Thursday, July 20, 2006

Consider the Source

Consider the following: "Given the organization's record of bloodshed and hostility, the question is not whether Hezbollah should be stopped; it is how" or "The upshot is that although Washington should indeed confront Hezbollah, it should do so indirectly."

These are from Daniel Byman's 2003 article in Foreign Affairs. And Byman is the "expert" that NPR talks to about Hezbollah in the current crisis. All we learn about Byman is that he is the director of the Center for Peace and Security Studies which sounds fine. However, the center is closly alligned with the US government and guess what other institute Byman is part of...the Brookings Institute (a strong backer of US foreign policy).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I heard this blowhard this evening on NPR's "Fresh Air" and was shocked at Terry Gross's treatment of him as an unbiased expert. The guy's definition of terrorism and account of Hezbollah seems to come straight from Tel Aviv and Washington. Not a single critical question for him or challenge to his position. Shocking and horrifying.