Can ISIS/ISIL Be Defeated?

(fact is often stranger than fiction)

                           

[Repost]

Introduction

The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea

I am reposting this blog because events have shown that the obsession of the West and Israel with defeating (Shia-supported) President Assad in Syria is far more important than the defeat of (Sunni supported) ISIL or Al Qaeda.
The defeat of ISIL could have easily been achieved by the West being prepared to ally with Shia Iran and regional Shia forces which everyone knows have more combat experience, professionalism, and will more better stand their ground (as seasoned fighters) than their Sunni counterparts put in the frontline to battle ISIL.

Intelligence and Wisdom

You, as an intelligent reader, must ask yourself why it serves the West's interests NOT to make the necessary  alliances with Shia forces - which could have very quickly brought an end to the suffering of Sunnis and Christians in the region.
Two issues are of course Saudi Arabia and Israel and their  likely warnings about the regional effects of a Shia 'victory' against ISIL.
Secondly, the advance of Shia forces in Yemen and their likely overthrow of another despotic (and what was very weak ) Sunni administration will bring Shia power right up to the border of Saudi Arabia for a future face-off.
Thirdly, the Iraqi government is quickly realising that it's very survival against ISIL (and indeed the lives of it's Sunni politicians) are as much dependant on their close cooperation with Iran as they are with their Sunni compatriots in the Gulf and Saudi (who only appear to garnish any courage to fight with the backing of U.S. NATO and EU military forces. This point has not been lost on the incumbent Iraqi government.)
Recent events have shown that ISIL will have no less mercy on their Sunni 'brothers' who oppose their advance than they do against Western hostages.  This alone should strengthen their resolve to work closely with Shia forces in Iraq to defeat ISIL.

If, as President Obama has indicated, the 'Great White Hope' to defeating ISIL are the Kurds, and nobody doubts their courage to fight nor tenacity nor historical suffering through adversity, but at the rate taken to retake Kobani, it is likely to be several hundred years before they retake all ISIL territory, town by town, city by city with little thanks nor support from Turkey nor from their less than courageous Sunni 'brothers' in the 'laid back' Gulf Kingdoms - who are more used to paying others to do the fighting and dying than putting their own mortal lives on the line.  When you are that far removed from the firing line, you can always entertain the luxury of 'no compromise'.

As you will see below, there are other options, but to the United States and The European Union, they are all non-options as all involve unpalatable choices which, even in the interests of expediency, in this age where international diplomacy and compromise have vanished (just look around you at the contempt which so many Republicans, Democrats,Conservatives and Socialists regard the word 'compromise' - to be replaced instead with partisan and ideological stances) and are not acceptable as solutions; not even, incidentally, to save the lives of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Muslims, Christian and Animists (in Africa) by the time ISIL is eventually defeated.

Close To the Edge

There are other factors two of which have altered the fragility of the region: The el-Sisi administration in Egypt and Erdogan's tenacious grip on power in Turkey.
It is highly unlikely that both demagogues will survive politically into the longer term.
Military coups or popular uprisings in both countries which are supported by factions of the military could have a devastating effect on stability in the entire region - with Saudi Arabia on the next precipice of instability.                                            NATO's flank in the Muslim world would be severely put to the test.   With both Egypt and Turkey in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey having it's own agenda for an expanded Byzantine 'Islamic Empire', Saudi Arabia is likely to collapse into turmoil and money alone (to buy off the Turks and Egyptians) may not, on this occasion, save the feudal regime from (long overdue) political change.  Such crises would entail a full-blown military deployment of U.S. or NATO forces to Saudi initially to 'hold the line' while the Western politicians attempt to negotiate a transition of power to a more (regionally) acceptable Saudi administration - and this in itself is not guaranteed.

No-Win Situation

No Western country will benefit from Shia (Iranian) dominance of the Gulf.
Neither choice is very palatable - but they are the only games in town.
Saudi Arabia, for all it's despotic shortcomings, has never 'pulled the oil plug' (and apart from China, until fairly recently, bought more U.S. debt than anyone else) but neither has it encouraged reform in the Sunni world preferring instead to seek it's long term anchorage (and feudal survival) in regression to mediaeval interpretations of the Koran and Hadith and the promulgation of radical (extremist) Islam as a way of keeping 'the faithful' 'in fear' and 'in line' - in much the same way as The Pope and the Catholic Church did before Martin Luther and The Protestant Rebellion and Reformation.

If You Seek Answers, Forget the 'Official' Narrative

But where did all this instability - the pouring hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Muslim civilians fleeing as refugees anywhere and everywhere they can fron the terror of ISIL and Al Qaeda - arise from?
It certainly is not Russia which has been militarily intervening in these regions in recent times.
What Western policies have been pursued which have thrown the entire Middle East and North Africa into turmoil (and now, as I predicted several years ago, spreading from Chad, Niger, Mauritania, the Sudan, further South and East into Christian and Animist Africa and South West into Cameroon, Central African Republic and Nigeria) and have made all these regions such fertile grounds for chaos and Islamic extremism?
Again we are seeing a repeat of the same pattern of internally displaced refugees - this time Christian and Animist Africans - to the South of what were 'traditional' Muslim lands - fleeing for their lives against the onslaught of ISIL and Al Qaeda affiliate forces.

Whose Pound of Flesh Is  for Trading This Time?

So the sad fact is that (at the very least) tens of thousands of Sunni (and Shia) civilian lives will be sacrificed in Iraq and Syria and African Christian and Animist lives elsewhere because such deaths more justify long-term foreign policy and strategic objectives than delivering a swift defeat to the greatest threat to world peace since the plague - and that is what ISIL is, a virus which is being allowed to spread and contaminate the region and beyond simply to satisfy the longer term foreign policy objectives of superpowers and their allies.

It seems such a tragedy and an unnecessary waste of human lives but I suppose our politicians would (privately) justify it by saying that they are not the first (and certainly will not be the last generation in the history of mankind) to put longer-term strategic and financial interests above the needs of ordinary (non-combatant) civilians.   Publicly they will of course say that what I have said above is sheer fantasy and they (their governments) have always been pursuing peace in cooperation with allies in the region.

This is one of only two 'fictional' dialogs posted  and utilized to illustrate dilemmas in the human condition.

now read on............................................

                   Can ISIS/ISIL Be Defeated?

(fact is often stranger than fiction)

I want to approach the answer to this question in a non-standard format.

I would like you to allow me the liberty to use fiction to convey the dilemmas.

What follows is a Fictional CONVERSATION BETWEEN PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF :

PRS.O : Give me the bottom line on this, can ISIL be defeated ?

CJCS : Mr President we can guarantee to wipe ISIL/ISIS off the face of the earth if you can provide us with orders where the following are in place :

The armed forces of Turkey, Syria (The Assad Government) , The Lebanese government (including an agreement to utilize the forces of Sheikh Nasrallah – that is to say, Hezbollah), the Israeli Defense forces, an agreement to utilize the services of the armed forces of the Palestinian authority – Islamic Jihad, Hamas , Al-Nusra and Al-Asque martyrs brigade, an agreement to utilize the forces of the Iraqi government and those of Muqtada al-Sadr , the Kurdish armed forces together with an agreement to utilize the forces of the government of iran and those of Saudi Arabia.

There are certain other Gulf States already providing logistical support and this could be extended.

If you can deliver this to us we can deliver ISIL's head to you on a golden platter and guarantee it's complete obliteration from the face of the earth.

PRS.O : You know what you ask is ridiculous and impossible. Now give me the next best option.

CJCS : you asked me an honest question Mr President and I gave an honest answer .

CJCS : temporary containment is the next option .

On your command We can do a, b, c, d,...... x y, z........but as with many issues in the world, this will be a temporary fix . but we can dress it up to look like a victory .

PRS.O : how soon before these so-called ISIL caliphates and emirates become a reality?

CJCS : Mr President any nutcase who creates a revolution in the Muslim world can call their state a Caliphate or Emirate and themselves part of ISIL/ISIS  ,  but ultimately they will have to trade and do business with someone somewhere and when they do , we will be ready and waiting for them . When they run out of resources, that's the end of their ability to fund the Caliphates or Emirates.

Do you remember Mr President when Hitler invaded Russia during World War II ?; it was a priority to capture the Baku oilfields. The same was true in North Africa in terms of oil security.  When Adolf Hitler was starved of oil and pushed back through the Ukraine and Poland , the war was was effectively over .  Russian , U. S. , British and other Allied  boots on the ground finished off the job.

CJCS: Mr President, do you remember why (the political reasons) the Roman Empire tried so desperately to wipe out the spread of Christianity and what the ultimate result was?

If ISIL can be starved of a, b, c, d,....x, y, z then we can achieve victory of sorts but, in my opinion , a total victory is still illusive for the reasons above.

P.E. The above was an illustrative work of fiction (or fictional narrative) to emphasize a number of dilemmas and paradoxes facing any administration attempting to defeat a quasi – religious movement such as ISIS/ISIL. 

 

© Patrick Emek, 2015

Telling A Lie For A Noble Cause

Julian Assange:-

The Man In The Iron Mask*

(The European Union's Foremost Political Prisoner*)

[''We Steal Secrets''**]

Monitoring the movements and activities of political and economic rivals or terrorists is certainly nothing new. Until about 40 years ago humint (human intelligence) was still the main cornerstone of operational activities. Today it is heavily anchored in cyberspace.

Did you know that, in the past, in places where the presence of others would be too obvious or too sensitive, Mossad sometimes had a well placed source (or asset) at key international transit routes from Nicaragua to Cape Verde to Rio to Dublin Airports?

The operative was never an Israeli and sometimes in order to identify who exactly that individual was you had to perform a number of tasks – one of which was to be able (or possess the capability) to dig back into every employees past a very long way – to a time before when records became computerized and it was impossible for all but those who knew how to dot the ''i's'' and cross the ''t's'' to put the pieces together.  The more senior the individual the further you sometimes had to reach back.

The digital era availability of mass security data sharing by transnational agencies makes this no longer necessary – at least not in it's old format.

It was exactly the same for Soviet moles within British Intelligence. That's a historical fact and not my say so.   In fact it was much easier than that above as many of their past activities, if carefully looked into, would have easily unearthed affiliations which, if those individuals had not such impeccable progeniture and family connections within 'established' circles, a red flag would immediately have gone up, at least for careful monitoring after appointment.

The point I am making here is that once a secret is 'outed' you cannot put the genie back into the bottle.   It's out there and available for everyone (including any astute eager researcher) for better or for worse.   If, like me, your sources or contacts are long vanished because the passage of time has so blurred events, or no written records have been kept as evidence (or for security reasons have been destroyed) even they have become untraceable, with the footprints long dusted over, then identification or outing becomes an impossible task for the outsider.

When handling contentious information which you are convinced is genuine, you also need to have (almost) a sixth sense with regard to the timing of it's release.

There is always a difference in timing between the right to know and national security.    This is no more evidently displayed today in open democratic societies than in the perennial legal tug-of-wars (or dance of death) between the 'free' press and government.

Sometimes a little prudence (rather than humility) is desirable to ensure balanced sensitivities.

Masters of War

Many years ago (at least 30, probably more) I had the opportunity to join a firm, Tripower, at a United Kingdom office located in the prestigious Regent Street.

[One of the few opportunities I ever had to join a private sector firm where the salary was beyond even my dreams.]

I knew a little about the technical aspects of military hardware so would have been an ideal recruit as minimal training would have done the rest.

[The firm was, of course, a front for another group and it's only existence you will now find is at Companies House and nothing beyond that is now traceable.  You will not find it listed as a company which dealt in military hardware but something more 'politically correct' - even for that time. ] 
I felt that I needed to take spiritual' guidance (one of the uniquely few times in my life!) as I would be involved in supplying weapons (arms) to countries and non-State entities in different parts of the world.   That guidance was not, of course, from a guy in a cassock and dog collar but more an 'inner guidance' as to where I thought I wanted to be with my existence.   [Having said that, if my trusted and saintly Primary school teacher, Sister - - , had still been alive, I might very well have sought her opinion.]

At that time I was pretty desperate for money. That's also probably an understatement. In the end I decided to politely decline the tentative offer of engagement.

Looking back now, I have absolutely no regrets and know that, if I was still alive, I would be a very different person to the one I am today had I been engaged in this profession.   But somebody took the job.   Somebody's life was otherwise changed by the experience.   My decision did not prevent weapons being used for evil or for good.   It simply meant that someone else other than myself was the supplier of the shipments or cargoes.   Yes if we lived on a planet where we are all linked spiritually and can all experience each other's pain, then nobody would ever engage in such harmful activities.   The point is that we do not.   We live in a world where if you don't do the job, then it's likely that someone even uglier and more brutal, less caring and humane than you will step up to the mark.   Who knows, perhaps supplying armaments to a non-State entity might actually end up saving more lives than the opposite.

A Cry In the Dark

It was evident that Private Bradley Manning had cried out for help but nobody was listening outside cyberspace.   Julian Assange stepped in to fill the void.

In the new era digital age, 'advisors', 'agony aunts' and 'confessors' are to be found at anonymous sites online.

Manning, when in, could not find a way out – and the pain was too much to bear. 
So who should have been on trial?   The Army, Manning, Assange or all three?

Sweden – The 'Deep' State

I have said the above to explain why I stand by Julian Assange and again say, as I did when I was Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Journalists, that his continued detention is unjust, unreasonable, that attempts to extradite him to Sweden are, in the context of the totality of events and the public interest, not desirable.  Those involved in the extradition proceedings in Sweden might well find themselves joining Assange at some future time in the spotlight of the murky underworld where truth is just as evasive and blurred beyond recognition as were Olof Palme's assassins.

Neither do I believe that it is desirable for the perception of the United States worldwide, after Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib, that Assange be extradited for, what would become, a McCarthy-era show trial.

The whole world already knows what the verdict - by a 'hanging' judge and jury - would be in such a case.   There would be an international uproar if the case was tried by a judge without a jury – no doubt to the delight of Russia Today [''the Bullhorn of President Putin'']as it's ratings on coverage of such a circus would likewise soar into the stratospheric billions – making it the most popular (or watched) news channel by far on the planet.  So ironically, a 'show trial' [Soviet-era style] of Assange in the United States could 'make' Russia Today, as it 'milks' the event for all it's worth, to no end.

In the Court of World Public Opinion what would be on trial in the world's greatest democracy, would be, in effect, the American justice system itself, and the verdict on that by the international community at grass roots levels, is already, likewise, also predictable.

Sweden is a classic 2084 (not 1984) country where the 'deep state' is already invisible.   At least in the U.S. there is the Freedom Of Information Act.*** In Sweden everything is kept securely under lock and key, almost forever.  Don't believe the hype about 'transparency' in Sweden.    It was just a mirage.

The assassination of Olof Palme and the twilight world of international arms dealing, mining contracts and other activities have been securely buried in the fog and haze of Swedish secrecy, never to see the light of day for fear of the embarrassment of those influential Swedish individuals, associate beneficiaries and whatever other governments might also be implicated. 
So perhaps there are also other reasons, closer to home, why Sweden wants Assange and his database shut down.

Unfortunately for Mr Assange, the lists of so many governments, agencies and individuals with their own personal agendas as to why they would like to see his database either offline or protected online are so numerous and polarized, that there is no room for compromise.

As to the merits of the release of classified data in the way it was done by Wikileaks, the balance between the right to know and national security is always a very heavy responsibility.   In my view (which likewise has not changed) Assange got the balance terribly wrong.

But isn't it a strange world that he should be incarcerated, virtually tried and convicted 'in absentia' and in unison by the Left and the Right – including by a former President of Harvard Law Review - without due process and that his only 'loyal' supporter superpowers are the economic, military and political rivals of the United States for world supremacy – Russia and China - or countries such as Brazil and Ecuador - which themselves have appalling human and civil rights records - with journalists being routinely murdered extra-judicially and such assassinations sanctioned by the government, as in Brazil. [I have covered the fact (in other blogs) that it's African-Brazilian population, some 80% of the country, live in conditions of virtual slavery.   But I would never expect Mr Assange nor his colleagues to be taking up the shield of justice for the poor and the dispossessed.]

He has yet to realise it but Mr Assange is safer in The United Kingdom than he could ever be as a 'free man' in Ecuador or Brazil or Russia.

A Dogs Dinner or

(''here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!'')***

I am sometimes told that I am strong on criticisms but weak on solutions so I want to 'take a position' on this occasion.   My humble advice to the British Government, if I had the capability to so do, would be that it release Mr Assange to a country of his choosing before Britain is left, in the Court of World Public Opinion, 'holding the baby' – everybody else with any common sense having long since 'bailed out' (or cut their losses) for reasons of political expediency, leaving Great Britain 'to go down with the ship' as 'the fall guy', rather embarrassingly, preventing, by force of arms, Mr Assange, as Europe's most prominent political dissident and prisoner, from fleeing 'across The Iron Curtain' to 'the free world'; to the 'freedom' and welcoming arms of 'democratic' Russia, Ecuador or Brazil.

©Patrick Emek, 2015

For anyone interested in Julian Assange with regard to motives for Wikileaks, some understanding can be gained by watching following documentary:

''We Steal Secrets'' (2013, Alex Gibney and James Ball)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1824254/

[I would guess that this is a documentary Julian Assange certainly does not approve of as it attempts to analyse personal motives as opposed to being a pure critique of Wikileaks. It also gives some insights into the personality of Mr Assange, which are likewise quite useful.]

title and subtitle of this blog ''Telling A Lie For A Noble Cause'' are taken from a comment made in the documentary''We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks'' (see above)

a review (of sorts) of this documentary can be found at:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jul/09/wikileaks-documentary-julian-assange-1m

*subtitle idea: from The Man in the Iron Mask (Wordsworth Classics) by Alexandre Dumas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Dumas

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/the-role-of-race-in-the-life-and-literature-of-alexandre-dumas-the-episode-that-inspired-the-man-behind-the-musketeers-9065506.html

as

secondary subtitle: ''We Steal Secrets'' taken from a comment made in the documentary of the same name (see above.)

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/olaf-palme-murder-inquiry-revoked-alibi-svenska-dagbladet-stieg-larsson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Olof_Palme

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbet_Palme

https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Olof_Palme

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jz54tN5kGM0J:https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Deep_event+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

http://www.palmecenter.se/en/

secrets within secrets within enigmas:

"Shortly after Palme was killed, I was told by three independent sources that recruiters for the killing -variously described as a group of Swedish businessman, with Finns and Germans also involved, possibly financed by a South African group, had approached mercenaries and arms dealers in London in order to find a suitable 'hitman'. All the sources agreed that the former SAS (Special Air Service) and other possible killers approached had turned down the contract, and had then passed details of the approaches to Special Branch or to MI6 contacts. In turn, MI6 passed a warning to Sapo (SAK), the Swedish secret police. One source said that the purpose of the killing was to destabilise Sweden and its powerful liberal stance on such matters as apartheid. A senior Special Branch, Detective Chief Inspector David Palmer-Hall, liases directly with the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6.) A former Special Branch commander, Rollo Watts, also works for Saldin¹ (sic) Security, the cover company for the private British mercenary service KMS Ltd. KMS which is registered in Jersey was most recently and controversially used by Colonel Oliver North to assist in guerrilla missions with Contra forces in Nicaragua." 
(June 17, 1988, p.7).............................................

¹http://www.saladin-security.com/

full transcript to be found at:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YBg4wrz6ggAJ:www.thelocal.se/discuss/index.php%3Fshowtopic%3D39255%26st%3D45+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

if removed you can obtain a copy of the original transcript from:

racooncity@inbox.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA1sx-vyWVk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_guy

***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_and_Hardy

***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado

***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._S._Gilbert

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North

Defiant Patriot: The Life and Exploits of Lt. Colonel Oliver L. North

ISBN:0312910916 (ISBN13: 9780312910914)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/627597.Defiant_Patriot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Information_Act_%28United_States%29

''Selma''

Oscar Snub For It's Director, Ava DuVernay

Another person who didn't make the cut for an Oscar this year was Ava DuVernay, the Director of 'Selma'.

''Maybe the Academy just didn’t think she was one of the five best directors of 2014. If true, she’d be in great company: David Fincher (Gone Girl), Christopher Nolan (Interstellar), and Clint Eastwood (American Sniper) didn’t make the cut this year either. ''*

Personally I think the Oscar Academy Panel are more embarrassed by DuVernay's frank and blistering naked portrayal of modern day racism in America than the denial of her skills as a great director – which are unquestionable.

It's a powerful and compelling film. If you are interested in justice, civil rights and the dignity of those impoverished and dispossessed, it's a must to watch.

The film is about the golden quest of the African-American population for justice and civil rights, the role of Martin Luther King, Jr. and all those unnamed and unknown civil rights supporters and activists whom together made a difference to the course of history.

It is about a local issue in an Alabama town (Selma) which had profound national and international implications. [In an eerily similar way that Ferguson, Missouri, will, historically, demonstrate to have been decades henceforth.]

In reality, with Southern and Mid-West States applying voter identification laws to disenfranchise poor Whites, Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos, it's a damning indictment of racist voter gerrymandering which is widespread to this very day in the form of modern equivalent of Slavery Laws barring minorities from exercising their right to vote – by creating loops and hoops which make it impossible for the poor and dispossessed to comply with.   DuVernay's portrayal of how the historical blunt application of racism prevented African-Americans from exercising their civil rights and by implication, the subtleties of racism which continue with a vengeance today, were, in my view, too much for the Oscar Nominations Panel to digest.

It's a sickening portrayal of hypocrisy and put Thomas Jefferson's famous statement

''We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness '' on trial in the year 2014 - since evidently these principles are not shared by voter suppressionists who are making a comeback today in several Southern and some Mid-Western States.

A whole industry of disenfranchisement is growing up in America – and a growing tsunami of like-minded Americans are finally taking up the challenge to defend justice liberty and voting rights for all it's citizens.

In view of the above, it's no surprise that the Oscar Academy Awards Panel has shelved DuVernay – but her genius will outlive the Panel – probably to be posthumously awarded her rightful title – when all Americans finally arrives at the promised land: - ''Land of the Free and The Home of The Brave.''

[The "right to vote" is not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution except in the above referenced amendments, and only in reference to the fact that the franchise cannot be denied or abridged based solely on the aforementioned qualifications. In other words, the "right to vote" is perhaps better understood, in layman's terms, as only prohibiting certain forms of legal discrimination in establishing qualifications for suffrage. States may deny the "right to vote" for other reasons.

For example, many states require eligible citizens to register to vote a set number of days prior to the election in order to vote. More controversial restrictions include those laws that prohibit convicted felons from voting or, as seen in Bush v. Gore, disputes as to what rules should apply in counting or recounting ballots.[5]**]

I could walk you through the movie.   From the racist firebombing of a Christian Church to voter suppression and rejection, to the role of LBJ (which I have always said, and stand on record for saying ,40 years ago, was undervalued) but it's much better that you judge the film for yourself and you decide what side of the tracks you are on.

I would say that the role of J. Edgar Hoover has, in my opinion, been misrepresented.   He was a bit of a tyrant but he was also a patriot – and a fair patriot – if that makes any sense?

Ironically I think that DuVernay and Eastwood have a lot in common as 'no compromise' 'raw flesh' 'tell it as it is' directors of the human condition.

It would be a powerful combination to see both collaborate on a movie.

But sadly, this will never happen.

A film you must see - or miss a priceless piece of American history - in it's most honest portrayal.

©Patrick Emek, 2015

''Selma'' Directed by Ava DuVernay

http://www.avaduvernay.com/selma/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W9VRE-gj3s

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020072/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00E-MoGAm5g

*http://insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/21/selma-ava-duvernay-oscar-snub/

http://www.oscars.org/oscars/voting

**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_rights_in_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_suppression

The Daily Show (Jon Stewart) with Eva DuVernay

http://thedailyshow.cc.com/extended-interviews/nd542n/ava-duvernay-extended-interview

or if you are in the U.K.

http://www.comedycentral.co.uk/the-daily-show/videos/exclusive-extended-interview-with-ava-duvernay

http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2014/07/the-land-of-the-free-and-the-home-of-the-brave/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOYCdAUEDMM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2HNH9orkTQ

American Sniper

American Sniper is reported to be the highest grossing film of any recent New Year.

I can understand why the film's title is likely to provoke strong emotions.

The gun enthusiasts will flock to see it because it glorifies their deity, the anti-gun and anti-war lobby will vilify it as a personification of everything wrong with America.
It is about Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal who is reputed to have the highest number of  'kills' in recent history.

I made up my mind there and then not to go out of my way to watch the film but to read the original book.  You always get a better 'feel' of where the writer's mind really is (or was) when you read the original book rather than watch a 'jazzed up' version – which a film inevitably has to be.   I have an admiration for the work of Clint Eastwood both as an actor and as a director so it's no disrespect to him but more a desire to get 'closer' to the 'essence' of the story that I chose to read the book.   I read it cover to cover in about 4 hours.   It's a fascinating read.   As someone who has been in war zones without weapons nor the physical protection of armed forces I can relate to part of what the author, Chris Kyle, says.

One does get an impression of the heavy hand of censorship as the book lacks considerable operational methodology and detail - again to be expected since insurgency groups such as Al Qaeda, ISIL and their supporters worldwide do a lot of reading and research on tactics to be more effective and efficient in their jobs.   So if you think you will learn a lot about SEAL strategy and tactics, then this book will be a disappointment.

Sympathy For The Devil

The whole theme of the book appears, in my opinion, more to be skewed toward a disdain of Arabs than 'just doing my job'.  (Note I have said 'disdain' rather than 'hatred'.) Perhaps you need that kind of 'motivator' to become inured to the absence of empathy nor compassion for the enemy's 'position' or 'perception' whereas as a journalist, it's important, regardless of personal feelings, to keep a sense of balance if you want to give your readers or viewers a 'fair' account of what is really going on?    Yes I know we are dealing with bloodthirsty devils who would not hesitate for a moment to cut off the heads of women, babies and children (and journalists) if they refuse to cooperate and submit to their demands.

So to be frank, in a war against Al Qaeda and ISIL for example, you need to have your Special Forces (SF) and regulars operating with as little empathy as is possible – to 'get the job done'.

[ISIL make it very easy to motivate our Special Forces as their methods and tactics bring out 'what are the best qualities' of the likes of Chris Kyle – thereby ensuring even more highly 'energized' or focused teams for the future.]

Again, perhaps, this is what is required to do your job effectively, without remorse and without conscience.

The occasions Chris Kyle did not 'kill' were occasions when he appeared to be more worried about the future legal implications of  'taking the shot' rather than any other motivation.  This is one 'onerous' detail which the enemy - Al Qaeda and ISIL - never have to worry about.

Runaway – And The Politics Of Survival

Don't misunderstand what I have said above.  Chris Kyle saved many Americans from becoming orphans and widows, Moms and Dads without sons and daughters, sisters without brothers, through his quick-thinking actions by taking out an enemy who otherwise would have killed American troops.   For that alone he deserves not just Bronze and Silver but Purple.   [As he admits himself, decisions to award medals are often more governed by politics than valor in the field.  I would also add that the same applies to the field of journalism.]

We learn a little about GROM [Polish Special Forces] in the book and it is clear that Kyle developed a  respect for their loyalty, discipline and operational effectiveness.  [Polish vodka is also given the 'thumbs up'!]
A bond of friendship was also formed with team members as 'brothers in arms'.

Rather disparagingly, the British SF always seem to arrive either too late or be 'pulling up the drawbridge' [when they thought Kyle and his colleagues had been gassed, British Forces refused him entry to a compound for fear of contamination, even though he and his team were desperate for sanctuary.]

Coping On Civvy Street

The personality of a Sniper [not an assassin – and please don't confuse the two] is well covered by Kyle. The effect on family relationships, the tragedy, marital breakdown, and, to a lesser extent, flashbacks are also covered.  I sense that Kyle is not being altogether honest when talking about the numbers of flashbacks and psychological trauma he experienced afterwards – but such is natural as I expect you need to put that chapter behind you, move on with your life and become a better husband (or wife) and dad to your children and a functioning responsible member of your community.

Keep Your Distance

Chris Kyle doesn't strike me as one of the 'deepest' readers of literature and displays little or no interest in the history of Iraq.   As far as he was concerned since he was there to get a job done, probably better that he knows as little as possible about the history of the enemy as such might 'impair' his clarity of vision – and I do mean this both metaphorically and literally [and without irony nor sarcasm.]

Being able to improvise at critical moments and being 'lucky' are also important factors to staying alive and getting the job done.  This is also covered in 'American Sniper'.

Contractors

What is also of note in ' American Sniper' is a lack of interest in the invaluable contribution which mercenaries or 'contractors' have made to recent conflicts in the Gulf and in Afghanistan.  These are the journalistic equivalent of 'freelancers' except that freelance journalists don't get paid anything like mercenaries and they certainly get none of the credit nor glory.  In fact, most do it neither for the money nor for the kudos.  [I would go even further and say that many freelance journalists don't get paid at all.]

Kyle mentions the traumas which enlisted veterans experience on their return home - and many experience not just family breakups but long-term psychological illnesses resulting in their inability to cope with 'normal' life, becoming homeless, jobless and ending up as addicts on Skid Row or it's equivalent in major cities and towns where they become the anonymous dispossessed and impoverished.
Sadly Chris Kyle begrudges them 'positive discrimination' in statutory legislation preferring instead that they are given a 'hand-up' or 'helping hand' from the private sector than any assistance from the State.
When you come from an ethnocentic background (or one of privilege)  it's not always possible to appreciate the value of legislation to protect the rights of either minorities or of those less fortunate than yourself or your own 'tribal' 'religious' or 'ethnic' group.   [This, incidentally, is very much 'in tune' with Clint Eastwood's politics so in that regard 'connect' very well with the philosophies being 'communicated' through 'American Sniper'.]

At least VA will attempt to assist regular forces but there is nobody there for the contractors when they are demobbed – and many face bleak uncertain futures - far worse than returning regular veterans – coming home often to communities which treat them like pariahs, with a morbid curiosity and with contempt, projecting everything that went wrong onto the 'evil' mercenaries.

So there is no heroes return for the contractors – just an ignorant community which treats them as less than garbage.   They will not get the 'breaks' Chris Kyle did when pulled over by a Police Patrol nor when they appear before a judge on D&D[DUI] or GBH charges.  There's no sympathy world nor glory for the returning mercenary.  Perhaps that is why their plight is ignored in 'American Sniper'?  Their reward was to be paid 3 (or much more) times a regular so perhaps it's considered 'fair game' that they 'roll with the punches' when demobbed?

In conclusion, the book is certainly not glorification of the life of a Sniper.

It's about an individual doing a job, trying to do it as best he can, making mistakes along the way and paying the price for those errors of judgement.

I highly recommend that you read the book.    It's probably a better representation of events than the film could ever be.

No doubt Clint Eastwood's skills will bring added glamor and embellishment to compress what is a fascinating book into the limited timeframe of the screen.

© Patrick Emek, 2015

American Sniper

ISBN: 9780062082350

EPub Edition January 2011 ISBN: 9780062082374

http://www.harpercollins.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sniper

 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2179136/ 
 

https://www.navysealmuseum.org/whats-happening-at-the-national-navy-udt-seal-museum/purple-heart-cane-presentation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Star

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Star_Medal

Pope Francis:

''You Cannot Poke Fun at Someone's Faith''

''Pro Archia Poeta''

I respect where the Pope is coming from but the job of Satirists has always been to poke fun- at everything and anything where

the hypocrisy justifies satire.

I am not sure if the Pontiff studied Latin at school but if he did, and I assume he did, we were both reading very different textbooks [or hymn sheets.]

The personalities I studied, from about 100 B.C. had sex, drugs, wild music, wild parties, and of course, satire as key ingredients to their misplaced existences.
So in fact the characters I was reading about in Latin spent [as W.C. Fields, said about himself*] half of their money on alcohol, gambling and wild women, and the other half they wasted.

I'll leave out the sex, drugs and rock n' roll and just focus on the

'Charlie Hebdo' of that day:

One of my greatest influences from childhood was the work of

Marcus Tullius Cicero. His 'Pro Archia' I learnt off by heart – and memorized every page. I think in my textbook it was about 53 pages.

Licinius Archias was a poet and satirist who had 'insulted' Senators and famous individuals by 'ridiculing' them in his works.
In actual fact such was never the case so no charges of this nature could ever be brought against him. 

This was never done the Charlie Hebdo 'in your face' manner

but through flowing lines of beautiful poetry where the virtues and deeds of say, one general in battle, were obliquely contrasted with those less courageous or less virtuous (always by inference never by direct charge – but the educated could easily decipher (or indeed imagine) the coded 'messages' in the flowing lines of laudation and inferential scorn for those less worthy of praise.)

I think in this instance Wikipedia may be mistaken in just referring to Archias as 'a poet' - ''Pro Archia Poeta''.**
 He was much much more than an ordinary poet. He was a poet and a satirist and had 'politely' ridiculed many (by inference) in his poems. Unfortunately he made one powerful enemy too many. One such person it is believed he may have inadvertently (or deliberately) ridiculed was the very powerful Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus.

Archias also had one particular influential supporter.  Marcus Tullius Cicero had been his pupil and remained a loyal friend throughout.

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus was the equivalent of a powerful political godfather and kingmaker having excelled as a warrior general and came from a very wealthy and noble family, well connected in Rome and in the Senate. His aspiration was ultimate power.   So he was someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth, proved himself in battle, used to getting his own way and not used to being insulted, especially by 'Barbarians' (Archias was not originally Roman but Greek) and decided to 'teach' Archias a lesson in 'respeto' and the meaning of power when exercised by one of 'the untouchables'.

It may well have been that the objective was, through this prosecution, to teach all 'Barbarians' (or non-Romans granted citizenship) to 'know their place' respect power, not to 'cross the line' and most important of all, never in your wildest dreams think of crossing Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus because he would not suffer fools nor satirists gladly and would, through this prosecution, send his own legal not so flowing 'message' to the educated, and to the poets and wannabe satirists.

There may also have been some jealously about the fact that Archias wrote such beautiful poetry about his patron (and sponsor, incidentally, for Roman citizenship) the Roman General Lucius Licinius Lucullus, and there was, in effect nobody of any worth to write such memorable lines about himself - [the great] Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus.

Pompey and Lucullus were also bitter rivals for power and influence in the Senate.

So there may well have been much more behind the case which

was 'engineered' against Archias – it has been suggested by experts and noted historical researchers.

That Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus was using this trial of Archias to get at (and ultimately destroy) his arch rival for power and influence in the Senate - Lucius Licinius Lucullus - is very plausible.

There was, of course, a legal basis to bring charges against Archias.   It would have been to the ridicule and have caused eternal laughter amongst the Senators and Plebes for Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus to claim that a [Barbarian] poet had insulted him – it would also have been 'beneath his station'. The general public would have thought he had 'lost the plot' if he had directly accused Archias accordingly.

What was contrived were charges that Archias was not a Roman citizen and should therefore be expelled from Rome on these grounds.

The Lex Papia de Peregrinis (65 B.C.) gave authorities full powers to expel foreigners falsely claiming to have Roman citizenship.

[You might call it today a power to expel non-EU nationals and forcibly send them back home.]

The introduction of this law in itself, was, some noted historians and experts agree, yet another plot – this time against Caesar - who supported the claim of the Latin colonies north of the River Po.

[You need to appreciate that there were so many plots by Senators, Generals, aspirants for power and influence, and by their financial supporters (lobbyists) and backers, that it's a wonder any work ever got done in the Senate(!); does this remind you of somewhere more contemporary?]

Marcus Tullius Cicero was a lawyer, a poet, philosopher, a consul, a constitutionalist and a political theorist.

He is also considered one of Rome's greatest ever orators and prose writers.

Cicero had been a pupil of Licinius Archias so it was perhaps natural that he would be defending his former teacher against

the crime of non-citizenship.

In any event, Cicero's defense of Archias ('Pro Archia') was and still is today, regarded as one of the greatest pieces of prose oration ever produced by mankind and it has become

synonymous with mastery of 'style' – the equivalent of YSL,

Jean Paul Gaultier or Karl Lagerfeld in how to use words and

sentences with style, to convey powerful ideas, meanings and philosophies.

Interestingly, we do not know the outcome of Cicero's defense of his teacher but any educated Judge (or Senator) reading Cicero's defense, if not moved to tears from the beauty of the oration and evidence, would, I have no doubt, have dismissed the case against Archias as 'frivolous' so as not to end up 'on the wrong side of history' - as the one-time butchers of the now 'Lazarus' resurrected  Charlie Hebdo, most certainly have.

©Patrick Emek, 2015

Epilog:

Archias The Poet

So little has survived of Archias' works that we must piece it all together based both on the evidence available and what we can most likely infer.

Historians will argue that there is no evidence Archias was a satirist – and I cannot refute this based on the works which have survived to this day.

As evidence of his genius my basis is his onetime pupil, Cicero,

whom everyone agrees was a genius.  But where did Cicero first learn then build upon such masterful skills in poetry, satire and oration?   'Pro Archia' one could easily dismiss as a mere exercise in his own masterful skills – but I read something more than this.  Historically Archias was a poet, full stop.  My argument is that as a 'newcomer' he might only impart such contentious skills in his own complex use of speech to exceptionally talented acolytes – of which Cicero was one.

PE

 

“I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted.”

― W.C. Fields

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/678820-i-spent-half-my-money-on-gambling-alcohol-and-wild

**http://en.wiki2.org/wiki/Pro_Archia_Poeta

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Archia_Poeta

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/350697/Lucius-Licinius-Lucullus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicero

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nOwBEsoNiUMC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=Cicero+prose+oration&source=bl&ots=GwZCaFKIRV&sig=MSSF3NArLR6lD0fLIP1v6gx-P4g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ykW5VL7TBoT_UpOpg9AJ&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Cicero%20prose%20oration&f=false

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RHdoAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA231&lpg=PA231&dq=Lex+Papia+de+Peregrinis&source=bl&ots=O7ixxKudeq&sig=-9zZ6MpnuiskGw3Xm5-XJs4hfDU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k0C5VMP9HMuyUcSigtAP&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Lex%20Papia%20de%20Peregrinis&f=false

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/264156?sid=21105642410953&uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=4&uid=2&uid=70

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=i_F5e3lnUjsC&pg=PA182&lpg=PA182&dq=Licinius+Archias+poet+and+satirist&source=bl&ots=ZPdLQFE644&sig=mDNNUoGHarVQQCm0X-E-Dc7MB6s&hl=en&sa=X&ei=yeS5VIfeA8_waMT-guAO&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Licinius%20Archias%20poet%20and%20satirist&f=false

https://prezi.com/6y302ln9b4y8/pro-archia-for-real/

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_ZtjAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA402&lpg=PA402&dq=Licinius+Archias+satirist&source=bl&ots=fL-Wm6CfQD&sig=IzP78of0CI2YD5qoTiG49iijSko&hl=en&sa=X&ei=h-i5VOXQMIL7aKylgqAI&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAzgK#v=onepage&q=Licinius%20Archias%20satirist&f=false

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0019%3Atext%3DArch.%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D1


Full text of Cicero's Defense of Archias:

https://archive.org/stream/orationindefence00ciceuoft/orationindefence00ciceuoft_djvu.txt

https://archive.org/details/orationindefence00ciceuoft

''Can We Have All The Cryptography Keys Please?''

British Prime Minister David Cameron is widely reported to be in the United States, amongst other reasons, to request 100% intelligence sharing on issues of cryptography.

There is no doubt that secure communications are an invaluable tool in the hands of anyone.

Cryptography, is invaluable for, say, dissidents in North Korea to let the outside world know what is happening without being shot as spies.

I recall many years ago visiting a country within the sphere of influence of the former Soviet Union.

The computer connection for the outside world was never working at the hotel and likewise at all the other hotels.

Excuses were always made why it was 'OUT OF ORDER' – despite my polite requests to see if I could look at and possibly fix one of the computers – which offers were always politely declined.

I recall from history books when intelligence sharing was at a high level after World War II between the U.S. and Great Britain. Little did most Americans know that the British Secret Service (MI6) was riddled with Soviet spies and there was hardly anything the Soviet Union was unaware of as soon at it landed on a British desk anywhere in the world.

Today there is no reason not to think that there are many Edward Snowdens well placed within many countries who would relish the thought of compromising commercial intelligence to, say for example, China and Russia.

For the U.S. to order cryptography companies to cooperate with foreign intelligence services – or indeed for the NSA to share all it's keys with allies– would be sheer madness – and I have no doubt, from historical precedents, would be a death sentence for dissidents in many different parts of the world as details of their online activities became available to their governments.

The truth of the matter is that cryptography is more valuable as a business tool than it is for terrorists.

More countries (especially totalitarian) worldwide are privately more up in arms about their inabilities to read secure citizens and business communications than they ever were about terrorism.  Countries such as China and Russia are having to invest such vast resources simply into codebreaking where the algorithms have become so complex (quantum genetic algorithms and intelligent molecular genetic systems for example) to make their cracking very time consuming , very costly and way beyond the reach of small nations.

You recall how 9/11 was used by so many diverse U.S. government departments to 'snoop' on

everyone, worldwide?   'Fishing' expeditions and 'trawling' became the order of the day.

The effects of such are still being felt in terms of new legislation, worldwide, to this very day.

Some might even argue that a new financial system was evolving during the course of 2002-2006 which would have profound effects on world economies later on.

So too today this issue of secure communications is being used to open the floodgates to every type of intrusion of privacy.

My concern is more the fact that such information sharing by the NSA will most certainly result in this information yet again ending up in the hands of the very totalitarian regimes and business competitors – China and Russia - but even more serious is that dissidents living under such regimes will have absolutely nowhere to hide nor to communicate with the outside world as none will feel safe and secure online.

The U.S. government has 'betrayed' so many of it's allies recently (see my previous blog) is yet another betrayal just around the corner?
Very soon the U.S. will have not a single ally (or to be more precise, interest) it can trust as all will fear being 'sold out' or 'outed' 'at the drop of a hat'.

©Patrick Emek, 2015

Many countries are developing their own 'autonomous' and 'firewalled' internet and intranet systems completely shielded or configured with narrow ports of entry and exit. North Korea is one of such countries.  I have chosen it in this blog purely as an example of the dilemma which dissidents worldwide face.

https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/11283/CJRieserVTPhDEEDissertation101804.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y