Is Treason Being Committed by U.S. News Media?

Federation of States, November 3, 2001 -

The attack on America of September 11, 2001 was followed quickly by a request for War on Terrorism by President Bush and on September 15, 2001, Congress granted full authority to the President to pursue the War and use what ever force was necessary. Next, the World was given enemy propaganda directly from the enemy (Taliban Afghanistan Embassy in Pakistan) via interviews by CNN and other American news media as well as foreign news media during the period of time that President Bush was giving the Taliban to deliver Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorist leaders and to destroy the terrorist training camps in order to avoid an American attack.

But then, since the Taliban Government refused to meet the terms laid out by President Bush, the American and British attacks upon the Taliban Government of Afghanistan began on October 8, 2001 and the Declared War became a stark reality. And the American news media began clandestine reports from Afghanistan, mainly from reporters in the area controlled by the Northern Alliance which was certainly acceptable.

But, American news media continued interviews with the Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, thus broadcasting enemy propaganda not only to the American public but to the World as well even though the war was on. In addition, American news media parroted broadcasts made by the Arab news media, Al Jazeera which included the latest letter from Osama bin Laden to the World.

After getting away with this for a few weeks several American media including ABC and CNN along with other media from other countries were invited by the enemy to visit behind enemy lines. Of course, this media expedition was escorted and only allowed to see what the Taliban leaders wished them to see. Sure enough, the World and the American people were again subjected to a strong dose of enemy propaganda by these reporters who reported what they saw. For those American journalists involved and the executives of their companies, this seems to have amounted to giving aid and comfort to the enemy during time of war which is the Constitutional definition of Treason.

If American news media had been invited by Tokyo Rose and Japanese officials in 1944 to make a news media visit to Japan during our war in the Pacific against Japanese forces and if they had attended on their own and then reported from Japan they would likely have been shot for Treason upon returning to American controlled territory.

The only excuse that would offset the appearance of Treason would be if the American news media involved had explicit permission from the Department of Defense to attend such an event for the intelligence gathering benefits that might be gained on the Taliban.

The media had better quickly learn to understand that freedom of the press does not exist in time of war when it comes to matters of national defense or to parroting enemy propaganda or to hindering the war effort by promoting anti-war or anti-American propaganda and thus giving aid and comfort to our enemy. The rules have changed and will not again revert to the fully open press until the war is over.

Now, because of the gravity of this apparent press damage to our propaganda battle brought about by their visit to the enemy in their homeland, the Commander and Chief, President George W. Bush must issue a clear executive order prohibiting press behavior that infringes upon the Constitutional definition of Treason excepted only by explicit written permission from the Department of Defense. This clearly, during time of war, is not a matter to be legislated by Congress.