I will label this a Free Speech Death Watch Update and shed a tear for Hizballah's loss of its CNN mouthpiece when CNN actually stops reflecting the terror group's political line, and when Hizballah begins carrying my columns on its websites. An update on [1] this story: "Hezbollah denounces CNN's firing of Mideast editor," from [2] AP, July 9, 4:14 am ET

BEIRUT - The Lebanese militant Hezbollah has denounced CNN's decision to fire a Middle East editor for posting a note on Twitter expressing admiration for the country's late top Shiite cleric.

Octavia Nasr later apologized for her tweet in which she described Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah as "one of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot." But CNN officials said her credibility had been compromised.

Hezbollah's spokesman Ibrahim Moussawi says CNN's decision amounts to "intellectual terrorism" and reflects the West's "double standards" in dealing with the Mideast.

He said in a statement issued on Friday that the decision to fire Nasr -- a Lebanese who worked for CNN for two decades -- exposes America's false claims regarding freedom of expression.