Tuesday, May 24, 2005
CIA's advice to the Iraqi Resistance. posted by Richard Seymour
The CIA combines the sinister and the absurd, sometimes in equal measure. When they were trying to assassinate Fidel Castro, they decided to interfere with his cigars, either adding explosive materials that would blow his head off or poisonous materials that would cause his beard to fall out. Similarly, during the 1980s war on Nicaragua, directed from Honduras by then Ambassador John Negroponte, the CIA produced a 'Freedom Fighters' Manual', to help the people free themselves of "Marxist tyranny" (the Sandinista regime was, according to them, a Soviet puppet). Now that Negroponte has found alternative employment in Iraq, where local regime really is a puppet, I thought it would be worthwhile revisiting this classic manifesto of resistance to imperial oppression. Click on the pictures below - each is a frame from the Manual, which incites people to throw sickies, leave taps and lights on, make false hotel reservations, spread rumours, threaten the boss over the phone, make Molotov cocktails and so on. Sometimes I wonder if the CIA isn't being secretly run by Wile E. Coyote. (Of course, it doesn't mention the bit about killing 30,000 people in attacks on 'soft-targets': schools, medical clinics etc.)
Freedom Fighters’ Manual 1.

Freedom Fighters’ Manual 2.

Freedom Fighters’ Manual 3.

Freedom Fighters’ Manual 4.
Viva la resistance!!