By Yvonne Ridley
Press TV
".....So what provoked them and who were they gunning for? Was it one of Obama's aids caught lying - may be some political sleaze or even another Watergate in the making? Could they have been making a final stand for journalistic integrity and freedom over the Administration's plans to prosecute and imprison investigative reporters who refuse to reveal their sources?
Well sorry to disappoint - it was none of the above.
It seems the most famous gaggle of journalists in the world finally got steamed up about a comment made by one of their own ... against Israel.
And their target just happens to be an 89-year-old columnist who has nailed more US Presidents with her hammer-blow questions than any other member of the White House Press Corps.
The formidable grand dame of the WHPC has now been forced to quit her much coveted front row seat - from where she made no less than 10 US Presidents sweat with her probing questions.
Helen Thomas resigned just before the White House Correspondents Association announced it was considering stripping her of her prime position.
No doubt some of these are the same gutless scribes who gave President George W Bush such an easy ride over Iraq, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, torture, waterboarding etc.
Now had Helen Thomas blasted: "Palestinians should get the hell out of Israel," she would have been feted. Instead, what the redoubtable Ms Thomas, a lifelong critic of Zionism said, was that Israeli Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine” and return to Germany and Poland “or wherever they came from.”.....
Such blatant attempts at control of news coverage are nothing new. The same strategy was carried out during Israel's last invasion of Gaza.
But what do these Washington scribes know?
However, what they have proved by their swift action against Helen Thomas is that while Israel conducts a military occupation in Palestine it is conducting a political occupation of The White House Corps. "
Press TV
".....So what provoked them and who were they gunning for? Was it one of Obama's aids caught lying - may be some political sleaze or even another Watergate in the making? Could they have been making a final stand for journalistic integrity and freedom over the Administration's plans to prosecute and imprison investigative reporters who refuse to reveal their sources?
Well sorry to disappoint - it was none of the above.
It seems the most famous gaggle of journalists in the world finally got steamed up about a comment made by one of their own ... against Israel.
And their target just happens to be an 89-year-old columnist who has nailed more US Presidents with her hammer-blow questions than any other member of the White House Press Corps.
The formidable grand dame of the WHPC has now been forced to quit her much coveted front row seat - from where she made no less than 10 US Presidents sweat with her probing questions.
Helen Thomas resigned just before the White House Correspondents Association announced it was considering stripping her of her prime position.
No doubt some of these are the same gutless scribes who gave President George W Bush such an easy ride over Iraq, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, torture, waterboarding etc.
Now had Helen Thomas blasted: "Palestinians should get the hell out of Israel," she would have been feted. Instead, what the redoubtable Ms Thomas, a lifelong critic of Zionism said, was that Israeli Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine” and return to Germany and Poland “or wherever they came from.”.....
Such blatant attempts at control of news coverage are nothing new. The same strategy was carried out during Israel's last invasion of Gaza.
But what do these Washington scribes know?
However, what they have proved by their swift action against Helen Thomas is that while Israel conducts a military occupation in Palestine it is conducting a political occupation of The White House Corps. "
No comments:
Post a Comment