Thursday October 20, 2011

I've Been Thinking:

The Egyptian interview with Gilad Shalit was a propaganda piece. It was designed by Egypt to position themselves as central to the entire exchange. And, by extension once again, to reposition them as leaders in the Arab world.

The interviewer, Shahira Amin, is unyielding in her defense of the interview. She has said that she did not want to be a propaganda tool. She has bolstered her defense by saying that she resigned from state TV during the riots against Mubarak so as not to be part of the propaganda.

There is a serious flaw in the entire episode. Putting the questions asked of Gilad Shalit aside, putting his health aside, the flaw lies with the interview itself.

Conducting an interview, any interview, went against the agreement that Egypt signed. To complicate the issue even further, Amin claims Hamas was not involved in her interview --- but they were and the pictures prove it. Why lie?

We all know that Shalit was brought into the room by armed Hamas men. In the room itself there were only Egyptian intelligence people. They did not intervene, and neither did the Hamas men. I say this with complete authority and responsibility

http://honestreporting.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/shalithamasinterview.jpg

The translator/minder was not from Hamas as has been claimed, but behind Gilad Shalit in the still picture is a Hamas man in a mask with a camera. Shahira Amin hopes that this interview will be the big break in her career and take her international. But she interviewed a captive with his captors in the room - and then lied about it.

Say what she wants, that is propaganda, not journalism.

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