EXPERT OPINIONS ON STATE CRIME AND STATE TERRORISM

CHOMSKY. Professor Noam Chomsky (linguistics, MIT): “The U.S. itself is a leading terrorist state”.

Professor Noam, Chomsky (outstanding, anti-racist Jewish American linguistics scholar at the prestigious, 85-Nobel-Laureate Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, Massachusetts, USA) being interviewed by David Barsamian in November 2001, just after the 9011 atrocity (2001): “Q: Do you think it’s more than problematic to engage in alliances with those whom are called “unsavory characters,” drug traffickers and assassins, in order to achieve what is said to be a noble end?

A: Remember that among the most unsavory characters are the governments of the region, our own government and its allies. If we’re serious, we also have to ask, What is a noble end? Was it a noble end to drive the Russians into an Afghan trap in 1979, as Brzezinski claims he did? Supporting resistance against the Russian invasion is one thing. But organizing a terrorist army of Islamic fanatics for your own purposes is a different thing. The question we should be asking now is: What about the alliance that’s being formed, that the U.S. is trying to put together? We should not forget that the U.S. itself is a leading terrorist state. What about the alliance between the U.S., Russia, China, Indonesia, Egypt, Algeria, all of whom are delighted to see an international system develop, sponsored by the U.S., which will authorize them to carry out their own terrorist atrocities? Russia, for example, would be very happy to have U.S. backing for its murderous war in Chechnya. You have the same Afghanis fighting against Russia, also probably carrying out terrorist acts within Russia. As would perhaps India, in Kashmir. Indonesia would be delighted to have support for its massacres in Aceh. Algeria, as just announced on the broadcast we heard, would be delighted to have authorization to extend its own state terrorism. The same with China, fighting against separatist forces in its Western provinces, including those “Afghanis” whom China and Iran had organized to fight the war against the Russians, beginning maybe as early as 1978, some reports indicate. And that runs through the world. (see Noam Chomsky and David Barsamian, “The United States is a leading terrorist state. An interview with Noam Chomsky by David Barsamian”, Monthly Review, 53 (6), November 2001: http://monthlyreview.org/2001/11/01/the-united-states-is-a-leading-terrorist-state/ ).

GILBY. Paul Gilby (Melbourne high school teacher) published a textbook "Power and national politics" referring to US and Israeli state terrorism.

The textbook, “Power and National Politics” by Northcote High School teacher Paul Gilby and published by the Victorian Association of Social Studies Teachers (Melbourne, 2006) , is one of two texts being used in schools for the new national politics subject and correctly raised the Elephant in the Room matter of “state terrorism” in relation to violent policies of the US and US-backed Israel (Paul Gilby, “Power and National Politics”, Victorian Association of Social Studies Teachers, Melbourne, 2006).

However this truth-telling caused controversy in US lackey and pro-Zionist Australia with calls for the banning of the book as a textbook in schools from right-wing politicians, notably Julie Bishop (presently Australia’s Foreign Minister under who Australia has become the world’s strongest supporter of Apartheid Israel after the US) (Paul Heinrichs, “Textbook links US, Israel to “state terrorism””, The Age, 10 September 2006: http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/textbook-links-us-israel-to-terrorism/2006/09/09/1157222384098.html ).

Below are some letters to The Age newspaper (Melbourne, Australia) re Zionists and politicians demanding the banning of a politics book for high school students and mentioning US and Israeli state terrorism: http://www.theage.com.au/news/letters/he-who-shouts-loudest-not-necessarily-the-best/2006/09/16/1158334730192.html?page=fullpage .

“Blinkered view

Paul Heinrichs reports that the Federal Government has asked for the immediate withdrawal of the text Power and National Politics by Paul Gilby from classrooms teaching a national politics subject in high schools (10/9). Given that the subject is politics, one would think by its very nature opposing views are a necessary ingredient in this course! The very terms terrorism and state terrorism have controversial definitions and players on both sides of the coin can argue either that they are freedom fighters or acting in self defence.

This needs to be understood by students of politics just as much as understanding why states like the US and Israel have come to be seen by their critics as engaged in state terrorism. The issues of whether states use fear of terrorism in a cynical manner and whether the West is reaping the harvest of its foreign policies are topical issues also worthy of debate, given the world we live in and need to understand. Students need to be made aware that these are the debates swirling around the topic of terrorism. Without that, it seems to me one would have a very blinkered education in politics.

DORA McPHEE, Melbourne

The truth will out

I can only applaud Paul Gilby's courageous exposure of the Howard Government's frolicking around the legitimacy of its anti-terrorism policies. Even better than the hundreds of freshly brightened young minds are the futile attempts to reap whatever freedom is left in "freedom of speech". This is an art often practised by those who venture to breathe the tainted air of spurious government principles. If our students aren't supposed to learn about the government's endeavours in the eyes of one who may offer his/her criticising opinion, who exactly are they supposed to learn it from? I for one don't think it really matters.

Whether the government's quest for omnipotence can be changed or not, the dawn of the educated man or even the wholehearted observer renders ignorance unheard of and truth the cornerstone of every diplomatic solution.

ALEX KARKAR, Hawthorn East

Teacher stands tall

Teacher Paul Gilby is correct over "state terrorism" - the Coalition politicians are wrong.

Seven thousand Western civilians (including Israelis) have been killed by "Muslim-origin non-state terrorism" over the last 40 years. In contrast, the post-invasion avoidable mortality (excess deaths; deaths that should not have happened) in the Occupied Palestinian, Iraqi and Afghan territories currently (September 2006) totals 0.3, 0.5 and 2 million respectively - roughly 60 per cent avoidable under-5-year-old-infant deaths and due to occupier violation of the Geneva Conventions that demand that occupiers keep their conquered subjects alive.

US-Israeli state terrorism indeed. Censorship of Paul Gilby would be gross denial of the awful truth.

Dr GIDEON POLYA, Macleod

Bouquets and brickbats

Paul Heinrichs' article says that about half of Victoria's high school political science students use a textbook which declares that the United States and Israel have been linked to "state terrorism". As an American expatriate who closely follows the actions of his native land, I congratulate the state of Victoria on its willingness to let its students learn the facts. Bravo and well done!

The article goes on to say that federal Education Minister has called on the Victorian Government to withdraw the book. Her action only goes to show how unwilling Australia's government is to face reality.

Yours in support of truth,

BOB JONES, New Zealand”.

POLYA, Dr Gideon Polya (Australian secular Humanist, scientist and human rights and peace advocate) on state crime and state terrorism (2015): “US state terrorism heads US Alliance state terrorism that includes UK state terrorism, French state terrorism, German state terrorism, Canadian state terrorism, Australian state terrorism, Apartheid Israeli state terrorism, Egyptian state terrorism, Turkish state terrorism, Qatari state terrorism, Saudi Arabian state terrorism, Jordanian state terrorism, Kenyan state terrorism, Ethiopian state terrorism and UAE state terrorism. The principal crime of US Alliance state terrorists is the war criminal invasion of other countries. Indeed the US has an appalling record of replacing secular governments in the Muslim world with sectarian regimes (e.g. Afghanistan, 1978; Iraq, 2003; Libya, 2011; and now in Syria today but for Russian support for the Assad Government )…Those who invade another country without UN sanction are war criminals – they are just as guilty of war crimes as the Nazi German and Imperial Japanese generals who were tried and hanged for this most egregious of crimes after Allied victory in 1945. Obama is the world’s foremost actively engaged war criminal and indeed his allies David Cameron and Francois Hollande are of the same war criminal ilk. Of course a rational, humane person would ask why is it that serial war criminal and serial invader nations like the US , its major lackeys the UK, France, and its minor lackeys like Australia and Canada, are always invading “bad” Muslim countries for “freedom” – why not decent, non-invading countries like Switzerland , Costa Rica or Fiji? The horrible reality from a long historical perspective is that the US has invaded 70 nations (50 since WW2) as compared to the British 193, Australia 85, France 82, Germany 38, Japan 30, Russia 24, Canada 24, Apartheid Israel 12 and China 2 [12, 21-26]. Indeed Neo-Nazi Germany has recently invaded its 39th country with its decision to join New Vichy France and the war criminal US alliance in the War on Syria…

[12]. Gideon Polya, “Paris Atrocity Context: 27 Million Muslim Avoidable Deaths From Imposed Deprivation In 20 Countries Violated By US Alliance Since 9-11”, Countercurrents, 22 November, 2015: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya221115A.htm ...

[21]. Gideon Polya, “Body Count. Global avoidable mortality since 1950”, that includes a succinct history of every country and is now available for free perusal on the web: http://globalbodycount.blogspot.com/ .

[22]. Gideon Polya, “The US Has Invaded 70 Nations Since 1776 – Make 4 July Independence From America Day”, Countercurrents, 5 July, 2013: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya050713.htm .

[23]. Gideon Polya, “British Have Invaded 193 Countries: Make 26 January ( Australia Day, Invasion Day) British Invasion Day”, Countercurrents, 23 January, 2015: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya230115.htm .

[24]. Gideon Polya, “As UK Lackeys Or US Lackeys Australians Have Invaded 85 Countries (British 193, French 80, US 70)”, Countercurrents, 9 February, 2015: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya090215.htm .

[25]. Gideon Polya, “President Hollande And French Invasion Of Privacy Versus French Invasion Of 80 Countries Since 800 AD”, Countercurrents, 15 January, 2014: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya150114.htm .

[26]. Gideon Polya,”Appalling Paris Atrocity – Non-State Terrorist Blowback For US Alliance And French State Terrorism Atrocities”, Countercurrents, 16 November, 2015: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya161115.htm “

(see Gideon Polya, “San Bernardino Atrocity Elicits Islamophobic Republican Hysteria And Egregious Falsehood In Warmonger Obama's Speech”, Countercurrents, 9 December, 2015: http://www.countercurrents.org/polya091215.htm ).