And so the International New York Times went out with a big blank space on its front page: a marked improvement over its usual fare. In any case, this is yet another indication of how Islamic supremacists (like their Leftist allies) are not interested in discussion or debate, but only in shutting down all critics and opponents, so that theirs is the only voice that can possibly be heard. Thuggish anti-free speech organizations such as the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations and Reza Aslan’s Aslan Media carry on the same work here by attempting to smear, defame, marginalize and silence all foes of jihad terror.
“Pakistan erases NYT lead story on Islamabad-bin Laden ties,” from Bloomberg, March 23 (thanks to Lookmann):
A New York Times story saying Pakistan’s government protected Taliban forces was censored by the publisher’s printing partner in that country, resulting in a blank hole on the front page of its international edition.
The article, a 4,800-word excerpt from a forthcoming book by Times reporter Carlotta Gall to be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt next month, appeared in New York Times magazine in the US and was intended as a front-page article of International New York Times. While the story appears on most copies of the international edition, it doesn’t show up in papers distributed in Pakistan, about 9,000 copies, according to the publisher.
Gall’s reporting looks at the ties between Pakistan’s main intelligence service, ISI, and the Taliban. Her article points to Pervez Musharraf, former Pakistani president, as one of the Taliban’s protectors who knew about Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts in Afghanistan. (In a counterpoint, CNN’s national security analyst, Peter Bergen, writes he is “convinced that there is no evidence that anyone in the Pakistani government, military or intelligence agencies knowingly sheltered bin Laden.”)
The missing story played out on Twitter as Gall herself made light of the censorship by posting a photo of the errant edition on her account with the note: “Breakfast in Islamabad”.
The missing story played out on Twitter as Gall herself made light of the censorship by posting a photo of the errant edition on her account with the note: “Breakfast in Islamabad”. Times’s Pakistan printer, part of Express Tribune newspaper in that country, removed the article without its knowledge, according to Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy.
“We would never self-censor and this decision was made without our knowledge or agreement,” she said in an email. “While we understand that our publishing partners are sometimes faced with local pressures, we regret any censorship of our journalism.”
It is unclear if Times will continue its partnership with Express Tribune.
People in Pakistan generally see the media in a favorable light with 68% considering its influence as “good,” behind the military at 77% and ahead of religious leaders at 66%, according to a study from Pew Research Center.
New York Times rebranded International Herald Tribune as International New York Times in October. The publisher, which has been steadily losing advertising revenue, has looked to establish a broader audience by appealing to readers outside the US.
mortimer says
If military security in Abbottabad never questioned a high-walled, three-storey building with heavy security gates, it would be incredible! Of course, Bin Laden’s hideout was BUILT by military intelligence so he could be about one quarter mile from the front gate of the base. Even local civilians referred to the weird structure as ‘Bin Laden’s place’. After Musharraf, the next government sacked a lot of jihadist officer in the Pak army, but the sympathy for the jihadist is no doubt still huge within the army. How otherwise, could they allow so many Talibans and Al Qaeda to hide even now in Pakistan?
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-239778-US-always-suspected-Pakistan-for-sheltering-Osama
Kepha says
The issue isn’t our government or even the _Times’_ parent company in NYC. The issue is the Pakistani government, which may very well have demanded censorship of such a story from the _Times’_ Pakistani partners. It wouldn’t be the first time this might have happened, nor is Pakistan alone among states which might censor such a story.
Not too long ago, American universities practiced a lot of self-censorship about China, lest they find their access to that country cut off. A man named Stephen Mosher, who reported on the effect of forced abortions on a rural community in Guangdong back in the 1980’s, found his career killed because of this–and it was his sponsoring university that cheerfully did Beijing’s bidding in his case (with a nudge from the Chinese authorities). In that period of time, Beijing fully expected Western correspondents to follow in the footsteps of such people as Anna Louise Strong, William Hinton, and Rewi Alley and serve as foreign propagandists for the regime. My guess is that Pathologicalstan is also very sensitive about anyone airing its dirty laundry–and given that the party which complied with the censoring was the _Times’_ Pakistani printer, my guess is that they were simply being prudent, since they were vulnerable to worse retaliation than the American Sinologist wannabes in the 1980’s, who could at least go into other careers if Beijing bullied a university into cutting them off. The Pakistani printer could well end up dead for letting the full story out.
However, my guess is that there are probably a lot of people in Pakistan who will guess that there’s something amiss in a blank spot in their NYT. They may well find a way to go online and get the real story via circumventions of various firewalls and whatnot.
My guess is that the NYT’s home paper probably carried the story. Hence, for the first time in ages, I may well put down money for a copy.
nabi sange says
Poor NYT….
Salah says
The New York Times and all the rest, including TV channels, depend on money, OUR money, to survive. We are paying them so that they may lie and deceive us.
We need a Media Strike. Do we have the balls?
mortimer says
Maybe the New York Times will realize that Islam is the greatest enemy to freedom of the press.
Aton says
Your title says:
“Pakistan erases New York Times story about the Pakistan government’s ties to Osama”
Sorry, was that a typo. Was your title supposed to read:
“Pakistan erases New York Times story about the Pakistan government’s ties to Obama”
???
RodSerling says
OT:
UK: Child Sex Slavery, Multiculturalism and Islam
by Soeren Kern
March 24, 2014
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4226/uk-child-sex-slavery
“Easy Meat” – Multiculturalism, Islam and Child Sex Slavery
http://lawandfreedomfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Easy-Meat-Multiculturalism-Islam-and-Child-Sex-Slavery-05-03-2014.pdf