(Washington Post) In Frenzy over al-Qaeda Threat against Letterman, the Real Danger was in the Coverage

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 22 November 2011 23:38

Ten years ago, before the attacks of Sept. 11, Americans didn't pay much attention to threats emanating from Islamic extremists. Now, we're paying attention, but, with the help of round-the-clock news coverage, often hearing the messages that matter least. Take, for instance, the recent tidal surge of reports over the threats against David Letterman. In the aftermath of that frenzy, we invited terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann to offer his take on how reports on jihadist chatter have started to take on a life of their own, with the most buzz being generated by whatever seems the silliest. What's less silly, Kohlmann points out, is that more online jihadists have started to realize just how easy it is to use Western news organizations for their own purposes. In this environment, Kohlmann says, "reasoned analysis of al-Qaeda's remaining viability as a terrorist organization risks being lost in the fog, whereas wild rumors about Osama bin Laden's attempts to poison America's cocaine supply receive instantaneous top billing." Read the rest of Kohlmann's essay...