Today’s Ancient Warfare: Facts vs. Beliefs

In unconventional warfare, manipulated beliefs are used to displace inconvenient facts. When waging war by way of deception, false beliefs are an oft-deployed weapon. Recall Iraqi weapons of mass destruction? Iraqi ties to Al Qaeda? Iraqi mobile biological weapons laboratories?

Iraqi meetings in Prague with Al Qaeda? Iraqi purchases of yellowcake uranium from Niger? All these claims were reported as true. All were later proven false or, worse, fabricated. Yet all were widely believed. Only the yellowcake uranium was conceded as bogus before the invasion of Iraq. As the U.S. crafted its response to the provocation of a mass murder on U.S. soil, those widely shared beliefs shaped a consensus to wage war on a nation that had no hand in it.

A similar deception-traceable to the same source-is now working to expand this war to Iran. Based on fast-emerging events, the next conflict could include Pakistan.'

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Obama Blocks Release of Torture Photos

The US president has ordered to stop the release of compromising photos depicting the abuse of prisoners in US detention after initially agreeing to their publication.

The Defense Department was set to release hundreds of torture photographs Afghanistan and Iraq by May 28.

President Barack Obama, however, on Wednesday reversed the decision.

According to a senior US official, President Obama now 'strongly' opposes the publicizing of the photos, saying the move would inflame "the theaters of war", jeopardize US forces, and make the life of troops based in Iraq and Afghanistan "more difficult."

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Gates Pushes for 'Supplemental' Afghan, Iraq Funding

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges Congress to quickly approve funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as military aid for Pakistan.

The Pentagon has asked for an 83.4 billion dollar request for the remainder of fiscal 2009 that includes 76 billion dollars covering costs related to the two wars and about 400 million to assist Pakistan in a counter-insurgency campaign against the Taliban.

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