Mad TV
Testifying under oath recently, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice misled Congress in her strong defense of Al-Hurra, the taxpayer financed Arab TV network. It was unwitting, though. She herself was misled.
During the March 21 House Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Rep. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) pressed Ms. Rice on the wisdom of providing a platform to Islamic terrorists, citing Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah's Dec. 7 speech, which Al-Hurra aired live. The broadcast speech "went on for 30 minutes," she responded, "followed by commentary, much of which was critical of Nasrallah."
In fact, Mr. Nasrallah's speech was carried in its entirety, roughly an hour and eight minutes. The commentary that followed--a 13-minute phone interview with Wael Abou Faour, a member of Lebanon's governing coalition--was indeed critical of Mr. Nasrallah. He accused the Hezbollah leader of not being anti-U.S. and anti-Israel enough. While Mr. Nasrallah had claimed Lebanon's governing coalition was aligned with the U.S. and had backed Israel during the war last summer, Mr. Abou Faour said that Hezbollah was actually closer to the U.S and added that any Lebanese faction that assisted "the Israeli enemy" should not be allowed to engage in political discussion because "the only place they should be [is] in prison."
The secretary of state's testimony was without doubt delivered in good faith. But the same cannot be said of the information about the broadcast Al-Hurra provided to the State Department.
Unfortunately, there is no practicable way that Foggy Bottom, or anyone else for that matter, can effectively monitor Al-Hurra, which has come under fire since the publication of my story about it on The Wall Street Journal's editorial page in March. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the congressionally created independent panel charged with oversight, lacks the ability to conduct even basic auditing, as English transcripts are provided only on request--which rarely happens. Worse, there is no good channel for whistleblowers to communicate with the board without fear of retribution.
With an annual budget now over $70 million, Al-Hurra has for three years served as the centerpiece of America's aggressive post-9/11 courtship of the Arab world. Insiders maintain that the network was fulfilling its mission until it hired former CNN producer Larry Register last November. Mr. Register has not, to his credit, changed Al-Hurra's dedication to showcasing the full range of U.S. politics. The other side of the network, however, has been "gutted," in the words of one staffer. Even though Mr. Register has made some improvements since the March column, Al-Hurra still produces far fewer stories about Arab government corruption and human-rights abuses. (Mr. Register did not respond to repeated requests for an interview.)
[SNIP]
READ IT ALL
SEE ALSO:
Al Hurra @ Source Watch
WSJ Columnist - US Gvt's Al Hurra Promotes Anti-Israel Agenda
2004: President Bush meets with Al-Hurra
VA based US Financed Arabic Channel "Finds it's Voice" WAPO 2004
During the March 21 House Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee hearing, Rep. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) pressed Ms. Rice on the wisdom of providing a platform to Islamic terrorists, citing Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah's Dec. 7 speech, which Al-Hurra aired live. The broadcast speech "went on for 30 minutes," she responded, "followed by commentary, much of which was critical of Nasrallah."
In fact, Mr. Nasrallah's speech was carried in its entirety, roughly an hour and eight minutes. The commentary that followed--a 13-minute phone interview with Wael Abou Faour, a member of Lebanon's governing coalition--was indeed critical of Mr. Nasrallah. He accused the Hezbollah leader of not being anti-U.S. and anti-Israel enough. While Mr. Nasrallah had claimed Lebanon's governing coalition was aligned with the U.S. and had backed Israel during the war last summer, Mr. Abou Faour said that Hezbollah was actually closer to the U.S and added that any Lebanese faction that assisted "the Israeli enemy" should not be allowed to engage in political discussion because "the only place they should be [is] in prison."
The secretary of state's testimony was without doubt delivered in good faith. But the same cannot be said of the information about the broadcast Al-Hurra provided to the State Department.
Unfortunately, there is no practicable way that Foggy Bottom, or anyone else for that matter, can effectively monitor Al-Hurra, which has come under fire since the publication of my story about it on The Wall Street Journal's editorial page in March. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the congressionally created independent panel charged with oversight, lacks the ability to conduct even basic auditing, as English transcripts are provided only on request--which rarely happens. Worse, there is no good channel for whistleblowers to communicate with the board without fear of retribution.
With an annual budget now over $70 million, Al-Hurra has for three years served as the centerpiece of America's aggressive post-9/11 courtship of the Arab world. Insiders maintain that the network was fulfilling its mission until it hired former CNN producer Larry Register last November. Mr. Register has not, to his credit, changed Al-Hurra's dedication to showcasing the full range of U.S. politics. The other side of the network, however, has been "gutted," in the words of one staffer. Even though Mr. Register has made some improvements since the March column, Al-Hurra still produces far fewer stories about Arab government corruption and human-rights abuses. (Mr. Register did not respond to repeated requests for an interview.)
[SNIP]
READ IT ALL
SEE ALSO:
Al Hurra @ Source Watch
WSJ Columnist - US Gvt's Al Hurra Promotes Anti-Israel Agenda
2004: President Bush meets with Al-Hurra
VA based US Financed Arabic Channel "Finds it's Voice" WAPO 2004
Holocaust denial..US tax dollars. Hmm. Let's start with Abu Mazen king of holocaust denial. But then again, let's forget it. Obviously our government has. After all, Abu Mazen aka Mahmoud baby is a MAN OF PEACE.
ReplyDeleteJust the same, read this
http://www.zoa.org/2007/03/zoa_condemns_mi.htm
ZOA Condemns Millions In U.S. Funds To Palestinian Universities Supporting Terrorism.
and the list goes on and on.
Direct aid... indirect aid all smoke and mirrors for in the end the PA is a terrorist entity despite the whitewashing and the title given to ABU MAZEN as a moderate for peace. (man of peace, courageous man of peace, etc., etc., ad nauseam)
Militant Greetings and Shalom, Galled Bladder!
ReplyDeleteYA
MAN OF PIECES
Militant and warm greetings to you "all exalted spleen!"
ReplyDeleteThis shabbat morning is full of ugly news so I say meet me for an ice cream and a happy skip through the spring tulips.
signed
galled but not weak. (if you get my drift)
Good idea.
ReplyDeleteWe could both use a day off from all this spleening and galling, LOL
WOE UNTO THE SPLEENLESS, FOR THEY HAVE NOT WHAT TO VENT WITH!
Woe onto them indeed!
ReplyDeleteI raise up to half my length. I face them. I spit venom straight into their eyes. Islam falls before the God of Israel. The sword of the Lord and of the 300.
ReplyDeleteAmen
ReplyDeleteSelah
and
Got that right, Snakespit!
Sword of the LORD and of GIDEON!
;~}
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