I am adding to comments about the CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon. I work in Israel. We heard about the "JUST ASKING" question that ran in the New York Post's PAGE SIX last week, on Sept. 29/04: "WHICH married male network news veteran who specializes in foreign assignments has been having an affair with a female Columbia grad about 10 years younger than his daughter? Former classmates spotted the young woman with him at the Essex House more than once, and say he visited her at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville over the weekend." The key part is that he specializes in foreign assignments. I am sure it is Bob Simon. The CBS 60 Minutes show he is on is also broadcast in Israel so he is well known in Israel. About a year ago I saw him at a Jerusalem hotel with a young American woman. When I made a remark about it to someone I know in the hotel's management office he said the hotel staff knew she had been staying with Bob Simon in his hotel room there for weeks. I recognized her because she worked in our office. I am sure she must be the same "female Columbia grad" that the NY Post referred to because I remember that she went to Columbia University in New York before she came to Israel. Her name is Maia Ridberg and she is probably only about 24 years old (and you know how old Bob Simon is.) She said she left her job in Jerusalem to go traveling and I later heard that she returned to the United States to start at the University of Virginia. I did not know that Bob Simon was married until the NY post published that last week. That weekend the NY Post referred to was Yom Kippur. That is disgusting that they cheated on his wife even on Yom Kippur. Like many of you we have long thought that Bob Simon is irresponsible in his reporting about the mideast but now it is clear that he lacks integrity as a man as well.
Interesting that you found this on the search engine. Yes--I can believe Bob Simon would do something like this. The NY Post gossip page is alway very accurate as well. They report celebrities spotted in NYC, where they lunch, who they were seen with, etc. If you see a blurb in the Post that Tara Reid was spotted drunk as a sailor in a Manhattan nightclub and that she started to disrobe, you can believe it.
As far as Simon goes, what I posted 2 years ago is the truth. The Navy 0-6 who told the story to me had no reason to make it up, and it was related to a research project on the media I was doing. When Simon got captured by the Iraqis, it was a major headache for the military in the middle of the first Gulf War. CBS violated every rule out there, and acted with incredible arrogance and stupidity.
When Simon and his crew were captured, CBS executives and reporters screamed bloody murder. "The military better DO SOMETHING about this NOOOOOWWWW!!!!"
Bob Simon and his CBS crew drove 50 miles into Iraq in two vehicles, completely without escort or authorization, and were captured by Republican Guard. When they were taken to prison and interrogated, they realized they were in way over their heads.
Bob Simon was accused by the Iraqis of being a spy for Mossad and they threatened to execute him. He freaked out. All military aviators have some sort of resistance training that allows them to cope and deal with being a captive, how to handle deprivation, and threats. Simon and his clowns were babes in the woods, and the experience shredded their veneer of superiority.
CBS interviewed Simon right after he returned, still sporting a 4 week old beard. He was visibly shaken, and the interview was a terrible mistake by CBS management.
Now Bob is tom catting around again? Doesn't surprise me. Like most reporters, he lacks moral clarity and I don't believe he has any faith in anything but himself.