Blood Money

How much weregild has the voice of choice for Islamic terrorists, al-Jazeera, taken in? More to the point, why are US media outlets paying?

From Human Events:

Having gotten their scoop, Al-Jazeera will then sell rights to the video to other networks, including American news channels. This generates income for the money-losing network and provides a measure of cover: If everyone else is airing them, why single them out?

The problem with these hostage videos is two-fold. First, they provide aid and comfort to our enemies in time of war. While a 30-second tape by a random terror groups may lack the propaganda punch of a rambling Osama tape, it will be followed by another almost exactly like it, and then another, dampening resolve and eroding morale.

Second, the publicity these tapes provide teaches aspiring terrorists that the price of admission for an airing of their grievances is not joining the political process, but simply grabbing a foreign hostage. This endangers every foreigner in Iraq, not just those seen as occupiers.

So, while there is an embargo on images of the 9/11 atrocities because the mainstream media think that they excite too much emotion [translation: they remind people why we're fighting, and who is leading us], these same folks are willing to pay for terrorist propaganda.

Via The Jawa Report.