Times Responds to WH criticism, page 1

The New York Times has finally responded to criticism by the Current administration. Instead of attacking those who have attacked them, they simply responded, both in print and on Face the Nation, a Sunday morning talk show, that the Times has not hurt the nation nor helped the Terrorists by disclosing information about this administration's tracking of international bank accounts.

news.netster.com
Published reports that the U.S. was monitoring international banking transactions were not news to the terrorists who were its target because the Bush administration had already "talked openly" about the effort, The New York Times' top editor said Sunday.

In defending his paper's decision to reveal details of the program, Times executive editor Bill Keller told an interviewer on CBS's "Face the Nation" that such operations are important to an informed public.

"I don't think the threshold test of whether you write about how the government is waging the war on terror is whether they've done something that's blatantly illegal or outrageous," Keller said. "I think you probably would like to know what they're doing that's successful as well."

Keller told CBS host Bob Scheiffer that "when lives are clearly at risk," The Times often withholds information from publication.

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Great article.

I think that this is probably the best way for the Times to defend themselves against this partisan attack. Government only seem to like free press when they are the ones feeding the press all the info....however whenever an editorial or new publication comes out and says anything, positive or negative, about this administration it seems like their knee jerk reaction is to cry wolf so to speak.

Disgrace , Traitor, cut-runner, these are just a few of the adjectives used by this administration whenever anyone questions their actions...is this really the kind of Government we want? Personally I don't think so. But i digress. This article was well written and professional in my opinion. The times has defended itself and IMHO won the debate.

They haven't hurt Bush's cause in the Middle east and they certainly haven't abetted the enemy.

[edit on 3-7-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

[edit on 10-7-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]