Earlier today I noted how Reuters avoided calling the late Imad Mughniyeh of Hezbollah a terrorist. Now it appears Newsweek is gun-shy with the label, or at least its headline editors are.
The subhead for today's Web Exclusive, "Death of a Hizbullah Leader" reads, "Attack fells a suspected terrorist with a list of enemies."
But don't blame the article's writer, Kevin Peraino. He dropped the "suspected" modifier in his article:
One afternoon during Israel's summer war with Lebanon 18 months ago, I met with a couple of senior Israeli intelligence officers at an office outside Tel Aviv. As Hizbullah's rockets rained down on the north of the country, most of the world was focused on trying to deconstruct the motives of the Islamist group's most prominent leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli officers, on the other hand, had zeroed in on a figure less well known to the public but infamous in intelligence circles: Imad Mughniyeh, Hizbullah's deputy secretary-general. Mughniyeh had been linked to some of the deadliest acts of terrorism on record, including a string of suicide attacks targeting Americans in Lebanon and the kidnapping of the CIA's Beirut station chief, William Buckley, in the 1980s. By the summer of 2006 conventional wisdom held that the aging terrorist was no longer a key player in Hizbullah's day-to-day operations. Still, the Israeli intel officers told me they were increasingly concerned about an elite and quickly growing new cadre of Hizbullah operatives, known as Unit 1800; according to a flow chart that one of the men slid across the table, the unit reported up the chain of command to Mughniyeh.
Another item of note: accompanying the article was a photo of Mughniyeh credited to "Hizbullah Media Office-AP."
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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Comments Policy
Adolph Hitler, suspected
February 13, 2008 - 16:59 ET by BDAdolph Hitler, suspected leader of Nazi Germany, met with Benito Mussolini who is allegedly the fascist leader of Italy....
We have gotten to be WAY tooo legalistic in our society.
do they SUSPECT Bush lied
February 13, 2008 - 17:37 ET by TruthMongerdo they SUSPECT Bush lied about Iraq? I don't think so...
Bingo. Why do the libs
February 13, 2008 - 20:52 ET by GregEBingo. Why do the libs always seem to give the benefit of any doubt to the non-American? No answer necessary. Mental disease is all it is.
It's OK with me if they use
February 13, 2008 - 17:19 ET by ConservativeRexIt's OK with me if they use suspected terrorist, I really don't care if they say he was the alleged President of the Howdy Doody Fan Club, (Damascus Chapter). He is now a good suspected terrorist.
Yep, he has assumed room
February 13, 2008 - 17:23 ET by BDYep, he has assumed room temperature.
I know the guys dealing with the Hezzies undoubtedly had a beer in celebration of his announced demise.
Imad Mughniyeh Newsweek subscriber
February 13, 2008 - 17:34 ET by needleWell, you gotta understand: with Imad Mughniyeh being, er, having been, a life-time subscriber to Newsweek – and why not?, by the way – they are a bit leery of putting their friend in what might be a poor light.
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Defining a terrorist
February 13, 2008 - 18:00 ET by Lame CherryLiberals are always in such a quandry about definitions, because they giggle and use them to malign Christians, Jews, Patriots and Americans constantly.
Cuomo and Clift savaged Pat Buchanan as a "nazi". Too many second head radio types refer to Condi Rice as Aunt Jemima........and the literal insanity of terms placed on President Bush by the left from him being the most evil Christian, brilliant dupe, sober drunk, straight queer..........boggles the mind.
A terrorist is any person who targets civilians with violence and intimidation for a political reason.
The American military does not target civilian populations. The Philistine Neo Syrians does target civilians. The IDF does not target civilians and can not be blamed when the PNS loads babies into buildings as covering real terrorists.
If terrorists are offended for targetting civilians.........then they can stop doing it..........like Soviet's targetted Afganistan children.
Oh and President Clinton burning up babies in Waco, blowing a mother's head off by the BATF while she held her baby.......that is state sponsored terrorism as much as the UN "Peacekeepers" raping children, selling women and blowing up civilians.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS
That's okay.
February 13, 2008 - 18:51 ET by Mr. KafirI suspect Newsweek is basically fishwrap.
One mans terrorist is
February 13, 2008 - 19:03 ET by ThoughtPoliceOne mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter.
I wonder if they called the colonists terrorists when they were fighting the British? hmm..
Yes, freedom fighters
February 13, 2008 - 19:21 ET by JerryYes, freedom fighters always target innocent women and children to blow to bits. I remember well how those American colonists snuck into England and killed as many women and children as they could lay their hands on. How else could they fight against the world's superpower?
ANYONE who intentionally targets and blows up women and children is a TERRORIST, PERIOD. Freedom fighter MY ARSE.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
But then you're a guy who
February 13, 2008 - 19:35 ET by Jack BauerBut then you're a guy who would call the "men" who flew planes into the World Trade Center freedom fighters. Ain'tccha, ya "terror" lovin' cluck.hmmmm. hmmmm.hmmmm.
ThoughtlessPolice
February 13, 2008 - 19:58 ET by Free StinkerI wonder if they called the colonists terrorists when they were fighting the British? hmm..
Since they wore uniforms and were part of an organized army, the answer would be "No"
Newsbusters. Log on and find out What the heck is so yummy over here!
No Jack, the remote
February 13, 2008 - 23:43 ET by ThoughtPoliceNo Jack, the remote controlled planes were not freedom fighter planes.
Watch George Galloway school some blonde teleprompt reader on a little Hezbollah history..
http://youtube.com/w...
I won't be wartching a
February 14, 2008 - 05:54 ET by Jack BauerI won't be wartching a proven liar Galloway. The fact that you watch Galloway is all the proof we need about you, my friend.
I no more take seriously the mentally ill ravings of you and Galloway than I do Hitler and Goebbels.
Unlike some others who mistakenly indulge you here and offer some sort of "respect" (the way the appeasers indulged the Nazis) I'm going to call you for the evil little creep you are, every time I see you pop your vile head into a thread.
Galloway is a proven supporter of Islamo-fascist scum (like you). You are an evil swine who deserves nothing but contempt, my friend.
Something I am happy to give you in abundance. Fascist scum indeed, my friend. (that would be you, by the way.)
Did I mention I hate you and your ilk? Just thought I might be being a bit too subtle for a thick-head like you, my friend.
Haha..ouch..you got me
February 14, 2008 - 15:40 ET by ThoughtPoliceHaha..ouch..you got me good! I am an islamo-fascist-freedom-hater! I guess that would make you an israelo-fascist? (You would rather let others die and suffer then stop the funding of Isreal)
Galloway has more intellect in his right ass cheek than you ever will. (don't you just love my ad-hominem attacks! I learn from the best)
Please, get off NB, stop watching Faux news, and go read a book. You might learn something you didn't know!
Egads, you actually have
February 14, 2008 - 16:43 ET by BDEgads, you actually have something other than shear hatred of Galloway????? How is this possible? Have you never read what he has written?
Please, if he is so vial,
February 14, 2008 - 18:36 ET by ThoughtPolicePlease, if he is so vial, i'm sure you could have mustered up at least one link to prove your point? I'll surely read whatever you provide.
Did you by chance watch the video I posted? Kind of hard to argue with logic.
I suspect that their might be intelligence at Newsweek
February 13, 2008 - 19:16 ET by c5thenBut you can't prove it so far.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Obama is a suspected
February 13, 2008 - 19:20 ET by wiwfObama is a suspected liberal.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy
"I suspect that there might
February 13, 2008 - 19:27 ET by Jerry"I suspect that there might be intelligence at Newsweek.."
Only on the days when the Kindergarden field trip includes a tour of Newsweek's facilities. Once the Kindergarden class leaves, the intelligence, like Elvis, has left the building.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
Maybe it's because I work
February 13, 2008 - 19:19 ET by taterMaybe it's because I work in a newsroom (as a meteorologist not a journalist) but the anchors/reporters always say a person is suspected of whatever crime (even if it seems 100% likely) then drop it when the courts make it offical.
Don't get me wrong, the guy is probably a terrorist but this may be a case where a word was put in there in the slim possibility the guy was just an average Middle Eastern and Newsweek would have it's butt covered.
Do you realize how much it costs to run for office? More than any honest man could afford. -Montgomery Burns
Why the surprise? They are
February 13, 2008 - 21:04 ET by general companyWhy the surprise? They are only a supposed News mag?
"Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest". Mark Twain
Similar topic, since we all
February 13, 2008 - 21:06 ET by DCC1Similar topic, since we all know that all muslims are peacefull, you havn't heard anything about this in the news:
http://www.worldnetd...
I guess we can suspect that these muslims are not so tolerant huh...
Terrorists want change too
hezbollah blames isreal for the death
February 13, 2008 - 21:53 ET by lunaticcringeradiofrom drudge report-The militant group blamed Israel for the assassination - a charge the
Jewish state denied - but it did not say how he died. However, Middle
East media reported he was killed in a recent car bomb in Syria.
now lets just see how fast the msm jumps on the bandwagon of the poor pitiful hezbollah and starts pandering to their assertion that a known terrorist bomber, oops freedom fighter, died in a car that was loaded with explosives planted by the israelies while he was just minding his own business. we are not suppose to remember that terrorists are always using explosive ladened vehicles and in now way could he or his trainee may have wired something wrong and the bomb went off as he was reaching for his lamb falaffle(i'm not even going to try and spell it right), but we are suppose to believe instead it was an elaborate scheme by the israelies, or as borat would say, the "jeeeew". also you need to forget that "the jeeeew" israelies prefer the use of a just oh so slightly higher technology of something like an f-15 and a smart bomb.
also leave it to a terrorist to mastermind the technology of the dumb bomb. since they have been walking retards(the pity is they are smarter than the terrorists in a free society, without a doubt better human beings) into markets with bombs straped to them. is this because they are running low on the real retard "true believers" now?
lunaticcringeradio
I hope the Israelis
February 13, 2008 - 22:00 ET by Clear thinkerI hope the Israelis continue to deny they offed this scumbag. And I hope to someday shake the hand of whoever ordered blasting this guy to a thousand pieces.
Set the GOP back on the right course. http://gopteaparty.com/
From Hezbollah TV
February 13, 2008 - 23:57 ET by Andante"With all pride we declare a great jihadist leader of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon joining the martyrs... the brother commander hajj Imad Mughniyeh".
God willing (and with the help of the USMC), may all jihadists proudly join the martyrs.
Oh yeah, allah freekin ackbar
"We are going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."... Karl Marx? Nope, it was Hillary Clinton.
they can annouce it all they want
February 14, 2008 - 10:16 ET by lunaticcringeradiobut i seem to recall that a martyr is one who dies in battle and taking with them as many infidels, or jeeeews, as possible. he did neither. so he is not entitled to 72 virgins and isn't getting any special treatment by their rules before.
if they don't like it they can suck it, it was their rules to begin with.
i'm making up some new rules along the way.
all terrorists who die will reincarnate into a pig on earth.
new rule.
i just made it up.
nah nah, nah nahnah nah nah
you can't stop me cause i just made up a new rule, nobody can make up any new rules except me.
nah nah i win.
lunaticcringeradio