The Democrats Embrace Al-Jazeera

Why was Al-Jazeera treated like any other news organization at the Democratic Convention? From Thomas Ryan at FrontPage, with thanks to Son of Infidel:

Despite Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry’s assertion that as President, he would “use every available resource to destroy terrorists and deny them sanctuary…and new recruits,” one of the invited guests at the now-concluded Democratic National Convention was an organization that has served as a terrorist recruitment tool, a communications conduit for al-Qaeda in general and Osama bin Laden in particular. This network has repeatedly described Palestinian suicide-bombers as “martyrs.” High above the platform and the sea of “Kerry-Edwards” placards, covering the convention from a skybox towering over the Fleet Center floor was Arabic network al-Jazeera, the Arab satellite news agency whose allegedly “factual and accurate” news coverage has been blatantly anti-American. The Democrats were at least savvy enough to remove the network’s banner, which had been strategically placed near the speakers’ podium. But how could any candidate or political party “serious” about terrorism make no fuss about allowing such a news group inside its convention?

Al-Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is renowned worldwide for its dubious claim that it is politically independent. In reality, the agency was started with $150 million in seed money from the emir of Qatar, who continues to grant the agency annual gifts. Al-Jazeera, which has been called the “Arab CNN,” acts as a public access channel for foreign terrorists.

It would appear al-Jazeera not only shares the airwaves with al-Qaeda; it shares personnel, as well. In 2003, Taysir Allouni, a popular reporter for al-Jazeera, was arrested in Spain for having links to the al-Qaeda terrorist group. Allouni, who interviewed Osama bin Laden after 9/11, was accused of giving assistance to two al-Qaeda officials: Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, alias Abu Dahdah, who was arrested in November of 2001, and is believed to have been Spain’s al-Qaeda commander; and Mohamed Bahiah, alias Abu Kalhed, who is believed to be an al-Qaeda militant fighting in Afghanistan....

Terrorists are certainly interested in the elections process. It was just this past March that a series of ten bombs exploded aboard a crowded commuter train in Madrid, Spain, killing 201 innocent people, and causing Spanish citizens to elect a government that was more appeasing to the desires of al-Qaeda terrorists. John Kerry has said, “As president, I will not rest until I can look into the eyes of the American people who want a future of freedom and security, and say ‘We are as safe as we can be.’” It wasn’t only the eyes of the American people that Kerry has looked into, but also the lens of an al-Jazeera camera, a camera that has pervasively portrayed the United States as the evil antagonist, and global terrorists as the guiltless victims, but which has subsequently portrayed Kerry as a more agreeable figure than the current incumbent.

John Kerry and the Democratic Party failed this terror test.

Posted by Robert at July 31, 2004 6:23 AM
Print this entry | Email this entry | Digg this | del.icio.us