Body of lies (1)
It is most important to note that the most average Americans are open-minded and warm. And they would wish their governments listen to them. But what American governments, led by the nose by their intelligentsia does on behalf of the American people is in total contrast with what their people desire. Another paradox is presented, […]
It is most important to note that the most average Americans are open-minded and warm. And they would wish their governments listen to them. But what American governments, led by the nose by their intelligentsia does on behalf of the American people is in total contrast with what their people desire. Another paradox is presented, for that country claims to be the centre of freedom and participatory governance. There seems to be a vicious cycle of hatred, killings and counter-terrorism, spinning around in the world today. Indeed, it would seem that so-called human advancement has only increased the efficiency with which humans harm themselves. Whereas many centuries ago, humans had access to crude weapons, and could at best kill other individuals one at a time, now humans have devised many weapons with which they can annihilate their kind, in large numbers.
I must clarify myself though. I write with the hope that somehow, I can get other writers to begin to open their minds to events around them. I write in order to raise consciousness beyond the mundane, especially among my constituency, the people of black Africa. Nigeria in particular, presents a sorry case. We do not know our own history and do not care. Columnists and intellectuals alike in Nigeria have consistently refused to perform holistic analysis of Nigeria’s problems that it begins to look as if they are on the sponsorship of countries that want Nigeria to remain in a permanent state of chaos. I am non-aligned, and I prefer to be the one striking a balanced view and striving to create a better world. It is almost certain though, that an equitable world is an impossibility, in view of the harm we humans have wrought on ourselves over time.
Nigerians easily stoke the embers of the 1967-70 civil war. They call for a breakup of the country. In spite of our claim to intellect and comparative advancement over other African people, we betray unrivalled shallowness. We refused to learn from that civil war, that we are but one people, united at least, by colour. Even Rwanda learned from its mistakes, and one of the most popular songs in that country today goes like: “It is the white man who has caused all that, children of Rwanda. He did it in order to find a secret way to pillage us. When they (the European) arrived, we were living side by side in harmony (…). They invented different origins for us, children of Rwanda… but we have overcome the white man’s trap (….). So, children of Rwanda, we are called upon to unite our strength to build Rwanda.”
I chose my title today from a 2008 movie, directed by award-winning Ridley Scott, and starring Leonardo Di Caprio as Roger Ferris and Russell Crowe as Ed Hoffman and based on a novel by David Ignatius. It is the story of high-powered espionage, especially as it concerns the new fangled American war on terror. And it has serious bearing to Nigeria as our country is now being drawn into that war. It is important to point out that if the details that I will give below could have been acted in a movie in 2008, a movie where Americans and Middle Easterns starred, then I would readily conclude that the small rat – Farouk Mutallab – is only being used to set Nigeria up as a terrorist enclave. The CIA has created a world which it is trying to tame by every means necessary, and is compounding the world’s problems daily.
Body of Lies opens with a poem from W. H. Auden: “I and the public know… What all school children Learn… Those to whom evil is done… Do evil in return”. This poem underlines the vicious cycle of war, destruction, and wickedness which I mentioned above. One day down the road, the world will need to sit down and determine who started all this carnage, or if it is in-borne in human nature to be wicked to each other. We will then have to determine if we merit our self-description as ‘higher animals’. For it is known that even wild animals don’t kill preys except they are hungry. The most vicious animal, save self-defence, does not kill for fun but, but human beings do. For fun, for intimidation, for the heck of it, millions have been murdered, either by stoking civil wars, or by unleashing ‘shock and awe’, like the Americans like to say. They are the ones now doing evil in return as W. H. Auden observed.
Now the story. Di Caprio (Ferris), is a roving CIA man in Samarra, Iraq, and with an Iraqi associate of his, sets out to meet an Iraqi informant somewhere in the desert. The informant, Nizad, is being asked to become a martyr, and he isn’t looking forward to it. He wants out, and he wants to leave for the USA to obtain a PhD. Ferris needs information about a terrorist leader called Al Salim, who has been coordinating terrorist attacks in Europe. They had already bombed Manchester and Amsterdam, and the CIA had no clue where Al Salim was, or what he looked like. Nizad, after explaining what he wants, hands over a CD containing the latest video recording of Al Salim to Ferris, who verifies it, and then calls his boss, Hoffman. Ferris would like to protect Nizad, but Hoffman says to turn the guy lose – the CIA will offer him no refuge. Ferris is shocked at his boss’ callousness to an informant. Nizad is incensed.
Turned loose on the streets, with CIA’s watchful eye on him, it was a metter of time before Al Salim’s men kidnapped Nizad. As Al Salim’s men bundled Nizad away, Ferris crouched nearby, attaches a silencer to his pistol and pumps hot bullet into Nizad’s brain. There was no way the CIA could allow Nizad to describe any interaction with them to Al Salim or anyone else for that matter. The search continues for Al Salim with little result. Meanwhile, sophisticated satellite technology monitors Ferris’ movements with total precision and clarity anywhere he goes, and he is in real time contact by an ear piece, with the establishment in Langley, Virginia where the CIA HQ is. The CIA has technology to monitor anyone today, with real time precision. Why did they allow Farouk on the plane? More shocking tales next week. May God save us from American intelligentsia, and may He save them from themselves.