Another Enemy Propagandist (Journalist) Detained by U.S. Forces?

The Jawa Report ^ | 2-20-08 | Rusty Shackleford

[atomic conspiracy]

The U.S. military confirmed yesterday that it was holding an Afghan reporter, Jawad Ahmad [pictured right], because of his extensive ties to the Taliban. Jawad was a stringer for Canadian Television (CTV).

Apparently his cell phone had Taliban phone numbers on them and indicated that the journalist had done extensive interviews with them. He also was in possession of Taliban propaganda videos.

Have we just met the Afghani Bilal Hussein?

Reporters Without Borders, of course, is outraged that a journalist--a journalist!--is being detained. After all, aren't all journalist--journalists!--immune from any and all suspicion?

To be honest, this may be one time (finally) that Reporters Without Borders has something intelligent to say (maybe). I have Taliban phone numbers and plenty of Taliban propaganda on my computer. Granted, I've never actually given Zahidullah Mujahid or Qari Mohammad Yousuf a phone call, but still I have them. Our friends at the NEFA Foundation have. They certainly aren't rooting for the Taliban.

I'm not a fan of media types doing interviews with the Taliban, but it's common practice. AP, AFP, & Reuters routinely quote Qari Mohammed Yousef.

But it's really the context of the contacts with the Taliban that matters in this case. If Ahmad served as a surrogate propagandist for the Taliban, then he's a combatant and his detention is justified. Enemy propagandists are just that: enemies, and should be treated as such.

Having journalistic credentials is not some magical immunization from suspicion. There's no reason why one cannot be a willing or tacit Taliban agent and be a member of the media.

Another problem would be if Ahmad not only called local Taliban commanders but actually met with them. By not disclosing the location of illegal enemy combatants who routinely commit war crimes, Ahmad would be assisting in the commission of those war crimes--journalistic credentials or not.

Remember, contrary to the Geneva Conventions, Taliban "soldiers" neither wear identifiable uniforms nor have a "fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance" nor "carry arms openly" nor "conduct their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war"--which make them illegal enemy combatants.

And war crimes? The list of Taliban war crimes begins with hostage taking, goes on to their routine murders of any and all they suspect of being a "spy" (usually by beheading) and just goes on and on from there.

My first instinct is to always give the benefit of the doubt to our soldiers in the field. While Reporters Without Borders and CTV are free to make all kinds of demands and accusations, the U.S. military is rarely at liberty to discuss what evidence, if any, they have on detainees. Such evidence may constitute intelligence that is being used in the battlefield.

But if any one can find a story or two written by Jawed Ahmad, who also goes by the alias "Jojo Yazemi", please leave a link. How those articles present the Taliban point of view is critical.

[atomic conspiracy]

As we have seen in CAIR's ongoing campaign of intimidation against bloggers like Little Green Footballs, the media in this country work hand-in-glove with enemy front groups to undermine freedom of expression.Yahoo publishes crudely obvious enemy propaganda as "news." Google collaborates with the Chinese communist secret police to suppress dissidents. In Afghanistan and Iraq, mainstream "journalists" are repeatedly caught in colluding with the enemy.

Isn't it interesting that the media-industrial complex is almost reflexively disposed to side with those who seek to suppress the right of free expression?

This is not really inconsistent.

It is proof, the smoking gun, of something I have said here many times: The media-industrial complex is not the "free press" of the Founding Fathers. It is an unelected and unaccountable shadow government, created by a gradual hijacking of the genuine free press and based on atavistic appeals to emotion, prejudice, and the personal authority of a depraved elite. It is anathema to Enlightenment principles of individual rights and equality and therefore the deadly enemy of free people everywhere.

[atomic conspiracy]

*ping*

[bmwcyle]

A spy so shoot him.

[freema]

Ping

[SandRat]

This may be why your lads have been taking a shellacking.

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting. Hooray U.S. Military! BUMP-TO-THE-TOP!

[jazusamo]

You suppose they caught him having Thanksgiving dinner with the Taliban, Ma?

They didn’t arrest McJerk for doing it and he later met up with terrorist “journalists” in Iraq.

Hang em both!

[robomatik]

[Clive]

-

[freema]

Shoot, I’d post a noose, but I did that once after the you know what incident and it got pulled. I was havin’ a bad hair day that day, too.

[StarCMC]

Veddy interesting.

[StarCMC]

Thanks for the ping, ma!!

[fanfan]

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

contrary to the Geneva Conventions, Taliban "soldiers" neither wear identifiable uniforms nor have a "fixed distinctive sign recognizable at a distance" nor "carry arms openly" nor "conduct their operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war"--which make them illegal enemy combatants.

IOW, the Geneva Conventions bind all parties - or none.

There is no obligation to give quarter to people who use human shields and who themselves give no quarter.

[BerryDingle]

It is proof, the smoking gun, of something I have said here many times: The media-industrial complex is not the "free press" of the Founding Fathers. It is an unelected and unaccountable shadow government, created by a gradual hijacking of the genuine free press and based on atavistic appeals to emotion, prejudice, and the personal authority of a depraved elite. It is anathema to Enlightenment principles of individual rights and equality and therefore the deadly enemy of free people everywhere.

Dittos!