing it....every time we get anywhere near progress, the same Likud and neocon extremists assassinate some Palestinians or kill a bunch of civilians like the family on the beach last summer—

Oh that's right, in NPR world Palestinians and Iraqis count for three-fifths of a person...or maybe one fifth...or maybe nothing.

Brace Yourself

You may want to eat a light breakfast Friday morning: Steve Inskeep is interviewing Tony Blair. I'll wager a guess that he won't present any of the facts about the growing disaster in the Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East in general and Blair's responsibility for it. Instead any critique will be couched in how "unpopular" the war in Iraq is.

Consider David Greene's reprise of Blair's sleep-over at the White House and the press conference with Bush and Blair in the Rose Garden. Seabrook introduces the story by recalling that Bush and Blair "have stood together through the Iraq war, even as it badly damaged the political standing of each" (if only that were all it had damaged.) Greene picks up on this theme: "...both leaders are of course politically wounded by the growing popular opposition to the war in Iraq." My God, don't you just want to grab Greene by the collar and get it into his head that what matters is not the "popular opposition to the war" (which these two have held in contempt from the start); what matters is the monstrous bloodshed and disastrous events of the past four years and the long term tragedy that will result from their war of aggression.