War / Peace

The State Department's, uh, War Room

by Diane Farsetta — November 18, 2005 - 4:59pm

"The U.S. State Department has set up a rapid-response office dedicated to countering international news reports about the U.S.

Main Source: 
PR Week (sub req'd), November 17, 2005

Public Diplomacy after Psyops Atrocities

by Diane Farsetta — October 20, 2005 - 5:42pm

While embedded with a U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan, Australian journalist Stephen Dupont filmed "U.S.

Main Source: 
The Independent (UK), October 20, 2005

'Information Operations' Defined

by Laura Miller — October 4, 2005 - 1:04am

"As Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes begins her monumental campaign to improve the world's opinion of the United States, not to worry, military information warriors are poised to jump in as soon as the FEMA of public diplomacy falters," William Arkin writes for his "Early Warnings"

Main Source: 
Washington Post, September 30, 2005

Spooks Spin at The Oz

by Bob Burton — September 22, 2005 - 7:53am

After being deported by the Australian government, U.S. peace activist Scott Parkin has ridiculed claims against him in The Australian. "If I am such a threat, why have the FBI not even phoned me since my return from Australia to follow up [Australian intelligence]'s silly allegations? ...

Main Source: 
Sydney Morning Herald, September 22, 2005

Never Whoosh A Spook!

by Bob Burton — September 16, 2005 - 4:20pm
  • Topics: Activism, International, War / Peace

    • Non-violence training workshops I attended in the 1980s often featured, as a tension-breaker or wind-down game, a little exercise known as the whoosh.

    For the uninitiated, a whoosh consists of one person standing in the centre of a circle of people holding hands. Starting from a low crouch, the circle slowly moves in with the pronunciation of whooooooosh building to a crescendo as the group converges, culminating with an enthusiastic jump. The person in the centre is then considered to have been whooshed.

    If such exercises are still in non-violence training workshop manuals, maybe it's time a warning label was added: Never whoosh a spook!

    Why? This week the Australian government deported Houston-based peace and environmental activist Scott Parkin, after revoking his six-month visitor visa. No reason was given; for all we know, Scott whooshed some hapless, wet-behind-the-ears Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) spook sent to spy on one of the non-violence training sessions he was attending.

    Legal Challenge to Australia's Bid to Deport Activist

    by Bob Burton — September 12, 2005 - 4:54am

    The Australian Government is facing a legal challenge to its decision to revoke the six-month visitors visa of Scott Parkin, an environmental and peace activist from the Houston Global Awareness Collective. On Saturday Parkin was arrested, six weeks after he arrived in the country, on "character grounds" and imprisoned pending deportation.

    Main Source: 
    Sydney Morning Herald, September 12, 2005

    Medical Journal Decries Parent's Deadly Interest

    by Bob Burton — September 11, 2005 - 6:29pm

    The Lancet, a leading medical journal, has requested that its parent company, Reed Elsevier, divest itself of business interests that "threaten human health." The magazine's editor made the request after learning that Spearhead Exhibitions, a Reed Elsevier subsidiary, organised the Defence Systems and Equipment international (DSEi) arms fair, which opens this week in London.

    Main Source: 
    The Lancet, September 10, 2005

    Preemptive Snipe at Voices of Reason

    by Bob Burton — September 5, 2005 - 2:25am

    Nine months before Antony Loewenstein's book on the conflict in Israel and Palestine, Voices of Reason, has even been published, it's under attack. Loewenstein, who is a progressive member of the Jewish community and a Sydney-based freelance journalist, unsuccessfully made several attempts to ask the right-wing Australian Labor Party parliamentarian and Jewish community member, Michael Danby, some questions on the issue.

    Main Source: 
    The Age, September 5, 2005

    Is That "Anti-war Left" or "Anti-gay Right"?

    by Sheldon Rampton — August 31, 2005 - 9:35pm

    Media Matters caught Sean Hannity on Tuesday blaming the "anti-war left" for protesting at the funeral of a soldier killed in Iraq. In reality, the protesters were members of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) in Topeka, Kansas, which claims that terrorism and other disasters are divine retribution against America for the "sin" of tolerating homosexuality.

    Main Source: 
    Media Matters for America, August 31, 2005
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