Rumsfeld's plan to provoke terrorists -- Buried deep in one of its Sunday issues late last October, the Los Angeles Times published a story by military analyst William Arkin about a slew of secret armies the Pentagon had been creating around the world. One such force caught the eye of Moscow Times columnist and regular CounterPunch contributor Chris Floyd, who picked up on the tip and ran with it.

"According to a classified document prepared for Rumsfeld by his Defense Science Board, the new organization — the 'Proactive, Preemptive Operations Group (dubbed the Pee-Twos)' — will carry out secret missions designed to 'stimulate reactions' among terrorist groups, provoking them into committing violent acts which would then expose them to 'counterattack' by U.S. forces," Floyd wrote.

In short, the alleged document seemed to show that the Pentagon was gearing up to instigate terrorist acts, despite the risk to innocent civilians. "The Pee-Twos will thus come in handy whenever the Regime hankers to add a little oil-laden real estate or a new military base to the Empire's burgeoning portfolio," Floyd continued. "Just find a nest of violent malcontents, stir 'em with a stick, and presto: instant 'justification' for whatever level of intervention/conquest/rapine you might desire." Or, he proffers, just make them up after the fact.


Chris Floyd, CounterPunch, Nov. 1, 2002

 
The Old Hopi sighed and stirred the fire to keep it going. "We got a lot more to think about", he said sadly. "We haven't even got to what the words from the sly foxes in the boxes have been saying and doing." He pulled down another well worn book and paged knowingly to a special place. He adjusted his glasses and began to read slowly: "Of course the people don't want war... Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany... that is understood... But voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."

Hermann Goering
to Gustave Gilbert, author of "Nuremberg Diary"
Farrar, Straus and Company, 1947, pp. 278-279.)
as quoted by The Old Hopi, 2003
in "Transmutations", MW Mandeville, 2003

 
The citizens of Fallujah: "The Americans have no right to invade houses, search our women and also steal gold and money. The Americans played a double game with the Iraqis. They said they would give us democracy. People only understood what they meant when they came. Outside Iraq, they treat dogs better than Iraqis."

 
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." (Edmund Burke, political thinker, 1729-97)

 
"The poor of the world expect an end to violence and war everywhere," Mbeki said. "For us, collectively, to meet these expectations, will require that each and every one of us, both rich and poor ... commit ourselves practically to act. This includes the most powerful."