Letter to The Washington Post

Dear Editor,

Glenn Kessler, in Talking Points Aside, Bush Stance on Palestinian State Is Not a First [Oct. 5, 2005], interviews Shibley Telhami, a so-called Middle East expert. Kessler states, “Telhami…agrees that Bush formally made creating a Palestinian state the goal of U.S. policy, largely to appeal to the Muslim world at a time when the United States attacked Afghanistan.” Why would the US need to appeal to the Muslim world after attacking Afghanistan? It is the Muslim world that should be appealing to the United States after September 11. The United States merely went after those that attacked her and those that supported the attackers– no excuse needed whatsoever. And Telhami is what The Washington Post calls an “expert?”

Moreover, Telhami seems to have the remarkable ability to be able to get into the head of the President of the United States knowing why he does what he does. Remind me not to play Texas Hold ‘em poker against him. And Washington Post reporter Kessler paraphrases him like what he is saying is fact when it is very possible, even conceivable, that he is just spouting propaganda. To be more objective, it would seem that a reporter should make it very clear that those he quotes are just stating opinion – not fact