White House Press Sec Accuses Correspondent of Supporting Terrorism



At Wednesday’s [Jan. 23] White House press briefing, Washington Times “Inside Politics” columnist Greg Pierce noted, Ari Fleischer countered Helen Thomas’s latest outburst of moral equivalence between democratic Israel and terrorists.

Pierce reported:

Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas stands accused of arguing “in support of terrorism.” Her accuser: Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary. At yesterday's White House press briefing, Mr. Fleischer was answering a question from CNN's Major Garrett about U.S. efforts for peace in the Middle East. Mr. Fleischer was discussing the recent Israeli seizure of a shipload of Palestinian terrorist weapons when Miss Thomas interrupted to ask, “Where do the Israelis get their arms?”

Mr. Fleischer began to answer, “There is a difference, Helen, and that is-”

Miss Thomas interrupted again: “What is the difference?”

Mr. Fleischer said, “The targeting of innocents through the use of terror, which is a common enemy, for Yasser Arafat and for the people of Israel, as well as-”

Miss Thomas: “When people are fighting for their land.”

Mr. Fleischer: “I think the killing of innocents is a category entirely different. Justifying killing of innocents for land is an argument in support of terrorism.”

Click here for Pierce’s daily “Inside Politics” column.

(This update courtesy of the Media Research Center.)

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