Hassan Fattah Does It Again
The interesting thing about Hassan Fattah is not really that he's a March 8th apologist. Journalists have used their work to shill for their pet causes for a long time. What is interesting about Mr. Fattah is that he is such a blatant and unapologetic shill. Fresh off a New York Times article where he predicted that Camille Khoury's 418-vote margin marked the end of the Gemayel family, he has already penned a follow up blaming United States' support for Kataeb as the reason for the loss.
"'It's the kiss of death,' said Turki al- Rasheed, a Saudi reformer who watched Sunday's elections closely. 'The minute you are counted on or backed by the Americans, kiss it goodbye, you will never win.'"
Let's start with the obvious. In his article on Mount Lebanon politics, Fattah quoted a Saudi reformer and a Jordanian academic. Why? Probably because he asked every Lebanese commentator whether US support doomed Gemayel, and they said no. The only Lebanese Fattah quotes is an al-Akhbar columnist and Aoun's nephew. Neither, as far as I can tell, said anything to suggest that American support hurt March 14th in this by-election specifically. Aoun's nephew even says that he objects to March 14th's policies, not their alliance with the United States.
Not to put too fine a gloss on things, but Fattah's conclusion is obviously insane. In many parts of the world, and in many parts of Lebanon, heavy-handed American support can hurt a political leader. But not in the Metn. Lebanon's Christian community consistently and overwhelmingly says that they have a favorable impression of the United States. In the latest Pew poll on the subject, 82% of Christians said that they had a favorable view of the United States.
I don't know how Fattah reconciles this fact with his argument. But I guess nobody has ever asked him to -- after all, he writes for the New York Times.
Comments (3)
would you like to get involved in some activism against Mr. Fattah? It seems most of us in the Lebanese blogosphere are not happy at all with his coverage.
We can either have a mass online petition, or we can send a letter to the NYtimes signed you, me, Blacksmith jad, Anton Efendi & Abou Kais, each with his respective blog address.
Ok?
Posted by Mustapha | August 10, 2007 11:55 AM
Posted on August 10, 2007 11:55
I almost forgot, also Charles Malek from Lebanese political Journal and Jeha and Failasoof..
Quite a poss :)
Posted by Mustapha | August 10, 2007 11:58 AM
Posted on August 10, 2007 11:58
The only Lebanese Fattah quotes is an al-Akhbar columnist and Aoun's nephew. Neither, as far as I can tell, said anything to suggest that American support hurt March 14th in this by-election specifically. Aoun's nephew even says that he objects to March 14th's policies, not their alliance with the United States.
Funny you should mention it. As a matter of fact, the uncle of the geniuszz Alain Aoun happened to open his rabid mouth to Le Monde to bash the US (maybe his nephew didn't get the memo, but he'll repeat it soon enough). Here's one gem from Generalissimo that suggests not only that they didn't think US support for March 14 didn't hurt Gemayel, but that it actually hurt them (Aounists):
"George Bush announced last week the freezing of the assets of those who act against the "legitimate government" of Lebanon, whose legitimacy we've been contesting for a year. Three days ahead of the election on Sunday, this threat sacred those who support us with donations."
This is right before Generalissimo slipped comfortably into his frothing ox routine and spewed this Bouthain Shaabanish, Naim Qasimesque, "death to America" type conspiratorial rant that gives Emile Lahoud a run for his money:
"The understanding and union which we propose are the only road for salvation. But the West does not want it. I suspect that the US is working to destabilize Lebanon, after destabilizing Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia, etc. I believe in fact that the Americans desire a new conflict in this country in order to organize, as a result of this disorder, the patriation of Palestinians who reside in Lebanon, because they won't give them another country."
Posted by Tony | August 10, 2007 1:17 PM
Posted on August 10, 2007 13:17