Thursday, June 08, 2006

CNN Reaches for the Clue Bag

Abu Musab al-ZarqawiI assume that by now everyone has heard about the glorious martyrdom of that renowned freedom fighter and beheader of infidels, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

What caught my eye this morning was the usual cluelessness (or disingenuousness) of CNN:

A Web site used by Al Qaeda in Iraq confirmed al-Zarqawi’s death and urged its followers to continue the insurgent fight.

Another Web site used by the group issued a statement: “People of Islam, God will not let our enemies celebrate and spread corruption in the ground. Expect the right that was stolen to come back to us and destroy the Crusaders” — an apparent reference to U.S. troops in Iraq.

Ya think?

5 comments:

Frank said...

The whole tone of the article is misleading. Adjectives like "jubilant" pretty much convey the opposite of a rather sober announcement by Bush.

And of course CNN quoted Bush in saying: "Zarqawi's death is a severe blow to al Qaeda.", without mentioned his caveat just before that warning that Zarqawi's death didn't mean the insurgency was over.

CNN is just setting Bush up for failure. Tomorrow it'll be back the the same droning dispair, only now it'll be against the backdrop of the false hope of a once "jubilant" Bush. Gawd how I hate the brainless asses at CNN

Wally Ballou said...

I hope we read him his Miranda rights first, or Bush will be in big trouble with the "Democratic" leadership and Rep. Murtha.

Starling said...

Dymphna,

I was watching CNN International here in the UAE yesterday afternoon. There was one aspect of the death of Zarqawi that was truly amazing. In her analysis, Christiane Amanpour used the word "precisely" at least three times by my reckoning. She used the word in the context of discussions with the co-anchors about Rumsfeld's press conference.

Ms. Amanpour, you see, was deeply disappointed and frustrated that Mr. Rumsfelf did not say "precisely" how the US forces got the information on Zarq. They did not reveal "precisely" the methods and sources and the operational details. They did not say "precisely" what role was played by Jordanian intelligence.

Of course these statements went unchallenged by the co-anchors. In fact, they probably missed the unstated, underlying assumption- that the news media is entitled to such information.

To think of it, I wonder if Ms. Amanpour really realizes what she is asking for. For CNN to have that information would mean that source and methods would be "compromised", that is to say, people helping the US would be dragged out of their homes and shot dead in the street. More innocent Iraqis would meet their deaths due to terrorist attacks. More American, Iraqi, and Coalition soldiers would be killed.

Could Christiane want "precisely" that?

Zerosumgame said...

CNN? Are they still on in the US?

I thought they had given up here to focus on their core anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-capitalist, anti-democratic, er... I mean Eurabian audience.

K T Cat said...

My bet is that they meant the actual Crusaders. Some of those guys come from some pretty long-lived stock.

I think this is just CNN doing some very careful and dilligent reporting.

Or not.