Aaron Klein: Difference between revisions
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Other chapters of the book reportedly include Klein's described meetings with a recruited Palestinian suicide bomber; confrontations with the alleged Muslim desecrators of Jewish and Christian holy sites; a section in which terror leaders are petitioned to describe what life in the U.S. would be like under the rule of Islam; a chapter on Christian persecution in the Middle East; and a chapter claiming the U.S. funds terrorism.<ref name="GlazovInterview">{{cite web |url= http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=2306E1FD-A88C-4C24-A9B1-34BB2847F9F4 |title= Interview with Aaron Klein |author= Jamie Glazov |work= [[FrontPage Magazine]] |date= [[31 October]] [[2007]] |quote= }}</ref> |
Other chapters of the book reportedly include Klein's described meetings with a recruited Palestinian suicide bomber; confrontations with the alleged Muslim desecrators of Jewish and Christian holy sites; a section in which terror leaders are petitioned to describe what life in the U.S. would be like under the rule of Islam; a chapter on Christian persecution in the Middle East; and a chapter claiming the U.S. funds terrorism.<ref name="GlazovInterview">{{cite web |url= http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=2306E1FD-A88C-4C24-A9B1-34BB2847F9F4 |title= Interview with Aaron Klein |author= Jamie Glazov |work= [[FrontPage Magazine]] |date= [[31 October]] [[2007]] |quote= }}</ref> |
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Critics have noted that the terrorists Klein quotes all seem to reinforce conservative talking points critical of American liberals and supporting U.S. military action in the Middle East and Iraq.<ref name="SchmoozeCritic">{{cite web |url= http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2007/kleinschmooze.html |title= Schmoozing With a Terrorist Whitewasher |author= Terry Krepel |format= [[html]] |work= ConWebWatch |date= [[11 October]] [[2007]] |quote= }}</ref> |
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== Controversies== |
== Controversies== |
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The co-founder of the Arab group in question, [[Columbia University]] professor [[Rashid Khalidi]], also has held a fundraiser for Obama. Klein detailed what he said was a relationship between Obama and Khalidi, whom Klein labeled as a harsh critic of Israel who has made statements supportive of Palestinian terror and reportedly has worked on behalf of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] while it was involved in anti-Western terrorism and was labeled by the State Department as a terror group. |
The co-founder of the Arab group in question, [[Columbia University]] professor [[Rashid Khalidi]], also has held a fundraiser for Obama. Klein detailed what he said was a relationship between Obama and Khalidi, whom Klein labeled as a harsh critic of Israel who has made statements supportive of Palestinian terror and reportedly has worked on behalf of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]] while it was involved in anti-Western terrorism and was labeled by the State Department as a terror group. |
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Klein's piece gained U.S. media attention and was also widely criticized by the liberal media as "the first major swift-boating" of Obama, referring to conservative-led attacks against Presidential candidate [[John Kerry]] during the 2004 presidential election. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080227/cm_thenation/45291517] [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/29/1028/25810] [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-young/the-swiftboating-of-obama_b_88279.html] CBS News called Klein a "key purveyor of the [Obama] smear campaign." [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/14/opinion/main3938453.shtml] |
Klein's piece gained U.S. media attention and was also widely criticized by the liberal media as "the first major swift-boating" of Obama, referring to conservative-led attacks against Presidential candidate [[John Kerry]] during the 2004 presidential election. [http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080227/cm_thenation/45291517] [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/29/1028/25810] [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-young/the-swiftboating-of-obama_b_88279.html] CBS News called Klein a "key purveyor of the [Obama] smear campaign." [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/14/opinion/main3938453.shtml] Critics have called Klein's reporting on Obama made up of [[guilt by association]] attacks.<ref name="KleinObama">{{cite web |url= http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2008/obamaklein.html |title= Anti-Obama Frenzy: The Case of Aaron Klein |author= Terry Krepel |format= [[html]] |work= ConWebWatch |date= [[27 March]] [[2008]] |quote= }}</ref> |
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==Student career== |
==Student career== |
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Klein is a graduate of Torah Academy Boys High School in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] where he [[Editing#Newspapers|edited]] ''The T.A. Times'', the school's monthly [[newspaper]]. After high school, he enrolled at the [[University of Pennsylvania]], later transferring to [[Yeshiva University]] in [[New York City]], where he edited the undergraduate bimonthly student newspaper, ''The Commentator.'' |
Klein is a graduate of Torah Academy Boys High School in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] where he [[Editing#Newspapers|edited]] ''The T.A. Times'', the school's monthly [[newspaper]]. After high school, he enrolled at the [[University of Pennsylvania]], later transferring to [[Yeshiva University]] in [[New York City]], where he edited the undergraduate bimonthly student newspaper, ''The Commentator.'' |
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Revision as of 05:11, 7 April 2008
Aaron Klein is an American journalist and author. He is a Middle East correspondent and head of the Jerusalem bureau for WorldNetDaily[2][3] and a columnist for The Jewish Press. His WND articles have been republished on Ynetnews and in The New York Sun.[4] Klein has been a co-host[5] for the John Batchelor show and has had regular segments and commentary on U.S. talk radio programs.[citation needed]
Interviews
Aaron Klein has interviewed many Middle East newsmakers, including government officials and terrorist leaders. His first interview with terrorists was in 1999 when, at age nineteen, he spent time with members of Al-Muhajiroun, a group reportedly connected to al-Qaeda. His article about the experience,[6] "My Weekend with the Enemy," was published in The Jerusalem Post.
Book
Klein's book,[7][8][9] based on his interviews with terrorists, was released in September 2007 with the title, Schmoozing With Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal their Global Plans - to a Jew!
Some chapters of the book include terrorist leaders threatening to kill Madonna and Britney Spears,[10][11] for “tempting men in order to put them far from Islam,” and approving Rosie O'Donnell, who has said that people “shouldn't ‘fear the terrorists’ because they're ‘mothers and fathers,’ and has pushed the conspiracy theory that the collapse of WTC 7 was engineered by the government.”[12]
The book also got some media attention for a chapter in which terrorist leaders state on the record they endorse Hillary Clinton for president in 2008.
"I hope Hillary is elected in order to have the occasion to carry out all the promises she is giving regarding Iraq," stated Ala Senakreh, West Bank chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorist group.[13]
According to reports, of the dozens of terrorist leaders interviewed in "Schmoozing" every one stated they hope a Democrat becomes president in 2008.[14]
Other chapters of the book reportedly include Klein's described meetings with a recruited Palestinian suicide bomber; confrontations with the alleged Muslim desecrators of Jewish and Christian holy sites; a section in which terror leaders are petitioned to describe what life in the U.S. would be like under the rule of Islam; a chapter on Christian persecution in the Middle East; and a chapter claiming the U.S. funds terrorism.[15]
Critics have noted that the terrorists Klein quotes all seem to reinforce conservative talking points critical of American liberals and supporting U.S. military action in the Middle East and Iraq.[16]
Controversies
- Visa
In December 2005, Klein was denied a journalist visa to broadcast with ABC Radio in Syria.[5] Officials from Syria's embassies in Washington, D.C. and Amman, Jordan were quoted as saying Klein's Jewish faith was a problem.[17] Some leaders in Lebanon, including Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Michel Aoun, condemned Syria for its refusal to admit Klein.[18]
- Elections
Before the 2006 U.S. midterm elections, Klein conducted a series of interviews with senior Middle East terrorist leaders who urged Americans to vote for Democrats.[19][20] al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades leader Jihad Jaara told Klein a Democrat win would ensure victory for worldwide jihad, explaining the Democrats policy of withdrawal from Iraq would "enhance the resistance." Klein also read to the terror leaders statements from prominent Democrats such as House minority leader Nancy Pelosi claiming a withdrawal from Iraq would end the insurgency there. All terror leaders interviewed rejected the claim. Islamic Jihad leader Muhammad Saadi said an American withdrawal would "prove the resistance is the most important tool and that this tool works." Jaara declared a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would "mark the beginning of the collapse of this tyrant empire (America)."
- Pelosi
In April, 2007, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Syria and called for dialogue with Damascus against the stated recommendations of the White House, Klein conducted interviews with Mideast terror leaders whose headquarters are in Syria. The terrorists called Pelosi's visit "brave" and "very appreciated" and said it could bring about "important changes" to America's foreign policy, including talks with "Middle East resistance groups," Iran and Iraqi insurgents. One terror leader, Khaled Al-Batch, a militant and spokesman for Islamic Jihad, expressed hope Pelosi would one day become U.S. president, explaining the House speaker's Damascus visit demonstrated she understands the Middle East.
Audio clips of Klein's interviews with terrorists were played on Fox News.[21]
- Obama
In February, 2008, Klein first reported Senator Barack Obama, a frontrunner for the Democrat presidential nomination, sat on the board of a nonprofit organization, the Woods Fund, alongside William Ayres, who was a Weathermen leader and has written about his involvement with the group's bombings of the New York City Police headquarters in 1970, the Capitol in 1971 and the Pentagon in 1972. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
The Weathermen sought the downfall of the U.S. government and was classified by the State Department as a terror group in the 1960's and 70's.
Klein also reported while Obama served on the board, the Woods Fund granted funding to an Arab group Klein said mourns the establishment of Israel as a "catastrophe" and supports intense immigration reform, including providing drivers licenses and education to illegal aliens. [7]
The co-founder of the Arab group in question, Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi, also has held a fundraiser for Obama. Klein detailed what he said was a relationship between Obama and Khalidi, whom Klein labeled as a harsh critic of Israel who has made statements supportive of Palestinian terror and reportedly has worked on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization while it was involved in anti-Western terrorism and was labeled by the State Department as a terror group.
Klein's piece gained U.S. media attention and was also widely criticized by the liberal media as "the first major swift-boating" of Obama, referring to conservative-led attacks against Presidential candidate John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election. [8] [9] [10] CBS News called Klein a "key purveyor of the [Obama] smear campaign." [11] Critics have called Klein's reporting on Obama made up of guilt by association attacks.[22]
Student career
Klein is a graduate of Torah Academy Boys High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he edited The T.A. Times, the school's monthly newspaper. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, later transferring to Yeshiva University in New York City, where he edited the undergraduate bimonthly student newspaper, The Commentator.
Some of Klein's critical investigative pieces for The Commentator provoked administrative ire.[23] In December 1999, The New York Times reported that issues of the student newspaper had repeatedly been removed from the campus at the administration's behest during Klein's tenure as editor-in-chief, prompting Klein to threaten to sue the University. The conflict attracted additional media attention. Yeshiva University later signed a contract in which it agreed to discontinue the practice and reimburse The Commentator for the confiscated issues.[24]
References
- ^ November 11, 2005 - Radio host Rusty Humphries holds court with terrorist leaders in Israeli refugee camp. "A Straightforward Interview Amidst M-16s and Tea" (html). Talk Radio Network.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "WND to open Jerusalem bureau". WorldNetDaily. 25 January 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Aaron Klein article archive, WorldNetDaily,
- ^ Aaron Klein article archive, The New York Sun.
- ^ a b John Batchelor (15 December 2005). "'Ministry of Fear' in Mideast". WorldNetDaily.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Aaron Klein (30 May 2000). "My Weekend with the Enemy" (html). Jerusalem Post. Free Republic.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Donahue; et al. (6 August 2007). "Forward into Fall: Contemporary Affairs". Publishers Weekly.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Explicit use of et al. in:|author=(help) - ^ Cindy Adams (17 August 2007). "A Most Unwelcome 'Housewife' Shuffle". New York Post.
Middle East terrorist leaders are dishing American celebrities. A book, published by WND Books, out Sept. 11, has the longest title in captivity: "Schmoozing with Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal Their Global Plans - to a Jew!" Our sworn enemies tell Mideast-based, 20-something U.S. journalist Aaron Klein who they'd like in the White House, kvetch over showbiz types like Madonna, Britney, Spielberg, Mel Gibson, bigmouths Jane Fonda and Sean Penn and conservative talkers Limbaugh and Hannity, plus Richard Gere, who did a commercial urging Palestinians to vote. Well, they did. And elected Hamas.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Schmoozing With Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal their Global Plans - to a Jew! Aaron Klein. WND Books, September 2007. ASIN 0979045126. Hardcover: ISBN 0-97904-512-6, ISBN 978-0979045127.
- ^ ANI Correspondent (12 September 2007). "Terrorists threaten to behead Madonna, Britney". DailyIndia.com.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ BANG Media International (13 September 2007). "Madonna and Britney's beheading threat". The Boston Globe.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ TMZ Staff (27 September 2007). "Terrorists to O'Donnell — Hang with Us!". TMZ.com.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Deroy Murdock (29 October 2007). "Terrorists Prefer Hillary". National Review Online.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Denise Wheeler (31 October 2007). "'Terrorgate' - Why Terrorists Endorse Hillary". The Huffington Post.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Jamie Glazov (31 October 2007). "Interview with Aaron Klein". FrontPage Magazine.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Terry Krepel (11 October 2007). "Schmoozing With a Terrorist Whitewasher" (html). ConWebWatch.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ John Batchelor (15 December 2005). "'Ministry of Fear '- Part II" (html). The New York Sun.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Joseph Farah (11 December 2005). "Jewish reporter denied entry to Syria" (html). Ynetnews.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Investor's Business Daily Editorial (16 February 2007). "Unparalleled Perfidy" (html). Investor's Business Daily.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Deroy Murdock (7 November 2006). "Terrorists for Democrats: They both want us out of Iraq" (html). National Review.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Transcript edited for clarity" (5 April 2007). "Palestinian Militants Praise Pelosi?" (html). Hannity & Colmes.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Terry Krepel (27 March 2008). "Anti-Obama Frenzy: The Case of Aaron Klein" (html). ConWebWatch.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Karen W. Arenson (15 December 1999). "Yeshiva Students Say the University Is Behind Removal of Campus Paper" (html). The New York Times.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Aaron Klein and Alex Traiman. "University Pays Commentator in Censorship Case" (html). The Commentator, V. 64, #2 (undated).