http://mediamatters.org/items/200611040006

Fri, Nov 3, 2006 8:51pm EST

Fox & Friends hosts touted WorldNetDaily, NY Sun allegations that
terrorists "hope Americans sweep the Democrats into power because of
the party's position on withdrawawing from Iraq"
Summary: Fox & Friends co-hosts Brian Kilmeade and GRETCHEN CARLSON
touted articles on right-wing website WorldNetDaily.com and in the The
New York Sun purporting to show that, in Carlson's words, "[s]enior
terrorist leaders" have indicated "that they hope Americans sweep the
Democrats into power because of the party's position on withdrawawing
from Iraq."
On the November 3 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-hosts Brian
Kilmeade and Gretchen Carlson touted articles on right-wing website
WorldNetDaily.com and in the New York Sun, which purported to show
that, in Carlson's words, "[s]enior terrorist leaders" have indicated
"that they hope Americans sweep the Democrats into power because of
the party's position on withdrawawing from Iraq." Carlson said the
article in WorldNetDaily (WND), which she described as a "newspaper,"
demonstrates "how people around the world want the American elections
to go." Kilmeade added that "many people feel as though to get Bush
out would be a victory for the terrorists" -- despite the fact that
Bush is not on a ballot this year -- and claimed that a transcript of
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's (CA) appearance on the October
22 edition of CBS' 60 Minutes "apparently ... got to the caves and the
tunnels of the terrorist leader[s]." According to WorldNetDaily, "WND
read Pelosi's remarks [on 60 Minutes] to the terror leaders, who
unanimously rejected her contention an American withdrawal would end
the insurgency." Throughout the segment, an onscreen text read:
"Terrorists say Dems will encourage troop withdrawal."

According to investigative reporter Ron Suskind's recent book, The One
Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since
9/11 (Simon & Schuster, June 2006), CIA analysts determined that a
propaganda tape released by Osama bin Laden in the days before the
2004 presidential election "was clearly designed to assist the
President's reelection" (pp. 335-336), as Media Matters for America
has documented.

Nevertheless, as Media Matters has noted, conservative talk show host
Rush Limbaugh recently stated that increased violence in Iraq
signified that "terrorists have voted Democrat"; Fox News host Bill
O'Reilly claimed that "the reason North Korea is causing trouble" by
allegedly developing and testing nuclear weapons is that it "hate[s]
Mr. Bush and want[s] to weaken him as much as possible"; and President
Bush, during an October 30 campaign speech, claimed that a Democratic
victory in the midterm elections would mean that "terrorists win and
America loses."

The author of the New York Sun article, Steven Stalinsky, is the
executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute
(MEMRI), which describes itself as an "independent, nonpartisan,
nonprofit" group that "explores the Middle East through the region's
media." As Media Matters has noted, National Review White House
correspondent Byron York touted a MEMRI translation, disputed by
numerous scholars and experts, that indicated that Osama bin Laden
threatened individual U.S. states not to vote for Bush during the 2004
presidential election.

The author of the WorldNetDaily article, Aaron Klein, has similarly
promoted inflammatory statements by terrorists in the past; indeed,
the terrorists Klein quotes in his article have appeared in his
reporting before. According to the website ConWebWatch (edited by
Terry Krepel, a web editor at Media Matters), one terrorist Klein
quotes, Jihad Jaara, a senior member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
currently living in exile in Ireland, did an interview with Klein,
detailed in a January 1 WND article, in which Klein asked Jarra if his
group "used pages of the Bible as toilet paper" during a 2002 siege at
the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Another terrorist Klein
quoted, Abu Ayman of Islamic Jihad, in an October 31 WND article, told
Klein that Ramadan prayers "helped the mujahedeen fighters to mark a
great victory" over the United States in Iraq.

From the November 3 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

KILMEADE: And [co-host] Steve [Doocy], The New York Sun and
WorldNetDaily quotes the Hamas military wing leader, Islamic Jihad
leader, another Hamas leader and then another ayatollah, Javadi-Amoli
over in Iran, they have one thing in common. They are saying they are
pushing to vote out Bush and to push for those who are against him and
those of his ilk. So, they are all saying that a Democratic vote --
and this has got to really worry, because certainly they're not trying
to woo the terrorists -- but many people feel as though to get Bush
out would be a victory for the terrorists, and even the terrorists are
essentially saying that by going for the other side. Are you amazed
how much they must be watching and following the American political
system?

[...]

CARLSON: Also, if you ever want to put your finger on the pulse of how
people around the world want the American elections to go, well, all
you have to do is check out an article by the WorldNetDaily that says
that --

KILMEADE: This is incredible.

CARLSON: -- senior terrorist leaders have told this newspaper that
they hope Americans sweep the Democrats into power because of the
party's position on withdrawing from Iraq. And why do they care about
that? Because the senior terrorist leaders say, "Hey, if you guys
withdraw from Iraq, that means that you're tired of the situation over
there, and it's a victory for us." It's a victory for the insurgents.

KILMEADE: Yeah, and it's not just terrorists. I'll give you the
organization -- the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and this guy that was in
charge of it -- that took over one of those famous churches in there
recently. He comes out and he says -- he goes, "Of course we think
America should vote Democratic, that's why American Muslims support
Democrats across their country. There's an atmosphere in America that
encourages those who want to withdraw from Iraq, and we want that
feeling." A senior leader in the Islamic Jihad says, "As Arabs and
Muslims we feel proud of this talk, very proud of the Iraqi
resistance, the success that brought the big superpower to talk of
withdrawal." Now that withdrawal not coming from the White House -- so
you put it together. The Hamas military wing leader, Abu Abdullah --
sorry Abu, I messed up your last name -- says this proves the strategy
of resistance is working. "Their agents in Iraq have no chance of
surviving, even if they withdraw."

And Nancy Pelosi on 60 Minutes -- evidently that transcript got to the
caves and the tunnels of the terrorist leader. This Islamic Jihad says
-- because Nancy Pelosi says, "If we leave Iraq, then the insurgents
will leave Iraq, the terrorists will leave Iraq." And the leader has
heard these remarks and says there is no chance the resistance will
stop.

From the November 2 WorldNetDaily.com article:

Everybody has an opinion about next Tuesday's midterm congressional
election in the U.S. -- including senior terrorist leaders interviewed
by WND who say they hope Americans sweep the Democrats into power
because of the party's position on withdrawing from Iraq, a move, as
they see it, that ensures victory for the worldwide Islamic
resistance.

The terrorists told WorldNetDaily an electoral win for the Democrats
would prove to them Americans are "tired."

They rejected statements from some prominent Democrats in the U.S.
that a withdrawal from Iraq would end the insurgency, explaining an
evacuation would prove resistance works and would compel jihadists to
continue fighting until America is destroyed.

They said a withdrawal would also embolden their own terror groups to
enhance "resistance" against Israel.

"Of course Americans should vote Democrat," Jihad Jaara, a senior
member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group and the infamous
leader of the 2002 siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, told
WND.

[...]

In a recent interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi, stated, "The jihadists (are) in Iraq. But that doesn't
mean we stay there. They'll stay there as long as we're there."

Pelosi would become House speaker if the Democrats win the majority of
seats in next week's elections.

WND read Pelosi's remarks to the terror leaders, who unanimously
rejected her contention an American withdrawal would end the
insurgency.

Islamic Jihad's Saadi, laughing, stated, "There is no chance that the
resistance will stop."