Blame Israel

I knew this was coming.

Israel orchestrated the publication of inflammatory cartoons that radical Muslims have used as the rationalization to partake in days of mayhem, property destruction, and death.

It's an Israeli conspiracy. That's how Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sees it.

From Al Bawaba:

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on Tuesday that Israel was behind the recent publication of disparaging cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Recent publication?

They first appeared in September. They've been around for months without any uproar.

I guess it depends on what the meaning of the word "recent" is.

Khamenei explained that Israel conspired against the world's Muslim through the cartoons as a result of their frustration over the victory of Hamas.

The cartoons are a "conspiracy by Zionists who were angry because of the victory of Hamas," he said, according to the AP.

Khamenei has the timeline screwed up. The Hamas victory was in January 2006, not September 2005.


Khamenei made Tuesday's comments on Iran's state radio during a ceremony marking the decision of the Iranian air force to join the Islamic revolution in 1979.

He added that the scandal was particularly disturbing, as they were published by those "who champion civilization and free expression."

First, where does Khamenei get off lecturing about free expression?

Second, I don't understand the point of Khamenei's statement. Is he on the side of free expression or censorship?

Why does he see the scandal as "particularly disturbing" because cartoons were NOT censored by a free nation?

It's appropriate for a champion of "civilization and free expression" to publish the cartoons, not disturbing.

Meanwhile, President Bush contacted Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush has called Denmark's prime minister to express "our support and solidarity" in the wake of violence over the publication of caricatures of the prophet Muhammad, the White House said Tuesday.

Spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush and Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen agreed that all sides must move forward "through dialogue and tolerance, not violence."

The American Old Media still refuse to show solidarity with Denmark or any other European news outlet that chose to publish the cartoons.

CNN has been adding this disclaimer to their coverage of this major story:

CNN has chosen to not show the cartoons out of respect for Islam.

You can find this disclaimer at the bottom of each of their reports about the cartoon crisis.

It's a shame that CNN failed to show the same respect and concern for the U.S. Military that it has chosen to grant to Islam.

The network drooled over the Abu Ghraib photos for weeks and weeks, suggesting that our troops were engaging in widespread abuses, inflaming the Arab World and putting U.S. personnel at greater risk.

Why was it necessary to keep displaying those images?

Doesn't CNN have respect for the overwhelming majority of American troops serving with honor?

Obviously, CNN has more respect for Islam than America.