PARROTING PILGER

After taking a virtual pounding over the past few days, Antony Loewenstein goes on the offensive:

Australia's proposed anti-terror laws may make opposition to illegal military operations a punishable offence, so let it be said once again: the Iraq quagmire has made us a greater terrorist target and has created the perfect breeding ground for Islamists with a grievance against the West and its arrogance. The defeat of America and its allies in Iraq is vital to ensure similiar acts are not carried out again.

Loewenstein's obviously trying to generate controversy with an eye to creating greater interest in his yet to be published book. Thus, Loewenstein parrots Pilger's "we must be defeated" plea. While he doesn't say so directly, Loewenstein clearly regards coalition forces as legitimate targets, an unspecified number of which must be killed in order to teach America and her allies a lesson.

Loewenstein's contention that Australia's involvement in Iraq has increased the liklihood of a terrorist attack is also self-serving given that he has criticized the government for exaggerating the threat:

Attorney General Philip Ruddock continues his irresponsible comments and says that Australians should be nervous about a terrorist attack on home soil. With a recent report stating that there are around 60 suspected Islamic extremists in Australia, Ruddock gives no indication of what his government is doing to stop these supposed extremists.

But when the government proposes laws to do deal with the threat, Loewenstein sees the legislation as grossly inappropriate:

After the intelligence failures of Iraq and the dysfunctional immigration department, allowing police and ASIO officers such powers smacks of political opportunism, crass populism and wedge politics.

All of this tempts me to purchase Loewenstein's book when it eventually becomes available. You know, to see what lunacy it contains. It seems his any-publicity-no-matter-how-foolish-it-makes-me-look-is-good-publicity startegy is working. Hey, it's always possible he's not as dumb as I thought; he hasn't tried to define anything in over 24 hours.

Update: In comments, the always measured Currency Lad calls it like it is:

A member of my family is serving in Iraq. Lowenstein wants him to be killed. I'd love to see him say that to the person concerned. Or that person's spouse. Or his mates in uniform.

Complete. Fuckwit.