Sentencing a Suicide bomber

imageThe first of a new series of ‘postcard’ micro blogs.

In the aftermath of the Paris attacks there’s been a deluge of comment. I’m overwhelmed by sadness anger and shock at what happens and have little to add for now. Like Derek “I’m disorientated, uncertain and dismayed.” But the futility of the response seems clear. Iain Macwhirter is surely right when he argues: “You can’t go to war with an organisation that doesn’t stand and fight and nor can you punish people who’ve already sacrificed their lives. Hollande said the perpetrators of the Paris attacks will be pursued “without mercy”. But you can’t sentence a suicide bomber to death.” (The Only Weapon IS fear is tolerance).

As always John Pilger is devastating pointing out the similarities between Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge, and today’s Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS): “As Barack Obama ignites his seventh war against the Muslim world since he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the orchestrated hysteria and lies make one almost nostalgic for Kissinger’s murderous honesty…According to Pol Pot, his movement had consisted of “fewer than 5,000 poorly armed guerrillas uncertain about their strategy, tactics, loyalty and leaders”. Once Nixon’s and Kissinger’s B52 bombers had gone to work as part of “Operation Menu”, the west’s ultimate demon could not believe his luck.” (Only When We See the War Criminals In Our Midst Will the Blood Begin to Dry).

Here a source in Syria describes life in Raqqa, the defacto capital of ISIS, a city transformed under militant control, with sketches by Molly Crabapple.

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Comments (20)

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  1. Shen Stone says:

    This is the Reality ! How sure are we that this event in Paris ,, like all of these events NOT Real ? Just a MEDIA SPIN. I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED – EVER, the facts that these terrorists ever existed like a real human being, other then organizations were responsible and ISLAM IS BAD PROPAGANDA.

    It is all BS. the majority of us still cling to the ELITE OWNED MSM, which I might add are all connected to the Military Industrial Machine .. Absolute Power. We need to question more the Facts that are reported as genuine facts by challenging the MSM, not reporting on what is obvious propaganda.

    1. Paul Carline says:

      Those who have taken the trouble to look behind the veil of lies surrounding modern ‘terrorism’ (starting at least from the “Operation Gladio” false flag bombings and murders between roughly 1969 and 1982 in Europe – blamed on the ennemi du jour, “communists”, but in fact carried out by right-wing militias trained and armed by the CIA and MI6 cf. Daniele Ganser’s authoritative study: “NATO’s Secret Armies”) will treat with some suspicion any official account of a ‘terrorist’ incident. Most of the major ‘terrorist’ (virtually always attributed to Muslims) events since and including 9/11 bear all the hallmarks of a false flag. One ‘signature’ of these is the fact that, ‘coincidentally’, large-scale military, police or other “exercises” are being carried out on the same day. This was true of 9/11, the London bombings, the Boston Marathon ‘bombing’, the Sandy Hook school ‘killings’ – and now Paris. A French spokesperson reported this morning that “… as luck would have it, a multi-site exercise had been planned … so we were on hand to help”. Readers may recall the large-scale exercise organised by Peter Power in London – focussing “coincidentally” on precisely the same four locations as allegedly chosen by the “suicide bombers” (who could not have been in the Tube system or on the bus at the time of the explosions because the train they were alleged to have caught was cancelled and the next one was delayed, making it impossible for them to have arrived at Kings Cross in time to get into the Tube system). Close examination of the evidence from the earlier Charlie Hebdo ‘terrorist’ incident clearly revealed striking anomalies which allow us to suspect that this, too, was a staged event.
      The political motives for such events are fairly obvious: in the case of 9/11 it was to provide spurious grounds for attacking and invading Afghanistan – a war crime in which Britain was fully complicit.

      1. John Mooney says:

        Suggest you take of the tinfoil helmet and grow up!

        1. J Galt says:

          Rather a Tinfoil Hat than a Dunce’s Cap.

          1. John Mooney says:

            Another signed up member of the X-Files conspiracy coterie, ffs grow up and address the real issues rather than you and your ilk put up pathetic straw man bullshit!

      2. Shen Stone says:

        When you re-address the concept that everything you are told from the Television and Radio, to the next generation of digital media from the internet as reporting REAL NEWS must be questioned at all levels of sanity !

        1. duncan says:

          Paul nd Shen, Moroccon Imperialism in Western Sahara, the Barbary slave trade, IS in Nigeria, all a result of American foreign policy? Understand your place in history. Put Chomski down for a while and stop simplifying things. If you believe the country is so wicked you live in go and live with the theocratic despots for a while. I’m sure they’ll supplement you and your values a lot more. (I’m assuming you are on benefits.)

  2. dunderheid says:

    IS don’t fear tolerance…it annoys them slightly because it doesn’t give them their mythic clash of civilisations…but the bright side for them however is that our tolerance allows them to slaughter us more easily….

    Therefore the question is whether our tolerance is still worth that price….personally I still feel that it is but after the events in Paris I am feeling less and less comfortable with that trade-off

    1. leavergirl says:

      “The only weapon IS fear is tolerance.”
      Aye, riiight! Like we needed more BS slogans.

  3. Gordon says:

    The French were told the reason for the attacks in Paris was their resumption, with others, of the bombing in Syria. Russia was told the same re- the downing of their passenger jet in Sinai. Hollande and others response: ‘This is an act of war. Let’s bomb them some more’. But that’s all right it’s only the citizens of Paris, Marseilles or Bordeaux who will suffer. This is escalation – nothing less. The British, Americans and the rest will join in and we don’t know where this will end. WWIII?
    It has always been claimed that so-called 9/11 was an Islamist atrocity carried out with no reason. Everyone forgets Bush senior’s first Gulf War and the atrocities committed there with virtually no loss to the British-American forces. I will instance just one – the firebombing and napalming of the convoy of Iraqi cars fleeing from Kuwait City back to Basra, posing no danger to anyone, resulting in the deaths by burning of some 4000. OK, they should not have been in Kuwait City, but they did not deserve to die. John Pilger himself was a witness to this slaughter.
    The orphans left after the indiscriminate killing in Iraq II are now in or approaching their 20s and in their anger are ripe for radicalisation. They are the ones who will join ISIS and who will be persuaded to vent their revenge on the west even at the expense of their own lives. They have nothing to live for in the chaos of the war zone we have left them. We are in the throes of creating even more orphans with idle hands living in chaos and ready to retaliate in another 10- 15 years. This will never end if we carry on like this. What have the Americans and British started?

  4. james says:

    Don’t understand what all the fuss is about as the French have nuclear weapons and our stupid government intends to upgrade Trident spending 167 Billion of taxpayers money. Is it not common sense to spend some of that money on Police, Security Service and our Armed Forces thereby making sense of their claim that is the Governments responsibility to defend the citizens against this ever increasing threat which is real as our Police, Security Services and our Armed Forces WILL press the trigger while pressing the Trident button is committing murder ands suicide

  5. Shen Stone says:

    Prove Your Imposition !

  6. old battle says:

    I\m asking Cameron some question thro Bella OK?

    1.Q Who is the enemy in Syria?
    A: ISIL/ISIS /Daesh OR ASSAD?

    2. Are planning to fight/defeat both the Jihadi forces & ASSAD?

    3. Do you plan to fight the ISIL with NATO/US AND Russia, Iran & Hezbollah?

    4. If ou rid Syria of ISIL will the space be filled by Shia Iran?

    5. Is the de facto war in Syria not the ancient conflict Shia (Iran) V Sunni (Saudi Arabia)

    6. If you rid Syria of Assad who replaces him? Shia or Sunni?

    7.Are you risking supporting Sunni forces in the face of Shia forces backed by Iran & Russia?

    8. France has its very own historical context with respect to Muslim society both in the Levant & North Africa as well as central Africa. It is a history that has produced hate. Will you go to war in support of France?

    9. Are you risking a NATO V Russia Iran Assad conflict/war?

    10. Do You have any idea what the fk you are planning?

    1. Anton says:

      Well I can’t speak for David Cameron, but let me try and disentangle some of the issues you raise:

      1.Q Who is the enemy in Syria?
      A: ISIL/ISIS /Daesh OR ASSAD?
      Answer: All of them to the extent that they espouse intolerance imposed by violent means; none of them unless they’ll accept a peaceable solution as a way forward. There are numerous parties involved; you seem to think there are only two sides. So it’s a silly question.

      2. Are planning to fight/defeat both the Jihadi forces & ASSAD?
      Answer: See above

      3. Do you plan to fight the ISIL with NATO/US AND Russia, Iran & Hezbollah?
      Answer: See above.

      4. If ou rid Syria of ISIL will the space be filled by Shia Iran?
      Answer: Who knows?

      5. Is the de facto war in Syria not the ancient conflict Shia (Iran) V Sunni (Saudi Arabia)
      Answer: No it’s not. And in passing, what’s a “de facto” war? Is it different from other forms of warfare?

      6. If you rid Syria of Assad who replaces him? Shia or Sunni?
      Answer: Who knows?

      7.Are you risking supporting Sunni forces in the face of Shia forces backed by Iran & Russia?
      Answer: No.

      8. France has its very own historical context with respect to Muslim society both in the Levant & North Africa as well as central Africa. It is a history that has produced hate. Will you go to war in support of France?
      Answer: No

      9. Are you risking a NATO V Russia Iran Assad conflict/war?
      Answer: All military action is risky, and the outcomes are unknown.

      10. Do You have any idea what the fk you are planning
      Answer: Another silly question. The situation in Syria/Iraq is hideously complicated. There are no easy soundbites.

      P.S. And as for John Pilger’s comments, well I’m aghast at his ignorance and naivete, based on (as far as I can tell) a single visit, presumably strategized by Saddam’s regime.

    2. David Cameron says:

      Avid bella reader of course…know thine enemy and all that…so my answere are:

      1: The initial enemy was Assad a dictator who was and is brutally suppressing internal dissent. I wished to intervene at that point but was prevented by hand wringing liberals like yourself. Now after Assad and his more acceptable enemies have fought themselves to exhaustion and allowed Daesh to thrive in the vacuum, they are both my enemy. However if I was forced to choose after Paris and their other atrocities I would rather Assad survives and Daesh falls

      2: My priority now is to defeat Daesh…they pose the greater evil…although if i had been allowed to intervene earlier I might never have been forced to choose

      3: Well after Sinai Russia’s priorities in Syria may have changed from attacking Assads enemies indiscriminately to targeting Daesh specifically. However, if not, then as I have said if the price of defeating Daesh is to allow Russia to prop up Assad then unfortunately that is what I will have to pay

      4: It wasn’t filled by Shia Iran before Daesh arrived and there is no certainty that it will after Daesh are defeated…but if you are asking me if again increased Iranian influence in the region is a price worth paying then again I say yes. Iran can be negotiated with and do not have the extermination of western civilisation as one of their geopolitical aims…

      5: Possibly but that war is spilling over onto our streets…perhaps its time to pick a winner. For me we have seen militant Shiism at its worst..it wasn’t pretty but it was controlled and it was terrorism with a political purpose. Militant Sunnism of the type Saudi Arabia let loose on the world has descended to an uncontrolled death cult…

      6: Someone who can command the respect of that vast majority of Syrians (be they Shia, Sunni, Alawite, Mennonite Christian) who just want their live in safety and don’t care from which religion or sect their leader comes from…

      7: Opposing Iran’s proxies with our own is not a major issue…Iran knows the game it is playing and accepts the risk. Opposing Russias is only a risk because of the chance of our forces coming into direct contact and for their being an accidental escalation. Therefore we will have to negotiate with Russia a modus operandi…as I stated if the price Russia demands for us to have carte blanche against Daesh is to leave their proxies alone then unfortunately we may have to pay it

      8: Unfortunately every western country has its own challenging historical context with respect to the Middle East. And if you beleive that France is being uniquely targeted then you are being niave. There are reasons (tactical and strategic) that France is being targeted right now but there is no reason that won’t change in the future..whether or not we intervene against Daesh or not. Finally France is an ally and I stand by my allies when they have been attacked just as I hope they would stand by us when we are attacked

      9: No..at the end of the day I will give the Russians everything they want in Syria to avoid a conflict with them…nothing in Syria is worth risking that…just don’t tell them that please

      10: Yes… and whatever I am planning it is alot better than doing nothing and pretending we can avoid conflict with a group who’s avowed goal is the end of western civilisation. Now is it a good plan or will it even work as I hope…that I am not sure…but then I wouldn’t have started from here….i would have bombed Assad in 2013…probably forcing a palace coup…claimed that as a win and got out…but I wasn’t allowed to…so here we are.

    3. J Galt says:

      CAMERON’S PLANS!

      Cameron’s “Plans” are whatever Plans he’s given.

      He’s windowdressing just like Hollande, Obama, Merkel………….Corbyn

  7. willie says:

    Violence begats violence as night follows day. Tit for tat is the way and unless and until there is some form of negotiation, some form of accommodation then wrongs will be used to right wrongs in a never ending cycle of violence.

    Human capacity to live or indeed die in huge numbers is absolutely astonishing. The murderous scum who committed these atrocities in Paris are testimony to that and it is right that we hunt down those who would commit such evil.

    But equally, we have a duty to get behind the reasons why such scum act in the way that they do.

    The geo political proxy wars that the powers play might well be part of the never ending cycle that has in effect been a continuum since World War Two.

    So whilst we need strength to defend ourselves we also need strength to ensure that we minimise the causes of our never ending conflicts.

    Human misery and the ongoing loss of loved ones in the most barbaric of circumstances – its all part of the human condition which never learns, indeed seems incapable of learning.

    1. Gordon says:

      Agree, Willie. Violence begets violence. Don’t believe what the jingoistic Sun and Mail tell us and their avid reader, Cameron. They don’t want to destroy our way of life – they want revenge. The stated reason that Isil gave for the terrorist attack in Paris was the French resumption of bombing on their positions in Syria. The West chooses to believe that they want to spoil our beautiful way of life – the simpletons! Similarly, the reason they gave for the downing of the Russian passenger jet in Sinai was the Russian start of bombing of Isil in Syria. But no, the Russians choose to believe it is to destroy their beautiful way of life.
      We have razed Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya to the ground and are now starting on Syria. If we want to stamp out radicalism in the Middle East, we are going to have to continue with Yemen, Egypt , Somalia…. How many others? We either massacre them all in the Arab countries, or get out. We have left an absolute shambles there and made enemies of them all and we should get to f##k out. If we leave them alone, maybe they’ll leave us alone. 129 dead in Paris is bad enough, but it pales into insignificance relative to the tens of thousands of men, women and children killed by our lot.

  8. john young says:

    James it is rumouredthat Russia less much less of a threat than the good ole USA have some kind of bomb that can be launched I think underwater from 10,000klm that will devastate the target area leaving it uninhabitable for hundreds of years,we would as a country be finished totally,madness or what.

  9. douglas clark says:

    I found the following article helpful in trying to understand what is happening:

    http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/

    There is a pay wall, but you can read the article as a ‘taster’.

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