Bilal Zenger
Harper’s declares Bilal Hussein the new John Peter Zenger:
America’s first major trial concerning press freedom involved a German newspaper man, John Peter Zenger. He was accused of having libeled the Royal Governor of New York, William Cosby. Andrew Hamilton won a favorable jury verdict in that case that set the tone for American attitudes about a free press three decades before the American Revolution.
Iraq’s equivalent of the Zenger case is being conducted now before an Iraqi investigating judge. In the dock sits the Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photojournalist Bilal Hussein. The prosecution is brought by the American Pentagon, under a Secretary of Defense who states–rather unconvincingly–that “the press is not the enemy.” I have just been given an update on the handling of the Bilal Hussein case from a Pentagon source who claimed to have been briefed on the proceedings.
Rather disturbing that a major U.S. magazine can’t tell the difference between libel, sedition and press freedom, issues painstakingly if imperfectly addressed by U.S. courts, and a terrorism suspect apprehended in the act of harboring other terrorism suspects, immediately post-terrorism, with a history of highly suspicious access, arguably rising to the level of accessory to terrorism and insurgency.
Bilal Hussein may in fact be an innocent dupe of terrorists, whose employers were either duped themselves or cynically welcomed the wretched propaganda he supplied. But he’s no Zenger. I’m sure Harper’s makes other important points. I scanned far enough down to see where Scott Horton, without evidence, indicted the U.S. military of pressuring Bilal’s judge, cited one possible past example, and then qualified the smear by asserting that it is the exception. I don’t intend to read any more of this but in the spirit of Harper’s will allow myself a prejudice: This article is a pile of crap.
Went back to check a fact and realized I already had read the whole thing. There’s no jump. That’s all there is. Horton makes this astonishing, highly charged claim and doesn’t even bother to back it up with any kind of serious argument. In the process, he has the effrontery to slam “friendly new media.”
Zenger background here. Bilal background here. You be the judge on whether this peacetime corruption-related libel action and the wartime collaboration action have anything in common, and whether Bilal Hussein is the John Peter Zenger of the Iraq war. Any lawyers care to weigh in?
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:15 am on Monday, December 24, 2007
8 Responses to “Bilal Zenger”
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December 24th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Merry Christmas, Jules and to all your kith and kin.
Thanks for helping the rest of us to keep our shields up and our spears level.
Ad Triarios Redisse!
Semper Fi.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
I second Grimmy’s post.
Merry Christmas to you Jules and to the entire Crittenden family.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Have a politically correct, non-sectarian, low-fat, corporate-free, gaia friendly, non-denominational, vegetarian, carbon neutral, day off Jules.
Given where you live, going into hiding may be the best bet.
December 25th, 2007 at 1:10 am
YO, Jules, wake up…there are presents awaiting.
December 25th, 2007 at 3:00 am
I want to add my best wishes for the Christmas season for Jules and his family. I add the “family” members here. Merry Christmas and may you all enjoy a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
(P.S. Jules: I was going to express my utter disgust over this trial, and the reaction to it in the press, but this crap is out there everyday, and I’d rather enjoy the beauty of the season. Thanks for all you do, Jules. You make a difference in my day.)
December 25th, 2007 at 10:21 am
I want to express my wish of a Merry Christmas to ALL of Mr. Crittenden’s commenter’s.
saltydog, was just going to ask and/or conduct a search for you. Hadn’t seen in the usual bars lately…Excusa…TAVERNS.
December 25th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Merry Christmas, all y’all. Best blog and best comment crew of 07 hands down. Here’s to a great 08. (Can you believe we have almost used up the oughts already?!)
December 25th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
Bilal Hussein is Iraq’s John Zenger? More like its Jake Lingle.