MJM
7th April 2002, 00:48
From my email.
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the April 11, 2002
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
AMANPOUR ASKS A BESIEGED ARAFAT TO 'STOP THE VIOLENCE":
WHAT PLANET IS CNN ON?
By Leslie Feinberg
Even the phrase "blaming the victim" can't convey the
arrogance of CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour's March 29
telephone interview with Yasser Arafat. Speaking by phone to
the Palestinian leader in his besieged compound, as several
of his closest aides were being assassinated by Israeli
troops, Amanpour sounded like a reporter from the antebellum
South asking slave rebellion leader Nat Turner or
Abolitionist John Brown if they would "rein in the
violence."
Arafat was literally being held captive inside his Ramallah
headquarters by Israeli settler military might. Tanks
circled and shelled his compound. Bulldozers and tank
turrets were tearing down the fences and walls around him.
Explosions and gunfire crackled and boomed from all
directions. Israeli snipers poised on nearby rooftops fired
right into the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority.
In the midst of this all-out siege by the generals of Tel
Aviv, the highest-paid foreign correspondent in the world
asked the Palestinian leader, "What are the conditions like
at your compound right now?"
Arafat was used to the Western press personalizing and
trivializing the news. "Still you are not following this
aggression against the Palestinian people in all of the West
Bank and Gaza," he replied. "They have divided Gaza into
three parts, completely separated it. And also the
aggression and the attack in Ramallah against my
headquarters and against the Palestinian people ... all
around. At the same time, they are increasing their forces,
their military activities to follow up their aggression
against many other places, many other towns, many other
cities, many other areas in our Palestinian liberated
areas."
Amanpour sounded surprised. "Are you under direct physical
threat right now?"
Arafat answered, "It seems that you are not following the
TVs all over the world. They have destroyed completely seven
of our buildings, completely around my office and pounded my
office with all their armaments. ... Israel is the real
terrorist of the occupation. And especially they are using
now all the American weapons against us--F-15s and F-16s and
... rockets and bombers and artillery and everything."
Then Amanpour bared the real role of the imperialist media
in times of political and military crisis--to refashion the
oppressed into the oppressor. Secretary of State Colin
Powell, she said, "called on you to rein in the violence.
What do you make of that statement, and can you and will you
rein in that violence?"
Arafat could not contain his anger. "Are you asking me while
I am under complete siege?"
The CNN star reporter repeated the monstrously loaded
question: "Are you able to rein in the violence?"
Arafat blew up. "You are covering, with such questions, the
terrorist activities of the Israeli occupation and the
Israeli crimes."
He hung up. Amanpour, for once, was at a loss for words.
- END -
-------------------------
Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the April 11, 2002
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------
AMANPOUR ASKS A BESIEGED ARAFAT TO 'STOP THE VIOLENCE":
WHAT PLANET IS CNN ON?
By Leslie Feinberg
Even the phrase "blaming the victim" can't convey the
arrogance of CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour's March 29
telephone interview with Yasser Arafat. Speaking by phone to
the Palestinian leader in his besieged compound, as several
of his closest aides were being assassinated by Israeli
troops, Amanpour sounded like a reporter from the antebellum
South asking slave rebellion leader Nat Turner or
Abolitionist John Brown if they would "rein in the
violence."
Arafat was literally being held captive inside his Ramallah
headquarters by Israeli settler military might. Tanks
circled and shelled his compound. Bulldozers and tank
turrets were tearing down the fences and walls around him.
Explosions and gunfire crackled and boomed from all
directions. Israeli snipers poised on nearby rooftops fired
right into the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority.
In the midst of this all-out siege by the generals of Tel
Aviv, the highest-paid foreign correspondent in the world
asked the Palestinian leader, "What are the conditions like
at your compound right now?"
Arafat was used to the Western press personalizing and
trivializing the news. "Still you are not following this
aggression against the Palestinian people in all of the West
Bank and Gaza," he replied. "They have divided Gaza into
three parts, completely separated it. And also the
aggression and the attack in Ramallah against my
headquarters and against the Palestinian people ... all
around. At the same time, they are increasing their forces,
their military activities to follow up their aggression
against many other places, many other towns, many other
cities, many other areas in our Palestinian liberated
areas."
Amanpour sounded surprised. "Are you under direct physical
threat right now?"
Arafat answered, "It seems that you are not following the
TVs all over the world. They have destroyed completely seven
of our buildings, completely around my office and pounded my
office with all their armaments. ... Israel is the real
terrorist of the occupation. And especially they are using
now all the American weapons against us--F-15s and F-16s and
... rockets and bombers and artillery and everything."
Then Amanpour bared the real role of the imperialist media
in times of political and military crisis--to refashion the
oppressed into the oppressor. Secretary of State Colin
Powell, she said, "called on you to rein in the violence.
What do you make of that statement, and can you and will you
rein in that violence?"
Arafat could not contain his anger. "Are you asking me while
I am under complete siege?"
The CNN star reporter repeated the monstrously loaded
question: "Are you able to rein in the violence?"
Arafat blew up. "You are covering, with such questions, the
terrorist activities of the Israeli occupation and the
Israeli crimes."
He hung up. Amanpour, for once, was at a loss for words.
- END -