Doublethink (Part 5)

“Actually, as Winston well knew, it was only four years since Oceania had been at war with Eastasia and in alliance with Eurasia. But that was merely a piece of furtive knowledge which he happened to possess because his memory was not satisfactorily under control. Officially the change of partners had never happened. Oceania was at war with Eurasia: therefore Oceania had always been at war with Eurasia. The enemy of the moment always represented absolute evil, and it followed that any past or future agreement with him was impossible.”    

Nineteen Eighty-Four  Part 1 Chapter 3, p. 31-32 by George Orwell.[1]

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein greets Donald Rumsfeld (R), then special envoy of President Ronald Reagan (R), in Baghdad on December 20, 1983 (video).

“Yet, while we condemn what has happened in Afghanistan, we are not without hope. To watch the courageous Afghan freedom fighters battle modern arsenals with simple hand-held weapons is an inspiration to those who love freedom. Their courage teaches us a great lesson -- that there are things in this world worth defending.

“To the Afghan people, I say on behalf of all Americans that we admire your heroism, your devotion to freedom, and your relentless struggle against your oppressors.”

President Ronald Reagan (R) on March 21, 1983 praising Afghan freedom fighters, now known as al Qaeda, in their fight against Russian invaders in Afghanistan.[2]

What changed Reagan’s “freedom fighters” to terrorists? 

The War Moves to Eastasia…

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a world of continual war with changing alliances and enemies.  A nation always at war has no time for liberty, much like the US as it transforms itself to a surveillance state with the TSA and the USA PATRIOT Act to “protect” the nation from its enemies. 

Nineteen Eighty-Four’s Ministry of Peace “concerned itself with war” analogously to the US Department of Defense concerning itself with offense—aka preemptive war and invading foreign nations. 

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, Oceania’s enemy continually changes between Eurasia and Eastasia, just as the US continually changes enemies and allies, and which country it occupies in the Middle East:

• In 1953 during the Eisenhower (R) administration, the CIA helped overthrow Iranian Prime Minister Mosaddegh and install the Shah—Iran had been an enemy, after 1953 it became an ally.
• In 1959 during the Eisenhower administration, Saddam Hussein was part of a failed “CIA-authorized six-man squad” to assassinate then-Iraqi Prime Minister Gen. Abd al-Karim Qasim.  Hussein was an ally to the US and worked with the CIA.
• In July 1979, the Carter (D) administration National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski had the brainstorm to fund al Qaeda in Afghanistan and lure the Soviet Union into war there—al Qaeda was an ally, but they were called the mujahideen.  The CIA-funded program, Operation Cyclone, used Pakistan’s ISI to funnel money and arms to the mujahideen.
• During the 1979 Iranian revolution, the US-supported Shah was overthrown, the US embassy was overrun, and the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1981 made Iran an enemy and Iraq an ally of the US.
• From 1981 to 1988, the Reagan (R) administration continued Operation Cyclone to support the mujahideen, and supplied aid to Pakistan, too.  President Reagan dedicated the space shuttle Columbia to the “Afghan freedom fighters” trying to force Russian invaders out of Afghanistan (video).
• The Reagan administration supported Iraq in its war against Iran with chemical and biological weapons, military training, and military support—Iran was still the enemy.  During this time the US military shot down an Iranian Air A300 passenger plane, mistaking it for an F-14 Iranian fighter.  Hussein was still a US ally (video).
• From August 20, 1985 – March 4, 1987, the Reagan administration shipped arms to Israel for transfer to Iran in an attempt to improve relations and to gain the release of six hostages held in Iran—Iran was an enemy, but the US supplied them with weapons in their nine-year war against our “ally” Iraq.
• During the George H. W. Bush (R) administration, the US with UN help, "liberated” Kuwait by embargoing Iraq in August 1990, and attacking Iraqi forces in Kuwait in February 1991—Iraq was the new enemy and Hussein was the new Hitler.
• From 1993 through 2000, the Clinton (D) administration continues the Iraqi embargo, as does the George W. Bush (R) administration until 2003—Iraq remained the enemy.  Hussein was still evil.
• In 2001 during the George W. Bush administration, the US invades Afghanistan—the Taliban and al Qaeda (mujahideen) become the enemy—they’ve always been the enemy—get your memory under control.
• In 2003 during the Bush administration, the US invades Iraq—Iraq was the enemy—Iraq always was the enemy.
• In 2009, the Obama (D) administration moves the focus of the war against terrorism back to Afghanistan—al Qaeda is still the enemy—they always have been.
• Recently the Obama administration moved its war to Pakistan with drone strikes and men on the ground, and into Yemen, too.[3][4]  Al Qaeda is the enemy.

…and “Collateral Damage” Moves With It

Since the endless US “war on terrorism” supposedly started because of US civilians killed on 9/11, shouldn’t we expect more trouble to result if the US itself kills civilians?  Isn’t it reasonable to expect that people in other countries will get very angry if their children are slaughtered?  Wouldn’t one expect moving US military activity to Pakistan and Yemen to increase antipathy to the US?  

The December 25th, 2009 underwear bomber  from Nigeria:

“Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, charged with the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines flight 253, told FBI agents there were more just like him in Yemen who would strike soon.”[5]

Or after the attempted Times Square bombing in N.Y.:

“The man who attempted to detonate a truck filled with explosives in Times Square told a judge that the C.I.A. drone campaign was one of the factors that led him to attack the United States.”[6]

Here are reports of recent drone attacks in Pakistan:

• From Reuters Aug 23, 2010 - “US Drone strike kills 20 people in Pakistan” where seven civilians (four women and three children) were killed.
• From Antiwar.com Sept 8, 2010 – “Children Among 24 Killed as US Drone Strikes Rock Pakistan Strikes Destroy Homes, Car in North Waziristan” where four children were killed.
• From Dawn.com Sept 24, 2010 – “Three drone strikes in North Waziristan; 18 killed” where four children were among the 18 killed.

When Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was asked about the civilian deaths from drone strikes in Pakistan, she rivaled former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in callousness:

“Asked repeatedly about the drones, a subject that involves highly classified CIA operations, Clinton said only that ‘there is a war going on.’”[7]

Albright (video) infamously said the estimated 500,000 civilian deaths in Iraq during the US-sponsored embargo of that country before 9/11 were “worth it.” 

On June 24, 2010, the US Congress approved sanctions on Iran (video) similar to the 13-year embargo on Iraq before the US invasion in 2003. 

Is Iran the next Eurasia?

If you hated the Bush wars and voted for Obama, do you still pretend that voting for Obama made any difference?

“War prisoners apart, the average citizen of Oceania never sets eyes on a citizen of either Eurasia or Eastasia, and he is forbidden the knowledge of foreign languages. If he were allowed contact with foreigners he would discover that they are creatures similar to himself and that most of what he has been told about them is lies. The sealed world in which he lives would be broken, and the fear, hatred, and self-righteousness on which his morale depends might evaporate.”

Nineteen Eighty-Four  Part 2 Chapter 9, p. 162 by George Orwell.

________________________________

[1] Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell, New American Library, N.Y., 1949, p. 31-2.

[2] “Message on the Observance of Afghanistan Day,” March 21, 1983, (Accessed at http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1983/32183e.htm on Oct. 6, 2010).

On March 21, 1983, President Reagan said the following:

“Today, March 21st, is New Years Day in much of the Moslem world. New years, of course, should be an occasion for celebration. But for the Moslem people of Afghanistan, whose country was attacked and is occupied by the Soviet Army, it is a bitter reminder of a national calamity that befell their nation more than 3 years ago. To focus the world's attention on this crime against an innocent and brave nation, we observe today the second annual Afghanistan Day.

“In Afghanistan, tens of thousands of people have been killed, millions have lost their homes and their livelihood. Others have been subjected to torture and other atrocities, and many have been victims of the grisly chemical and biological weapons, including yellow rain -- weapons the Soviets have used in violation of solemn international agreements. The consequences of this calamity extend to Pakistan, which has assumed the burden of sheltering and feeding nearly 3 million refugees.

“Yet, while we condemn what has happened in Afghanistan, we are not without hope. To watch the courageous Afghan freedom fighters battle modern arsenals with simple hand-held weapons is an inspiration to those who love freedom. Their courage teaches us a great lesson -- that there are things in this world worth defending.

“To the Afghan people, I say on behalf of all Americans that we admire your heroism, your devotion to freedom, and your relentless struggle against your oppressors.

“The Soviet people have known great suffering -- more than other people. They should be able to sympathize with the terrible suffering of the Afghan people. To the Soviet leaders, I urge you in the name of humanity to end the bloodshed so that an independent Afghanistan can again take its place in the community of nations. The West has no designs upon Afghanistan. We do not threaten you there or anywhere on the globe. All we seek is the restoration of peace and freedom for a noble and brave people whom we remember today.”

Note: The President's message was taped at 11:12 a.m. in his study adjoining the Oval Office at the White House.

[3]  “U.N. Report Highly Critical of U.S. Drone Attacks,” By CHARLIE SAVAGE, NY Times, June 2, 2010, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/world/03drones.html?pagewanted=all on Sept. 24, 2010).

[4] "Obama Says Al Qaeda in Yemen Planned Bombing Plot, and He Vows Retribution," By PETER BAKER, NY Times, January 2, 2010, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/us/politics/03address.html?th&emc=th on January 3, 2010).

[5] “Abdulmutallab: More Like Me In Yemen,” By BRIAN ROSS and RICHARD ESPOSITO, ABC News, Dec. 28, 2009, (Accessed at http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/abdulmutallab-yemen/story?id=9430536&page=1 on October 3, 2010).

[6] “C.I.A. Steps Up Drone Attacks on Taliban in Pakistan,” By MARK MAZZETTI and ERIC SCHMITT, NY Times, September 27, 2010, (Accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/world/asia/28drones.html?_r=1&th&emc=th on Sept 28, 2010).

[7] “Pakistanis confront Clinton over drone attacks; Clinton confronted by Pakistanis over Predator drone attacks _ 'executions without trial',” ROBERT BURNS, AP News, Oct 30, 2009, (Accessed at http://wire.antiwar.com/2009/10/30/pakistanis-confront-clinton-over-drone-attacks-6/ on Sept 24, 2010).