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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