If the security apparatus of the United States assists a client state in disappearing and detaining an American citizen, torturing him, and keeping him imprisoned so the FBI can aggressively interrogate him - how long does it take NPR to report on this assault on the rights of a citizen?The horse hasn't even left the gate on that one. The story of Gulet Mohamed's detention and alleged torture was broken by the NYT on January 5, 2011, and as of the evening of January 18, 2011, NPR has yet to give ANY airtime to the case. As of tomorrow we'll be at two weeks and counting...
However, if you are an American citizen arrested on the evening of November 26, 2010 for planning to bomb a public event in Portland, Oregon, how long will it take NPR to jump on the case? The answer is four days (that does not include the immediate on-air hourly news-updates which NPR doesn't archive for searches). On November 30, 2010 there will be a full story on the case itself, and additional report featuring confrontational questioning of the mayor of Portland challenging the wisdom of his city's not fully joining a federal security "anti-terror" organization.
The complete lack of coverage of Gulet Mohamed's ordeal is no accident. It has been written about extensively since January 6, 2011 by Glenn Greenwald - and a "big follower" of Greenwald's writing is none other than NPR's go-to "Counterterrorism Correspondent," Dina Temple-Raston. Here is what Temple-Raston said to Greenwald on Nov. 5th at the NYU Constitution and National Security Conference [beginning and ending time is indicated]:
(53:16) "Hi there, I'm Dina Temple-Raston with National Public Radio, and I'm a big follower of yours Glenn and I like your stuff very much, but I'm sorry I'm going to have to correct you on a number of very basic points that clearly, uh, our representative from the FBI feels uncomfortable correcting you on..." (53:32)The stark nature of attention and promptness NPR devotes to stories promoting the enhancement of state encroachment on individual liberties versus its complete lack of interest in reporting on the crimes of the US security apparatus is telling in this case. Both central figures in these events are about the same age, are American citizens, and were born in Somalia - and when it involves Somalia and the US "war on terror," Dina Temple-Raston is usually all over it.
4 comments:
has anyone else noticed that when Rastin-Temple talks about Tucson she is NOT the "terrorism reporter"? Or is it just me?
edk
I loved how Greenwald totally takes apart Temple-Rastin. She should have known better than to mess with Glenzilla.
My question every time I heard one of these ridiculous "terrorist" capture stories is what would have the so called "terrorist" have actually done if he hadn't been bankrolled and given support by the FBI? I suspect not much of anything but it's certainly easy enough to get a young person to do something like that when they wouldn't have otherwise. In the U.S. military it's called Basic Training.
Two days ago someone planted a bomb on the route of a MLK Parade in Spokane, Washington. The FBI is investigating:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41139894/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
Not one on air story by NPR, reminds of how they ignored 12 tea birthers showing up at an Obama rally with guns:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090817/us-obama-protesters-guns/
There's nothing the Right can do that NPR won't over look.
GRUMPY DEMO, the Spokane story wasn't broadcast, but there's an AP story and only two people have already commented.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133030247
FAIR has noted the lack of coverage.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2011/01/20/terrorism-and-spokane/
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