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In March, Mariane Pearl, the widow of the murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, received a phone call from Alberto Gonzales, the Attorney General. At the time, Gonzales's role in the controversial dismissal of eight United States Attorneys had just been exposed, and the story was becoming a scandal in Washington. Gonzales informed Pearl that the Justice Department was about to announce some good news: a terrorist in U.S. custody—Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Al Qaeda leader who was the primary architect of the September 11th attacks—had confessed to killing her husband. (Pearl was abducted and beheaded five and a half years ago in Pakistan, by unidentified Islamic militants.) The Administration planned to release a transcript in which Mohammed boasted, "I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew Daniel Pearl in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. For those who would like to confirm, there are pictures of me on the Internet holding his head."
Pearl was taken aback. In 2003, she had received a call from Condoleezza Rice, who was then President Bush's national-security adviser, informing her of the same news. But Rice's revelation had been secret. Gonzales's announcement seemed like a publicity stunt. Pearl asked him if he had proof that Mohammed's confession was truthful; Gonzales claimed to have corroborating evidence but wouldn't share it. "It's not enough for officials to call me and say they believe it," Pearl said. "You need evidence." (Gonzales did not respond to requests for comment.)
The Black Sites: A rare look inside the C.I.A.'s secret interrogation program
Article Source: New Yorker- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (4)
My God, this nation has become a source of pure evil, hasn't it? This article and some of your others make me feel helpless and hopeless, wondering what can be done to fight it. I've said it before and I'll say it again: greed and power are appetites for which there is no food. There seem to be no limits to what some people will do in order to satiate these enormous appetites, but in the traditional battle of good vs. evil, we usually have someone in power willing to fight the good fight. It doesn't look like the good guys exist at that level anymore. If they ever did, other than in the movies. But should we ever find one who is willing to pull back the curtain, reveal the truth (the whole truth, ugly as it may be), then I would support that man or woman, as I think every right-thinking person would. We should have no secrets from ourselves.
Great stuff, Aine. Thanks. Keep it coming.
- 2 votes
#1 - Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:25 AM EDTMany people who think of themselves as informed are generally deaf about what really goes on in the world. One side of the political spectrum -- the actual left -- has no voice in the mainstream. They are marginalized to the "fringe" faster than you can say "Noam Chomsky."
It's essential that these voices -- against war, against atrocity, against corporatism, against the economic and trade policies that are destroying the middle and lower classes -- have a place in our national discussion.
- 2 votes
Agreed. Although propaganda exists everywhere, it will be interesting to see what the internet will do in terms of revealing these political machinations for what they are. It's difficult, in this day and age, to believe that any bureaucracy (incompetent and slow-moving by nature) could sustain such secrets from the general populace, when the common folk have the opportunity to get online, start a conversation with other people around the world, and get at the truth.
newsvine, in its own way, is a hedge against the propaganda machine that most governments have become in their race to the power and money. With the Rupert Murdochs of the world buying up every available information channel in order to sway public opinion or anesthetize us to what's really happening, newsviners - until the creators are bought and paid for, at least - will hopefully continue in spreading the small truths that will lead to larger truths.
And finally, I must say that I fail to see the veracity in any argument that includes the supposed destruction of the American middle class. Because, really, Aine - the fabulously wealthy need the middle class desperately. If not for the middle class, who would they lord over? And, if not for the middle class, who the h*%$ removes the garbage from the curb?!?!
lol. Word.
- 1 vote
newsvine, in its own way, is a hedge against the propaganda machine...
That's what I thought & why I came here. On the other hand, Newsvine being owned now by MSNBC.com... the future is uncertain in terms of those voices actually being heard in the mainstream. A lot depends on what MSNBC.com decides to do with our content. It could go either way. If it goes the wrong way, another site will be found or created and those whose voices are not being heard will flock to it.
- 2 votes
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