The latest bin Laden audio tape includes a curious defense of two Al-Jazeera employees, one at Gitmo and the other in prison in Spain.
The terror chief explicitly refers to “those working in the media, like Sami al-Hajj and Taysir Alouni, who was imprisoned at the instigation of the American administration.” He names them in the context of saying many of those who have been imprisoned had no connection to the 9/11 terror attacks. Al-Hajj was picked up on the battlefield of Afghanistan and Alouni was convicted and sentenced to 7 years in prison in Spain for being an agent of al-Qaeda. A pro-Alouni website calls him a prisoner of a “fake democracy.” But the Spanish Judge in the case had alleged that Alouni was a member of an al Qaeda terror cell who helped plan 9/11.
If anything, Bin Laden’s lies about the two Al-Jazeera employees suggest they were extremely important to al Qaeda.
A Reuters dispatch carried by Al-Jazeera is claiming that bin Laden has absolved al-Hajj and Alouni of any association at all with al Qaeda. But a strict reading of the transcript of the tape is unclear on this point. Whatever the case, it is extremely significant that bin Laden would be defending two Al-Jazeera employees. That is big news — and it’s not good news for Al-Jazeera.
Posted: May 24, 2006 at 10:53 am
Craig Whitlock’s otherwise good Washington Post article about al Qaeda leaves out a few critical facts about an Al-Jazeera “journalist.” He writes about a Syrian al-Qaeda strategist, Mustafa Setmariam Nasar, whose “neighbor in a small town in the province of Granada was Tayssir Alouni, a journalist for the al-Jazeera satellite television network who would later interview Osama bin Laden.” He neglected to mention that Alouni was tried, convicted and imprisoned in Spain for being an agent of al-Qaeda.You can get more information about him in the new AIM film “Terror Television: the Rise of Al-Jazeera and the Hate America Media.”
Can it be just a coincidence that they were “neighbors?”
The Post says that Nasir once “led an above-ground life as a writer and voice of Islamic extremism. He did publicity work for al-Qaeda, helping to arrange interviews with bin Laden in Afghanistan for CNN and the BBC.”
One suspects that Nasir’s relationship with Al-Jazeera was even closer, perhaps because of his “neighbor,” Alouni.
One hopes for some necessary follow-up from the Post on this.
Posted: May 23, 2006 at 10:36 am
Iraqi Ayatollah Ahmad Husseini Al-Baghdadi has appeared on Al-Jazeera to say that Islam will conquer the world, using weapons of mass destruction if necessary. The transcript and tape are available from MEMRI. “We will annihilate America,” he says. He adds, “This Arab Islamic nation must obtain a nuclear bomb. Without a nuclear bomb, we will continue to be oppressed…”
This broadcast was brought to you by the friendly regime in Qatar, supposedly one of America’s best friends in the Middle East.
As they say, “with friends like these…”
Posted: May 15, 2006 at 1:50 pm
The British newspaper The Independent reports that former BBC presenter Shahnaz Pakravan will host an Al-Jazeera International show called “Everywoman,” described as the first program from the Middle East centered on women’s issues. We look forward to a big story on women’s rights in Qatar, the base of operations and funder of Al-Jazeera. In Qatar, according to the State Department human rights report, there is “legal discrimination against women.” For example, ”Traditions and the interpretation of Shari’a restricted activities of women…” and ”The testimony of two women equals that of one man…”
Posted: May 15, 2006 at 7:14 am
In order to divert attention from its paymasters in Qatar, and its documented links with Al-Qaeda, Al-Jazeera International has hired a number of very attractive “news presenters,” including Barbara Serra, a former Miss Italy beauty pageant contestant. She defends Al-Jazeera airing the terror tapes, saying, “It makes news.” She says David Frost, also hired by Al-Jazeera International, assured her the new channel would be “unbiased.” She adds, “I joined al-Jazeera not just because they are going to pay me more, but also because I believe I will be able to work in an impartial way.”
So how much more are they paying you? And it doesn’t trouble you that you’re being paid by the terrorist-supporting regime in Qatar?
Serra: big buck$ from the pro-terrorist arab regime in Qatar.
Posted: May 14, 2006 at 7:32 am
The Arab government-funded Al-Jazeera International will be offering sports events, along with the hostage tapes, suicide bombers, and bin Laden statements. One report says Al-Jazeera will be offering the “best of the football leagues in Europe and South America, the tennis grand slam events, the golf majors, cricket test matches, rugby internationals, Formula 1 and MotoGP, North American sports, athletics, boxing, cycling, sailing and winter sports.” One of the channel’s hires is Dara McIntosh formerly of ESPN and NBC in the USA.
Meanwhile, in Qatar, the base of Al-Jazeera International, a group of Muslim scholars has urged funding of the terrorist Hamas. Leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were reported at the meeting.
The regime in Qatar recently announced a gift of $50 million to the Palestinian Authority, led by Hamas.
Posted: May 13, 2006 at 6:11 am
Mortimer B. Zuckerman is correct, in his column that carries the subheadline in the Daily News, “We need realism, resolve and respect for the enemy’s propaganda,” in stating that “we are clearly in a war of media images.” He goes on, “Our assault on Fallujah, in April of 2004, stopped prematurely because incendiary coverage on the al Jazeera TV network gave the false impression that U.S. marines were deliberately targeting mosques and civilians. Planning and executing an aggressive media plan must be part of our strategy, so we can define the issues before perceptions are shaped by our enemies.”
So the point, Mr. Zuckerman, is help AIM stop Al-Jazeera and Al-Jazeera International. That has to be part of our new aggressive media plan. This may be more important than anything we do on the military battlefield.
Posted: May 12, 2006 at 5:01 pm
A document discovered by U.S. forces in Iraq shows that Al Qaeda in Iraq is depending on the media — including OUR media — to win the war.
The enemy document states, “The policy followed by the brothers in Baghdad is a media oriented policy without a clear comprehensive plan to capture an area or an enemy center. Other word, the significance of the strategy of their work is to show in the media that the American and the government do not control the situation and there is resistance against them. This policy dragged us to the type of operations that are attracted to the media…” Aside from the media, Centcom noted in a press release that the document also indicates that the terrorists lack leadership, capability and support.
This is why the power and influence of Al-Jazeera must be exposed. The media are directly responsible for inciting the enemy to kill Americans and Iraqis.
Posted: May 11, 2006 at 4:05 pm
