A curious sense of priority
The Guardian was wetting itself this morning over its ‘exclusive’ that
The Foreign Office successfully fought to keep secret any mention of Israel contained on the first draft of the controversial, now discredited Iraq weapons dossier.This ‘mention of Israel’ consisted of the single word ‘Israel’ which was
written in the margin by someone commenting on the opening paragraph of the Williams draft. It was written against the claim that ‘no other country [apart from Iraq] has flouted the United Nations’ authority so brazenly in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction’. In statement to the tribunal, Neil Wigan, head of the FO's Arab, Israel and North Africa Group, said he did not know who had referred to Israel in the margin. He went on: ‘I interpret this note to indicate that the person who wrote it believes that Israel has flouted the United Nations' authority in a manner similar to that of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein.’The FO was worried that the revelation of this annotation would cause a crisis in relations with Israel which would take it as further evidence of FO bias against Israel. The Guardian, it is safe to assume, takes the contrary view that the annotation proves that an inconvenient truth about Israel was covered up: that truth being that Israel had ‘flouted the United Nations’ authority so brazenly in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction’. But that is not so. For twelve years, Iraq flouted UN resolutions instructing it to stop production of its nuclear weapons programme and to prove it had done so, as the condition for the ceasefire of the 1991 war. The only thing the UN asked Israel to do about its own nuclear programme was to open it up to IAEA inspection (which it refused to do). To say that it therefore Israel had ‘flouted the United Nations' authority in a manner similar to that of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein’ is absurd and odious. What this annotation merely shows is that someone inside the Foreign Office had a venomously distorted opinion of Israel. Big deal.
Now look at what neither the Guardian nor any other part of the British media has considered interesting or important enough to report. Iran’s President Ahmadinejad has in recent days called Israel a
‘filthy bacteria’
World powers have created a black and dirty microbe named the Zionist regime and have unleashed it like a savage animal on the nations of the region.’In addition, the leader of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, Muhammad Ali Jafari, has written to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah:
The cancerous growth Israel will soon disappear... I am convinced that with every passing day Hizbullah's might is increasing and in the near future, we will witness the disappearance of this cancerous growth Israel by means of the Hizbullah fighters' radiation [therapy].Not to be outdone, Iranian Armed Forces chief Maj.-Gen. Hassan Firouzabadi also wrote to Nasrallah saying that
Lebanese and Palestinian combatants... [will] continue the struggle until the complete destruction of the Zionist regime and the liberation of the entire land of Palestine.
that thecountdown to Israel's destruction has begun.This repeated announcement of Iran’s impending annihilation of Israel, which has reached a crescendo since the killing of the Hezbollah arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyeh in Damascus, has not been reported at all by the British media. From the way Iran has behaved in the past, it will almost certainly seek to take revenge for such a blow by attempting to murder Jews around the world – and it will use Hezbollah to do it. A propos of which, here is another story that the British media has totally ignored, published in Italy’s Libero on January 31. The French security service in Paris intercepted what appears to have been a Hezbollah plot to kidnap major figures in France, Germany, Italy and Britain. The police broke into an apartment in Paris and seized six Arabs, including two Lebanese and one Syrian who held diplomatic passports.
The agents proceeded to seize several documents and opened a diplomatic bag containing tourist maps of Paris, London, Madrid, Berlin, and Rome, with red highlighter marks showing routes, addresses, car parks, and ‘truck stopping points’ ...which seems to connect with the very confidential information that reached the DGSE from Beirut last week.
It said that Hasan al-Nasrallah, leader of the pro-Iranian Hizballah -- whose slogan is ‘we love death as much as Westerners love life’ -- convened a meeting of members of the Hizballah militias at a secret location in Lebanon, ordering them to activate all their cells in Europe to organize kidnappings of major figures.
Hasan al-Nasrallah is a not insignificant leader. He is the ‘spiritual son’ of Hasan al-Masri, very powerful leader of the Shiite Amal movement, which during the years of the Lebanese civil war kidnapped dozens of Western citizens, including numerous Frenchmen, a bishop of the Anglican Church, Rev Terry Waite, and an Italian, Alberto Molinari, who worked for Ferrero. DGSE agents are very well acquainted with al-Nasrallah and do not underestimate the danger posed by Hizballah, which has a logistical support network in all the European capitals. The British, Spanish, German, and Italian secret services have been notified.
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Melanie Phillips is a Daily Mail columnist. She also writes for the Jewish Chronicle and is a panellist on BBC Radio Four's Moral Maze. Her most recent book is 'Londonistan', published by Encounter and Gibson Square.
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max
February 21st, 2008 5:53pmWhy, the BBC has just reported Ahmedinajad's rant. In the 8th paragraph of this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7256915.stm ...Earlier in the day, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly launched a new strongly worded attack against Israel, describing it as a "dirty microbe", and a "savage animal". It's a strongly worded attack, so that's just hunky dory. And what with the "reportedly" shtick? Can't the prestigious BBC confirm whether he said it or not?
Paul B
February 21st, 2008 6:27pmKeep flagging it up Mel, thats all you can do. Eventually you will be listened to & heard. As was Churchill in 30s. Lets hope for all our sakes though, that by the time people do take notice, its not too late.
Ravi
February 21st, 2008 6:33pmI concur with Melanie and have already debated on other messageboards that the annotation of Israel seems to have been either a mistake or mendacious for the simple reason that Israel hasn't flouted and UN Res over WMD or nukes. The comments I read on places like 5Live amount to the extrapolation that Israel is controlling UK opinion. Some people even think it is Israel trying to suppress this report or have called for the word Israel to be removed. It also doesn't deal with the possibility that the annotation was in a quizzical sense and note to check that the UN Res did NOT apply to Israel. Since the annotation is wrong then I can see why they would want to avoid embarrassment.
Paddy
February 21st, 2008 7:40pmThe Guardigroan. Who else? My prayers are with you, Israel. Tough times are ahead.
YA
February 21st, 2008 10:38pmPaddy: The main danger is local jihadis, useful idiots and surrender monkeys all working together for a parallel terror state growing inside Britain. And BTW one can find plenty of this stuff in Israel as well, officially allowed by their democracy.
Faster, faster please Dr. Venter. make for us this sweet tiny creature with solar panels attached to the head and that small tap on the bottom, where oil is sipping. Yes you are right Mr. Jad. Global Jihad will soon be at war with this microbe.
alan stoddart
February 21st, 2008 10:39pmThe British FO and US State Dept. have always had an element of pro-Arabism..Israel being created despite their opposition. (and with Soviet arms not American) Castro was put into power by US support from the State Dept. despite advise from the Ambassador in Havanna that this was against US interest....the Shah of Iran was undermined by the same type of people. Look where that got them. Che Guevara stated: 'The presence of a foreign journalist, American for preference, was more important for us than a military victory.' Hamas and Hezbollah having learnt that lesson well.
Adam B.
February 21st, 2008 11:47pmThe Guardian is beyond hope. It has descended into a hate driven rant sheet. Its hatred of the US and the Jewish State is so venomous that it would rather side with the likes of Ahmadinejad and the Islamofascists, conveniently ignoring the calls to genocide whilst looking for any scrap with which to bash Israel. Disgusting, and a sign of the times in the UK. Keep up the good work Melanie!
Austin Barry
February 22nd, 2008 12:01amIran must know that Israel has its attack plans in place and will always take pre-emptive action where an existential threat exists. So what is Iran up to? Can any geo-political experts out there please enlighten us?
david skinner
February 22nd, 2008 7:28amWhilst Islam in the shape of Iran has declared Jihad on the infidel, especially on Israel and Christendom, it is the gainsaying evolutionary humanists who, whilst being spiritually blind and dismissing the very real spiritual force of Islam as mere irrationality, have declared war on the people of Britain. With the British government pushing for legislation that will see law- abiding citizens being publicly humiliated, fined, losing their jobs and possibly ending up in prison for a maximum of seven years, Islam will not have to fire a shot in order to overwhelm us. Evolutionary humanist will have done their job for them. It is time that the British public organised itself into a civil defence force, not against Islam but our own Marxist government
Roy
February 22nd, 2008 9:48amCountries like Iran and Syria have immense territories yet are so jealous of a thriving little country to their west. Why, one thinks, can't they live and let live. The bitter snide remarks they continuously splutter out is beyond any sane persons reasoning. It is they who are the spreading germ, the filthy bacteria. This sort of talk does at least tell us how their mind is working, and gives a warning to all who listen.
elixelx
February 22nd, 2008 10:33amI remember that, growing up in Calcutta, India, the Anglo-Indian gutter snipes would yell at us school children the words "Jew, Jew, Kala Bit-choo" (Black Vermin). I am ever so glad that this doggerel has achieved a new cachet in being used by a head of state. Not to Mahmoud: It hurt then, it doesn't anymore!
kate b
February 22nd, 2008 5:09pmAfter reading Israel's press on Ahmedinajad and Nasralla, they are so vehement in their hatred towards Israel, it deserves reporting; it does affect us all, as the threat is a global one. They speak in terms of 'the next war' as if to 'psyche up' the jihadists to perform this fatwah. I suspect that the British media will only begin to publish when Israel makes its pre-emptive strike so that they are again seen as the aggressors.
Ann
February 22nd, 2008 10:01pmI always get a good laugh from reading the creationist Skinner's hysterical rants against humanists. Melanie: it's "the media HAVE ignored".
Rodin
February 23rd, 2008 5:50pmOne wonders if this hatred of Israel isn't due in part to Israel's theft of the West Bank, the Golan Heights, the Sheeba farms and east Jerusalem, together with the murder and mistreatment of Palestinians. Add to that the theft of arab sub soil water resources which Israel plunders on a daily basis and you can't help but ponder, "maybe Israel deserves what it gets".
Adam B.
February 23rd, 2008 7:28pmRodin,who did Israel "steal" the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem from? (There is no demarcated area known as "east Jerusalem" - if you'd ever been there, you'd know that). From Jordan, who seized it in 1948 and occupied it illegally until 1967, whilst systematically destroying all the ancient synagogues in the Old City, and using the Jewish gravestones from the Mount of Olives as paving for roads. Some "theft". Israel captued it in a war which the Arab world started, with a view to committing genocide against the Jews ("Kill the Jews wherever you find them!" - Jordanian radio, June 1967). As for the Golan, Syria used the Heights to routinely shell Israeli farms and towns indiscriminately BEFORE Israel took control of them, again in that defensive war. Some "theft". Presumably you are as worked up over the issue of the Czech Republic returning the Sudetenland to Germany, or Poland returning Prussia to Germany, or Britain returning the Falklands to Argentina, or Gibraltar to Spain? Does Britain get "what it deserves" when it suffers terror attacks? Your comment "Israel gets what it deserves" is disgusting. Do innocent people "deserve" to be blown up into little pieces by suicide bombers? You are one sick, twisted and hate filled individual.
field
February 23rd, 2008 10:51pmPlease - can we have a public apology from all those media "wiseacres" who told us that Hezbollah was a just a Lebanese national liberation movement. Seems clear to me that the plan is to get Hezbollah to do the job - destroying Israel with radiation or nuclear bombs.
J. Isaacs
February 23rd, 2008 11:07pmRodin - are you trying to draw eponymous inspiration from Auguste Rodin's "The Thinker"? You would be far better employed on a woodcarving of yourself entitled "The Bigot."
Superted
February 26th, 2008 12:14amDavid... one can only despair at how little you picked up from the other thread.
I enjoy your ravings on Evolutionary Marxist Humanists forming secret alliances with Islamofascists International in an attempt to overthrow the Supreme Christian Alliance and its nerdy sidekick, the People's Front of Judea.
Do people take you seriously in real life?
david skinner
February 26th, 2008 11:54amThe clash of civilisations will probably see an intensification of fragmentation in formerly united and stable states. Language, race, customs and religious observances will not be enough to stop this happening. Eventually this will allow a superpower to bring order out of chaos by establishing a global Pax Romana. What truly binds people together, across continents, is a sharing of the same ontological, moral and epistemological beliefs that know no boundaries of language and race, etc. This world view does not depend for its survival on nationalism or economics; indeed it thrives best when under pressure and persecution. In Britain it was this Christian world view that gave us and Europe our national identity and unity. This no longer exists. Evolutionary humanism that has supplanted it and which has been busy for the last fifty years unravelling the fabric of western society will sweep the field clean of any remaining social structures, thus allowing Islam, when the time is right, to step in and as they say “fill this space."