Ahmadinejad speaks; Reuters swoons

When we last visited Reuters' "special correspondent" Alistair Lyon, he was busy serving up the usual share of falsehoods, unsupported assertions, errors of omission, and egregious bias that have become Reuters' stock-in-trade in its Middle East reporting. Today, Lyon offers readers a puff piece on Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad following the latter's news conference in Istanbul. Lyon begins with tribute for Ahmadinejad's oratory style:

He expounds his views with rhetorical flourishes, jabs at his foes and occasional flashes of humor.

Perhaps Lyon got his file on Ahmadinejad mixed up with the file on Ahmad Rashad.  Lyon continues:

Belying his often-demonized image, the Iranian leader evoked universal values, not just Islamic ones, to call for a new world order based on friendship and solidarity.

Uh-huh. A call for "friendship and solidarity", like perhaps:

The oppressors and tyrants are responsible for all the difficulties and problems currently faced by the nations, and the only way to establish justice is through popular uprising and determined resistance in the face of these oppressors."

-- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, August 25, 2007

And "universal values", like perhaps the stoning and hanging of young women for "crimes against chastity":



Lyon moves on to paint a folksy portrait of Ahmadinejad as someone focused on social and developmental issues:

Ahmadinejad, son of a blacksmith from the provincial town of Arad, argued that money spent by world powers on nuclear arms would not "heal wounds," build schools or develop economies.

Because after all, Iran has certainly demonstrated its commitment to top flight medical care, quality education, and a vibrant economy.

No mention by Lyon of Ahmadinejad's unintentionally hilarious comment at the press conference that:

Religious people of different sects respect each other.

Oh yes, we've noticed that.