Egyptian Media-men: U.S. Ambassador Should Go Back To His Country

Islam Online ^ | September 21 2002

[knighthawk]

CAIRO, September 21 (News Agencies) - Egypt's media slammed the U.S. ambassador in Cairo on Saturday after he apparently called for the press to vet commentary on the September 11 attacks, news agencies reported.

The spat, highlighting anti-U.S. feeling in the region, erupted when ambassador David Welch attacked a rash of recent press commentary which questioned whether Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda group, including an Egyptian, was behind the attacks, said news agencies.

"This can harm Egypt's media in the eyes of the world. I hope newspaper editors take that into account when they review articles before publication," Welch wrote in the main state-owned daily al-Ahram on Friday.

"A responsible media must publish the truth not lies, and people should know the difference," he added in the article printed in Arabic, news agencies reported.

A statement issued on Saturday by newspaper columnists, writers and cartoonists from state-owned and opposition papers said Welch should "go back to his country," accusing the U.S. media as "only seeing the region through Israeli eyes."

"He talks as if he's addressing slaves or citizens of some banana republic...Whether he was the ambassador of America or Micronesia, it's odd that he should tell Egyptian journalists how to think and write," it said.

"He made an unprecedented call for imposing new restrictions on articles and columns in the Egyptian press," the statement said.

Egypt has supported the United States in its "war on terrorism" after the September 11 attacks on U.S. cities, which killed over 3,000 people. But anti-U.S. feeling is high over U.S. support for Israel in its attempt to crush a Palestinian uprising, U.S. plans to attack Iraq, perceived mistreatment of Arabs and Muslims in the United States since September 11 and criticism of the Arab world in the U.S. media, reported news agencies.

[knighthawk]

Most Arabs live in denail. They wouldn't believe Osama did it even when he would tell them personaly.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Cicero]

A recent poll by an Egyptian newspaper said that many more Egyptians admired the World Trade Center attackers than those who were angry at them. But in answer to another question, many more Egyptians said that they thought that Mossad was responsible for the attack, not al Qaeda. The logical conclusion is that the Egyptians admire Mossad. More likely, Muslims don't understand logic.

[BrooklynGOP]

Egyptian Media-men: U.S. Ambassador Should Go Back To His Country

And he should take our 2 billion in aid with him.

[Naspino]

Am I missing something? "He made an unprecedented call for imposing new restrictions on articles and columns in the Egyptian press," the statement said. So by asking the Egyptian press to tell the truth -- that is an imposing restriction on them? I like how they didn't balk at the notion that they lie but rather tell him to leave.

[TopQuark]

U.S. Ambassador Should Go Back To His Country I agree. And let him take back $3,000,000,000 in American aid back to the States, too.

[OldFriend]

The arabs aren't living in denial......like the democrats they find advantage in lying.

[tet68]

"He talks as if he's addressing slaves or citizens of some banana republic...

Don't be ridiculous , they can't grow bananas in Egypt!

[Redleg Duke]

"Most Arabs live in denail."

So that is why the annual floods make the soil so fertile!

[JimSEA]

The Arabs never believed that Israel was behind the WTC attack, they realized that chanting this obvious lie would infuriate the Jews and the USA. Actually they were overjoyed at the high American loss of life and have made the bombers and their leaders icons. Perhaps it is time to "withdraw our Ambassador for consultations".

[river rat]

It appears the Egyptians are in fact too stupid to be the decendents of the men who designed and built the pyramids.

Gives credence to Black African's claim that THEY were the "original Egyptians" and built the pyramids.......

We really need to END all foreign aid to nations that are so stupid they bite the hand that feeds them.... Let the bastards starve or live in constant revolutions until they learn how to be grateful for help from outsiders.
Semper Fi

[schaketo]

While we're rolling out the gunners in Iraq, maybe we ought to let stray a few big boys to get their attention in Ejeped. Send em all to hell.

[mikeIII]

Banana Republic? They flatter themselves, getting a $3Bn handout every year, without even bananas to export.

[JimSEA]

We really need to END all foreign aid to nations that are so stupid they bite the hand that feeds them

Absolutly correct. We don't have to demand anything like total agreement but basic compatability and similar basic values should be a statring point. This doesn't exist here.