We've
reached half-time in what has been a very eventful year. It's
revealing to compare the stories that have made the headlines in the
western media in the first six months of 2017, with those that
haven't.
There's been
saturation coverage of alleged Russian interference in the US
presidential election — and Russian state "hacking" in
general — even though no hard evidence of these activities has yet
been produced.
The "threat"
posed to us all by "the rogue state" of North Korea has
also been a regular headliner.
While in
April, the "big story" was of a chemical weapons attack in
Syria — which was blamed very quickly on the Syrian government,
even though its guilt was unproven.
By contrast
these very important stories below received nowhere near the same
amount of coverage they should have.
The
World's Biggest Humanitarian Crisis Since WWII
No, it's not
in Syria, but in Yemen. In March, the UN warned that up to 20 million
people were at risk of starvation and famine in Yemen, Somalia, South
Sudan and Nigeria — with two-thirds of the population of Yemen
needing assistance. In June, the World Health Organization said that
1,310 people had died in a cholera epidemic in Yemen and warned that
300,000 people could be infected by the end of August.
Yemen has
been bombed for the past two years by staunch western-ally Saudi
Arabia, with US and UK not only providing the weaponry, but logistic
support. The "humanitarian interventionists" in the western
media meanwhile keep schtum. The "responsibility to protect,"
it seems, does not apply to civilians in Yemen.
'Liberated'
Afghanistan in Flames
When the
country was "liberated" by the US-led coalition in 2001,
there was wall-to-wall coverage. But sixteen years on, the war not
only continues but has intensified.
The Taliban,
whose defeat was toasted sixteen years ago, now controls between
30-50% of the country. Daesh also has an increasing presence.
There's been
a big spike in terror attacks in 2017, with 90 killed in one incident
in Kabul in May — and over fifty killed in separate attacks across
the country a week earlier.
But this
isn't news, or at least not big news, on a par with "Russian
hacking." The "liberators" of Afghanistan are too busy
trying to "liberate" Syria.
Almost
Half a Million Refugees to Their Homes in Syria
Yes, that's
right, refugees are returning to Syria. The UNHCR says that almost
500,000 have gone back to their homes so far in 2017. But they're
returning to areas which are under government-control or liberated
from anti-government "rebels," which rather goes against
the official narrative that they were fleeing the Syrian government,
doesn't it?
So, in the
legendary words of Leslie Nielsen in Naked Gun, it's a case of:
"Alright,
nothing to see here, please disperse!"
Israel's
Airstrikes on Forces in Syria Fighting al-Qaeda/Daesh/al-Nusra
Israel's
been bombing Syria quite a lot in 2017. But it hasn't been targeting
ISIS/Daesh or al-Qaeda affiliates, the sort of groups which carried
out or inspired terror attacks against European civilians in Europe
the past year, but the forces fighting ISIS/Daesh and al-Qaeda
affiliates.
The strikes
have been widely reported in the Israeli media, but the role of
Israel in effectively strengthening the position of Daesh/al-Qaeda in
Syria, hasn't received much — if any — real coverage in western
countries.
Again,
Leslie Nielsen and that famous Naked Gun scene springs readily to
mind.
2017:
Likely to Be the Fourth Consecutive Hottest Year in History
Trump's
Paris climate accord pull-out made headlines, but apart from that
there's been nowhere near enough coverage of the fact that that the
planet continues to get hotter — and the dangers that poses to life
on earth.
In March,
the World Meteorological Organization warned that we were entering
"truly uncharted territory."
Just a few
days ago, temperatures in the Iranian city of Ahvaz reached a
mind-boggling 54 degrees Celsius — the hottest temperature ever
recorded in June in mainland Asia.
May 2017
meanwhile, was the second hottest since records began.
But hey,
let's focus instead on UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting with
some guys from Sinn Fein thirty years ago, shall we? That's far more
important.
UK State
Collusion With Radical Islamic Jihadists
The
terrorist attacks in the UK in the spring of 2017 of course made the
headlines, but what wasn't up for discussion was the role the UK
government and MI5/6 had played in cultivating and colluding with
extremist groups — like the LIFG (Libyan Islamic Fighting Group)
which Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi was associated with.
"Critical
questions — such as why the security service MI5 maintained
terrorist 'assets' in Manchester and why the government did not warn
the public of the threat in their midst — remain unanswered,"
wrote John Pilger.
"The
'smoking gun' is that when Theresa May was Home Secretary, LIFG
jihadists were allowed to travel unhindered across Europe and
encouraged to engage in 'battle': first to remove Muammar Gaddafi in
Libya, then to join al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Syria."
It was a
"smoking gun" that major western news outlets conveniently
chose not to notice.
The
Multiple Terror Attacks in Pakistan
Like
neighboring Afghanistan, Pakistan has seen a big spike in terrorism
in 2017 — and like Afghanistan — it hasn't made the headlines.
In January,
25 people were killed when a vegetable market was bombed in
Parachinar.
In February,
at least 88 were killed in a suicide bomb attack on a shrine in
Sehwan.
Last week
(end of June) another 75 people lost their lives in market bombings
in Parachinar.
The attacks
have received scant coverage. And — guess what — the Eiffel
Tower's lights weren't switched off, nor were its colors changed to
the Pakistan flag, in solidarity.
Pakistani
victims of terrorism are, like Syrians, "unpeople" for
western media "humanitarians."
The
Conflict and Chaos in 'Liberated' Libya
There have
been heavy battles in Tripoli as rival factions fight for control of
the Libyan capital.
Meanwhile,
slave markets have returned to the country which had the Highest
Human Development Index in Africa just eight years ago.
Libya is a
failed state — transformed by NATO into a jihadist theme park. But
let's ignore the North African hell-hole shall we, and make the case
for further western "liberal interventions" against states
with the "wrong" governments.
Daesh
Hits Iran
Yes, that‘s
right. Iran, the country we're told ad nauseam is the "world's
greatest sponsor of terrorism" was hit by deadly terror attacks
on its Parliament and at the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini.
ISIS/Daesh —
the same group that's been targeting civilians in Europe — claimed
responsibility, but highlighting how the world's worst terror group
and Iran are enemies contradicts the official narrative about Iran,
doesn't it?
So let's
move on to another story, pretty damn quickly.
Upsurge
in Violence in Congo
Thousands
have been killed in recent months in the African state and more than
a million have been displaced over the last year. But rather like the
war between 1998-2003 which is thought to have cost the lives of over
5 million people, it's had nowhere near the same level of media
coverage as the conflict in Syria.
"I
can't say that the Congolese, we are in control of our destiny. No,
because the ones who benefit from our minerals are not the local
population, but western countries are the ones who are taking
everything. They make themselves rich, while we are getting poorer
and poorer," a Congolese, Bernard Kalume Buleri, told a new RT
documentary.
Would we be
hearing more about the desperate plight of the people in Congo if
western countries weren't "taking everything"?
I'll let you
make your own mind up.
Source,
links:
Comments
Post a Comment