Coming
in October
From Common Courage Press
Today's
Stories
August 29, 2003
Lenni Brenner
God
and the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party
Bister, Estrin and Jacobs
Howard Dean, the Progressive Anti-War Candidate? Some Vermonters
Give Their Views
August 28, 2003
Gilad Atzmon
The
Most Common Mistakes of Israelis
David Vest
Moore's
Monument: Cement Shoes for the Constitution
David Lindorff
Shooting Ali in the Back: Why the Pacification is Doomed
Chris Floyd
Cheap Thrills: Bush Lies to Push His War
Wayne Madsen
Restoring the Good, Old Term "Bum"
Elaine Cassel
Not Clueless in Chicago
Stan Goff
Nukes in the Dark
Tariq Ali
Occupied
Iraq Will Never Know Peace
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Behold, My Package
Website of the Day
Palestinian
Artists
Recent
Stories
August 27, 2003
Bruce Jackson
Little
Deaths: Hiding the Body Count in Iraq
John Feffer
Nuances and North Korea: Six Countries in Search of a Solution
Dave Riley
an Interview with Tariq Ali on the Iraq War
Lacey Phillabaum
Bush's Holy War in the Forests
Steve Niva
Israel's
Assassination Policy: the Trigger for Suicide Bombings?
Website of the Day
The Dean Deception
August 26, 2003
Robert Fisk
Smearing the Dead
David Lindorff
The
Great Oil Gouge: Burning Up that Tax Rebate
Sarmad S. Ali
Baghdad is Deadlier Than Ever: the View of an Iraqi Coroner
Christopher Brauchli
Bush Administration Equates Medical Pot Smokers with Segregationists
Juliana Fredman
Collective Punishment on the West Bank: Dialysis, Checkpoints
and a Palestinian Madonna
Larry Siems
Ghosts of Regime Changes Past in Guatemala
Elaine Cassel
Onward, Ashcroft Soldiers!
Saul Landau
Bush:
a Modern Ahab or a Toy Action Figure?
August 25, 2003
Kurt Nimmo
Israeli Outlaws in America
David Bacon
In Iraq, Labor Protest is a Crime
Thomas P. Healy
The Govs Come to Indy: Corps Welcome; Citizens Locked Out
Norman Madarasz
In an Elephant's Whirl: the US/Canada Relationship After the
Iraq Invasion
Salvador Peralta
The Politics of Focus Groups
Jack McCarthy
Who Killed Jancita Eagle Deer?
Uri Avnery
A Drug
for the Addict
August 23/24, 2003
Forrest Hylton
Rumsfeld
Does Bogota
Robert Fisk
The Cemetery at Basra
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for
Sanity
Insults to Intelligence
Andrew C. Long
Exile on Bliss Street: The Terrorist Threat and the English Professor
Jeremy Bigwood
The Toxic War on Drugs: Monsanto Weedkiller Linked to Powerful
Fungus
Jeffrey St. Clair
Forest
or Against Us: the Bush Doctor Calls on Oregon
Cynthia McKinney
Bring the Troops Home, Now!
David Krieger
So Many Deaths, So Few Answers: Approaching the Second Anniversary
of 9/11
Julie Hilden
A Constitutional Right to be a Human Shield
Dave Lindorff
Marketplace
Medicine
Standard Schaefer
Unholy Trinity: Falwell's Anti-Abortion Attack on Health and
Free Speech
Catherine Dong
Kucinich and FirstEnergy
José Tirado
History Hurts: Why Let the Dems Repeat It?
Ron Jacobs
Springsteen's America
Gavin Keeney
The Infernal Machine
Adam Engel
A Fan's Notations
William Mandel
Five Great Indie Films
Walt Brasch
An American Frog Fable
Poets' Basement
Reiss, Kearney, Guthrie, Albert and Alam
Website of the Weekend
The Hutton Inquiry
August 22, 2003
Carole Harper
Post-Sandinista
Nicaragua
John Chuckman
George Will: the Marquis of Mendacity
Richard Thieme
Operation Paperclip Revisited
Chris Floyd
Dubya Indemnity: Bush Barons Beyond the Reach of Law?
Issam Nashashibi
Palestinians
and the Right of Return: a Rigged Survey
Mary Walworth
Other People's Kids
Ron Jacobs
The
Darkening Tunnel
Website of the Day
Current Energy
August 21, 2003
Robert Fisk
The US
Needs to Blame Anyone But Locals for UN Bombing
Virginia Tilley
The Quisling Policies of the UN in Iraq: Toward a Permanent War?
Rep. Henry Waxman
Bush Owes the Public Some Serious Answers on Iraq
Ben Terrall
War Crimes and Punishment in Indonesia: Rapes, Murders and Slaps
on the Wrists
Elaine Cassel
Brother John Ashcroft's Traveling Patriot Salvation Show
Christopher Brauchli
Getting Gouged by Banks
Marjorie Cohn
Sergio Vieira de Mello: Victim of Terrorism or US Policy in Iraq?
Vicente Navarro
Media
Double Standards: The Case of Mr. Aznar, Friend of Bush
Website of the Day
The Intelligence Squad
August 20, 2003
Robert Fisk
Now No
One Is Safe in Iraq
Caoimhe Butterly
Life and Death on the Frontlines of Baghdad
Kurt Nimmo
UN Bombing: Act of Terrorism or Guerrilla War?
Michael Egan
Revisiting the Paranoid Style in the Dark
Ramzi Kysia
Peace
is not an Abstract Idea
Steven Higgs
NPR and the NAFTA Highway
John L. Hess
A Downside Day
Edward Said
The Imperial Bluster of Tom Delay
Jason Leopold
Gridlock at Path 15: the California Blackouts were the "Wake
Up Call"
Website of the Day
Ashcroft's Patriotic Hype
August 19, 2003
Jeffrey St. Clair
Blackouts Happen
Gary Leupp
"Our Patch": Australia v. the Evil Doers of the South
Pacific
Sean Donahue
Uribe's Cruel Model: Colombia Moves Toward Totalitarianism
Matt Martin
Bush's Credibility Problem on Missile Defense
Juliana Fredman
Recipe for the Destruction of a Hudna
John Ross
Fox Government's Attack on Mexican Basques
Sasan Fayazmanesh
What Kermit Roosevelt Didn't Say
Website of the Day
Tom Delay's Dual Loyalities
August 18, 2003
Uri Avnery
Hero in War and Peace
Stan Goff
The Volunteer Military and the Wicked Adventure
Cathy Breen
Baghdad on the Hudson
Michael Kimaid
Fight the Power (Companies)!
Jason Leopold
The California Rip-Off Revisited: Arnold, Milken and Ken Lay
Matt Siegfried
The Bush Administration in Context
Elaine Cassel
At Last, A Judge Who Acts Like a Judge
Alexander Cockburn
Judy Miller's War
Harvey Wasserman
The Legacy of Blackout Pete Wilson
Website of the Day
Fire Griles!
Congratulations
to CounterPuncher Gilad Atzmon! BBC Names EXILE Top Jazz CD
August 16 / 17, 2003
Flavia Alaya
Bastille
New Jersey
Jeffrey St. Clair
War Pimps
Saul Landau
The Legacy of Moncada: the Cuban Revolution at 50
Brian Cloughley
What Has Happened to the US Army in Iraq?
William S. Lind
Coffins for the Crews: How Not to Use Light Armored Vehicles
Col. Dan Smith
Time for Straight Talk
Wenonah Hauter
Which
Electric System Do We Want?
David Lindorff
Where's Arnold When We Need Him?
Harvey Wasserman
This Grid Should Not Exist
Don Moniak
"Unusual Events" at Nuclear Power Plants: a Timeline
for August 14, 2003
David Vest
Rolling Blackout Revue
Merlin Chowkwanyun
An Interview with Sherman Austin
Adam Engel
The Loneliest Number
Poets' Basement
Guthrie, Hamod & Albert
Book of the Weekend
Powerplay by Sharon Beder
Hot Stories
Dardagan,
Slobodo and Williams
CounterPunch Exclusive:
20,000 Wounded Iraqi Civilians
Steve
J.B.
Prison Bitch
Sheldon
Rampton and John Stauber
True Lies: the Use of Propaganda
in the Iraq War
Wendell
Berry
Small Destructions Add Up
CounterPunch
Wire
WMD: Who Said What When
Cindy
Corrie
A Mother's Day Talk: the Daughter
I Can't Hear From
William Blum
Myth
and Denial in the War on Terrorism
Standard Schaefer
Experimental Casinos: DARPA and the War Economy
Uzma
Aslam Khan
The Unbearably Grim Aftermath of War:
What America Says Does Not Go
Paul de Rooij
Arrogant
Propaganda
Gore Vidal
The
Erosion of the American Dream
Francis Boyle
Impeach
Bush: A Draft Resolution
Click Here
for More Stories.
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August
30, 2003
Spain's José
Aznar
Bush's
Super Lackey
By AUGUSTIN VELLOSO
Spain has emerged recently as a middling power,
well integrated in the European Union, and participating in international
institutions and treaties. She took pride in siding with the
majority of States within the United Nations and its subsidiary
bodies in issues related to upholding international law. Surprisingly,
however, the current government under Jose Aznar overturned this
emerging tradition and sided with the US in its aggression against
Iraq. Spain's support for the US-Iraq war was given in the face
of widespread popular opposition at home, and it also undermined
the country's relationship with the more powerful and experienced
European Union countries. It can only be said that the opportunistic
posturing of its current government has tarnished Spain's image
and harmed its relations with its neighbors.
Aznar's enthusiastic cheerleading of
Bush's war carefully neglected the history of Spain's relationship
with the United States. Perhaps the disastrous 1898 Cuban war
that sealed Spain's ambitions of empire may be "old history",
although the controversy about the "sexed-up" intelligence
dossier on Iraq echoes that about the explosion on board the
USS Maine in Havana harbour. However, other chapters are fresh
in Spaniards' minds and are more relevant today. The US was
one of the very few supporters of the Fascist (in the true sense
of the word) Franco dictatorship. It can be argued that this
relationship was very damaging to Spain since it led to forty
years of isolation--which ended only after the dictator's death.
It was clear that US interests were either directly in conflict
with Spain's, or that the US pursued policies that harmed the
interests of the majority of the Spanish population.Aznar also
didn't seem to care too much about international law, and decided
to cast Spain into the role of a new vassal servile to American
power. Perhaps Aznar is heeding the old Spanish saying: "allá
van leyes do quieren reyes" (laws will go wherever kings
tell them to go). The allure of putting Spain among those states
given the American designation of "New Europe" proved
too much for Aznar to resist--his place in history (albeit a
footnote) and a tiny place in the international stage.
The shameful "war council"
in the Azores was the first time Aznar truly indicated his intended
new role for Spain. His personal role was grotesque because
he sought to outdo both Bush and Blair in terms of bellicose
statements and, on occasion, it seemed that he sought to give
lessons in international relations and military intelligence.
Spain's top newspaper, El País,
published on August 11th that Aznar distorted a United Nations
Arms Inspectors' report by stating that Iraq actually had weapons
of mass destruction. He added that Iraq "stores 3,000 tons
of chemical devices, 300 tons of pure chemical agents, 30,000
special missiles for chemical and biological warfare, let alone
several components for the construction of nuclear arms, 1,000
tons of VX nerve gas, 6,500 chemical warheads, 8,800 l.
of anthrax and 380 chemically charged missiles".
On February 5, 2003, Powell gave a remarkably
childish presentation about Iraqi WMD. He perspired while showing
the slide presentation, and it seemed that he was not as certain
as Aznar about the exact quantities of WMD Iraq supposedly had.
It seems the Spanish secret services are better at spotting
anthrax spores hidden 5,000 km away than the US or British secret
services--not bad, considering Spain doesn't have agents on the
ground in Iraq or satellites overhead.
It is difficult for Spaniards other than
Aznar to see how the Spanish intelligence service could count
30,000 missiles that the UN inspections, satellites, and other
agencies have been trying to find for the past decade or more.
While Aznar showed so much certainty about Iraq, the Minister
of Defense, Trillo, was not able to say if US bombers on their
way to Iraq refueled in Spanish air space. When asked by journalists
about overflights he simply said he did not know!
Just like Franco before him, Aznar also
believes in blind loyalty. If our friend, the US, attacks Iraq,
Spain will stand by its side no matter what the United Nations,
the Geneva Conventions, the centuries-long Spanish-Arab friendship,
or even minimum commonsense advises. But never mind commonsense
or international law; Aznar will go one step further. Just like
Tony Blair, he lied to the Spanish parliament even though
there was no reason for him to do so. He then determined that
Spain will fight against "terror" no matter when and
where. That is, Spain has been firmly stitched onto the US "war
on terror". Evidently, Aznar was willing to play along
with an illegal "preventive war" and, as Chomsky reminded
us, a preventive war is a supreme crime.
No wonder Aznar has been awarded the
Congressional Gold Medal: "The Congress finds that President
Jose Aznar of Spain has clearly demonstrated () that he is a
staunch and steadfast ally of the United States of America".
He must be very proud of sharing this honor with Harry Truman,
Winston Churchill, Elie Wiesel, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell,
Ronald Reagan and some other most distinguished "protectors"
of human rights and international justice.
However, Aznar could hardly convince
Spaniards that he has done the right thing simply by showing
off the medal on national TV. The Americans knew that this was
not enough, and therefore sent House Speaker Dennis Hastert and
a delegation of Congressmen to meet with President Aznar to discuss
the continuing war on terrorism, other security issues and efforts
to increase trade and commerce between the two nations. The
result was another attempt to portray Aznar as a statesman by
posing him for photographs next to the motley American gang.
However, the clear implication of this meeting was that Spain
would send more soldiers to Iraq and buy more US second-hand
military hardware, specially used F-18s. Aznar got a medal for
sending Spaniards to reinforce the US occupation of Iraq, and
the Congressional visit just aimed to reinforce this role.
At present Spain has sent around 1,300
soldiers to Iraq. Their rules of engagement are A mix of the
banal standard statements and empty good intentions: Spanish
soldiers are in Iraq to contribute to its security and stability.
Fortunately, they will not be required to act in defiance of
international law, their right to self-defense will be restricted
to using minimum force, and they shall respect local mores. The
soldiers may scratch their heads over becoming part of an illegal
occupation force and yet being compelled to respect the Iraqis
and their traditions. The implicit questions may become more
pressing when the Spanish soldiers come under fire.
Maybe Aznar will still pay for the folly
of dragging Spain into someone else's war. He recently declared
that he will not be running for a third term in office. He may
need to seek some refuge from the popular resentment; if things
become uncomfortable for him in Spain, then perhaps he will be
offered a cushy job at the Carlyle Group--joining other useful
fools like the ex-prime minister John Major. His bellicose policies
may have damaged his party, the Popular Party (PP), and it is
difficult to predict the outcome of the 2004 general elections.
If the recently-held local and regional elections are any indication,
Spanish voters--despite the mass demonstrations against the war
- have not substantially withdrawn their support for the PP.
Broadly speaking, neither the Left nor the Right could claim
a clear victory.
Aznar accused opposition leaders that
they are hoping for Spanish soldiers to return in body bags to
win votes; he is right to be worried. If Spaniards went to the
streets to say no to war for "ethical" reasons, it
can be expected they will cast ballots to say no to the government
that sent soldiers to die in Iraq for more "practical"
reasons. It is very likely that the PP will then pay a price.
In a few months, we could see Aznar despised in Spain, and abandoned
by his party if it becomes more critical of the consequences
of his policies. Maybe Berlusconi and Blair will remain his
only "friends", but politicians out of power have a
tendency to be abandoned in quick order.
If Aznar disappears or if popular discontent
increases against the PP, then Bush and his gang will hardly
care. Aznar played a useful role in undermining international
opposition to the war, Spain also has been dragged into the US's
wars, and therefore now the useful fool is expendable. Even
if at this late stage Aznar were to repent, his political obituary
has already been written.
Many Spaniards are deeply uncomfortable
with the role the current government played in the American war
of aggression against Iraq. Spain has been subject to widespread
criticism, and now the country may become a potential target
for those seeking revenge and who cannot reach the US mainland.
In exchange for a lousy Gold medal, Spain contributed to undermining
the UN Charter and the possibility of organizing a more assertive
European role opposed to the New Empire, never mind the soldiers
put in harm's way. Although maybe unaware of it, Spaniards will
pay a heavy price for the folly of their leadership.
Agustin Velloso
is a lecturer at the Spanish National University for Distance
Learning. He can be reached at avelloso@edu.uned.es.
Weekend
Edition Features for August 23 / 24, 2003
Forrest Hylton
Rumsfeld
Does Bogota
Robert Fisk
The Cemetery at Basra
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for
Sanity
Insults to Intelligence
Andrew C. Long
Exile on Bliss Street: The Terrorist Threat and the English Professor
Jeremy Bigwood
The Toxic War on Drugs: Monsanto Weedkiller Linked to Powerful
Fungus
Jeffrey St. Clair
Forest
or Against Us: the Bush Doctor Calls on Oregon
Cynthia McKinney
Bring the Troops Home, Now!
David Krieger
So Many Deaths, So Few Answers: Approaching the Second Anniversary
of 9/11
Julie Hilden
A Constitutional Right to be a Human Shield
Dave Lindorff
Marketplace
Medicine
Standard Schaefer
Unholy Trinity: Falwell's Anti-Abortion Attack on Health and
Free Speech
Catherine Dong
Kucinich and FirstEnergy
José Tirado
History Hurts: Why Let the Dems Repeat It?
Ron Jacobs
Springsteen's America
Gavin Keeney
The Infernal Machine
Adam Engel
A Fan's Notations
William Mandel
Five Great Indie Films
Walt Brasch
An American Frog Fable
Poets' Basement
Reiss, Kearney, Guthrie, Albert and Alam
Website of the Weekend
The Hutton Inquiry
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