CNN's Fareed Zakaria inserted a thinly-veiled shot at Fox News Channel during his Monday special on ISIS. Zakaria underlined that "the angry rhetoric of cable news fits right into the script [of ISIS]." He continued that "CNN makes an occasional appearance" in the Islamist terrorist group's propaganda, but then played up that "Fox News is a favorite of ISIS, with commentators who demand boots on the ground – playing into ISIS's dreams of a grand battle against America."
Zakaria led into his barb at his channel's competitor by noting that "ISIS also manipulates us – television news. They put their videos online; we put them on television. And in a bizarre twist, ISIS turns around and makes clever use of what it sees on TV." He then played clips from the extremist organization's videos, as he used his "angry rhetoric of cable news" and "favorite of ISIS" lines.
It should be pointed out that Zakaria (who endorsed President Obama in 2008) included a clip from liberal author Thomas Friedman, who likened ISIS's propaganda to CNN: "They were raised on Twitter. They were raised on YouTube. They were raised on Facebook. ISIS is CNN to somebody's home TV. These guys are very sophisticated. "
The transcript of the relevant portion of Fareed Zakaria's CNN special, Blindsided: How ISIS Shook the World, which aired on Monday:
FAREED ZAKARIA (voice-over): And, of course, ISIS also manipulates us – television news. They put their videos online; we put them on television. And in a bizarre twist, ISIS turns around and makes clever use of what it sees on TV.
This video is called 'Victory in Kobani.' It glorifies the ISIS capture of that Syrian city, while mocking President Obama and other Western leaders.
GENERAL MARTIN DEMPSEY: Air power alone – first of all, there's no military solution to ISIL. I have – military-only solution – okay?
ZAKARIA: The angry rhetoric of cable news fits right into the script.
MICHAEL SCHEUER (from interview on Fox News Channel): Even with combat troops on the ground, we've proven that we cannot defeat these people. The – we are so incompetent – in terms of conducting a foreign policy; and in terms of conducting military operation.
ZAKARIA: CNN makes an occasional appearance-
NIC ROBERTSON (from CNN's New Day): Enter that city of Kobani.
ZAKARIA: But Fox News is a favorite of ISIS, with commentators who demand boots on the ground – playing into ISIS's dreams of a grand battle against America.
LT. COL. BILL COWAN, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET) (from Fox News Channel's Happening Now): So at the end of the day, when Kobani falls – and I would say, by all accounts, it's going to – the United States will look absolutely foolish for doing some pinprick strikes that had no effect on the outcome; and ISIS is going to come out more empowered than ever. ISIS will be the big winner, and the United States will be the big loser.
ZAKRIA: All of it is frighteningly effective – creating a 21st century machine, designed perfectly for the young, and built to recruit followers from across the world. (clip of ISIS members chanting, "Takbir! Allah akhbar!")
THOMAS FRIEDMAN, AUTHOR, NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST: They were raised on Twitter. They were raised on YouTube. They were raised on Facebook. ISIS is CNN to somebody's home TV. These guys are very sophisticated. They're a whole different generation.
