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WORLD DEFENSE REVIEW

BEYOND THE DROPZONE

Turning a terrorist into a cult hero

Posted by editor on 21 February 2008 at 2:50 pm UTC

In what the Jerusalem Post refers to as “an uncommon act of journalistic contrition,” the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has issued a public apology “to anyone who was offended” by its reference of recently-killed terrorist mastermind Imad Mughniyeh as a “great national leader.”

For once, a major Western media outlet did the right thing by admitting its complicity – perhaps unwitting collusion – in what is becoming a trend toward soft-soaping terrorists and their activities. But how could the BBC have come to this is in the first place?

It’s all part of a dangerous drift toward so-called fairness – not to be confused with free speech – wherein media companies increasingly are giving platforms, equal time, and – for some strange reason – objective deference to terrorists and terrorist organizations.

The insanity of Hezbollah

Posted by editor on 15 February 2008 at 2:44 pm UTC

Yes, I say insanity because these birds – the organization’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, specifically – are now calling for “open war” with Israel because their (Hezbollah’s) “hero” Imad Mughniyeh was killed.

Here’s more about Mughniyeh in my piece at Family Security Matters:

“Let’s not forget, Mughniyeh was also responsible for the torture and murder of unarmed 23-year-old U.S. Navy diver Robert Dean Stethem, whose body was ingloriously dumped on the tarmac at Beirut airport, during the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jetliner.”

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Slipping below the radar screen

Posted by editor on 13 February 2008 at 2:40 pm UTC

Lots of Defense news taking a backseat to some of the more pressing military/defense items like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza, Lebanon’s umpteenth failed attempt to elect a president (always under a terrorist threat), and musings (perhaps concerns) about who in fact might become America’s next commander-in-chief.

Let’s do, however, touch on Iraq for a moment before pressing on with a few other items.

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Lebanon “cannot bear two armies”

Posted by editor on 10 February 2008 at 2:27 pm UTC

Lots going on in Lebanon as Hezbollah continues its quest to establish its kingdom within the state. Others prefer saying “a state within a state.” But kingdom is a more accurate term for the aggregate zones controlled by the huge Taliban-like terrorist army - funded by Iran and supported by Syria - that fancies itself a legitimate Lebanese political party.

Yesterday, I learned that Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir - Lebanon’s Maronite Christian leader who oversees some 12-million Maronites worldwide - referred to Hezbollah as “a problem,” and he said Lebanon “cannot bear two armies because that leads to a substitute state” within the state.

In an interview for Lebanon’s weekly newsmagazine, al-Massira, Sfeir also said the United Nations has an “obligation to introduce restraints.”

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NOTE: The opinions expressed in these articles are solely those of the author, and do not represent the opinions of World Defense Review and its affiliates. WDR accepts no responsibility whatsoever for the accuracy or inaccuracy of the content of this or any other story published on this website. Copyright and all rights for this story (and all other stories by the author) are held by the author.

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J. Peter Pham, Ph.D. : 'Strategic Interests'
* Ballots and Bullets: The Tale of the Two Somalias
[06 Jul 10]

Walid Phares, Ph.D.
* Iran Global Terrorist Reach
[15 Jul 10]

Abigail R. Esman : 'International Desk'
* Islamophobia
Is the rejection of radical Islam "anti-Muslim"?
[27 Jul 10]

Rabbi Daniel M. Zucker
* The Roots of Washington's Failures in Dealing with "Rogue Regimes"
[01 Apr 10]


W. Thomas Smith Jr.
* 'Beyond the DropZone'
Intelligence and Analysis



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