Israelis in Iraq? You bet.
Here's "an Abu Ghraib photo we didn't see on the front page of the New York Times."
The UK Guardian's Julian Borger wrote this report on the presence of Israeli "consultants" in Iraq on 9 December 2003.
Israeli advisers are helping train US special forces in aggressive counter-insurgency operations in Iraq, including the use of assassination squads against guerrilla leaders, US intelligence and military sources said yesterday…"Jihadist prejudices?" Right.
"This is basically an assassination programme. That is what is being conceptualised here. This is a hunter-killer team," said a former senior US intelligence official, who added that he feared the new tactics and enhanced cooperation with Israel would only inflame a volatile situation in the Middle East.
"It is bonkers, insane. Here we are - we're already being compared to Sharon in the Arab world, and we've just confirmed it by bringing in the Israelis and setting up assassination teams."
"They are being trained by Israelis in Fort Bragg," a well-informed intelligence source in Washington said. "Some Israelis went to Iraq as well…
An Israeli official said the IDF regularly shared its experience in the West Bank and Gaza with the US armed forces, but said he could not comment about cooperation in Iraq.
"When we do activities, the US military attaches in Tel Aviv are interested. I assume it's the same as the British. That's the way allies work. The special forces come to our people and say, do debrief on an operation we have done," the official said. "Does it affect Iraq? It's not in our interest or the American interest or in anyone's interest to go into that. It would just fit in with jihadist prejudices."
And to flesh out that image Robert Fisk filed this report of the Independent on 26 May 2004.
The re-writing of Iraqi history is now going on at supersonic speedEarlier, on May 17, Justin Raimondo wrote:
…Just as the unsupervised armed mercenaries being killed in Iraq are being described by the occupation authorities as "contractors" or, more mendaciously, "civilians" - so the responsibility for the porno interrogations at Abu Ghraib is being allowed to slide into the summer mists over the Tigris river. So let's go back, for a moment, to the long weeks in which the Department of Bad Apples allowed its jerks to put leashes around Iraqi necks, forced prisoners to have sex with each other and raped some Iraqi lasses [and children] in the jail.
And let's cast our eyes upon that little, all-important matter of responsibility. The actual interrogators accused of encouraging US troops to abuse Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail were working for at least one company with extensive military and commercial contacts with Israel. The head of an American company whose personnel are implicated in the Iraqi tortures, it now turns out, attended an "anti-terror" training camp in Israel and, earlier this year, was presented with an award by Shaul Mofaz, the right-wing Israeli defence minister.
According to Dr J P London's company, CACI International, the visit of Dr London - sponsored by an Israeli lobby group and including US congressmen and other defence contractors - was "to promote opportunities for strategic partnerships and joint ventures between US and Israeli defence and homeland security agencies".
The Pentagon and the occupation powers in Iraq insist that only US citizens have been allowed to question prisoners in Abu Ghraib - but this takes no account of Americans who may also hold double citizenship. The once secret report by US General Antonio Taguba refers to "third country nationals" involved in the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq.
General Taguba mentions Steven Staphanovic and John Israel as involved in the abuses at Abu Ghraib. Staphanovic, who worked for CACI - known to the US military as "Khaki" - was said by Taguba to have "allowed and/or instructed MPs (military police), who were not trained in interrogation techniques, to facilitate interrogations by 'setting conditions' ... he clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse". One of Staphanovic's co-workers, Joe Ryan - who was not named in the Taguba report - now says that he underwent an "Israeli interrogation course" before going to Iraq…
[I]t is clear the torture trail at Abu Ghraib has to run much further than a group of brutal US military cops, all of whom claim "intelligence officers" told them to "soften up" their prisoners for questioning. Were they Israeli? Or South African? Or British? Are we going to let the story go?
[T]here is one country that seems the logical place to go for "expertise" in the "art" of torturing Arabs, and that is Israel. Those hoods the prisoners were made to wear, befouled by excrement (and probably pig fat), are an Israeli innovation, so to speak. Furthermore, tales of sexual humiliation are rife among Palestinians who fall into the hands of the Israeli police authorities. The news that the Israelis have been "advising" the Americans on the ins and outs of managing an occupation surprised no one, and the leaked report of General Antonio Taguba mentioned the presence of "third country nationals" at Abu Ghraib. If this was a program run amok, then wouldn't the hatred of Israeli "interpreters" for their Arab victims figure as a factor in all this?Now with war on Iran and Syria looming on the horizon, do you really think the Israelis are not already "in country" and raring to go?
PS: If you're interested, Action Report Online keep an updated dossier of news reports on the Mossad here.
posted by yusuf chun @ Monday, February 27, 2006
13 Comments:
I had read a number of these reports (anti-war and robert fisk) online before. Thanks for bringing them together.
I think it's important to emphasize that the fact that there is Israeli government (and/or intelligence) involvement does not mean that all Israelis are involved in, or condone these acts.
Just as there is no logic in assuming that attacks on civilians by some muslims are indicative of what all muslims find acceptable.
But, to ignore the fact that the Israeli government is intimately involved in both the Iraq war and the "diplomatic" offensive that is currently mounting against Iran is nothing but blind denial.
q,
"I think it's important to emphasize that the fact that there is Israeli government (and/or intelligence) involvement does not mean that all Israelis are involved in, or condone these acts."
i realize that, just as i realize not all americans are involved in or condone the torture at gitmo, ghraib and God knows how many other secret facilities.
but aside from the few voices we always hear has anything really been done to put an end to it?
people fall back to sleep.
did you see the link to facility 1391? it's still operating.
all this is part of what ledden and the neocons talk about. i know i've "strayed" from economics here, but these gangsters need goons to set examples of people, so it does tie in in the end.
it's how racketeering works. maybe we're meant to know about this so that we think twice about raising our voices?
same with the NSA spying leaks? make you afraid of speaking out?
but the fact is these things go on every day… how much of it do we condone? half, a quarter, one sixth? how much is too much?
as for israelis being involved it's not just in torture they're involved in operations too. someone said they may carry out the bombing of iran and not the US.
but to do that they have to pin point the targets as they did for the US before iraq and the gulf war. the special forces have to go into iran from somewhere. guess where? iraq.
a lot of the techniques used against the local iraqi population has been adapted from israeli methods used against palestinians. fallujah? gaza, the west bank, just on a larger scale.
do i soloely blame the israelis troops? no. do i think them innocent of it? no.
Well, I am not located in Iraq. But, as I stated earlier, the attacks in Iraq could just as easily be Iran's fault. Or, they could be the result of an intra-Iraqi group that wants to destabilize the government.
Iran has a long history of violence with Iraq.
http://kmgr.blogspot.com/2006/02/iran-and-blast-in-iraq.html
I would have to review the connection between Israel and Abu Ghraib before I make any conclusions. I am not aware of Israelis treating Palestinians in the debasing manner that the Iraqis were. (I am not saying they send them flowers and chocolates, I am just saying I have not read reports of Palestinians being sexually abused, tortured, etc in Israeli prisons by Israeli officials)
I do know that Israel has helped train the United States in anti-terror tactics. For instance, I read of some members of the NYPD traveling to Israel for training. I also know that there has been a long history of intelligence sharing between Israel and the United States.
That is a far cry from saying that Israel has either enough troops on the ground or even the motive to cause a civil war in Iraq. They do not benefit from such civil war. No one benefits, really, except forces whose only motive is destruction. A destabilized Iraq is an Iraq is a clear and present danger to Israel.
oh, and there's this:
Military interrogators posing as FBI agents at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, wrapped terrorism suspects in an Israeli flag and forced them to watch homosexual pornography under strobe lights during interrogation sessions that lasted as long as 18 hours, according to one of a batch of FBI memos released Thursday.
i don't know if you've read the links to prof pan, maybe you haven't, maybe you think them far out or uncomfortable to look at and really consider.
but reddhedd, who posted the above at firedoglake asks: is this an interrogation technique?
others like prof pan, and jeff at rigorous intuition have been asking that for some time, and it seems the answer is no. it's not.
why is it being done then? to answer that, you have to know who needs terrorists?
Israel does not need terrorists. At this point, I honestly believe that their occupation of the West Bank is mostly out of a concern that if they give up the West Bank, they STILL will not have peace, and then they also will have nothing to bargain for peace over.
A majority of Israelis believe exactly that statement. A majority of Israelis definitely want peace and terror does NOT benefit their daily lives.
The only people terror help are those who seek to destabilize and cause chaos, or those who seek to use terror as an excuse to gain power and control.
Michael Ledeen:
Creative destruction is our middle name.
Quotes from Ledeen's works reveal a peculiar set of beliefs about American attitudes toward violence. "Change -- above all violent change -- is the essence of human history," he proclaims in his book, "Machiavelli on Modern Leadership: Why Machiavelli's Iron Rules Are as Timely and Important Today as Five Centuries Ago." In an influential essay in the National Review Online he asserts, "Creative destruction is our middle name. We do it automatically ... it is time once again to export the democratic revolution."
Thus, one of Machiavelli's many paradoxes: It may well be that only a tyrant can lead us to freedom, and to the creation of a good and just society. Obviously, this imperative does not come from human instinct; our instincts are not nearly so noble. The goal of achieving the common good comes from the highest authority: G-d Himself. The act "most gratifying to G-d" is one that benefits one's country, and Machiavelli is quite outspoken about the best form of government.
These are not ideas that abound in the Christian liturgy. The notion that G-d wants us, above all, to devote our lives to the creation of the good society is, however, a very Jewish idea. Medieval and early modern Christianity relegated the accomplishment of justice to the hereafter. In this life, the important thing was fulfilling the sacraments. Insofar as politics was a religious concern, it was dominated by the notion that man should "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's," and give G-d his due in other activities.
Constantine, Hitler, And The
American Founders
(Mighty Thor, 27 Feb 06)
"JC" what u say is all well and good, and thanks for all ur excellent observations. BUT JC, U LEAVE OUT THE FOREMOST AUTHORITIES--our own founders, Jefferson, Franklin, et al., who had most brilliant ideas and concepts. It well behooves to compare those great and mighty gentlemen (US founders), and if we can't equal them, we know they knew best. Instead of working out and inventing the wheel all over again, we should simply heed these magnificent ancestors in culture and race (hint: they go together for a good reason).
The great difference for us and the founders perhaps, is we're in different cycles of history, ours representing the corruption ("Decline of the West"--Spengler) of the high concepts of the founders who upheld reason and ind. freedom according to Anglo-Saxon Common Law tradition (like Blackstone), thus our Bill Of Rights, for example.
One can say a lot of things, comparing the founders' original ideals, for details, but look at general things: presently, the absolutely incredible power of our central, national gov.--it can only be described as astoundingly powerful, centralized, communistic, mendacious, tyrannical in the extreme. THERE IS NO SERIOUS AND WORKING SYSTEM OF EFFECTIVE CHECKS AND BALANCES: rather our present agency is a criminal monopoloy run by murderers, conspirators, and gross and petty criminals at all levels.
Hence we see the problem: we see why our criminal conspiracy and network, pretending to call itself a "government," is so desperate to keep people DISARMED. For well criminal conspirators fear a righteous and outraged people as we're becoming evermore, for all races, our people united merely on the ground of NECESSITY--that of barest survival. And thus I remind u the varying peoples of Constantinian Roman Empire found themselves in similar circumstances against the Judeo-"Sadduceans" conspirators of the time--no less than we today.
Thus we shouldn't necessarily fear a "monetary collapse" as qrswave wisely forecasts as the necessary effect of the obvious and numerous causative factors. The crisis would and might well be an excellent pretext for people of sufficient wisdom, sagacity, and statesmanship.
Aesthetically we understand the great effect of a Constantinian Christian cultural revolution: it would accompany and parallel an equivalent RATIONALIZATION in the same manner as our great patriot heroes, like Pat. Henry: if antisemitism be treason, LET ME MAKE THE MOST OF IT.
CONCLUSION: Thus we see the abstract ideals, analysis, and comparisons--and we see then also the small detailed "nut-and-bolts" necessities: like reversion of US Senate elections by original method, state legislatures. Constantine would symbolize the radiant integrity of the parts; He would be similar to a successful Adolf Hitler for impact, a real victory over the Judeo-"Sadducean" enemy. Honest elections and death to the Fed. Thor
I am in UK these days - how refreshingly different the media is. It allows me to pat myself on the back for sticking to my guns that the US media is hate-mongering biased political-party-controlled excuse for journalism.
http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_a_l/yasmin_alibhai_brown/article348037.ece
Last week, the Guardian had a review of Israel and apartheid. Let's talk about it - that's what freedom of speech is all about, innit? :)
thor,
i actually do. check the comments at "Waste Culture, War Economy"
Akber, the beginning of that article looks great. The Independent is a particularly good source for news.
But, I can't say the same about the BBC, which is only one step removed from a biased political-party-controlled excuse for a news outlet.
Capsule For Patriot Strategy
(Mighty Thor, 28 Feb 06)
"JC"--yes, I saw all that at "Waste Culture, War Economy"--but could u summarize it for us?--otherwise it's hard to find ur most conclusive statements among the various and numerous details u include.
Meantime, I'm afraid we have to depend on the present Judeo-"Sadducean" conspirators to break up, falling out with one another, in accord with New Testament (NT) Conspiracy theory-analytic-template. Thus we must watch the "forest fire simply burn itself out," in determinist respect of the inexorable Spenglerian historical cycle.
Specifically, conspirators are weak for the elders and the "Judeo-Christians" (JCs) components and accomplices, who form main "constituency" (as in "voting") for Bush II and "neo-con" (Jew) conspirators, both of which factions (though they also overlap, many elders also being JCs themselves) being betrayed, in all reality, by topmost masterminds. (JBS.org also does great exposition on Council on Foreign Relations [CFR] "Sadduceans," Whtt.org for the JCs.)
We can help by blogging and otherwise getting the info to them (elders and JCs) most luridly, but also then giving details as convenient: (1) West, whites, and Christianity lost WWII to Jews, communists, and "Sadducean" co-conspirators. (Other interesting info for them is how FDR [Roosevelt], Eisenhower, and Churchill were actually Jews [or half-Jews].) (2) Christianity, properly understood is ABSOLUTELY ANTISEMITIC, this showing up the stupidity/gullibility of the present JCs.
CONCLUSION: Hence our info/propaganda has to be both negative and positive: negative in denouncing the Judeo-"Sadducean" conspiracy, emphasizing their endless treachery--positive in the real and true Christian principles of OBJECTIVITY (as in Gosp. JOHN 8:44), hence then, as with our glorious original American founders (all white racist Christians without exception) featuring Western ideals of individual freedom in accord w. rule-of-law, real checks and balances, etc. Thus the rationalizing process most honestly emphasizes the real antisemitism of Christianity. Honest elections, and death to the Fed. Thor
Okay, something I just realized.
That image, of the tattoo. It flat out makes no sense. Jews have a prohibition against tattoos. Tattooing oneself = cannot be buried in a Jewish grave.
Seems odd that the Israeli army would foster a culture of tattoos, given that. (and yet one more example of how, if that in fact is someone from the Israeli army, they do not represent Judaism)
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