Have You Heard About Bush's Arabic Language TV Network Debacle??

Question

The Alhurra Network was set up to redress the "imblance" in Middle Eastern media coverage of the War on Terror. It was a key element in the "hearts and minds strategy" which Bush et. al. promoted so aggressively. It has been revealed that NONE of its top execs speak Arabic and therefore have little or no knowledge of the actual content of their broadcasts. They have relayed 1 hour speeches by Hezbollah and Hamas leaders calling for jihad against America. They have allowed a Lebanese floor manager to be in charge of hiring and firing since he is the only one at the station who speaks enough Arabic to interview applicants. He has a tendency to hire only his relatives.

Apparently it has no credibility in the Arab world but AC Nielson claims 20,000,000 viewers across the Middle East. Internal ratings studies show that less than 2% of people with TV access watch it.

Is this an example of how well the neo cons have handled this war???

Answer 1

Why would you fuzz about AlHurra giving interviews to Hamas and Hezbollah???

That's exactly what it should be doing AND THEN present the US point of view.

That way people have a way to contrast the two positions and hopefully see the US side of things.

Have a point by point interaction that would animate and educate people.

I have to say that to me Americans are very confused on what to do in the Middle East and are going in circles over there because of it.

I'm very afraid Barack Obama, or whoever is the next president, is simply going to continue doing the same insane things the US has been doing in that part of the world for the last 60 years expecting different results.

This country is simply petrified to try anything new. What a sad psychological dysfunction we're witnessing here.

With or without a TV or radio station what difference does it make if the US refuses to enter into negotiations with ALL concerned?

Apply international law instead of trying to apply the will of the US, for crying out loud.

Answer 2

Your inspector general is already investigating scams worth $28 Billion from private contractors (Halliburton etc) the last I heard.  There will be more but your example above is incompetence not fraud so wouldn't be included in this.

Answer 3

"Is this an example of how well the neo cons have handled this war???":  YES.  Never send a spoiled rich boy to do a man's job.

Look at the facts.  President Clinton, born into worse poverty than most any of us will ever know, made a success out of himself by his intelligence and hard work.  Bush...a spoiled rich boy who failed at everything he ever tried and always got bailed out by rich friends looking for favor from either him or his dad.  And this country was STUPID enough to let the election get close enough so crooked Republican judges on the sup. ct could steal it for him.

Answer 4

At 49 billion dollars cost per year to the AMERICAN taxpayer!

Answer 5

I think Nancy Pelosi said it best when she commented recently on the gaff- ridden, intellectually crippled and incompetent regime that has been driving us to ruin.

Answer 6

Have they done anything right? It is time for some serious criminal investigations.