Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

A threat too far?

This would have to be a masterpeice of understatement:

Meanwhile, Afghan officials have arrested three foreigners, including an American, who were allegedly conducting a private war on terror in Kabul.

"Three foreigners who had formed a self-made group and were claiming their aims were to act against those carrying out terrorist attacks, have been arrested," Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali said.

Four Afghans were also arrested along with the foreigners for allegedly illegally holding eight people in a private jail in a house near the Intercontinental Hotel in west Kabul, he said.

"They did not have any legal connection with anyone and the United States was also chasing them," Mr Jalali said. "They are actually rebels."

The definition of "rebel" in this case is highly likely to not be as transparent as the speaker might hope. One could also ask how many other "private" wars on terror are going on, and how many other "illegal" jails (apart from the ones we know about) there are, and also whether there are any connections with government or corporate intelligence organisations not disclosed here.

Developments: This story continues to unfold, with The Independant now reporting that "A freelance American bounty hunter who claimed to have been on the trail of Osama bin Laden has been arrested in Afghanistan for allegedly torturing prisoners after they were found dangling upside down in a private cell." This American is identified as Jonathan K Idema, a subject of the book "Taskforce Dagger; Hunt for Bin Laden", whose relationship to the US military and exact role in the "campaign" is politely described as "a murky area". A report from Xinhuanet news adds that the operation was "under the disguise of an export company" - which is notably a commonly used front for intelligence "cut-out" cover. The Independant adds that they were arrested "wearing military uniforms", but also adds the intriguing information that "hours before his arrest, the American military portrayed Mr Idema as a loose cannon". Two points: one, the "loose cannon" response is the same as the official US line on the Abu Grahib abuse, used to create distance from allegations. Two, and most curiously, it would be pivotal to know what occasioned this description "hours before" the man's arrest, because as it stands, this would imply foreknowledge and a strategy of denial that was in place prior to revelation.

The New York Times supplies the phrase "they were actually outlaws" instead of "rebels" - adding to the opacity of the matter. And according to the NYT, a "Western diplomat" said arrestees continued to be "evasive", reportedly saying "they seem to be behaving in very irrational ways" - yet again another textbook "operative" technique for coping with interregation, by presenting an "irrational" front.

And while speaking of "murky" connections, in an astonishing turnaround for the man who was helped to oust Whitlam as PM in 1975 (lest we forget!) by the CIA, former PM Malcom Fraser has come out swinging at the US over its "interventions" in Australian domestic politics, following the latest in a serious of unprecendented Bush administration incursions. [Remembering that last October, after GW's junket to Oz, this editor was predicting "any day now we can expect the CIA to begin vetting our political candidates" in a satiristic vein, which suddenly become very serious with the State Department's apparent disapproval of our Labour politicians, and blatant attempts to influence the electorate in favour of Man of Steel's minions.]

Item posted by AutoEditor at 10:30 am ::