Not in the Iraq new: US torture of an Australian and Al-Quaeda's occuption of Al-Qaim.

Looks like the Terror Hysteria Wheel of Fortune is spinning again. Australia's PM has conveniently announced a real but nameless terror threat at the same time as his anti-terror legislation goes before the Senate. At the same time, allegations that the Adelaide-born David Hicks who trained with Al-Quaeda was sexually abused while in American detention are glossed over by the mainsteam media.

Of course terror suspects are tortured! But how is that moral when it becomes torment and abuse? The West needs to be frank about the need for torture to gain information that may save lives, but torture for its own sake is plain evil.

The Western media continues to present a nice face to things in Iraq. And indeed things are relatively nice it seem. I have spoken to people related to security firms who insist that Iraq is safe but for the Sunni area around Bagdhad, which will remain unsafe in the forseeable future.

But what are we to make of this story in Russia's Pravda newspaper:

Al-Quaida declares the formation of the Islamic Republic of Qaim," says the headline. And the quote: "Last weekend terrorists under the leader of Iraqi cell of al-Quaida, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi entered the city [of Al-Qaim]. They declared it the Islamic Republic, hoisting the flag of their organization, which is a sun on the black field.

"Public executions of policemen, local authorities and everyone who is suspected of collaboration with occupation forces began in the city. Militants replaced the existing court with Shariat's law and declared the formation of the Islamic Republic. "Welcome to the Islamic Republic of Qaim", the poster at the city entry reads. The majority of the militants are mercenaries from various Moslem countries, although some of them are Iraqis. They have the whole city under their control. They patrol it and build barricades.

"It is interesting to note that the information about the city's occupation appeared in media only two days after it had begun. All this time American troops were preparing for the operation. US Air Force planes bombed two bridges at the Euphrates River near the Syrian border. The main goal of the Americans is to prevent al-Quaida militants from occupying other cities. The operation is carried out in Karbilah that is considered the staging point for militants' intrusion into Iraq. All the efforts are hurled into preventing militants from escaping al-Qaima."