http://www.investigativeproject.org
“THE INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT ON TERRORISM”
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http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=189A14FD-DA7F-4669-BD82-857F1A39D1C4
“Caught in the Act”
By Andrew Cochran
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, March 18, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “An effort by radical Islamists to smear terrorism expert Steven Emerson backfired last week when the allegations proved to be fabricated. An article entitled, “Paul Kendall: Did an ‘Expert’ on Terrorism Conspire With a Foreign Government to Violate the Constitutional Rights of American Muslims?,” was posted on PR Newswire on March 4. It was based on copies of emails the author claimed to have reviewed. “These electronic communications prove that Steve Emerson, along with some anti-Muslim advocacy groups, worked directly with the public affairs office of the Israeli consulate in Boston to formulate the creation of a smear campaign intended to stop the construction of a new Islamic cultural center,” the article claimed.
PR Newswire sought to corroborate the article’s claims. But the emails say no such thing - out of dozens posted with the article, Steve Emerson is referenced in only two. In neither case is he shown in any communication with the Israeli consulate, communication which simply did not happen. The author of the article apparently did not respond to requests from PR Newswire for corroboration.
PR Newswire therefore issued a “Kill” order on the story at 12:33 p.m. on Friday, March 7, withdrawing the original press release. This was confirmed in an email and telephone call to Steve’s attorney Richard Horowitz. WordPress.com also removed a blog containing the same report: “This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service.”
Steve Emerson expresses gratitude for the way both entities handled the situation. “I run an independent organization that takes no money from any government, or from anybody outside the United States,” he told me. “This report was an attempt at a viral smear, using the Internet to spread lies about my work. I appreciate the responsible steps PR Newswire and WordPress took to ensure they were not used any further.””
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=3AB04AB4-E65F-4651-9C75-5E7DECB579FD
“Letting Al-Qaeda Chat Away”
By Paul M. Weyrich
FrontPageMagazine.com | Tuesday, March 18, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Instead of passing reasonable legislation to modernize FISA and to provide our security agencies the tools they need to defeat those who want to harm us, the House Majority Leadership is playing fast and loose with American security in order to score a few cheap political points. If Senate Democrats and Republicans were able to agree on the legislation the House Majority Leadership should be able to as well. Twenty-one members of the so-called Blue Dog Democrats even wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) prior to the vote, urging her to support the Senate version of the legislation.
There is no excuse for the behavior of the House Majority Leadership other than the fact that they want something to take with them on the campaign trail during an election year. Oh yes, and they want to allow trial lawyers the freedom to file costly lawsuits against telecommunications companies. At least we know what the House Majority Leadership wants to protect – not American citizens but the pocketbooks of trial lawyers and other special-interest groups which would be involved in such frivolous lawsuits.”