The point where we stop being told anything about Lebanon

I was going to write something about the latest terror plot, but found that Craig Murray had already written it.

I would go slightly further though in saying that it's not just today we won't be hearing about Lebanese children dying on the news. I think this is when TV cameras will depart the area, period. It's been four weeks of top billing, and I'm actually surprised it has lasted this long. I now suspect the killings in Lebanon will be treated the same way the killings in Iraq and Afghanistan, and indeed the West Bank and Gaza are. Israel, do your worst.

While being far from ideal, I wrote recently how the coverage of the Lebanon situation had contributed to keeping our leaders' minds on the issue. From saying they'd "never had it so good" about the media coverage at the beginning of the conflict, Israel was now talking about boycotting the BBC in frustration.

Tony Blair was being pilloried for his 'efforts' in getting the hopeless UN resolution to the table. Jim Sheridan resigned the day before the arrests.

In the US, Joe Lieberman lost his primary because of his pro-war position. Bush's popularity sits rock bottom with the November midterms approaching. He has as a result tried to exploit the new terror panic for his own political ends.

The tide seemed to be turning before the arrests, and heat was very much cranked up on the axis of axes - UK, US, Israel.

The timing is then one of the main reasons that so much scepticism is abounding, not to mention previous on this like the Old Trafford non-plot, the ricin non-plot and the Edinburgh Hogmanay non-plot. High-profile arrests, followed by low-profile releases or acquittals. Forest Gate was of course the exception to this. After that, I find it unimaginable that the 24 arrested will be released in 28 days without charge. If I was to make a prediction, by hook or by crook, this one will go to trial.

The other timing factor is that the suspects have all apparently been under surveillance for a year. Why have they been arrested now? It's been said that Al-Qaeda have previously been strategic with their timing, for example, the Madrid bombings a few days before the Spanish elections. If Al-Qaeda were planning something this week, the timing has only benefited Bush, Blair and Israel.

Comments

[joe90]

Osama McSaeed,
I can definitely confirm that this is the fourth day since Qana II Massacre disappeared from the BBC's
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/default.stm>BBC Middle East News Reports section

Obviously this is no 9-11,

I mean, its not as if all of the US was under attack then, unlike Lebanon, Occupied Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

[tony]

hey Osama seems you have gained a fan in John Ware:
http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1426

[Osama]

Tony, yes, will be responding to that in the next day or so hopefully.

[Irshaad]

Thanks for the Craig Murray link and your thoughts - I'd be interested to hear your opinion on the UN's Israel/Lebanon ceasefire resolution.

[Osama]

Does it matter what anyone thinks of it?

[john ware looks like a badger]

So does that mean John Ware is a visitor to this site..? Maybe he's the real identity of that tube Naveen!