Dick Cheney has criticised Obama for not publishing what he claims were the beneficial outcomes of the use of torture. A report from those on the ground in Iraq – U.S. personnel – gives a rather different point of view.
The key point that it has always been very clear to most of us that so-called Islamic fundamentalists have not the ones who have successfully recruited support. Aggressive policies, including the use of torture in Abu Ghraib and Guatanamo Bay have. So Dick Cheney count yourself number one recruiter of terrorists
The problem remains with day-to-day community relations as Islam continues to be blamed by media and conventional wisdom expressed in pubs and websites. I have news that the “Islamic extremists” are mere babes, beginners when it comes to fundamentalism. The Christian right and supporters of Christian Zionism leave them standing when it comes to outrageous – and exceedingly dangerous – doctrine. Cheney and Bush were greatly influenced. Not surprising because we knew where they stood. What was rather more unexpected was that a UK leader of what was once the Labour Party became “all faithed up” to quote Steve Bell and adopted their ideas so enthusiastically.

Blair has gone I hear you say. Well has he? His presence was very real at the prayer breakfast held by Obama and he is sounding off regularly at international venues – being paid a small fortune to do so. Evidently he was in Chicago last week crowing about a speech he made there 10 years earlier extolling intervention to “save” erring countries with the “wrong” leadership.