posted on October 18, 2001 12:12:03 PM new
If you were a reporter, would you attempt or desire to interview Bin Laden?
For reasons I am not sure I can explain here, I don't feel comfortable with the reporters wishing to interview him.
I personally, just don't have any desire to hear what he has to say. I don't want him humanized.
What about you, do you want to know what he has to say and could he say anything to make a difference in your feelings toward him and what he has done?
posted on October 18, 2001 12:18:34 PM new
wow I just envisioned Barbara Walters interviewing bin laden...what a sick thought! no I wouldn't like to interview him...interrogate him? Oh yes that I would
posted on October 18, 2001 12:37:50 PM new
I'd want to debate him and challenge everything he says, but I wouldn't want to simply provide him a forum to present his twisted views to the world at large.
Bin Laden: "America, the great Satan, is directly responsible for the deaths of one million innocent children in iraq."
Me: "Uh-huh. You realize, of course, that this is a total crock, right? I mean, do you have even the slightest shred of evidence to back up what you just said? Didn't think so."
Barry
---
The opinions expressed above are for comparison purposes only. Your mileage may vary....
posted on October 18, 2001 12:50:26 PM new
I believe he should be interviewed. Because the more he & the Taliban say, the more they reveal themselves to the world as untrustworthy, unscrupulous crazies. I think the one statement about their "thousands of young men eager for death" did quite a lot toward lowering world opinion about them and their "cause."
posted on October 18, 2001 12:55:40 PM new
Andrea Peyser:
October 18, 2001 -- I HAVE six questions for Osama bin Laden. The first two:
1. Where are you at this moment? And,
2. Where can we find you in an hour?
It should come as no surprise to TV news consumers that CNN has formalized its standing as official mouthpiece for the man The New York Times calls Mr. bin Laden.
The enemy wanted for the murder of 5,000 innocents is being treated as CNN's celebrity "get" of a lifetime.
At bin Laden's request, CNN has submitted - in writing - six questions for the terror master. These include the classic: "How do you feel about fellow Muslims who've denounced your holy war?"
My third question for Mr. bin Laden:
3. How do you feel about this gun we're about to discharge into your forehead?
The most shameless element of the CNN-bin Laden deal is the pains taken by the network to avoid finding out where bin Laden is hiding - or, at least, avoid looking as if network personnel know where he is.
Unnamed executives told the Times that CNN "wanted to avoid the appearance of having direct and secret access to terrorists."
The cable channel has its priorities: First, go for the ratings.
Then, avoid any possibility of helping the government catch or kill the man who threatens the lives of Americans.
CNN was approached with the offer to act as bin Laden's mouthpiece by a man connected with the al Qaeda terror squad. The deal was brokered by the bin Laden-friendly Al-Jazeera TV network.
This begs the question: Is CNN essentially aiding terrorists by failing to provide authorities with information that could lead to bin Laden's capture?
CNN vows to scrap the interview if bin Laden merely spews propaganda.
But what kind of answers do you expect to such questions as: "Do you have weapons of mass destruction?"
How about this for question four:
4. Do you have problems performing with women?
CNN has a history of airing enemy propaganda, dating back at least to the Gulf War and Peter Arnett's false report about America's bombing of an Iraqi "baby-milk factory."
Yesterday, anchor Leon Harris interviewed a member of the Palestinian terror organization that claimed responsibility for the murder of an Israeli cabinet minister. The terrorist issued the standard anti-Israel diatribe.
"Thank you for your insight and your side of the story," Harris dripped.
posted on October 18, 2001 01:06:04 PM new
jamesoblivion : great question!!"Do you have problems performing with women?" (but replace the word women with the word goat)
vallygirl: that one about made me fall off the chair.....man that was funny. as fat tony on the simpsons would say "its funny because its trew"
posted on October 18, 2001 04:58:23 PM new
No, I wouldn't.
I don't even want to see his mug on TV.
------
CNN was approached with the offer to act as bin Laden's mouthpiece by a man connected with the al Qaeda terror squad. The deal was brokered by the bin Laden-friendly Al-Jazeera TV network.
Surely, (don't call me Shirley ) CNN would not consider this offer. Can't you see it now...
Tonight, live, via satellite, on Larry King...a whole hour with Osama bin Laden telling his side of the story.
Anything out of bin Laden's mouth would be propaganda.
posted on October 19, 2001 07:52:56 AM new
This thread reminded me of a recent e-mail I received. I thought I'd share it here.
I have a moral question for you. This is an imaginary situation, but I think
it is fun to decide what one would do.
The situation: You are in the Middle East, and there is a huge flood in
progress. Many homes have been lost, water supplies compromised and
structures destroyed. Let's say that you're a photographer and getting
still photos for a news service, traveling alone, looking for
particularly poignant scenes. You come across Osama Bin Laden who has been
swept away by the floodwaters. He is barely hanging on to a tree limb and
is about to go under. You can either put down your camera and save him, or
take a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of him as he loses his grip on the
limb. So, here's the situation and think carefully before you answer the
question below:
Which lens would you use?
edited to remove unsuccessful ubb
[ edited by RoseBids25cents on Oct 19, 2001 07:53 AM ]
) CNN would not consider this offer. Can't you see it now...