ADVERTISEMENT

Al Qaeda members fans of MSNBC, Olbermann

March 22, 2012

In a letter to Osama bin Laden, one of the terrorist mastermind’s advisers complained of the firing of Keith Olbermann from MSNBC, the Washington Post reports.

Bin Laden obsessed over American media and exchanged numerous correspondences with a U.S.-born jihadist named Adam Gadahn, who acted as an al Qaeda media adviser. In a 21-page letter written in the last six months of Bin Laden’s life, Gadahn gives media advice and praises MSNBC, ABC News, and CNN.

In the letter, the media adviser focuses on "how to exploit" the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, on television. He worries that CNN "seems to be in cooperation with the government more than the others," though he praises its "good and detailed" Arabic coverage. "I used to think that MSNBC channel may be good and neutral a bit," he continues, but then notes the firing of Olbermann.

The media chatter continues: CBS "has a famous program (‘60 Minutes’) that has some popularity and a good reputation." ABC "is all right; actually, it could be one of the best channels," because of its chief investigator and terrorism expert, Brian Ross. But all the networks, he complains, will bring in analysts who will "conduct a smearing" of al-Qaeda figures.

MSNBC was unable to comment about the story, according to spokeswoman Weesie Vieira.

David Sarosi, Olbermann’s longtime producer who followed him to Current TV, did not return calls for comment by press time.

Al-Qaeda representatives also didn’t think much of Fox News, saying "let her die in anger."

Fox News Host Brett Baier did not seem too worried by the message, sporting a coy smile as he read the Washington Post story.

Other Fox personalities have been using the Post column to bolster counter attacks against left-wing critics. Greg Gutfeld, host of Fox’s late night comedy program Red Eye, seized on the Washington Post column on Friday.

"Sounds like that was written by Media Matters," Gutfeld said. "It is so heartening to say they had feelings that were hurt by Fox News."

While Media Matters has never wished death upon the network, Gadahn’s complaint that Fox "lacks objectivity, too" is a signature issue for the group, which has blasted Fox for being too quick to link Islam to the Ft. Hood massacre that left 13 troops dead. Army Major Nidal Hassan screamed Allahu Ahkbar before the shooting and communicated with another American-born Al Qaeda propagandist, Anwar al-Awlaki. Awlaki was killed in a drone strike in September 2011.