Global Research: Propaganda and the War on Truth

This past weekend, news outlets across the world have turned their lenses to focus on the horrific events that took place in Norway on Friday, July 22. The picture which emerges is of a lone gunman opening fire at a children's camp, following a bomb explosion that claimed anywhere between 76 and 93 deaths in Oslo, the nation's capital. Already we see mainstream media indiscriminately putting its spin of choice on this tragic event and, not surprisingly, buzzwords are being tossed around without regard for the truth or facts, which include everything from "Muslim terrorists" to the omnipresent propagandistic "war on terror". In his article on "News Without Facts", Edward Teller lists several specific examples: "As the story developed Friday, almost every news outlet was quick to provide "experts" ("X" is at best an unknown quantity, and a "spurt" is usually defined as a "drip" under pressure). Within hours of Norway's deadly bomb and gun attacks claiming the previously mentioned victims, it has become clear that the horror was perpetrated by a Norwegian loner, with right-wing Christian fundamentalist affiliations, yet President Barack Obama reacted immediately to the news of the atrocity to insinuate an Islamic connection, and to justify America's "War on Terror". Obama is reported to have been briefed by "intelligence" officials before he spoke on the matter, which makes his untimely, and incorrect response an all the more odious bit of politicking to turn a horrific, tragic event into a propaganda stunt to stir up anti-Islamic fears, and shore up Washington's illegal "wars on terror". Such neglectful and downright manipulative reporting of a devastating event will undoubtedly be used in the future to justify further US/NATO aggression against "perceived threats", long after the truth may be revealed and rumors exposed as false speculations.