THE capture of a supposed Al-Qaeda kingpin by Pakistani agents last week was hailed by President George W Bush as “a critical victory in the war on terror”. According to European intelligence experts, however, Abu Faraj al-Libbi was not the terrorists’ third in command, as claimed, but a middle-ranker derided by one source as “among the flotsam and jetsam” of the organisation.
So, the Bush Administration, once again, has falsely trumpeted some event as being a major victory. Our quality press, especially cable news, obediently complied, and after all the chest thumping has been hammered into what little there is of a typical viewer's memory it turns out to be --- a gross overexaggeration.
Some blogger that I am rather familiar with has described the Bush Administration's M.O. as being:
1. Something Happens.
2. Spin immediately and hard that it is the greatest thing EVER!
3. Say it is because of Dear Leader.
4. Move on to next over-the-top declaration of Dear Leader's greatness before anyone notices what happened is not the greatest thing ever, but actually made little or no difference and may have even made things worse.
5. Blather, Rinse, Repeat!
What has also not been reported is that at the time of arrest the first thing out of al-Libbi's mouth was, "FRIST".