It is no easy task to say who is the most bloodthirsty warmonger in the Controlled Media. There are many worthy contenders for that dubious title, like: George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Rush Limbaugh, William Kristol, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, John Podhorertz, G. Gordon Liddy and Mortimer B. Zuckerman, among other extremist hawks. However, on careful reflection, standing heads above that sorry lot is the one, the only, the humanity-challenged Abe Rosenthal.

Just three days after the 9/11 tragedy, Abe Rosenthal, a/k/a “A.M. Rosenthal,” swung virulently into action. Raving for Zuckerman’s yellow sheeted tabloid, the “NY Daily News,” on 09/14/01, he demanded that the U.S. deliver an ultimatum to at least six countries- -Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Sudan- -giving them “three days” to hand over documents and information relating to weapons of mass destruction and terrorist organizations.

Rosenthal warned that “in the three days the terrorists were considering the American ultimatum, the residents of the countries would be urged 24 hours a day by the U.S. to flee the capital and major cities, because they would be bombed to the ground beginning the fourth day” (Source, “FAIR,” 09/21/01). Under the Geneva Convention, bombing civilian populations is a War Crime and a clear violation of its terms. If actually carried out, Rosenthal’s obscene Arab-killing scheme would have resulted in a death-and-injury toll of civilians running into the millions of casualties. It would have also created more enemies for America in the Islamic World, which I suspect was part of Rosenthal’s sinister design. (For more background on Rosenthal, check out Joseph C. Goulden’s “Fit to Print: A.M. Rosenthal and His Times.”)

How can anybody that authored such a ruthless scenario be considered a journalist “with a passion for the truth,” and a “source you can trust to give you the realities behind the news?” Well, that is what they said about the whacky Rosenthal, when he was awarded the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” on July 9, 2002. What silly nonsense!

As early as Aug. 6, 1999, “NY Times,” Rosenthal, an influential voice within the Israel First Brigade, was demanding a U.S.-led attack on Iraq. He also championed the economic sanctions against that beleaguered nation, totally oblivious to the widespread suffering they were causing (Casi.org.uk). He insisted that Saddam Hussein had WMD and that within a year Iraq could become “a nuclear power.”

We now know Iraq never had any WMD and that it couldn’t produce any nuclear weapons either. Questions: Has Rosenthal ever shown any contrition for wanting to bomb six mostly Arab counties back to the Stone Age? Has he demonstrated even a modicum of remorse for his lies about Iraq? Has he displayed any feelings for the members of America’s armed forces, who have lost their lives and/or been seriously wounded in the Iraqi War? Does he care about how much the Iraq War and its occupation is costing the American taxpayers? Does he give a good hoot about the mayhem inflicted by the Coalition Forces on the innocent Iraqi people? The answer to all of these questions is “No!”

Now, the former executive editor of the “NY Times,” still isn’t satisfied. Rosenthal wants the U.S. to focus on Iran next. In a spiel of Nov. 17th, found in the “Washington Times,” he argued that Iran has nuclear capabilities that are “part of a nuclear weapons program.” He quoted the rabid Neocon and super-hawkish State Department official, John Bolton, in order to buttress his case for possible U.S. action (See for more details on Bolton, and ex-CIA Director, James Woolsey, too, “You Don’t Have to Be Jewish to be a Neo-Con,” Richard H. Curtiss, “WRMEA,” Oct., 2003 issue). This is the same m.o., Rosenthal followed with respect to Iraq. For years, he viciously demonized Iraq in rant after rant, urging U.S. intervention, until the Bush-Cheney Gang took the bait on March 20, 2003, and invaded Iraq. Query: Is Rosenthal putting a contract out on Iran?

Not surprisedly, Rosenthal’s harangue followed on the heels of a veiled threat by Israeli Defense Minister, Shaul Mofaz. At a recent press conference, Mofaz wailed, “Concentrated efforts are needed to delay, to stop or to prevent the Iranian nuclear program. I hope that you understand what I say.” Talk about a one-two punch-first Mofaz’s criticizes Iran, and then Rosenthal’s sets Iran up as a potential U.S. target. More ominous, Mofaz had just met in Washington, DC, with V.P. Dick “Halliburton” Cheney and National Security Adviser, Condi “Uranium-Lite” Rice (“Israeli Paranoia on Iran Nukes,” by Gordon Prather, 11/15/03, “WorldNetDaily.”

Prather, a respected nuclear energy physicist, with expertise also in the area of national security, underscored that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hasn’t found any “indications” of an Iranian nuke program. As the world found out, however, with respect to Iraq, the truth isn’t good enough to stop a U.S.-led military invasion. Prather also pointed out the obvious double standard. Israel, which does have nuclear weapons, refused to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), while Iran is a party to it. The question then comes up: When, if ever, is the UN and/or the U.S. going to demand that Israel open up its borders for a full and complete inspection of its nuclear weapons, nuclear programs and WMD?

In any event, the bottom line is that Rosenthal has “no passion for the truth.” And, if America again listens to him, another Muslim country, probably Persian-dominated Iran this time around, may face destruction. Freedom of the press permits Abe Rosenthal to spew out his hate-filled opinions, but common sense, justice, and the national interest requires that they be challenged, exposed and resoundingly rejected.

© William Hughes 2003

William Hughes is the author of “Saying ‘No’ to the War Party” (Iuniverse, Inc.). He can be reached at: liamhughes-AT-mindspring.com.