ZGram - 4/24/2002 - "How to handle loaded questions from a biased interviewer"

[irimland@zundelsite.org]

ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny

April 24, 2002

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

This one will make you smile.  It is ostensibly an interview between 
a FOX News interviewer and the Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S., Mr. 
Farid Abboud.  It is one fine example of how to handle loaded 
questions by hostile mainstream media.  We all can learn from it:

[START]

April 16, 2002

Fox Interviewer: Mr. Ambassador, do you consider Hizbollah a 
terrorist organization ?
Abboud: Yes, Sharon is a terrorist !

Fox Interviewer: Mr. Ambassador, this was not my question. I asked 
you about the operations of Hizbollah in the targeting and killing of 
innocent civilians. How do you view Hizbollah?

Abboud: Yes, Sharon the terrorist has killed thousands upon thousands 
of civilians. He is the biggest terrorist out there !

Fox Interviewer: Mr. Ambassador. Please answer my question. Do you 
consider Hizbollah a terrorist organization or not ??? Are you 
against the killing of innocent civilians?!

Abboud: Of course I am against the killing of innocent civilians. You 
have to define who the innocent civilians are. Sharon, the terrorist 
has killed many thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians and he 
is continuing to do so!

Fox Interviewer: But what about Hizbollah ? Are you telling us that 
Hizbollah never killed any civilians or plotted to kill any innocent 
civilians?

Abboud: Hizbollah is a resistance movement. They have a place in the 
Lebanese parliament and they are fighting for justice and for a good 
cause. If there were innocent civilians hurt in the process, they are 
a casualty of war. Hizbollah does not target civilians on purpose, 
unlike the war monger, Sharon, whose only targets have been 
civilians, including children !!!

Fox Interviewer: Mr. Ambassador, does this mean you condone the 
suicide bombers?!
Abboud: I do not condone the actions of the war criminal Sharon!!!

Fox interviewer (with apparent frustration): Mr. Ambassador, please 
stop evading my questions and answer them directly ! Do you condone 
the suicide bombers?!

Abboud: I do not condone the killing of innocent civilians, but we 
have to define who is an innocent civilian and who is not !!! If a 
Palestinian suicide bomber kills a bunch of Israeli soldiers who are 
committing atrocities against the defenseless Palestinian population, 
do you consider these soldiers as innocent civilians ???

Fox interviewer (sighing): Mr. Abboud, do you recognize Israel's 
right to exist?

Abboud: Yes, I recognize PALESTINE'S right to exist!!!

Fox interviewer (no words to describe his face): Mr. Ambassador. 
Please stop this aversion in answering, and answer our specific 
questions!!! Do you recognize Israel's right to exist or not?!

Abboud: Israel already exists sir. It does not need my recognition. 
It is the recognition of Palestine to exist that should be 
addressed!!!

Fox Interviewer: Mr. Ambassador, why are you so one sided and biased 
in answering our questions???

Abboud: Sir, it is you who is very one-sided and biased in your questioning!!!

Fox interviewer (totally at a loss of words): Mr. Abboud, Lebanese 
Ambassador to the United States, thank you sir for your time and the 
interview!!!


=====


FAIR USE NOTICE 
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not 
always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are 
making such material available in our efforts to advance 
understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, 
democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe 
this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrightedmaterial as 
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance 
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is 
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior 
interest in receiving the included information for research and 
educational purposes. For more information go to: 
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use 
copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go 
beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright 
owner.

=====

(SOURCE:  http://www.ccmep.org/hotnews2/interview041602.html )