Asymmetric "Journalism", Asymmetric Terror--An Attack on Freedom

Some were "activists", as was apparently the Iranian-born American citizen, and current Chicagoan Fatima Mohammadi in this CBS2 story. Many weren't, as evidenced by their murderous chanting and subsequent violent actions. It is no surprise as the sponsors were a designated terrorist organization.

But many in the media were not skeptical enough, no surprise there either.

Joel Pollak, Big Journalism: Israel, the Truth and the Asymmetric Warfare Of Embedded Journalism:

The first images of the clashes aboard the Mavi Marmara early Monday morning were broadcast by Al Jazeera English, which had an embedded journalist, Jamal Elshayyal, aboard the ship. What is remarkable about the footage is that the only attack it depicted was of the passengers upon the Israeli commandos, using bars and knives. The footage did not show the soldiers shooting. Yet the images were described as an Israeli attack.

Read on. Joel Pollak is a human rights lawyer and the Republican candidate for the 9th congressional district in Illinois.

Powerline: A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth gets a chance to put its pants on

Phase Two

Ship of fools

More. Pat Hickey on local Hamas sympathizer Kevin Clark, who was mentioned sypathetically in the CBS story. More background here.

More. Heritage:

Early Monday morning in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, helicopters lowered Israeli Commandos onto a Turkish-flagged ferry carrying 600 passengers determined to break Israel's blockade of Gaza. Beset by activists armed with poles, knives and guns, the Israelis defended themselves, and the resulting violence left at least nine dead. Hours later, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report claiming that Iran now has enough nuclear fuel, with further enrichment, to make two nuclear weapons. These two stories are not unrelated. And they ought to serve as a signal to the Obama administration that it is time to change its approach to the region.

More. Palin Reacts to Flotilla Incident