Double Standards: Bandits Are Good, Terrorists Are Bad (CNN calls Chechen terrorists "rebels")

Pravda ^ | Oct. 26, 2002 | Dmitry Litvinovich

[FairOpinion]

Double Standards: Bandits Are Good, Terrorists Are Bad

For CNN, and actually not only for CNN, the Russian Government and Chechen rebels are almost the same thing.

Already several hours after Baraev captured the audience of the musical Nord-Ost, the main site of Chechen militants kavkaz.org became practically inaccessible. The reason why “the main information calibre” of the terrorists broke down so soon is easy to guess. Just after the start of the events, the universally known TV company CNN started to add two links to all its publications about the Moscow tragedy – bringing to Russian Information Centre (official Internet resource of the Russian Government) and to the site kavkaz.org.

It is very curious how they characterize the links: Russian Government: Official Information and Pro-rebel Website: kavkaz.org.

Now, about the word “rebel.” It is too weak and too respectful. It is a traditional characteristic of revolutionary parties. Irish separatists are rebels, soldiers of General Washington in time when American colonies battled for their independence from Great Britain were rebels as well. However, brothers-in-arms of bin Laden are terrorists. Do you see the difference?

If you do not trust me, you can look it up. It would be enough just to look through a few CNN articles about bin Laden.

Chechen gunmen are still rebels to CNN. For example the article “Theatre Gunmen Fire at Escapers.” The author never calls the Chechens the politically incorrect word “terrorist”; however, there are “anti-terrorist forces” in the article.

So, how do the US journalists call the Baraev killers? Very blandly: “Chechen gunmen,” “Chechen guerrillas,” “Chechen rebels,” and finally “Chechen dissidents.” Though, these Chechens are never called “killers” or “terrorists.”

The most troublesome thing is that CNN is not alone in its sympathy for Caucasian bandits: The Associated Press - Chechen rebels, Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Chechen rebels and Chechen guerrillas. Why? We know that the hostage-taking in Moscow and the terrorist acts of September 11 in New-York and Washington are links of one chain. Vladimir Putin said directly: “the terrorist act in Moscow was planned outside of Russia.”

If this is so, and Americans admit it, why do well-known TV and radio channels continue to have sympathy for the Chechens. For, the question is not about the Russian President who was first presented his condolences to the US after the September 11 tragedy. The question is that here is about double standards: there are good rebels and bad terrorists.

Today, the US representative to the Asian and Pacific Countries summit, Lawrence Greenwood, said that the US considers the hostage-taking in Moscow as “a form of terrorism.” He said that the US government agrees that the attack on the theatre in Moscow could be characterized as a “terrorist act.” “Yes, we can see here that this is a form of terrorism,” – Greenwood said. Following the US leadership’s logic, the terrorists are under US TV and radio channels patronage. Is it a rebellion?

[Burkeman1]

We should all question this. When are rebels really rebels and when are they just bandits? Historically speaking- the Communists labeled every challenge to their rule- every armed insurgency in Russia as "bandits". It was a mantra of Pravda. Ukranians fighting guerilla war against Soviet collectivisation were "bandits". Cossacks doing the same in the Kuban region were likewise labeled "bandits". This despite the fact that both had anti Communist ideologies, leaders, clearly defined political platforms, and internal discipline. But do the Chechynans pass this test? I don't think so. Chechyans were historically the organized crime ethnic group of the Soviet Union and leaders in the black market and drug trade (with KGB approval and payoffs.) And they remain so today. They fight among themselves and they are only nominally "Muslem". Their chief grievance seems to be that they are not free to conduct their criminal activities without interference from Moscow. Thus I think the Chechyan "rebellion" is about as legitimate as the Columbian "leftist" guerillas whose number one agenda is to sell drugs. Russia is correct in trying to stamp this "rebellion" out.

[agoldin]

Here is online petition to CNN to call terrorists what they are:


http://www.petitiononline.com/aleshady/petition.html

[Naspino]

Signed. Can anyone describe the general mood of Russians today especially in Moscow? I'd like to know how it might compare with the reaction here should something similar happen. Obviously Susan Sarandon and Babs would be wailing against Bush for murdering innocents and praising the "freedom fighters" for keeping the hostages alive so long. Democrats = Communists = Hate Freedom = Cowards.

[Naspino]

By the way -- anyone in Russia reading this. If you know anyone that thinks terrorism must be fought and not surrendered to and that what the Special Forces did was not murder then direct them to the Free Republic. They probably belong more than most of my neighbors would.

[goldstategop]

CNN = Chechen News Network.