Newsweek’s Michael Hirsh’s Pro-Iranian Distortions Endanger America

By RoxieAmerica

Michael Hirsh, a senior editor at Newsweek, wrote an article entitled, “Time for a Time Out -- Iran Has a Message. Are We Listening?” (Source ) Michael Hirsh sees Iran though the tainted lense of anti-Bush glass clouded by a concrete wall of denial concerning Iran’s long history of creating Instability.

Point 1: Quoting Newsweek: “Bush's feeble $75 million effort to promote democracy in Iran also is not gaining traction. While much of the Western media in recent weeks have focused on the detention of four Iranian Americans who made the mistake of traveling back to their homeland at a time when the government is even more paranoid than usual about American plots, they scarcely make news in Tehran. Indeed, the Bush program's most notable impact has been giving the regime justification for a new crackdown on dissent.”

Mr. Hirsh falsely displays Iran’s press as a barometer. The reality is: the Iranian press can not use any source except Iranian government approved sources. Some topics simply can not be discussed in the press. Iran has shut down newspapers that print real news. Iran has even shut down blogs. To compare western media to Iranian media, then use the result to be critical of President Bush, is completely inaccurate and reflects only Mr. Hirsh’s prejudice, not the actual situation.

Point 2: Quoting Newsweek: “It is this impression of inevitably clashing interests that Rezai was trying hard to dispel. He pointed out that his is the only country that can help Washington control Shiite militias in Iraq, slow the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan and tame Hezbollah's still-dangerous presence in Lebanon all at once. "If America pursues a different approach than confronting Iran, our dealings will change fundamentally," he said.”Quoting Newsweek: “And what of other overlapping interests? Let's start with Iraq, the one area where Washington does seem to acknowledge it needs Tehran's help, even as the administration continues to accuse Iran of delivering sophisticated makeshift bombs to Iraqi militants. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government "is of strategic importance to us," Rezai said. "We want this government to stay in power. Rival Sunni countries oppose Maliki. We haven't." It also stands to reason that in Afghanistan, Lebanon and the new "Hamastan" in Gaza -- all places where Tehran wields enormous influence -- an Iran that is encouraged to play a broader regional security role could become more cooperative.”

Mr. Hirsh paints a picture of Tehran being able to save the world from groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Shiite Iraq Insurgents but fails to tell readers that Iran has armed and trained these groups. Even worse, he paints the picture to appear as if Iran is not providing those weapons. It is like defending the New York City gangsters selling protection by saying they one should not accuse them of destroying businesses, but rather accept their blackmail because they can control the street gangs causing the destruction – in reality the street gangs were the gangsters. Mr. Hirsh wrongly and dangerously paints the Iranian gangsters exporting their violent revolution as the good guys.

Point 3: “Of course, the elephant in the room is Iran's toxic relationship with Israel, especially President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denial that the Holocaust happened and his threats toward a U.S. ally. But several Iranian officials hinted that Ahmadinejad crossed a red line in Iranian politics when he pushed his rhetoric beyond the official hope that Israel would one day disappear to suggest that Tehran might help that process along.”

Mr. Hirsh presents the devil of Iran as a fluke, a rarity and not a reflection of Iranian policy. Mr. Hirsh fails to point out that it was Iran’s Supreme Leader who first said Israel should be wiped off the map. He fails to point out that Iranians have been bussed into demonstrations for three decades where they shout, “death to Israel.” Most important, Mr. Hirsh does not point out that the Iranian Constitution demands Iranians continue to export their Islamic Revolution around the world. Instead, Mr. Hirsh deceives Americans and the world by making it appear as if President Ahmadinejad is some rare exception.

Conclusion: Nothing Mr. Hirsh writes as Iranian “news’ for Newsweek can be believed. It is tainted with prejudice for a nation lead by very dangerous religious extremists and prejudice against the Bush Administration.

Mr. Hirsh represents a danger to America and the world by his highly biased reckless reporting. Mr. Hirsh is not writing news stories; he is writing Iranian propaganda.To the issue of the “Time-Out:” Time-outs are for children who misbehave.

The subject of Mr. Hirsh’s interview is under indictment for terrorism in South America. Iran is the largest nation-sponsor of terrorism. Iran is not Iraq. Iran is terrorism incorporated. Mr. Hirsh advocates letting terrorists continue their uranium enrichment even though Iran supplies high-tech and very dangerous weapons to terrorists in multiple nations.

Mr. Hirsh wouldn’t know the enemy in the war on terror if the enemy had the word “terrorist” on their forehead. Mr. Hirsh also fails to point out that Tehran’s goal in sponsoring terrorism is to create a one-world Islamic government. He fails to point out that the Islamic revolutionaries in Iran believe it is their duty to Allah to use any means to impose this Islamic world-order on the world.

Mr. Hirsh’s article provides aid and comfort to known terrorists. It moves the world closer to nuclear terrorism.Abraham Lincoln said, “I may not know much, but I know right from wrong.” Mr. Hirsh clearly calls evil good and good evil. I stand with Abraham Lincoln. A terrorist is not a misunderstood person in need of a time out. A terrorist is an evil person. If evil people got better by talking to them, then nations would not need jails. It is time to stop calling evil good. It is also time to quit misleading the American people about terrorists.