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neocons floated idea of bombing al-jazeera before

brian | 30.11.2005 00:58

The Bush administration said:'A White House official told CNN, "We are not going to dignify something so outlandish with a response." And a Pentagon official called the Daily Mirror report "absolutely absurd."'

 http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/11/23/britain.jazeera/


however, it seems the idea of taking out Al Jazeera was broached some years ago:

Neocons Floated Idea of Bombing Al Jazeera Before


READ MORE: Google, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush

Tuesday’s story in the Daily Mirror that detailed what was allegedly in a Top Secret British security memo got me thinking: Is this the first time someone suggested bombing al Jazeera out of existence? I had a hunch that it had been talked about, on some level, and made its way up to the President, who was probably keen on the idea, personally.

Coworkers told me I was on another planet – there is absolutely no way that the President would ever consider bombing within a friendly country. This just made me even more determined to check out my gut feeling. So I did what determined-but-lazy people do. I did a Google search.

Sure enough, a search for “bomb al Jazeera” led me to this article, written in September 2003 by Frank Gaffney, in which he recommends “taking out” al Jazeera “one way or another.”

Who is Frank Gaffney? Well, he’s a former Undersecretary of Defense for Ronald Reagan, and was a part of the Project for a New American Century with Cheney, Rumsfeld and the gang. He’s still described as a Pentagon advisor.

Of course, this proves nothing. But it does at least show that the idea to bomb al Jazeera out of existence wasn’t an idea that had never been discussed on some level by people with influence. It had been discussed, and probably had been discussed within the Pentagon, via the prodding of Frank Gaffney.

Maybe he was told he was insane and the idea was never mentioned again. But just as likely is that he called up his friend Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney and told them his thoughts, as he is free to do as a Pentagon advisor. After that? Who knows. But is it entirely implausible that Cheney or Rumsfeld then told the President, who then mentioned it to Tony Blair? Maybe the President was serious when he told Blair, maybe he mentioned it as a joke, maybe he said it faux-jokingly and hoped Tony would tell him it was a great idea.

Anyway, I’m all Googled out. But if any of you citizen journalists want to do some legwork on your own, post your findings in the thread below, and maybe together we can figure this out.
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-schmeltzer/neocons-floated-idea-of-b_b_11254.html

brian

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

Hoodwinked by the Coalition

30.11.2005 01:44

The Emir of Qatar owns Al Jezera.
He's also hosting the Coalition Forces.
You've been hoodwinked.
(google "hoodwink)

Al


So What?

30.11.2005 05:04

Whatever.

This proves that those FASCISTS leading the so-called "Coalition", now a thousand times more notorious than any bogeyman phantom, targeted civilians in order to achieve their goals.

Tar & Feathers


The terrorist insurgents in Iraq are the real enemy!

30.11.2005 10:23

The terrorist insurgents in Iraq who are murdering innocent civilians and bombing mosques are the real enemy of the Iraqi people not the coalition forces who are trying to help the Iraqis build a new democracy! The vast majority of people who have been killed in Iraq since the initial war to oust the Saddam regime ended in April 2003 have been killed by the terrorist insurgents. These so called "freedom fighters" have even bombed mosques full of worshipers. Imagine the outcry if Israel had bombed just one mosque and killed just one muslim.

Concerned


Got any facts?

30.11.2005 17:29

Have you got any actual facts to back those statements up Concerned?

Sim1


Why do i bother

30.11.2005 17:42

I dont know why i even bother paying attention to a 5 year old talking politics but heres a couple of matters for your information on who targets what in Iraq.
 http://www.iraqbodycount.net/press/pr12.php


And another recent one to show you how the US is applying democracy in Iraq
 http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051130/pl_afp/usiraqmilitarymedia

now try to read them and then go back to bed. Its way past your bed time

KKKoncerned


"Concerned" isn't concerned enough

01.12.2005 12:21

So far 30,500+ civilians have been killed in Iraq since the unlawful invasion by UK and US forces (figures courtesy Iraq bodycount) - even if the fighting stops immediately the deaths will continue simply because of the use of depleted uranium weapons...Criticising the so-called coalition forces doesn't mean that someone is "supporting" the murderous terrorists - terrorists are terrorists wether they use pistols or a cluster bombs - but there is one crucial difference in the Iraq conflict - our taxes are being used to buy the cluster bombs, and to supply the weaponry - just as UK businesses and the UK government helped Saddam buildup his chemical warfare capability a few years ago - so now UK business and the the UK state infrastructure develops the weapons of mass destruction used against civilian populations in Iraq. I'm afraid that "concerned" needs to do a bit more critical thinking and a bit less swallowing Neo-con propaganda.

Martyn