A Tepid Response to Palestinian Thuggery

The Palestinian kidnapping of Fox news correspondent Steve Centanni and camerman Olaf Wing is now in its fifth day, and it's interesting to note the flabby response from both the media and so-called journalism "protection" organizations -- which are usually quick to condemn Israel and the U.S. authorities in Iraq.

The usually garrulous Committee to Protect Journalists issued a tepid statement expressing "concern," and the media generally has kept its distance. The New York Times, typically, buried a tiny reference to the kidnapping in a news roundup two days later. Obviously the Times was hoping that Centanni would be swiftly released, and delayed mentioning the kidnapping in the hope that it could report news of his release at the same time. Mustn't upset the myth of Palestinian moderation!

Another big problem with the kidnapping, from the standpoint of pro-Palestinian mouthpieces like the Times, is that it is part of a pattern of Palestinian intimidation of journalists, as noted in an excellent FrontPage Magazine article yesterday.

The media has ignored that aspect of the kidnappings, and instead has even used the kidnappings to give a publicity plug to terrorists, such as in this ludicrous AP story today quoting an Islamic Jihad terorist saying what a terrible thing it is to kidnap people.

It will be interesting to see if the media picks up on the FrontPage Magazine article, and puts the kidnapping in context. Don't hold your breath.

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A UN Hack's 'Tribute' to Rachel Corrie

Today comes word of what surely must be the most wretched book to hit the market since the Julius Streicher Cartoon Collection. This one is an e-book called "We are them. They are us: A celebration of the writings of Rachel Corrie," who gave her life for the cause of Palestinians killing Jews.

As two reviews noted on Amazon.com, this e-book is adapted from an article in the Israel-bashing Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs, and is dishonest, out-and-out terrorist propaganda that pleads the cause of the noxious International Solidarity Movement.

To top everything off, the author of this wretched tome is none other than Laura Angela Bagnetto, Saudi Press Agency correspondent and First Vice President of the scandal-plagued, Saudi-dominated UN Correspondents Association.

Glad to see that the ethics-deficient UN hacks organization is living up to its promise, and working hard to promote one of its favorite causes. Bagnetto has a website where you can leaf through photos of her fellow UN hacks frolicking -- when they're not writing books cozying up to terrorist icons.

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The Relentless Propaganda Bombardment

The New York Times today kept up its relentless propaganda barrage on behalf of Hezbollah -- really sticking its neck out compared to other U.S. media and even CNN.

Day after day, the Times has made no effort whatever to show balance, putting Israeli reports of casualties etc. on a par with the proven liars of a terrorist organization. Its reports from south Lebanon function as a thinly disguised tool for their correspondents' unseen Hezbollah handlers. As usual, the Times did not bother to devote a separate story to the record barrage of rockets on Israel. That would not, of course, advance the Hezbollah line.

Here's the rundown from south Lebanon today:

* Reporting from Baalbek, house terrorism apologist Hassan "Wrong Man" Fattah functions loyally in his accustomed role as Hezbollah propagandist. As has been its practice in recent days, the Times reports on the battles in south Lebanon entirely from the Hezbollah perspective, pushing hard the Hezbollah line. Fattah's sources: the "mayor" of the town (no possible Hezbollah ties!), someone named "Ali Saeed" who claimed to be a "relative" of some poor poor innocent Lebanese killed by the Israelis, another "Ali" who is an obvious Hezbollah member even to the clueless Fattah, and ending with a quote from the "mayor." That assumes that he really is the "mayor." Remember that this is "Wrong Man" Fattah!

* In another Lebanese town we have a report from another Hezbollah mouthpiece-Times correspondent. The Hezbollah murderers have morphed into "militiamen" -- one of the softball terms the Times loves to use when referring to terrorists. This ones harkens back to the Minutemen of 1776. Patriots fighting a ruthless foe! The point of this story, one that the Times hammers away at every chance it gets, is that Hezbollah is viewed as a "defender" by south Lebanese villagers -- including, presumably, the ones who are stopped from leaving or shot at, as even the Times has reported. This piece is unabashed puffery for Hezbollah:

"How could you stay silent when you see your land burn and your children get killed?" said Mr. Yahia, who said he was a platoon commander with the local defense force [Times-speak for "Hezbollah"]. "The whole population here is resisting."

In Lebanon, maybe. But to the dilettantes at the Times, the romantic allure of terrorism "irresistible" -- as long as Katyushas aren't being lobbed at their apartments on West End Avenue.

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