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Dodging the drones: How militants have responded (September 21 2012) Dodging the drones: How militants have responded (September 21 2012)

Aaron Y Zelin the American researcher focusing on Salafi politics, global jihadi activism and reactions to the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa has published an article on Afpak titled ‘Dodging the drones: How militants have responded to the covert US campaign’. Zelin states “Over the past decade U.S. drone strikes have killed between 1,800 and 3,100 people in Pakistan, along with hundreds more in drone attacks in Yemen and Somalia, as a result of the United States’ efforts to combat al-Qaeda and its affiliates. The rise in strikes since the beginning of the Obama administration, and the growing stridency of questions surrounding the legal, moral, and practical efficacy of the program, have led to a lively debate among the commentariat. This debate is indeed important, but it is also crucial to understand how the drone program has affected the jihadis, and how jihadis have deployed the issue of drones in their propaganda. This is a necessary part of gaining a wider understanding of whether the program is a worthwhile endeavor. …In the documents collected by Navy SEALs during their raid of Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan last May, bin Laden nicknamed Pakistan’s tribal areas the “circle of espionage” for the network of spies that helps identify targets and place tracking devices for the strikes. …The fear of infiltrators has created an atmosphere of paranoia within the jihadi movement, and has led many of al-Qaeda’s operatives in the Pakistani tribal areas to move to more urban areas like Karachi. …Bin Laden also suggested that individuals flee to Afghanistan’s Kunar province, where he thought they would be safer from the spy networks that have supported the drone campaign.”

 

Inspired by Afpak http://ow.ly/dEopj image source Washinton Institute ow.ly/dEonO

Shakil Afridi the Pakistani physician who assisted the CIA run a fake vaccine program in Abbottabad Pakistan, in order to obtain DNA samples confirming Osama bin Laden’s presence, has been imprisoned for 33 years on charges of treason. Afridi was tried under the Frontier Crimes Regulations that govern Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal region. The trial took place over several days without Afridi being present in the court nor given the opportunity to defend himself. The trial heard by Nasir Khan, the assistant political agent in Khyber, Afridi was sentenced for offences against the state, conspiracy and attempting to wage war against Pakistan and working against the country’s sovereignty. Human-rights organisations have criticised the FCR for not providing suspects due process of law, as there is no right to legal representation, to present material evidence or cross-examine witnesses. However humanitarian organizations including Médecins Sans Frontières protested the use of a medical charity for espionage purposes believing it would cause suspicion of such organizations in the future.  Details of Afridi’s activities emerged during the Pakistani investigation of the raid on Bin Laden’s residence, and confirmed by the US Secretary of Defense, who was then CIA Chief Leon Panetta.

 

Inspired by Rahimullah Yusufzai ow.ly/bgvvx image source Deccan Chronicle ow.ly/bgwki

 

 

Yousuf Raza Gilani the 59 year old current Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is under increasing pressure from the country’s courts and military elites over the “Memogate” petition currently before the Supreme Court. In an article published by Asad Hashim, Hashim states “Everything is coming to a head for the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). It is faced with a judiciary that has seemingly lost patience with its government, a vocal opposition clamoring for early parliamentary elections, a growing civilian-military divide, and a relationship with Washington that blows more cold than hot… a case before the [Supreme] court… alleged that a secret memorandum was written by Hussain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, in which the US was asked for its aid in averting a possible military coup in the aftermath of the US raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden… the Pakistani government allegedly agreed to re-tool its national security establishment in line with US policy, in exchange for US support.”

 

Inspired by Asad Hashim http://ow.ly/8BNDM image source Syed Gillani http://ow.ly/8BNNx

Saif al-Adel also known as Muhamad Ibrahim Makkawi, the 50 year old Egyptian explosives expert and former Egyptian Special Forces officer is reported to have been chosen as the interim leader of al-Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden in a dramatic US Navy Seals commando raid in Pakistan. Al-Adel is considered a leading strategist and military leader, is currently under indictment in the US for bombings of embassies in Africa. He has been credited with masterminding the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat, the repelling of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and training Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Bin Laden's long-time deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri had been considered the likely successor, although not popular within the organization. Al-Adel’s interim appointment may well be to gauge reaction for someone outside the Muslim holy region of the Arabian Peninsula. Inspired by Max Read ow.ly/50B4y image source france24 ow.ly/50BpG We’re all one happy family you know (May 28 2011)

Saif al-Adel also known as Muhamad Ibrahim Makkawi, the 50 year old Egyptian explosives expert and former Egyptian Special Forces officer is reported to have been chosen as the interim leader of al-Qaeda after the death of Osama bin Laden in a dramatic US Navy Seals commando raid in Pakistan. Al-Adel is considered a leading strategist and military leader, is currently under indictment in the US for bombings of embassies in Africa. He has been credited with masterminding the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat, the repelling of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and training Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Bin Laden’s long-time deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri had been considered the likely successor, although not popular within the organization. Al-Adel’s interim appointment may well be to gauge reaction for someone outside the Muslim holy region of the Arabian Peninsula.

 

Inspired by Max Read ow.ly/50B4y image source france24 ow.ly/50BpG

Michael J "Mike" Rogers the 47 year old Republican Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has strongly advised in a statement not to release the death photograph’s of Osama Bin Laden. Rogers warns that releasing the photographs to the public would not satisfy the ‘deather’ conspiracy theorists, but would only lead to blowback from the Muslim communities. Rogers believes the release of the gruesome photos of Bin Laden’s gun-shot corpse would be unethical and contrary to US values, ultimately leading to greater risk to US troops abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet," Rogers stated. "Osama bin Laden is not a trophy - he is dead."  Inspired by Benjy Sarlin ow.ly/4Q8oQ image source Wikipedia ow.ly/4Q8zM Osama bin Laden is not a trophy – he is dead (May 12 2011)

Michael J “Mike” Rogers the 47 year old Republican Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has strongly advised in a statement not to release the death photograph’s of Osama Bin Laden. Rogers warns that releasing the photographs to the public would not satisfy the ‘deather’ conspiracy theorists, but would only lead to blowback from the Muslim communities. Rogers believes the release of the gruesome photos of Bin Laden’s gun-shot corpse would be unethical and contrary to US values, ultimately leading to greater risk to US troops abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaida killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet,” Rogers stated. “Osama bin Laden is not a trophy – he is dead.”

 

Inspired by Benjy Sarlin ow.ly/4Q8oQ image source Wikipedia ow.ly/4Q8zM

Judson Phillips the head of a conservative US political organization the Tea Party Nation Corporation, renowned for his advocacy to disenfranchise voting rights to only those Americans who own property, has again become outspoken with his conspiracy theory relating to the death of Osama Bin Laden. Phillips claims the military don’t like Obama, proceeded with the mission to seize Bin Laden without Obama’s approval, giving him only minimal notice of two days, and that Obama had spent that time attempting to stop the mission. To support his theory, Phillips claims that Obama’s serious expressions during the operation and later announcement confirms he was angry with the mission’s success, and that any real American would have had Bin Laden’s body wrapped in pig fat before burial. Inspired by Right Wing Watch ow.ly/4Q7mf image source Republican Retard Club ow.ly/4Q7AQ Would’ve wrapped bin Laden’s body in pig fat (May 10 2011)

Judson Phillips the head of a conservative US political organization the Tea Party Nation Corporation, renowned for his advocacy to disenfranchise voting rights to only those Americans who own property, has again become outspoken with his conspiracy theory relating to the death of Osama Bin Laden. Phillips claims the military don’t like Obama, proceeded with the mission to seize Bin Laden without Obama’s approval, giving him only minimal notice of two days, and that Obama had spent that time attempting to stop the mission. To support his theory, Phillips claims that Obama’s serious expressions during the operation and later announcement confirms he was angry with the mission’s success, and that any real American would have had Bin Laden’s body wrapped in pig fat before burial.

 

Inspired by Right Wing Watch ow.ly/4Q7mf image source Republican Retard Club ow.ly/4Q7AQ

Osama bin Laden the 53 year old Al Qaeda chief has warned France that its unjust treatment of Muslims could result in the killing of five of its abducted citizens in Niger unless it  withdraws troops from Afghanistan and abandons its recent law that bans the wearing of the burqua in public. The abducted citizens are employees of French firms working in the mining district of Arlit in Niger. France has nearly 4000 troops in Afghanistan, and recently approved a ban on full face veils citing security concerns along with the violation of  women’s human rights as the justification. The warning was broadcast via a tape recording on the Al-Jazeera network.

Political Arts | Ian Bunn Visual Artist

My digital art work is essentially politics and art. It’s about iconic people, places and events of our day.  Recorded visually through daily compilations of manipulated digital images, posted online and disseminated via online media and social networks. The works are diaristic in nature that metaphorically record a spectator’s experience of the contemporary digital age.  The resulting work intentionally has a painterly aesthetic acknowledging my historical painting practice.

Adapting Pop Art’s notion of mass media imagery into a context of the contemporary digital age, the work draws on a myriad points of reference. Utilizing fractured images to provide an allusion to the digital noise pounding away daily into our sub consciousness.  The work is essentially popular culture arts, diverging from the traditional Pop Art notion of a pronounced repetition of a consumer icon, instead this work focuses on the deluge of contemporary digital content. The compilation of the fragmented imagery is vividly distractive, not unlike cable surfing or a jaunt through Times Square.

This digital photo manipulation art work is premised on the basis that Pop art in its beginnings, freeze-framed what consumers of popular culture experienced into iconic visual abstractions. With the advent of the techno age, visual information circulates in such quantities, so rapidly and exponentially, that to comprehend a fraction of it all becomes a kind of production process in itself.  Hence this work considers fragmented elements of Popular Culture through an artistic and conceptual exploration of specific people and events of the day.

www.ianbunn.com

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