Inside Today's Beirut Times

The Beirut Times (New York edition) (a/k/a "The New York Times) continued its gavel-to-gavel coverage of the poor poor defenseless Lebanese villagers being pounded unmercifully and for no reason whatsoever by those horrible Israelis. Coverage even extended to the Arts pages, where the Beirut Times discussed how those horrible Israelis have cripped the local cultural secene.

The B.T., as it is affectionately known, ventured into enemy territory for a perfunctory story that finally told what happened to all those hundreds of thousands of Israelis forced out of their homes by Hezbollah death rockets. You've got to figure there has been no impact on the Israeli cultural scene as there was no article on that, but it wouldn't matter anyway, they being the enemy and this being the Beirut Times.

Inside the paper was a full-page ad (STOP THE SLAUGHTER, blah blah blah) calling for Israeli surrender to terrorism. This was from the usual suspects of the anti-Israel-Jewish community, including Michael Lerner, Artie Waskow, and other kooks and moonbats. You really have to wonder why these clowns bother. Since we know what they are going to say at any given moment -- Israelis bad bad bad! -- do they really have to say it?

Also it was strange that they paid good money to run their ad in the B.T., since the viewpoint of these cretins is already reflected throughout the paper at no additional charge.

By the way, the ad made no call for the release of the Israeli hostages. That would get in the way of peace! Not to mention the even more important goal of surrender to terrorism. In that goal they have an ally in Hezbollah's home town newspaper, The Beirut Times.

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The Times Submerges a Village (and Other Idiocy)

In the midst of a tearjerker out of southern Lebanon today, New York Times house terrorism apologist, Hassan "Wrong Man" Fattah gives us an interesting perspective on a village that is victimized by those damned Israelis. According to Fattah, it is in the middle of the Meditteranean.

That's right, folks. Says Fattah: "Ten miles east is the relative safety of Tyre, the gateway into northern Lebanon." Now, since Tyre is on the Meditteranean, which is on the left side of the map... hmmmmm....... what type of scuba gear was Fattah wearing while churning out this bit of Hezbollah propaganda?

This stupidity, which sailed right by the Times's crackerjack foreign desk, is a good metaphor for the Times's coverage of the Lebanese: Wrong Way in every sense.

In addition to giving one-sided coverage that underplays (or, as today, doesn't mention at all) the suffering of Israeli civilians from ball bearing-packed terrorist rockets, there is an overplaying of Lebanese suffering -- with most articles not mentioning the salient fact that Hezbollah is hiding amid the civilian population.

Thus we get this story from a Sabrina Tavernise, which follows in the footsteps of Nic Robertson at CNN by trading access to Hezbollah-controlled areas for coverage that is little more than propaganda.

To top off the Times's coverage today, we have the main story, which reported Kofi Annan's charge that the killing of four UN troops was "apparently deliberate" -- without reporting the Israeli denials and demand for an apology. Reporting a denial of a serious charge is Journalism 101.

To top even that, the story discussed Lebanon's claim on the tiny Shabaa Farms area of the Golan Heights -- without saying that the UN has determined that is not part of Lebanon.

That's the Times's coverage of the Lebanon conflict for you: Wrong-way, wrong-headed, amateurish, unprofessional and just plain wrong.

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Nicholas Kristof: Terrorist Appeaser or Just Plain Dumb?

That is the question that confronts the civilized world today, after a "be kind to your local terrorist" column by Nicholas Kristof that is -- even by the degraded standards of the New York Times -- singularly stupid.

Kristof argues that Israel needs to learn from the good example of Spain and Britain, both of which caved in to their own local terrorists, the IRA and Basque separatists. Israel needs to do the same with Hezbollah -- even though Hezbollah seeks the destruction of Israel and the Basque and Irish terrorists weren't seeking the dismantlement of Spain and Britain.

Don't bomb them, negotiate with them, says Kristof. He argues that "one reason this bombardment [in Lebanon]— like the invasion in 1982 — is against Israel’s own long-term interest has to do with the way terrorism is likely to change over the next couple of decades."

Terrorism -- stop the presses! -- is going to get worse. So, fight back? Nosiree.

No, it is much more in Israel's "long term interests" (which Kristof knows much better than the Israelis themselves, of course) to simply do nothing while the rockets and missiles rain down and "reach a final peace agreement, involving the establishment of a Palestinian state (because states can be deterred more easily than independent groups like Hamas)."

Yes, establish a Palestinian state for... hey, wait a second. Hezbollah already has a state. A nice one. All of Lebanon as its sandbox. Etc. etc. I mean, no point in going into detail, as it is obvious to pretty much everyone except Nicholas Kristof, the man who knows what's best for Israel but probably can't find the Bekaa Valley on a map.

I'm not making this up. You have to read this column to see what I mean.

Either Kristof is so charged up about appeasing terrorists that he forgot that Hezbollah is in Lebanon and not in Gaza, and that it wants to destroy Israel and couldn't care less about a "final peace agreement" -- or he is just plain dumb.

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The Payola Pundit Bites the Big One

Williams: A premature goodbye

It's been a while since I've examined the rants of the Payola Pundit, UN consultant-correspondent Ian Williams, famed for covering the UN while writing pamphlets and performing media training for UN officials. His shilling for the UN is usually too predictable to mention, but one recent act of clairvoyance warrants a mention.

A few weeks ago, Williams wrote a piece for The Nation entitled "Say Goodbye to Bolton," in which he gloated on the supposed impending departure of UN Ambassador John Bolton. The latter riles Williams for failing to show sufficient fealty to his family's sometime-employer.

As usual, Williams is only a few hudred miles off the mark. Today came word that Bolton's renomination was endorsed by what had been his leading Senate critic, Sen. George V. Voinovich of Ohio.

So I guess it's "goodbye" to Williams's credibility, not that he had much to begin with.

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A Must-Read Analysis

Today the New York Times continued its blatantly biased coverage of the Middle East conflict, ridiculously overplaying a predictable statement by the Iraqi leader criticizing Israel, downplaying Hezbollah death-missiles and trumpeting Lebanese casuatlies.

I won't include links today. The Times is so predictable that it isn't really necessary.

To put the Times's daily drumbeat of terrorist appeasement propaganda into perspective, you really have to read an excellent two-part analysis by Ed Lasky in the American Thinker, analysing Times bias on everything related to Israel and Jews. It ran over the past two days and deserves wide dissemination. Part One is here, Part Two is here.

Two words: Read it.

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The Media Terrorist Fan Club in Action

The media's terrorist fan club has been moving ahead forcefully in pursuit of its objective, which is to serve as a propaganda mouthpiece of Hezbollah and Hamas.

The president of the fan club is, of course, CNN's Nic Robertson, who last night ran an "exclusive" report from south Beirut, his Hezbollah handler practically holding hands with him, describing how the bad, bad Israelis are targeting nothing but civilians.

The cameras took in an "outraged" terrorist propagandist, identified as a Hezbollah "press officer," saying, "Look what happened to this building, inhabited by innocent civilians ... no military bases, nothing."

Well, needless to say, Hezbollah wouldn't say something that wasn't true? The print version of this CNN-Hezbollah joint propaganda effort put it this way:

Hezbollah officials gave CNN access into the southern suburbs of Beirut -- the
area thought to house the organization's headquarters -- to show the damage
inflicted on civilians there. They also wanted to show they do not house
military stockpiles there, CNN's Nic Robertson reported. Robertson said he could
not confirm the group's assertions about what was housed in the area.

The broadcast itself left out the last sentence, at least in the version that was broadcast last night. In fact, he seemed to confirm what his handler was telling him, noting that the detritis strewn about was all "civilian" -- as if Hezbollah would take this idiot directly to its weapons dumps for all the world to see.

Over at the New York Times, amid the usual gag-inducing coverage we have a report from house terrorism apologist, Hassan "Wrong Man" Fattah, in south Lebanon. Today Fattah pulls off the not-inconsiderable fete of reporting on the UN "peacekeeping" force there without mentioning what it's most famous for -- standing by and watching while three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped.

All in all, a great day for the press corps' terrorist fan club!

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The 'Disproportionate' Lie

Today's No. 1 Israel-smear word is "disproportionate." Just run the words in Google News and you'll see what I mean -- 3,500 hits! It's a fave of such epitomes of moral authority as the European Union and French UN ambassador and the peace-loving, always restrained Russians and -- well, you get the idea. Morality fans!

I'm still waiting for someone in the media to call these hypocrites for what they are, and point out the last time any military action Israel took was ever described as reasonable or "proportionate." How about "never"? That is why the Israelis are wise to ignore such blather and strike out hard.

Meanwhile, in the "business as usual" front, the New York Times today was displaying its usual indifference to Israeli suffering and pro-Arab slant. With its house terrorism apologist, Hassan "Wrong Man" Fattah, on the job, The Times slathered on the sympathy for the poor, poor employees of the Beirut airport, none of whom actually got so much as a scrape. Contrast this with the grudging coverage of Hezbollah murder-rockets landing on northern Israel.

But the Times really outdid itself in its usual area of excellence, which is sophistry and simple-minded analysis. In a lead editorial, the Times opined that Israel risked "playing Hamas's game" by -- get ready for this, friends -- blowing Hamas and Hezbollah to smithereens. You gotta love it. Of course, they could send those two groups rose pedals, thereby hurting them politically.

Even that tripe was outdone by a "news analysis" in which Helene Cooper suggested that Syria, now justifiably shunned by the U.S., may have a way of getting the U.S. back on speaking terms again. The path is for Syria to behave even worse than it does now. "Some Middle East watchers say that if things continue to spiral downward, American diplomats may have no choice but to reach out to Syria at least, even if it is through a back channel," said Cooper. Thank heavens such geniuses are not running our government.

You know the Times is really pushing at its dreadful limits when it makes CNN look good. Last night, CNN's Anderson Cooper and other CNN correspondents provided surprisingly balanced, even compassionate coverage of the plight of Israeli civilians in the north of Israel. Cooper even spent some time with an Israeli artillery battery. The loathsome Christiane Amanpour was nowhere in sight, but a CNN press release says she threatens to return to Israel on Sunday. Get your barf bag ready.

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Reuters Justifies Extortion

Of all the many noxious news articles to materialize since the Palestinian kidnapping of an Israel soldier a week ago, perhaps the worst was this drivel that moved on the Reuters wire today.

The poor, poor Palestinians have their panties in a twist, you see, that Israel may not bow down to extortion. Yup. They're emotin': "Prisoner swap an emotive issue for Palestinians," says Reuters.

"Since Palestinian militants captured [sic] an Israeli soldier 10 days ago, Mahmoud Murib has prayed the Jewish state will meet the captors' demands to free prisoners, including his 15-year-old son," said Reuters, visibly moved by the situation. "'The hopes of the people are hanging on this soldier,' said Murib, who says his son was detained five months ago when Israeli forces entered their refugee camp just outside the West Bank city of Ramallah."

The poor dear! Now, just why was he "detained," you ask? Gee, I searched through that story very carefully, and I couldn't find a reason -- nor the reason why another poor, poor Palestinian's six brothers all happen to be "held" by the bad, bad Israelis.

That's Israel for you -- "detaining" Palestinians for no visible reason, awaiting a legitimate exchange for a "captured" Israeli soldier. "God willing, they will let the Palestinians go safely back to their families and the soldier will go back safely to his family," said one Palestinian whose wife was detained for no Reuters-stated reason by the Israelis.

They must be innocent! Such is the Reuters fantasy land of innocent Palestinians detained for no reason, to be exchanged because of a soldier captured in a "legitimate" military operation. Extortion? Not in the view of this "news" agency.

What I wonder is this: Reuters has credentials to "report" the news, no doubt issued by the state of Israel. Why in heaven's name haven't they been revoked?

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Calame: Al Qaeda Has a Right to Know

The Empty Suit, New York Times spokesman Barney Calame -- the widely-reviled, worthless "public editor"-- today came out ( suprise suprise!) in favor of Times management's publishing that story revealing the secret terrorist-finances tracking program.

Hey, they don't call him a "management shill" for nothing. But Calame's column today was laughable even by Calame standards.

"It was time to take a close look at the handling of the article in search of answers," says Barney and, well, I don't have to tell you what that "answer" was, was it? But look at the "reasoning." Barney's view is that since a whole bunch of people already knew about this super-secret program, why not let al Qaeda know? Sure. Spread it all over the front page of the Times. Make sure that every terrorist from here to Kabul knew about it.

I'm not kidding. Calame went to the executive editor, Bill Keller, and loyally acted as stenographer for the following.

"Hundreds, if not thousands, of people know about this," Mr. Keller said he was told by an official who talked to him on condition of anonymity. The 25 bankers from numerous nations on the Swift board of directors, and their predecessors going back to 2001, knew about the arrangement. So did some consortium executives and staff members — a group that probably expanded during this period. Starting in 2003, Swift representatives had to be stationed alongside any government intelligence official searching the data.

By the same reasoning, since the entire population of Chicago knew about the Japanese code being broken -- after the Chicago Tribune irresponsibly published that fact during World War II -- there was no valid reason not to spread that all over the headlines of the world media. After all, "the people have a right to know." Japanese are people too, aren't they? Same principle goes for the guys and gals of al Qaeda and its affiliates all over the world. They're people and they have a right to know.

Likewise, the Manhattan Project was known to thousands upon thousands of people. Damn the U.S. media for not satisfying the public's -- in the U.S., Germany and Japan -- "right to know" that silly millitary secret!

Barney's not through. No, he's got a whole column to fill this week before he goes back to the divan. "Another reason Times editors were right to proceed with the 3,550-word Swift story was the skimpy Congressional oversight of the program." That's right. If Congress isn't paying attention, tell bin Laden!

And so it went, Barney Calame proving again that the Times has no more loyal lapdog than its very own in-house watchdog.

Go back to the divan, Barney. You've earned your pay. Say, how many months left on your contract? I'm sure they'll want to renew. You're good!

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