Nice to know good ole American citizens care more about People magazine than who is really running the show.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/176001/ny ... z2dfgDe100 (http://www.thenation.com/blog/176001/nyt-cuts-references-aipac-syria-debate#axzz2dfgDe100)
QuoteIt was startling, though not exactly surprising. Web detectives spotted it fairly easily. I saw it first from M.J. Rosenberg, but perhaps someone else had earlier. The Daily Beast and others referred to the grafs before they were cut. The Boston Globe published it earlier, in picking up The New York Times story, for example, and they still have it online.
This was cut from the Times's top story of the day, on their site and in print:
Administration officials said the influential pro-Israel lobby group Aipac was already at work pressing for military action against the government of Mr. Assad, fearing that if Syria escapes American retribution for its use of chemical weapons, Iran might be emboldened in the future to attack Israel. In the House, the majority leader, Eric Cantor of Virginia, the only Jewish Republican in Congress, has long worked to challenge Democrats' traditional base among Jews.
One administration official, who, like others, declined to be identified discussing White House strategy, called Aipac "the 800-pound gorilla in the room," and said its allies in Congress had to be saying, "If the White House is not capable of enforcing this red line" against the catastrophic use of chemical weapons, "we're in trouble."
Updates; All of the many changes in the story tracked here. Goldberg talks to Politico about it. As he notes, very "strange"—original article was accurate and no space issues on the Web....Some dialogue with the Times's Robert Mackey on Twitter, in which he claims "transparency." And now: See NYT explanation for cut here ("gorilla" quote had appeared the day before).
Rosenberg comments:
Obviously the White House and/or AIPAC did not want to be caught saying that the reason we are attacking Syria is to show AIPAC, the "800 pound gorilla," that we are serious about the war the lobby really craves: Iran.
But there it is. Or was.
AIPAC censorship even applies to the Times. Only in America (not Israel, where AIPAC's power does not extend to Haaretz).
Jeffrey Goldberg in tweet to me just now: "I noted, on Twitter, the AIPAC cut early this morning. Trying to get an answer about why it was cut."
Brent Sasley at The Daily Beast had commented when he read original story;
One might, then, expect it to take a public position on the biggest issue of the day, U.S. strikes against the regime's military assets. And after President Obama announced he was going to Congress for authorization for the attack, observers began wondering—with some claiming more confidently—that AIPAC would become much more active. Apparently White House officials even fear what AIPAC will do. If Obama is seen as not enforcing his red line over Syria, how, one hinted, would this "800-pound gorilla in the room" view the Administration's Iran policy.
This will of course be "poo poo'ed" by the Obama minions. After all, "You can't prove AIPAC has influence in Washington."
Oh well. :cry: At least the games goes on. Maybe this time they will broadcast them in HD. :-D What a hoot that'll be. :twisted:
Quote from: "Triple Nine"Nice to know good ole American citizens care more about People magazine than who is really running the show.
Sad but true....
QuoteOne administration official, who, like others, declined to be identified discussing White House strategy, called Aipac "the 800-pound gorilla in the room,"
AIPAC has had it's hairy hand up the ass of American governments for years. It's about time people sat up and took notice. Why else do they think that the US vetoes every effort to rein in Israel? Well... they probably don't think about it, like you said.... :(
Perhaps it's time the public is made aware that Israel doesn't relatively nothing, if anything at all to actually help anyone except Israel..
Nahhhhh... it can't be so...can it? 8-[
Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"Perhaps it's time the public is made aware that Israel doesn't relatively nothing, if anything at all to actually help anyone except Israel..
Nahhhhh... it can't be so...can it? 8-[
Yeah, but we'd all be Nazis if we thought that, right? :lol:
Quote from: "Youssuf Ramadan"Quote from: "AllPurposeAtheist"Perhaps it's time the public is made aware that Israel doesn't relatively nothing, if anything at all to actually help anyone except Israel..
Nahhhhh... it can't be so...can it? 8-[
Yeah, but we'd all be Nazis if we thought that, right? :lol:
Yeah, down with thoughtcrime!
I once thought of robbing a bank. I'm on my way now to turn myself in.
This war is not about helping the poor people of Syria....never has been. It's a pissing contest. Neither Assad NOR the rebels are good people, but someone set off chemical weapons and now it's time for a proxy war!
So, let's say the Assad regime falls. Then what? We let these people take over?
Activists: Syrian rebels take Christian village
http://news.yahoo.com/activists-syrian- ... 22827.html (http://news.yahoo.com/activists-syrian-rebels-christian-village-093722827.html)
QuoteThe rebel advance into the area this week was spearheaded by Jabhat al-Nusra, or the Nusra Front, exacerbating fears among Syrians and religious minorities about the role played by Islamic extremists within the rebel ranks.
QuoteA Maaloula resident said the rebels, many of them sporting beards and shouting God is great, attacked Christian homes and churches shortly after moving into the village overnight.
"They shot and killed people. I heard gunshots and then I saw three bodies lying in the middle of a street in the old quarters of the village," said the resident, reached by telephone from neighboring Jordan. "So many people fled the village for safety."
Now, Maaloula "is a ghost town. Where is President Obama to see what befallen on us?" asked the man.
Another resident who fled the village of 3,000 inhabitants earlier in the day said in a telephone interview that Assad's forces deployed on the outskirts of the village, while gunmen inside refused to allow anybody in.
He said the gunmen declined to allow fleeing people to take five dead bodies out of the village with them.
He said one of the churches, called Demyanos, had been torched and that gunmen stormed into two other churches and robbed them.
Everyone is playing a game to further their own interests and Syria is the pawn. Someone will win, but it won't be the Syrian people.
Quote from: "Smartmarzipan"Everyone is playing a game to further their own interests and Syria is the pawn. Someone will win, but it won't be the Syrian people.
Couldn't have put it better myself.