Israel’s “Hit List” and Alleged “Information Terrorists”. Scott Ritter, Ali Abunimah, Al Mayadeen, …
What do Scott Ritter, Naser al-Laham, Ali Abunimah and Khaled Barakat have in common? They are all purveyors of truthful information (journalists/writers) about crimes committed by Israel and its Western allies. In an Orwellian inversion of reality, they are all dubbed “information terrorists,” thus becoming targets of repression or worse.
I begin with Scott Ritter, because he has recently articulated what “worse” means in this context. Scott Ritter is a former US Marine intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union and is now an outspoken and widely watched critic of US foreign policy in Ukraine and Israel.
In a video clip broadcast on June 4th on Judging Freedom Podcast, he describes how, with the guidance and direction of the US State Department, Ukraine established a center for countering disinformation. That center now has a blacklist of “information terrorists” targeted for assassination. He and other Americans are on this hit list. Ritter goes on to say,
“… they said that an information terrorist must be hunted down and brought to justice the same way any terrorist would.
And I have been accused of saying things that make the Ukrainian government unhappy. They now say I must be hunted down and arrested, detained, killed as with any other terrorist in the world … with the US State Department’s support, [they] put out a weekly list that, you know, a weekly list where they say I am the number one of threat to truth.” (Minute 25:05 in the video below)
https://youtu.be/ArbL1u4tVOo
This is how we must understand what Israel is doing in renewing its ban on the broadcasts of Al Mayadeen Media Network, both visual and online. Israel has labeled the Network’s correspondents in Palestinian 1948 occupied territories and the occupied West Bank as “terrorists.” In a statement that describes the move as being, in itself, a form of terrorism, Al Mayadeen has this to say:
“The network emphasizes that labeling its correspondents in Palestinian 1948 occupied territories and the occupied West Bank as ‘terrorists’ is, in itself, a form of terrorism. Al Mayadeen warns against inflicting any harm on its journalists and asserts that it will not yield to any form of extortion or pressure, regardless of its impact or extent.
It is clear that the occupation views Al Mayadeen as an outlet that enjoys a strong presence and influence, exhibiting the utmost credibility and commitment to its morals. That is why the occupation reacts to the news outlet with a hysterical and puzzling degree of confusion when dealing with every word, image, and on-the-field presence, especially when Al Mayadeen contributes to quelling sedition, exposing and debunking lies, and calling out the crimes for what they are.”
https://www.globalresearch.ca/al-mayadeen-israel-hit-list-information-terrorists/5865225