The smooth Englishman on Al-Jazeera to whom I referred this morning is Shihab Rattansi, formerly of CNN, and a credit to the human race. Here is wonderful footage of him this afternoon interviewing first Dennis Kucinich at Congress–and asking him what prayer he has of actually succeeding in mounting a Congressional challenge to the use by Israel of arms sold to it for defensive purposes–and then taking on Rep. Eliot Engel of New York. Mr. Lobby.
When Engel says that "I don't know what it means" to say that the Israeli attacks have been disproportionate, Rattansi says, Well 200 children have been killed. So if that's not disproportionate, would it be disproportionate if 300 children were killed? (Shades of George Bernard Shaw.)
Engel persists that the children were killed, unfortunately, in attacks on Hamas terrorist facilities. "You are demanding the evidence that all these children were around Hamas [facilities]," Rattansi says, with savage irony. Beautiful performance. Also gives Engel stick when he says that Hamas broke the cease-fire. No, Israel did, on November 4… Wow, can you imagine a journalist doing this on our cable stations? And if not, why not? (Thanks to Idrees Ahmad)
Explains another Al-Jazeera English watcher: "The material in these
videos is not uncommon on AJE or on the media
outside of the USA; it's shown regularly. What's considered 'brave' or
'graphic' in America is mundane anywhere else. European media is a
little better. CNN Intl. is one grade above CNN US, but shallow and
timid overall (the best they can manage during the coverage is Amanpour
interviewing Blair – about as interesting as drying paint and just as
informative. It made Larry King look like a hardball interviewer.). BBC
goes a little further in terms of pictures and diction. But they both
have nothing on AJE, who has the only international journalists
broadcasting live from Gaza, doing superb work."
