Posted on 05/21/2002 8:19:29 AM PDT by RCW2001
By Dr Naseer Alomari
| THE ARAB media outlets are often ridiculed for elaborating conspiracy theories. Highly “professional” and “balanced” American journalists condescendingly invite the “novice” Arab news outlets to be realistic, report facts, and accept what they consider uncontroversial truth. The reason why conspiracy theories are entertained in the Arab world is a pattern of conspiratorial reporting by some major American media outlets. The things that are left underreported or even unreported are picked up in the Arab world for further analysis. The conspiracy, as seen by many Arabs, lies in the amount of emphasis put on certain events, while ignoring what would be real “breaking news”. The conspiracy is in the way the major American media outlets pick and choose what the American public can hear. On May 13, Fox News reported that the police pulled over two Israeli nationals who were driving a truck “near the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station and found to have traces of TNT on the gearshift and traces of RDX plastic explosive on the steering wheel”. No “respected” news anchor raised the question of whether a link exists between terrorism in America and the Israeli government. The events that led to the arrest of the two Israeli nationals were purely incidental. Could this be part of a bigger plot that aims to tarnish the image of the Arab and Muslim minorities in the United States and link Arab governments to terrorism? We will never know because the American media chose not to follow up. The list of suspicious Israeli espionage activities goes on and on. The Associated Press reported on March 5, 2002, that American “authorities have arrested and deported dozens of young Israelis since early last year who represented themselves as art students in efforts to gain access to sensitive federal office buildings and the homes of government employees”. If that does not constitute a pattern of misbehaviour that is worthy of reporting by the American media, what is? In contrast, a poem by the Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Britain, in which he praised Palestinian resistance, is treated as breaking news that is worthy of extended coverage. The most perceptive and open-minded Arab is left with no choice but to question the dubious relationship between the American media and the invisible hands of the Israeli government on what news items are reported to the American public. Conspiratorial reporting turned underreported the terrorist plot by a Jewish American group that planned terrorist attacks on American citizens. On Dec. 13, 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported that “the chairman of the militant Jewish Defence League and another of the group's top officials faced federal charges for plotting to blow up a Los Angeles area mosque and an office of Rep. Darrell Issa” who is an Arab American. Why do some American media outlets believe that Americans need not know this? Why is this reported hesitantly? Why is a Saudi poem more serious than this? Israeli loyalists in the United States have tightened their grip on what the American people can hear. They strive to pit the American public against the Arabs, they aim to manufacture a military confrontation between America and the Arab world, and they spare no effort to keep the American public in darkness vis-ý-vis the suspicious activities of the Israeli government on American soil. Does that not make a conspiracy? The writer, a Jordanian assistant professor of education at Marist College, New York, is involved in local Arab and Muslim community centres. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times. |
Just as Hitler said, the Jews run everything. /sarcasm
Once again - as usual - the Arab response to any criticism is that "the Jews made us do it." Perhaps they're feeling humiliated again because their lunatic "news reporting" is being guffawed at in the Foreign Correspondent's Clubs of Middle Eastern capitals.
Serious journalism requires at least a workmanlike effort to obtain the facts. It does not include taking a sentence and weaving an utterly fantastic tale of 20 column inches.
The Arabs will never have a free and accurate press, unless they learn to think honestly and not metaphorically.
I'm more interested in why Israel was never held accountable for sinking the USS Liberty, killing 34 soldiers & wounding 171 others in 1967 and what their motive was.
Oops. I suppose that's being "anti-semitic".
I do. :) He's defensive about the Arab press, which regularly lies and spins and spreads conspiracy theories. And he's doubly PO'd that Americans don't buy their wingnut crap.
Why is there no mention of authorities arresting hundreds of mexicans who represented themselves as sellers of oranges in efforts to gain access to california's highways?
I think there have been 11 Congressional hearings. :) In addition, Israel paid reparations and apologized.
Oops. I suppose that's being "anti-semitic".
If you say so.
Really? Howm any investigations were there about USS Liberty.. Good, you bring up the "motive", what do you think it could have been? Just throw some ideas at us.
You must have missed it.. Search FR, it was all over the news day after.. There were NO traces of TNT in their car.
And LBJ's actions at the time would have him impeached today.
The question was whether Israel knew it was an American ship. Many in the Johnson administration and the CIA certainly thought so. Not to mention the claim in "Body of Secrets" that the NSA intercepted communications from the Israeli military that would show that they knew who they were attacking.
The reparations that Israel paid were modest and were paid with the understanding that the incident was an accident.
Our government is a tad busy fighting Islamic terrorism these days though, trying to make sure homocide bombers do not come here and blow up malls, or apartments, so you may have to wait a while for the 'important' 12th investigation into the USS Liberty.
Yes, I have been out of it here on FR for the past several days. Thanks for the heads up!
That is something that I noticed about the Arab media, when a story comes up which supports them, they jump all over it. However, the follow up, when it DOESN'T support them, is ignored. Not only that, but they act like the original story was somehow "suppressed". In particular, there were several stories early on, like the one of the "4000 jews" who mysteriously didn't go to work that day (9/11). A story which was thoroughly debunked, but the debunkedness never made it to the Arab press, where the stories was trumpeted long after. Amazing.. or, rather, not really. The liberals in this country have done something similar for decades...
What was the motive?
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