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Subject:
A Murder at Newsweek by William John Hagan
wjhii
5/25/2005 10:50:07 PM
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A Murder at Newsweek
By
William John Hagan
Houston Home Journal (Perry and Warner Robins, GA)
05/25/2005
By now we have all read about the incendiary riots in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East that were sparked by a false report in Newsweek Magazine that United States interrogators at the Guantanamo Detention Facility had flushed a copy of the Koran down a toilet to entice detainees to speak. The story was authored by famed journalist Michael Isikoff, who was first to discover the Clinton-Lewinsky affair but refused to run the story. He claimed not to trust the source, but the end result demonstrated that his decision was based on his personal allegiance to the Clinton administration. Isikoff also uncovered two rape allegations against former President Clinton, both of which he refused to share with the public. These stories all had witnesses and sources that had gone on the record with their accusations against President Clinton. Last week?s story on the desecration of the Koran was based on either anonymous or nonexistent sources. The result was a body count which, as of this writing, amounted to 17 people killed and over a hundred more injured during rioting.
Prior to publishing this article it should have been clear to Isikoff that the publication of such a story would result in violence. Newsweek ended up retracting the story, but took no action against Isikoff. Freedom of the Press is one of the pillars of American Democracy, but it is by no means an absolute right. In 1919, the Supreme Court determined that freedom of speech was not absolute in the case of Schenk v the United States which cited the act of falsely ?yelling fire in a crowded theater?. Incendiary speech is unprotected speech. By writing an article he could not substantiate, Isikoff showed grave indifference to public safety; an accomplishment that could have justified manslaughter charges had this crime occurred in the United States. Thankfully, as of the writing, no American lives have been lost as a result of Isikoff?s depraved indifference to the consequences of his actions. However, despite Newsweek?s halfhearted retraction, the anti-American protests have continued and continue to put US military personnel in danger on a daily basis. As the 17 death of non-Americans occurred outside the legal jurisdiction of the United States it is unlikely that Isikoff will face any repercussions for his murderous negligence: Despite the fact that he clearly committed treason as defined by article three, section three of the United States Constitution by giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Newsweek?s editors, who were so concerned about the rights of enemy combatants held at Guantanamo Bay, has no interest in the lives that Mr. Isikoff?s false story cost. However, the vast majority of the American people believe that life is sacred regardless of nationality. The United States Government cannot at this time bring manslaughter or murder charges against Mr. Isikoff because the 17 deaths he caused occurred in Afghanistan. This, however, does not prevent Afghanistan from trying Isikoff under the harsh Islamic Code of Law, which still believes in an eye for an eye.
It would seem that the only way Isikoff?s victims will see justice is if the United States Government makes the unprecedented move of offering to extradite Isikoff to Afghanistan to face justice. The current sovereign government of Afghanistan has allowed the extradition of many of its own citizens who were members of organizations that supported and protected those responsible for the murder of over 3000 Americans on September 11th. The least we can do is hand over Michael Isikoff to face justice at the hands of the families whose loved ones he killed.
[Letters to the editor my be emailed at link ]
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