SAMI AL-ARIAN, WHO HEADS UP "PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD" in North America, and is affiliated with the University of South Florida, is going to be standing trial in Tampa on terrorism and racketeering charges. His organization is reportedly responsible for the suiciude bomber murders of 100 people. He is facing charges in connection with a suicide bombing on the Gaza Strip in 1994.
David Horowitz has a blog entry on al-Arian, and the support he is getting from the NYT. For context, these quotes from al-Arian are included:
“We assemble today to pay respects to the march of the martyrs and to the river of blood that gushes forth and does not extinguish, from butchery to butchery, and from martyrdom to martyrdom, from jihad to jihad.”
“Let us damn America … Let us damn [her] allies until death."
So...how does the NYT refer to al-Arian in a news story?
"An impassioned advocate for Palestinian independence, Mr. Al-Arian never made any secret of his disdain for the Israeli occupation."
Georgetown law professor David Cole is quoted in the story thusly:
"This case has drawn such intense scrutiny partly because Sami has been so outspoken."
Horowitz notes the distinct lack of interviews conducted with people who might not see al-Arian in such a favorable light.
But while the reporter found time to interview some of al-Arian's friends and Professor Cole, it apparently couldn't find Steve Emerson or the Miami Herald reporters who tracked al-Arian's terrorist activities, nor to mention that the brother of Palestinian Islamic Jiahd founder Fathi Shikaki worked for Al-Arians "academic" operation at the University of South Florida, nor that when Shikaki was assassinated, his replacement as head of the terrorist organization in Syria, was also a director and member of al-Arian's "think tank."
Of course, that might have required the reporter to make some calls, instead of simply taking them.
No comments:
Post a Comment