Aaron Klein

For other people of the same name, see Aaron Klein (disambiguation).

Aaron Klein is an American author, Middle East correspondent, head of the Jerusalem bureau for WorldNetDaily (WND),[1] columnist for The Jewish Press, and radio talk show host. He is known for interviewing middle eastern political figures, along with various leaders of terrorist groups in the region on WABC (AM).[2] His WND articles have been republished on Ynetnews and in The New York Sun.[3] In addition to his own program, Klein appears regularly on John Batchelor's radio talk show as well as other radio programs and cable news networks. Klein has written four books.

Contents

Student career

At Yeshiva University in New York City, Klein edited the undergraduate bimonthly student newspaper, The Commentator. Articles published in The Commentator regarding events such as use of an eight million dollar gift to the school and the removal of a secretary, written while Klein was a co-editor in chief, allegedly caused the school administration to remove some issues from circulation.[4] This prompted the paper's editorial board to threaten to sue the University. Yeshiva University later signed a contract in which it agreed to discontinue the practice and reimburse The Commentator for the confiscated issues.[5]

Aaron Klein Investigative Radio

Klein has a weekly talk show entitled, "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on WABC (AM).[2] He is described as "a Jerusalem-based investigative reporter and author with a rolodex that includes world leaders, news makers and some of the world's most deadly terrorists."[2] His show includes his calling and interviewing terrorists on the air.[2]

Klein follows the traditional talk radio model of taking listener calls throughout the show. His show fills the Sunday 2-4 p.m. (ET) time slot.[2]

In June 2010, Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, the Muslim leader behind a proposed Islamic cultural center near the site of the 9-11 attacks, was interviewed by Klein on WABC, where he reportedly refused to describe Hamas as a terrorist organization. [6]

On August 15, 2010, Doctor Mahmoud al-Zahar, the chief of Hamas in Gaza, appeared on Klein's program, where he expressed support for Park51 community center. Zahar's comments made the cover of the New York Post[7] and generated world media attention.[8][9]

Van Jones resignation

Klein was the first reporter to break the story on Van Jones, President Obama's former green jobs czar, that ended in Jones's resignation.[10] On October 16, 2009, the National Journal reported Klein was also advocating against other Obama officials, including Cass Sunstein, the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.[11] On 1 Dec 2009, Aaron Klein reported on the John Batchelor Show that Van Jones continues working for the White House, only as an independent consultant, and that the main stream media is not reporting on the story.[12]

Interviews

Schmoozing With Terrorists

Klein's book, Schmoozing With Terrorists: From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal their Global Plans - to a Jew!, was released in September 2007.[13]

The book is based on interviews with terrorists. Topics include Klein's meetings with a recruited Palestinian suicide bomber; interviews with Muhammed Abdel-El, the head of a Popular Resistance Committee, and Hamas leader Sheikh Yasser Hamad, and confrontations with the Muslim desecrators of Jewish and Christian holy sites. There is also a section in which terror leaders are petitioned to describe what life in the U.S. would be like under the rule of Islam, a chapter on Christian persecution in the Middle East, and a chapter claiming the U.S. funds terrorism.[14][15] In February 2010, it was announced a Hollywood firm purchased the movie rights to Schmoozing with Terrorists.[16]

Other interviews

In April 2008, Klein appeared on the John Batchelor radio show where both interviewed Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. During that interview, Yousef revealed that Hamas endorsed Barack Obama for president.[17] Obama's chief political strategist, David Axelrod, said he was "flattered" by the Hamas comparison of Obama to President John F. Kennedy.[18] Yousef's comments garnered media attention and were used as a campaign fundraising tool by Obama's opponent, Republican presidential candidate John McCain.[19][20][21] The interview was also noted by Pennsylvania media just before a presidential primary in that state between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton in which Clinton was victorious. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote an editorial titled, "Hamas & Obama: Terrorist Flatter" questioning Axelrod's response to Hamas' endorsement.[22] Ultimately, McCain and Obama themselves addressed Yousef's comments; McCain quoted Yousef's comments dozens of times during media interviews.[23]

George Galloway incident

During a June 2007 interview, after an argument over whether Hamas is a terrorist organization, British politician George Galloway evicted Klein and Rusty Humphries from his office and turned them over to Parliament police, claiming the two had breached security by falsely presenting themselves as reporters.[24]

Brüno film

In April 2008, Klein reported that Ayman Abu Aita, who had been interviewed by Sasha Baron Cohen as part of the Brüno film, told Klein that he was mislabeled by the movie's star who allegedly conducted the interview under false pretenses.[25] Ayman Abu Aita, who is labeled in the movie as a "terrorist group leader," stated he was shocked when he learned the film depicted him as a terrorist. Aita threatened legal action against Baron Cohen and the movie's producers. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades released a statement through Klein saying: "We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man"[26] and "The movie was part of a conspiracy against the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades."[27]

The Manchurian President book

The Manchurian President: Barack Obama's Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists was released in May 2010.[28] In the book, (per the New York Times blurb), "President Obama's life and campaigns are sifted for Communist and socialist ties."[29] The book spent several weeks on the Times' bestseller list for hardcover nonfiction and appeared on other prominent bestseller charts, including those of Publishers Weekly and the Washington Post.[30] [3] [4] Some journalists, including from publications such as Time and Newsweek, sent emails to the author's publicist saying they did not want to receive a review copy of Klein's book.[31][32][33]

Red Army:The Radical Network That Must Be Defeated to Save America

Michael Tomasky, reviewing Klein's book Red Army for the New York Review of Books wrote, "I can't in good conscience recommend that anyone read 'Red Army' except perhaps the president," noting that the book "will be read by hundreds of thousands.""[34]

Article criticizing Wikipedia

In March 2009, Klein criticized Wikipedia for what he described as preferential treatment of Barack Obama coverage. Klein said that Wikipedia editors had scrubbed the article of material critical of the president and that an editor had been suspended for attempting to add "missing" details about Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers and allegations that Obama was not born in the United States. Klein said similar negative content was found in the article of George W. Bush.[35][36]

The story was picked up by The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Drudge Report and Fox News. A spokesperson for Wikipedia stated that the Obama article had not received any preferential treatment[35] and another spokesperson noted the site's content is monitored and edited entirely by users. "Editors are really, really trying to do this as neutral as possible".[37]

Klein removed the name of the editor from the article after reports arose on blogs and Wired News that he might himself be the suspended editor described in the story. In an email sent in response to the Wired News article, Klein wrote that the editor "works with me and does research for me."[38]

Works

References

  1. ^ Kevin Poulsen (2007-07-25). "Fox Claims Wikipedia Whitewashes Obama's Past — Update | Threat Level from Wired.com". Blog.wired.com. http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/03/wikigate-1.html. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f New Talk Radio 77 WABC New York (undated). "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio". WABC (AM). http://www.wabcradio.com/showdj.asp?DJID=54157. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  3. ^ "Aaron Klein - Archive". The New York Sun. TWO SL LLC. http://www.nysun.com/authors/Aaron+Klein. Retrieved 2009-03-17. 
  4. ^ Karen W. Arenson (December 15, 1999). "Yeshiva Students Say the University Is Behind Removal of Campus Paper". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/regional/121599ny-yeshiva-edu.html. 
  5. ^ Aaron Klein and Alex Traiman. "University Pays Commentator in Censorship Case". The Commentator, V. 64, #2 (undated). Archived from the original on March 6, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070306193834/http://yuweb.addr.com/v64i6/news/news1univpay.shtml. 
  6. ^ Topousis, Tom (June 19, 2010). "Imam terror error: Ground Zero mosque leader hedges on Hamas". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/imam_terror_error_efmizkHuBUaVnfuQcrcabL#ixzz0uK9eW4lF. Retrieved December 18, 2011. 
  7. ^ S.A. Miller and Tom Topousis (2010-08-16). "Hamas nod for Ground Zero mosque". New York Post. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1303463/Obama-backtracks-Ground-Zero-mosque.html. 
  8. ^ "Ground Zero mosque must be built". Associated Press. 2010=08-16. http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=184935. 
  9. ^ "Obama backtracks over Ground Zero mosque after furious 9/11 families label him 'insensitive and uncaring'". Daily Mail. 2010-08-17. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1303463/Obama-backtracks-Ground-Zero-mosque.html. 
  10. ^ "Another Socialist Czar?". Fox Business Network. http://www.foxbusiness.com/search-results/m/26224523/another-socialist-czar.htm#q=aaron+klein. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 
  11. ^ "First Van Jones. Who's Next?". National Journal. 2009-10-16. http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20091016_7283.php. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ Lori Lowenthal Marcus (March 2008). "Book Review: Schmoozing With Terrorists". Philadelphia Jewish Voice. http://www.pjvoice.com/v33/33001terrorists.aspx. 
  14. ^ Jamie Glazov (31 October 2007). "Interview with Aaron Klein". FrontPage Magazine. http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=2306E1FD-A88C-4C24-A9B1-34BB2847F9F4. 
  15. ^ Brigitte Gabriel (2008). They Must Be Stopped: Why We Must Defeat Radical Islam and How We Can Do It. Macmillan. pp. 119–20. ISBN 0-312-38363-0. 
  16. ^ [2]
  17. ^ Michael Freund (October 28, 2008). "Look who's rooting for Obama". Jerusalem Post. http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1225199589258&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
  18. ^ Andy McCarthy (2008-05-28). "Hamas & Obama: Apparently, It's Only a Smear if McCain Says It". National Review Online. http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MTY3MDA2M2YzZmNhYWU3ZmFiNDYyZWNlYTgwYWVhYmY=. Retrieved 2009-04-08. 
  19. ^ Cameron, Carl (April 18, 2008). "McCain Camp Uses Obama's Hamas Compliment as Fundraising Fuel". FOXNews.com. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/elections/2008/04/18/mccain-camp-uses-obamas-hamas-compliment-as-fundraising-fuel/. Retrieved April 8, 2009. 
  20. ^ Youngman, Sam (April 18, 2008). "McCain Raises Cash on Obama's Foreign Policy Plans". The Hill. http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mccain-uses-obamas-foreign-policy-positions-to-raise-funds-2008-04-18.html. Retrieved April 8, 2009. 
  21. ^ Tapper, Jake (20 April 2008). "On 'This Week,' McCain Attacks Obama on Ayers Connection". ABC News. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/on-this-week-mc.html. Retrieved 8 April 2009. 
  22. ^ Editorial (April 21, 2008). "Hamas & Obama: Terrorist Flatter". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/mostread/s_563184.html. Retrieved April 8, 2009. 
  23. ^ Bill Adair (May 9, 2008). "A Terrorist Endorsement For Obama?". PolitiFact.com (St. Petersburg Times). http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/may/09/terrorist-endorsement-obama/. Retrieved April 8, 2009. 
  24. ^ "Galloway Defends Hamas, Ejects Klein and Humphries from Office". Jewish Press. December 5, 2007. http://www.jewishpress.com/displayContent_new.cfm?contentid=26552&mode=a&sectionid=1&contentname=Galloway_Defends_Hamas%2C_Ejects_Klein_and_Humphries_From_Office&recnum=1. Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  25. ^ David Brown and Kartik Mehta (28 July 2009). "Terrorist Threat to Sacha Baron Cohen Over Brüno Ridicule". The Times. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article6729022.ece. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
  26. ^ Luchina Fisher (July 16, 2009). "'Bruno' Turns Sacha Baron Cohen Into Potential Terrorist Target; Palestinian Group Linked to Terror By U.S. Reportedly Furious at Comedian for Unwanted Role in 'Bruno'". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Movies/story?id=8093067&page=1. Retrieved August 23, 2009. 
  27. ^ Daily Mail Reported (August 1, 2009). "Palestinian Branded a Terrorist in Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno is a Christian Activist For a Charity". Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1203609/Palestinian-branded-terrorist-Sacha-Baron-Cohens-Bruno-Christian-activist-charity.html. Retrieved August 23, 2009. 
  28. ^ "The Manchurian President: Barack Obama's Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935071874. 
  29. ^ Orville Buddo (2010-07-11). "July’s Political Best Sellers". New York Times. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/julys-political-best-sellers/. 
  30. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction". New York Times. 2010-06-04. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/books/bestseller/besthardnonfiction.html?_r=1&ref=books. 
  31. ^ Howard Kurtz (2010-07-11). "Speaking Softly on Terror". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/07/AR2010050701695.html. 
  32. ^ Diana West (2010-06-13). "Diana West: Obama's Radical Associations Matter, But Go Ignored by Press". The Examiner. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/Obama_s-radical-associations-matter_-but-go-ignored-by-press-96164289.html. 
  33. ^ "See Which Media Stars Diss Book Exposing Obama Unread; Editors, Reporters Trash Obama Project as 'Sensational Rubbish'". WorldNetDaily. 2010-05-06. http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=149313. 
  34. ^ "nybooks.com". http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/sep/29/republican-days-wrath/. 
  35. ^ a b Mark Coleman (March 10, 2009). "Barack Obama 'receives preferential treatment on Wikipedia', report claims". Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/wikipedia/4965132/Barack-Obama-receives-preferential-treatment-on-Wikipedia-report-claims.html. Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  36. ^ Aaron Klein (March 8, 2009). "Wikipedia scrubs Obama eligibility". WorldNetDaily. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=91114. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 
  37. ^ Joshua Rhett Miller (March 10, 2009). "Obama's Wikipedia Page Distances President From Wright and Ayers". Fox News.com. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,507244,00.html. Retrieved 2009-03-10. 
  38. ^ Aaron Klein (2009-03-09). "Eligibility Issue Sparks 'Edit War'; Wikipedia Blocks Users From Posting Criticism of Obama". WorldNetDaily. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=91257. Retrieved 2009-03-11. 

External links