War / Peace

"Suddenly, dramatically, unalterably the world has changed," observes Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz. "And that means journalism will also change, indeed is changing before our eyes. The presidency will become a constant focus in ways not seen since the height of Ronald Reagan's struggle against the so-called Evil Empire. Reporting on the military, the spy services, diplomacy and global terrorism will heat up after years of back burner status." Kurtz also thinks that government censorship of the press may see a revival.

As might be expected, last week's terrorist bombings have energized some of the most extremist and intolerant segments of American society.

During part of Friday, Spin of the Day provided a link to a story by Robert Scheer of the Los Angeles Times titled Bush's Faustian Deal with the Taliban. We have discovered, however, that Scheer's story was misleading and inaccurate. His story, written on May 22, 2001, reported that the Bush administration had given $43 million to the Taliban as "an ally in the drug war. ... The gift ... makes the U.S.

Following Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, U.S. television has repeatedly broadcast footage that shows Palestinians celebrating. The Electronic Intifida, which supports the Palestinian uprising in Israel, says this coverage is misleading. "The overwhelming number of Palestinians, like people of all nationalities, were sickened by the events in New York and Washington," it states. "Palestinians with relatives in New York and Washington spent much of yesterday worriedly trying to phone to check they were safe, exactly as many Americans did.