AFRICA

The Poverty of Debate: Washington, UNITA, and the American Press

August 30, 2014   ·   0 Comments

Fidel Castro and Agostinho Neto

By Stephen Roblin: In Piero Gleijeses' authoritative transnational history of the conflict in southern Africa during the 1970s and 1980s, Visions of Freedom, he provides an account of the American press's troubling treatment of a political debate that occurred during the middle of Reagan's tenure. The debate centered on the question of whether the United States should provide lethal aid to the Angolan insurgent group, UNITA, which was led by one of Africa's most infamous terrorists, Jonas Savimbi. Here, NYTimes eXaminer has published the excerpt from Gleijeses' study.

Libyan police fly Qaeda flag

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By Michael M'Gehee: On the front page of the October 7, 2013 edition of The New York Times is an article about the capture of an al Qaeda operative in Libya...

Mubarak-released

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By Thomas Harrison: As I write, a horrible tragedy is unfolding in Egypt. The old order has reasserted itself with a vengeance.

Egypt

The U.S. was a Passive Observer in Egypt – If You Believe the New York Times

By Glen Ford: The New York Times cannot serve the truth and Power, too – so truth is jettisoned.

Obama and Somali President

On Somalia, The Opposite Is Probably True

By Stephen Roblin: Evidently, in the worldview of the New York Times, the United States can play a “vital role in improving” a country despite subjecting it to mass famine death, while at the same time be a victim of the country's internal troubles.

Somalia

The “Unscandal” of Mass Famine Deaths in Somalia

By Stephen Roblin: “Unscandals” are events that resemble scandals, but deviate in at least two crucial respects: the victims of scandalous acts lack sufficient influence to ...

Abdulkader

Links? We Don’t Do No Stinkin’ Links: Cognitive Dissonance at the New York Times

By Dave Lindorff: For a masterpiece in cognitive dissonance, just look to the foreign editors and the managing editor of the New York Times, who managed to run two closely related stories making opposite points in Saturday’s paper without referencing each other at all.

Mali al-Qaeda

To Explain Mali Turmoil, NYT Tosses U.S. Military Intervention in Libya Down the Memory Hole

By Jeremy R. Hammond: In my previous post, I commented on an example of the New York Times tossing inconvenient truths down the memory hole. Here’s another example...

Drone

US Drone War May Expand to Northwest Africa

By Al-Akhbar, AFP: The US military plans to expand its drone program to northwest Africa to bolster surveillance of Islamic militant groups, the New York Times reported Monday.

Eritrea

The Eritrean “Coup” That Never Was

By Thomas C. Mountain: The New York Times, Three Muniteers and a Savvy Technician...

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