>MSNBC has just reported that their news division has agreed to withhold airing Al Qaeda pre-recorded statements until they have been fully screened for any hidden messages to terrorists.
>I realize that this is a method used for disseminating instructions, and having spent 8 years in the military intelligence field and 7 years as a government employee following that, I am extremely sensitive to this subject. However, this will not prevent the information from getting to the terrorists. In my opinion this is sensorship and the only audience prevented from having immediate access to public information is us, the American public. Any terrorist looking for hidden messages will still get the instructions (if any) via sattellite news on Al Jazeera.

Hi,

I don't see anything wrong with banning the appearance of anyone of the likes of osama on US tv.

So far, the two videos that have been shown, besides the possible messages that might be hidden therein, have done absolutely nothing beneficial to the public. At best, they have reassured us that there are a bunch of people willing to die killing anyone that lives in the country (as if we didn't know this by now). At worst, it helps to keep a great part of the US population terrorized, which is ultimately, one of their goals.

The FBI, CIA, et al, have access to the aljazeera transmissions, so they can still see if there is any 'cellular' activity shortly after specific broadcasts. That ability is not being undermined at all by this restriction.

You have to understand that right now, the safest place to be in the US is in the CNN building. As the media is the terorrists' podium/soapbox, that's the last thing they want to damage.

Terror, as others said, is their most precious weapon, and the media isn't but a vehicle of terror if we're to see videos of angry arabs threatening to kill us every time we turn on the tv.

I say that they be banned completely from appearing in OUR tv.

Call it censorship if you will, but by listening to their messages and eventually believing them, we aren't but helping their cause.

alex