Media terrorism (Al-Jazeera Bureau Chief: Sharon "Jewish butcher", Bush "the real terrorist")

The Nation, Pakistan ^ | AHMAD MUAFFAQ ZAIDAN(Bureau Chief, Al-Jazeera, Islamabad )

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Media terrorism

AHMAD MUAFFAQ ZAIDAN Some Media houses in Muslim countries have endeavored to break the monopolistic western, especially American, media hegemony. They have had some success but are far from the desired objectives. The driving force behind this struggle to counter the western media is heavy dependence on the rationale of power rather than the power of an innovative idea itself. This is the fault line that is not letting them take off. Views and information from powerful Western blocks virtually consume the major portion of broadcast prime time and space in print. But it is heartening that Arab media and Pakistani broadcast houses and print media have started causing dents in the Western news hegemony.  The West has been frustrated in imposing its religion-motivated ideological content through media warfare on Muslim states behind a facade of sloganeering on issues like human rights, democracy and press freedom. All news content behind these lofty universal ideas are designed to avert full exposure of the humiliation of humanity in occupied areas like Palestine, Held Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq and Chechnya.  After 9/11 we have to look at events in clearer perspective and evaluate media tricks being played upon nations struggling for freedom.  Things in the international media politics may not be as real as they are made to seem, particularly when it comes to terms like impartiality, objectivity or neutrality of media. The much trumpeted objectivity in Western newsmen shapes into other objective generally as they twist a certain angle to their reports.  Some new terms have surfaced in news agencies after the US occupation on Iraq. Now news wires use terms like “causalities on the American side” instead of specifying how many were killed or injured. News agencies cite eyewitnesses to report Iraqi deaths, but are reluctant to quote the same eyewitnesses about the number of Americans killed or injured. Wire agencies twist anti-American opposition parties statements to reduce the damage to US interests. Free conscious people must wake up to this media terrorism in the name of impartiality. Ironically objectivity means only reporting for furthering the military and economic objectives of US and allied forces. One finds fanaticism when different Islamic websites, whose only fault is exposing US hypocrisy, are hacked and closed in the name of the war on terror. Such media terrorism is unacceptable. But our insensitivity to it is tantamount to a joke with suppressed nations. Perhaps apathy has taken over to the extent that we are waiting for the UN to rescue us and redefine journalistic ethics. The Western media motto after 9/11 September, ‘One voice for different worlds,’ has turned into another weapon of the ongoing media warfare against suppressed nations. Terms like terrorists, fanatics, fundamentalists became Damocles’ swords for a few mediamen and media organisations. They have virtually demonised some religious and political parties like Ikhwan Al-Muslimoon or Jamaat Islami and JUI, among others. We find ourselves still ignorant enough to conjecture about the criterion of these classifications imposed on the Third World. Who gives authority to mediamen to dub one party moderate and another extremist, while they do not find an iota of shame when committing media terrorism by using lofty words to describe the Jewish butcher Sharon and the real American terrorist Bush?  Imbalanced coverage of international events goes now without saying. See how trivial statements by any American officials become very important and hit the front pages worldwide, while statements by officials of other countries hardly find space on the inner pages, if not spiked. It is no exaggeration that over 70 percent of international coverage of events emanates from the US administration. This means the source of the news stories is the US, which is attempting to mould the world to fit its hegemonic designs, while sane voices hibernate in the deserts unheard. The media was largely fair before 9/11, but now the media should be blamed to some extent for propagating the WMD fiction to justify the US occupation of Iraq. These double standards are not entirely restricted to southern or northern countries, but have crippling effects on the Third World. Pakistan is no exception. There is media hype about the presence of Al-Qaeda suspects here but does the media apply the same formula to Iran where the situation is not that different? Pakistan is the worst victim of media onslaught for a variety of reasons, with Western prejudice a prominent cause for disseminating a negative image of it. What is noticeable is the non-reflection of the real trends and political thoughts of Pakistani society in the media. This is because owners of some media outfits individually carry a liberal orientation to push their covert agenda, though some honourable exceptions do exist. People expect the media to inform them of the actual situation on ground fearlessly. Non-reporting of events and twisted analysis does not satisfy viewers and readers that the media is free in Muslim countries. But there are encouraging signs in the form of tangible efforts by the media in Arab and other Muslim countries to portray the other side of events that the western media systematically attempts to black out or twist so as to protect the interests of the masterminds of the capitalist mode of world governance.  Stubborn objectivity sometimes by media-men in their reporting precipitates an unrealistic picture as their obsession to present two sides in a balanced manner, reflects realities in an imbalanced manner. This causes confusion for readers and viewers as they overshadow the existence of overwhelming ground realities. This turns readers and viewers doubtful, who find it difficult to absorb twisted facts. Therefore, the main objective of mediamen should be to ensure an objective reflection of realities, and not twist facts in the name of presenting the ‘other side of the picture.’  Readers and viewers are looking for coverage the way it was done during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. But now the media seems to have become blind largely towards what actually is happening inside troubled Afghanistan. The writer is Bureau Chief, Al-Jazeera, Islamabad

[highlander_UW]

So how much longer will it be before Al-Jazzera gets labeled as the propaganda arm of Al-Qaeda that it is?

[narby]

When are we going to jam the satelite feed of these idiots?

[Smartass]

A-jazeera is not the only problem
Liberal Definition of Victory

Barbara J. Stock

Leftists in America never seem to learn from their past mistakes. Of course, they don’t see aiding and abetting the enemy as a “mistake.” They see their mistakes as great victories.

The fact that in the case of Viet Nam leftists gave strength and hope to an enemy ready to admit defeat, seems to have no effect on them. They are oblivious to this. We will never know how many American soldiers died in the rice patties and jungles of Viet Nam because of the liberals’ obvious support for the enemy. Perhaps, in their twisted minds, liberals saw those soldiers as “martyrs” for their cause. The death of these soldiers’ was a high price but in the end leftists won and they could blame the deaths on the “war-mongering right” even though it was those from the left who escalated our involvement in Viet Nam.

Now we are battling terrorists in Iraq. Our brave marines and soldiers are putting their lives on the line once again, and once again liberals are handing the enemy the ammunition to kill them.

If you listen to leftists, they scream that they are outraged that our brave men and women are dying, but in truth, they see it as an opportunity to make political hay in an election year.

What is the enemy hearing? He is hearing a ranting Teddy Kennedy yelling about “Bush’s Viet Nam” and he is hearing the man he hopes will be the president next year--John Kerry--lecturing to the choir about how this war is the worst “failure” in diplomacy in American history. He hears Al Gore--the man he wishes had won the last election--screaming like a wild man about how “Bush has betrayed the American people.” He hears others in Congress calling President Bush a “miserable failure.” It’s music to his ears. That “miserable failure” has brought the enemy untold grief.

The enemy is not just hearing it, he is repeating it. He is repeating it to his followers. He is broadcasting it on Arab TV. The enemy is singing the praises of these liberal leaders in his Mosque. It gives him strength. It gives him hope and it gives him the will to fight on. It gives him a reason to come over the borders from Iran and Syria to kill Americans. After all, if the liberal party wins in November—just a few short months away—the enemies’ victory will be assured. So he will fight on and our soldiers will continue to die. Innocent Iraqis caught in the cross fire will continue to die. Iraqis who want freedom and are helping us will be assassinated.

The liberal rhetoric has given the terrorists a blueprint to follow. Continue to kill Americans, send our soldiers home in body bags and the left will howl and the American people will once again cringe, cower away and retreat before the daily onslaught of “terrible news from Iraq.” We have a history. Our enemy knows this and he is not stupid. He knows that the “new” America will not tolerate causalities. He believes we are all weak, sniveling cowards who will run at the first shot. The “new” America will run to the impotent and corrupt United Nations and beg for help. The enemy knows he will safe once again from the wrath of the “Great Satan.” America has a reputation now of being a country that cuts and runs.

Our soldiers don’t cut and run but our politicians do. The media is duplicitous with the far left by only reporting bad news and rarely any good news. Pounded with doom and gloom and a daily body count, many Americans are beginning to doubt—beginning to get fearful and when completely indoctrinated that all is lost, the hue and cry will begin. Iraq is not worth it. “Those people” don’t appreciate what we have done for them so we should pull out and leave them to take care of themselves. “They” don’t want us there. This is Bush’s war! By saying this, leftists can justify abandoning millions to be killed--free from guilt. They will say as the mass slaughter begins, “It’s the Iraqi people’s fault.” They can then turn their eyes away from the carnage and feel righteous in their decision and mumble... “They deserved it.” “It’s Bush’s fault.”

When we abandoned our friends in Viet Nam, anyone who had helped us died. The killing was massive and brutal. It would be no different in Iraq and those who assisted the Americans and coalition forces would be lined up and executed. Death would be worse at the hands of the terrorists and probably would not be swift. Those on the left seem not to care. They didn’t care in Viet Nam and they don’t care now.

Leftists have perfected their anti-American program and streamlined it since Viet Nam. It took a couple of years to lose the war in South East Asia; it will only take the left a few months to lose the war in Iraq. If John Kerry wins in November they will step-up their work on losing the war on terror. Iraq is just the first step. The left will abdicate our power and safety to the United Nations ignoring the inglorious and failed history of that body. The left will embrace “Old Europe” with both arms and beg for help. That is the second thing they do well. First, they surrender--then they beg. After all, the “new” America is weak and cannot win.

How far have we fallen since World War II? We had a mission. We fought until that mission had been completed and then we stayed and rebuilt the countries we had defeated. When the world was stable once again, most of our troops came home. The same leftists that kept us from perhaps preventing that dreadful war with their isolationist attitude started complaining almost immediately after the surrender of the Axis Powers and they have never stopped.

Many on the left come from academe but they have no vision. Many come from wealthy, well-educated families but they don’t have the common sense God gave a squirrel.

In the liberal version of the dictionary, victory means capitulation and appeasement. As Americans, we have been down that liberal road and it has always led to death, destruction, and a World War. This trip will be no different.

[McGavin999]

This guy is seriously insane.

[risk]

"al Jeezeera Pump Station"

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, assistant commander of 101st Airborne Division, speaks about the military's role in rebuilding Iraq (news - web sites) during at The Princeton Colloquium on Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., Friday, April 23, 2004. Schloesser and Rend Rahim Francke, ambassador of Iraq to the United States, discussed the future of Iraq at the conference. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)

It's water, not what you're thinking.