Monday, July 24, 2006

Two Weeks of the Times

Armchair generals are making their usual noises about the so-called biased and supposedly slanted reporting afflicting Israel. Rather than argue with them directly, I thought it might be interesting to look at how the New York Times has been covering the crisis.

You can draw your own conclusions in the comments

What follows is a list of the Time's lead headline and a decription of their front page photos dating back to July 12, the day the two soldiers were taken.

July 12
White House Says Terror Detainees Hold Basic Rights
Photo: Crowds milling around a destroyed train (top)
Victims of the train bombings in India (bottom)

July 13
Clashes Spread to Lebanon as Hezbollah Raids Israel Sub: 8 Israeli Troops are Killed and 2 are Held
Photo caption: "An Israeli artillery unit fired across the border into Lebanon Wednesday after Hezbollah fighters launched a raid into Israel, killing eight soldiers." [Note this was a mistake in favor of Israel. As a later correction noted, only three soldiers were killed during the raid.]

July 14
Israel Blockades Lebanon; Wide Strikes by Hezbollah
Photo Caption: "Fuel tanks burn at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, which was shelled by the Israeli military for the first time since 1982. " (top)
"Hezbollah rain rockets on Israel" (bottom left)
"Old Wounds re-open in Lebanon (bottom right)

July 15
Israel Vows to Rout Hezbollah
Sub: Beirut Bombed- Drone Hits Israeli Ship
Photo: A Lebanese soldier is shown in front of a destroyed building

July 16
Israel Widens Scope of Attacks Across Lebanon
Photo: Soldiers walking among wounded people who are spread out on gurneys. I think they are Leabanese, but I can't say for sure.

July 17
Israel Bombards Lebanon After Hezbollah Hits Haifa With Missile
Photo: A scene from the destroyed train station (top)
Destroyed Lebanese buildings (bottom)

July 18
Diplomats Seek Foreign Patrols to Calm Mideast
Photo: Two Lebanese men weeping by a ditch (top)
Israeli soldiers weeping (bottom right)
Israeli civillians screaming (bottom left)

[To be continued]

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