The US-Israeli strikes against Iran are part of a decades-long war against the Islamic Republic which has refused to bow to US demands that it surrender its sovereignty, argues VIJAY PRASHAD
“I’VE never encountered any group more driven by group-think and rank-closing cohesion than British journalists,” US writer Glenn Greenwald tweeted in September 2015.
In addition to the media, the recent response to Alistair Burt MP resigning from his position as minister of state for the Middle East over the government’s handling of Brexit shows this herd-like behaviour also infects sections of civil society and apparently progressive politicians.
“Many disagree with UK policy in the Middle East but he has a reputation for even handedness,” tweeted the Guardian’s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour. “Big blow to FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office].” Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political editor echoed these thoughts, noting Burt was a “well respected foreign office minister.”
On January 2 2014, PJ Harvey used her turn as guest editor of the Today programme to expose the realities of war, arms dealing and media complicity. The fury that followed showed how rare – and how threatening – such honesty is within Britain’s most Establishment broadcaster, says IAN SINCLAIR



