Indonesian media.. and Arab

I'd be a hell of a lot more impressed with Paul Wolfowitz's plea on behalf of media freedoms in Indonesia if he wasn't an integral part of an administration which had made a critical, strategic, and consistent choice to endorse and encourage the suppression of media freedoms in the Arab world. From its direct criticisms of al Jazeera and diplomatic pressures on Qatar to rein in its coverage, to its tacit endorsement of Iyad Allawi's closure of al Jazeera, to its silence in the face of crackdowns on al Jazeera and media in a bevy of Arab countries, the Bush administration has made it clear that it has absolutely no interest in a free and independent Arab media.

So spare me the tears for Indonesian journalists - I care about them, and it sure is nice to finally hear a Bush official care about them, but let's be frank. The Bush administration doesn't get to put a pretty face on its own appalling record on the question of media freedoms in the Islamic world just because Paul Wolfowitz happens to have a personal relationship with this particular bunch of journalists.

If Wolfowitz wants to impress me, he could go back to his administration and say something like "you know, what I'm seeing in Indonesia makes me think that maybe we've been going about our dealings with the Islamic and Arab worlds all wrong. Maybe we should think more seriously about encouraging a free media, even when it asks uncomfortable questions - since that really is one of the most basic pillars of the democracy which is so vital to their future and ours."

When Wolfowitz does that, and it manifests as some kind of actual policy change, then let's talk about Indonesia.

Comments

[Alex]

Not to mention the situation in Russia, where there seems to be a new resignation/firing/murder among journalists there every week. You'd think Wolfowitz might also be concerned about the alleged poisoning of Anna Politkovskaya, but I guess she hasn't been his friend for 20 years, so who gives a shit right?

Link to poisoning story in here: http://war-on-errorism.blogspot.com/2004/09/putin-and-press.html