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REVIEWS © In the years since, Messner embarked on The various topics Chomsky touches on B oO oO K Ss many expeditions through the region in include America's foreign incursions Reviewed by Ruth Parnell search of the enigmatic creature, and while it through the past century, the hidden agenda remained elusive he did record tales of for Afghanistan, long-term US relations with MY QUEST FOR THE YETI encounters by the mountain people which the Saudi government and the bin Laden Confronting the Himalayas’ Deepest support the age-old myths. Later, in 1998, family, the implications of the September 11 Mystery Messner would present a selection of yeti- attacks for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, related material, including precise maps of the mainstream media's propaganda role, by Reinhold Messner Pan, UK, 2001 (first pub. by St Martin's Press, USA, and Macmillan, UK, 2000) sightings, to a team of scientists for analysis. and so much more. The appendix includes His adventures are a rivetting read and offer __ the eye-opening US State Department's list fascinating insights into the twilight zone of "designated FTOs"—"Foreign Terrorist ISBN 0-330-39086-4 (167pp pb) between inyth and reality. . Organizations" —current as at October 15 Price: A$20.00; NZ$27.95; £7.99; last year. It's chilling in terms of where the Euro1 4.90 SEPTEMBER 11 "War on Terror" is heading. Availability: Aust/NZ/UK— Pan by Noam Chomsky Chomsky speaks out against using vio- Macmillan, http:/Avww.panmacmillan. Allen & Unwin, Australia, 2001; published lence to combat violence, and gives insights com; Europe—NEXUS Office as 9-11 by Seven Stories Press, USA, 2001 _ into how democratic peoples "can direct ho better to write a book about the yeti ISBN 1-86508-818-8 (125pp pb, Aust) policies towards a much more humane and than "the world's greatest moun- Price: A$17.95; NZ$27.95; £6.99 + £1.00 honorable course". His words are a call to taineer", Austria's Reinhold Messner, who p&p; Eurot 1 90: US$8.95 1 s&h (Adobe people everywhere to stop and think before since 1970 has completed scores of treks, eBook US$4.00) they blindly react. They echo as we reflect some of them solo, through the Himalayas, Availability: Aust—Allen & Unwin, tel on the atrocities already perpetrated since the Tibetan Plateau and beyond. (02) 8425 0100; NZ/UK/Europe— NEXUS that fateful September morning. It was in 1986 on a solo trek from eastern offices (US edition in UK/Eur); USA— — Tibet, retracing an ancient Sherpa route, that Seven Stories Press, tel (212) 326 8760 Messner had his own sighting of a large, http://www. sevenstories.com , N OAM dark, hairy creature that had all the appear- his compilation is not so much about the ances of the mysterious yeti—the "abom- tragic events of September 11 as their CHO MSKY inable snowman", chemo or dremo of leg- root causes and possible outcomes, particu- end. To add to the credibility of the after- larly in light of the United States' own for- noon sighting, Messner found fresh foot- eign policy. A slim volume, it contains an prints and photographed them. That night edited selection of weighty interviews con- he had a second, much scarier encounter. ducted with Noam Chomsky, the renowned The creature towered menacingly near him, MIT linguistics professor, author and inter- standing upright on two short legs with its national activist for peace and social justice. powerful arms that hung down almost to its The interviews with Prof. Chomsky span knees, but it showed great agility of move- the period September 19 to October 15, ment. Messner judged it to be over seven 2001 (when the material was sent to press). feet tall, though it rushed off on all fours. They were mostly conducted by email by a There was a putrid stench in the air and the handful of US and foreign journalists (but creature made a piercing, whistling sound. annoyingly, no biogs are provided). APRIL —- MAY 2002 The various topics Chomsky touches on include America's foreign incursions through the past century, the hidden agenda for Afghanistan, long-term US relations with the Saudi government and the bin Laden family, the implications of the September 11 attacks for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the mainstream media's propaganda role, and so much more. The appendix includes the eye-opening US State Department's list of "designated FTOs"—"Foreign Terrorist Organizations"—current as at October 15 last year. It's chilling in terms of where the "War on Terror" is heading. Chomsky speaks out against using vio- lence to combat violence, and gives insights into how democratic peoples "can direct policies towards a much more humane and honorable course". His words are a call to people everywhere to stop and think before they blindly react. They echo as we reflect on the atrocities already perpetrated since that fateful September morning. NOAM CHOMSKY IL NEXUS +71 www.nexusmagazine.com