My latest column for New Matilda discusses the ever-worsening state of free and open debate in the West:
"Osama bin Laden's most recent message contained any number of fascinating insights into the elusive al-Qaeda leader. Not least was his recommendation of a book, "Rogue State", by Washington DC writer William Blum. 'If Bush carries on with his lies and oppression, it would be useful for you to read Rogue State,' bin Laden said.
"Blum, a former employee of the US State Department, has spent much of his life railing against the American Empire and its brutal suppression of democracy around the world. It is a largely hidden history and includes support for Middle Eastern dictators, overthrowing democratically elected governments, favouring the Israelis over Palestinians, and bullying any number of nations into accepting military bases."
My New Matilda archive is here.
"Osama bin Laden's most recent message contained any number of fascinating insights into the elusive al-Qaeda leader. Not least was his recommendation of a book, "Rogue State", by Washington DC writer William Blum. 'If Bush carries on with his lies and oppression, it would be useful for you to read Rogue State,' bin Laden said.
"Blum, a former employee of the US State Department, has spent much of his life railing against the American Empire and its brutal suppression of democracy around the world. It is a largely hidden history and includes support for Middle Eastern dictators, overthrowing democratically elected governments, favouring the Israelis over Palestinians, and bullying any number of nations into accepting military bases."
My New Matilda archive is here.
In regard to Osama Bin Laden, there's an interesting site:
ReplyDeletewww.st911.org. which has been set up by a group of academics in the US to counter the 'lies' about what happened.
One of the things they talk about is the fact that after 9/11, on two occasions, Bin Laden denied involvement in the attack. The US Government pressured the media not to carry these statements.