WSWS on Pearl

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>><http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/feb2002/pear-f23.shtml>
>>
>>The killing of Daniel Pearl
>>
>>By David North
>>23 February 2002
>>
>>The efforts of the US government and the media to use the death of 
>>Pearl for their own reactionary and militaristic purposes must be 
>>resisted and rejected. To recognize that the murder of Pearl has 
>>political causes whose roots go far deeper than the immediate 
>>motives of those who plotted his kidnapping is to provide neither 
>>an excuse nor a justification for terrorism. The terrible truth is 
>>that Pearl's tragic end, however unjust and undeserved, is the 
>>consequence of the policies of American imperialism. When the Wall 
>>Street Journal writes in its eulogy of Pearl that "Danny is no 
>>different from the thousands of Americans who died on September 
>>11," it is saying far more than it intends.
>>
>>Daniel Pearl, like the 3,000 innocent people who died in the 
>>terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, is a victim of policies 
>>pursued by the United States. Their deaths are the consequence of 
>>reckless and reactionary decisions made in Washington, in pursuit 
>>of oil and other imperialist geo-strategic interests, over the last 
>>20 years...
>
>What's next? Will we learn that the dead of Auschwitz were also the 
>victims of reckless and reactionary policies pursued by the United 
>States?
>
>It used to be that when Jews were killed for sport, people said that 
>they were the victims of their own authorities' and ancestors' 
>crimes. Now at least they say that they are the victims of the 
>United States's policies.
>
>I suppose that this is progress--of a sort.
>
>Brad DeLong

A local journalist friend of mine sent me the following:

*****   I would hope that out of this tragic result the Central 
Intelligence Agency will recognize that its failure to insist that no 
journalists be used as agents and that no journalistic cover be used 
by its agents is essential for free journalists to practice around 
the world.

Danny Pearl was a professional of the highest quality and should not 
have been exposed to the horror that was brought on him in part 
because our government has in the past been unwilling to say 
categorically that it will not use journalists as intelligence agents 
or use journalists cover for its own agents.

Edward Seaton
Editor-in-Chief, Manhattan (Kans.) Mercury
Former president, ASNE

<http://www.poynter.org/centerpiece/022302_pearl_statements.htm>   *****
-- 
Yoshie

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