“The United Nations launched perhaps its most important weapons inspections ever yesterday with a team that includes a 53-year-old Virginia man with no specialized scientific degree and a leadership role in sadomasochistic sex clubs…

“[John] McGeorge was picked for the diplomatically sensitive mission over some of the most experienced disarmament sleuths in the world. A U.N. spokesman said McGeorge was part of a group recommended by the State Department, which in turn said it was merely forwarding names for consideration.”¹

“McGeorge founded, and has been an officer in, several sadomasochistic sex groups, through which he has taught courses on ‘sex slaves’ and various techniques involving knives, ropes and choking devices.”²

The Washington Post, describing the background of one of the UNMOVIC weapons inspectors who hold the fate of the Iraqi nation in their hands

"Let American politicians fight it out on the floor of Congress and in the media. Let the nations of the world argue in front of the U.N. Your silence allows everyone to focus on Iraq rather than Israel ."³

Israel Project memo to American Jewish leaders, advising them to tone down their anti-Iraqi rhetoric to avoid drawing attention to Israeli interests in the impending war   

“Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state who has been accused of war crimes by his critics, was yesterday appointed by George Bush to head the investigation into the September 11 attacks…

Vice-Admiral John Poindexter, who was jailed and then pardoned for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal, has just been appointed to a new 'information awareness office' charged with compiling intelligence data.

Others returning to the fold include Elliott Abrams, convicted of misleading Congress over Iran-Contra then pardoned by George Bush senior, who now heads the office of democracy and human rights.”⁴

The Guardian, commenting on the Bush administration’s rehabilitation of controversial figures from the US ’ less-than-noble past

“The attitude of the Bush administration, and of the neoconservative policy community that supplies its ideas, is condescending at best to those who question its actions. The members of the administration and their backers claim a moral realism that their critics, specifically their European critics, allegedly lack…

“It was Madeleine Albright, secretary of state in the Clinton administration, who provided this belief's most complacent statement when she said that the United States "sees farther" because it "stands taller," being more virtuous than other countries.

“George Ball, an immensely respected U.S. diplomat of the postwar period, argued in the 1960s that the United States is "unique in world history" because its foreign policy is disinterested. Europeans, he added, "have little experience in the exercise of responsibility divorced from ... narrow and specific national interests." He said this in explaining why the United States would win the war in Vietnam . Naturally this attitude does not always go down very well in other countries and has become a particular irritant in American relations today with Europe .”⁵

Editorial in the International Herald Tribune, commenting on the “Good vs. Evil” rhetoric being bandied about by Washington

Friends, unless you have a war within your civilization, there is going to be a war between our civilizations. We're just one more 9/11 away from that. So let's dedicate this next year to fighting intolerance within so we can preserve our relations between.⁶

Thomas L. Friedman, in an editorial warning Muslim “moderates” to begin fighting “harsh fundamentalism”

“The building blocks of violent behavior are dehumanization and desensitization. The lessons begin at a very early age.”⁷

Scathing reference to the proliferation of themes of violence and destruction in children’s games as laying the foundation for the desensitization to violence that afflicts much of Western society

"Our preliminary findings are completely contrary to what the Israeli army said. The compound is quite small. At no point did we lose control of the site. There were no militants on the site. I am very sad and angry that the man was shot dead while working in a clearly marked UN compound."⁸

Paul McCann, UNRWA Spokesman, commenting on the murder of British relief worker Ian Hook by Israel soldiers

“In future, any Israeli assault in the occupied West Bank and Gaza can be portrayed as part of the hunt for Bin Laden's men.

“An Israeli air raid, no matter how many children it kills, can be depicted as no different to the US raids on Afghan villages.”⁹  

Robert Fisk, on the implications of Thursday’s Mombasa attacks for the Israeli-Palestinian war

 “Oscar-winning actress turned parliamentarian Glenda Jackson led the calls for the contest to be halted: ‘The best thing to do after such fratricide and blood-letting is to cancel the whole competition,’ she said.

Australian feminist Germaine Greer said the prospect of staging the contest in London was ‘horrifying’ while writer Muriel Gray said: ‘These girls will be wearing swimwear dripping with blood.’

Novelist Kathy Lette said the ill-fated contest was ‘like a cargo of nuclear waste shunned by all.’”¹⁰

 Feminist reaction to the moving of the Miss World Pageant to London after igniting confessional violence that rocked Nigeria and claimed hundreds of lives

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