Hariri, Syrias man in Beirut

December 21st, 2005 at 13:55 Björn Hallberg

The Angry Arab News Service spots the inconsistencies in the corporate media regarding the death of Rafic Hariri. Spearheaded by an editorial in the New York Times.

AANS - This is the newspaper that cheered Israeli invasions, bombings, and occupations of Lebanon. Now, it has become quite sensitive to Lebanon’s sovereignty. And the tears it is shedding over Rafiq Hariri. The New York Times almost fainted in grief in this editorial. Hear them identify Hariri: “Mr. Hariri, a three-term prime minister, was one of Lebanon’s most respected and independent-minded leaders and a symbol of resistance to Syrian occupation and interference.”

But unfortunately for the New York Times, I have access to their archives. Here is how the Times referred to Hariri back in 2000–even while praising him: ” From 1992 to 1998, Mr. Hariri, backed by Syria, tried to rebuild Beirut almost single-handedly.”(Aug. 27th, 2000). On December 18th, 1995, the Times also quoted Hariri: “Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri defended the Syrian presence. “There is a huge difference between the Syrians existing in Lebanon and the Israeli occupation of the south,” he said in an interview. “The Israeli troops committed an aggression and they occupied the country by force, while the Syrians came with an agreement…. “We’ll be together,” Mr. Hariri said.” And on December 23rd, 2000, the Times quoted Hariri as saying: “”Then we can discuss the relations between Lebanon and Syria on a brotherly level, because the Syrians have played a positive role in assuring the stability of the country.” On October 24th, 2000, the New York Times informed its readers that Rafiq Hariri “was close to the Syrian intelligence units that had effectively ruled Lebanon for more than 10 years.” Let the words speak for themselves.

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