Kidnapped WSJ Reporter: Your thoughts?

[Griff]

That he does... but he also defends the quality of Pearls reporting, while nailing his editors. What of his main point though? Reporters are no longer viewed on the ground as observers, but rather as advocates or tools of one side. From my recollection of the Gulf War coverage, he may have a point. The major media outlets toed the company line pretty well. Of course, if the terrorists main objective is all out war rather than some reasonable settlement of grievances, then it could be that the nature of the conflict has changed the reporter from useful protected observer to target. Will Moslem extremists who want to sweep Israel off the maps see an Israeli citizen as a disinterested observer? Obviously not. That does not change the nature of his murder. It was apparently meant to galvanize the West and probably has, hopefully it also alienated much of the East.

as always i may be wearing rectal earmuffs