Critical mass at the bullshit factory

Here is an exercise in contemporary propaganda that cries out for a closer look.

Look at that title. Do you think "Cyprus" had stand-alone status in the original drafts of this press release? Or do you suspect it may have been just a part of a Middle East tour?

Canada has a back-story in Cyprus. We've been keeping the peace there since forever. Cyprus was once deemed a hot-spot, a bone of contention between rising Turkey and failing Greece, although it wasn't always as evident who was rising and who was failing.

Our man Baird is off to promote Prosperity and Security over there; in Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Cyprus, Israel, and the West Bank.

Six countries and an occupied territory. Of the six countries, four are monarchist dictatorships, one has recently become a protectorate of the IMF, and only one has the slightest claim to being democratic.

Will this impinge on Mr. Baird's quest to promote Canadian interests and values?

"As part of our principled foreign policy, we recognize that prosperity and security are intrinsically linked."

But are they intrinsically linked to democracy? Apparently not.

"Our friends in the region live every day in the shadow of uncertainty caused by the Syrian crisis and Iranian belligerence."

Aren't our friends in Qatar doing more than anyone to fan the flames of the Syrian crisis?

Do you imagine that our erstwhile Minister will be bringing that up with our Qatari friends?

And wasn't it Baird and Harper who connived to close the Canadian embassy in Tehran, thereby closing off a valuable channel through which to communicate our esteemed values?

And is it not interesting how studiously the Baird travelogue avoids any mention of Gaza? Baird will be preaching to our bumboys in Ramallah about the need for negotiations without preconditions, but there will be not a word about settlements.

Or about democracy, because if a free election were held in the West Bank today in which Hamas was allowed to participate, the charade of the PA being the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people would be over.

All of which leaves the Honourable Mr. Baird doing exactly what on this grand tour of the Middle East?

Collecting frequent flier points.

Egypt intercepts US missiles bound for Gaza

It's long been obvious to all who have eyes to see that if those enterprising folks who run the Gaza tunnels can squeeze a full size Mercedes sedan through there, they can certainly accommodate much else besides.

Agence France-Presse is reporting the seizure of a cache of US made surface-to-air and anti-tank missiles in the Sinai just on the Egyptian side of the Gaza border. The weapons are most likely residual fall-out from the the collapse of the security infrastructure in Libya over a year ago.

This story raises a number of questions. According to AFP the discovery was the result of a "tip," which would immediately raise the question of who provided the tip and why.

It should also raise the question of how much US and NATO ordinance has already found its way into Gaza. It was evident during the recent Operation Pillar of Cloud  that IAF helicopters were being held back from the skies over Gaza. Was this a silent acknowledgement that the IAF Apaches are sitting ducks for the Stinger missiles that have found their way into the territory?

The presence of significant stock-piles of advanced weaponry in the coastal territory would also explain Netanyahu's haste to wind down hostilities, and the cockiness of the Hamas administration afterwards.

Could it be that the presence or presumed presence of those American missiles allowed Hamas to bluff the IDF into a stand-down?

"Rash Israel lights Arab Spring powderkeg"

My goodness, that's a bit of insight you won't find anywhere in the English speaking world.

Except Australia.

What, they don't have an AIPAC to keep things in line?

Paul McGeogh's article in the Sydney Morning Herald is worth a look.