By Andrew Cochran
An effort by radical Islamists to smear terrorism expert Steven Emerson backfired last week when the allegations proved to be fabricated. An article entitled, "Paul Kendall: Did an 'Expert' on Terrorism Conspire With a Foreign Government to Violate the Constitutional Rights of American Muslims?," was posted on PR Newswire on March 4. It was based on copies of emails the author claimed to have reviewed. "These electronic communications prove that Steve Emerson, along with some anti-Muslim advocacy groups, worked directly with the public affairs office of the Israeli consulate in Boston to formulate the creation of a smear campaign intended to stop the construction of a new Islamic cultural center," the article claimed.
PR Newswire sought to corroborate the article's claims. But the emails say no such thing - out of dozens posted with the article, Steve Emerson is referenced in only two. In neither case is he shown in any communication with the Israeli consulate, communication which simply did not happen. The author of the article apparently did not respond to requests from PR Newswire for corroboration.
PR Newswire therefore issued a "Kill" order on the story at 12:33 p.m. on Friday, March 7, withdrawing the original press release. This was confirmed in an email and telephone call to Steve's attorney Richard Horowitz. WordPress.com also removed a blog containing the same report: "This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service." Read more ...
An effort by radical Islamists to smear terrorism expert Steven Emerson backfired last week when the allegations proved to be fabricated. An article entitled, "Paul Kendall: Did an 'Expert' on Terrorism Conspire With a Foreign Government to Violate the Constitutional Rights of American Muslims?," was posted on PR Newswire on March 4. It was based on copies of emails the author claimed to have reviewed. "These electronic communications prove that Steve Emerson, along with some anti-Muslim advocacy groups, worked directly with the public affairs office of the Israeli consulate in Boston to formulate the creation of a smear campaign intended to stop the construction of a new Islamic cultural center," the article claimed.
PR Newswire sought to corroborate the article's claims. But the emails say no such thing - out of dozens posted with the article, Steve Emerson is referenced in only two. In neither case is he shown in any communication with the Israeli consulate, communication which simply did not happen. The author of the article apparently did not respond to requests from PR Newswire for corroboration.
PR Newswire therefore issued a "Kill" order on the story at 12:33 p.m. on Friday, March 7, withdrawing the original press release. This was confirmed in an email and telephone call to Steve's attorney Richard Horowitz. WordPress.com also removed a blog containing the same report: "This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service." Read more ...
Source: FrontPage Magazine
Posts
