Al Jazeera, the Arab news network considered by Westerners to be the voice of al-Qaida, is praising likely Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry as "a popular mainstream Democrat with liberal tendencies, [who] has been widely seen as a good compromise candidate in a divided party."
"A decorated war hero, Kerry supported the attack on Iraq and wants to see a strong U.S. military," notes al Jazeera in a candidate profile on its Web site. "But that hawkish stance is balanced by his promotion of healthcare coverage, workers' rights and environment-friendly practices."
The network favored by Osama bin Laden as the chief venue for his propaganda tapes stressed that although Kerry initially supported the Iraq war, "he has suggested Bush's handling of the campaign is 'f****ed up.'"
Dwelling on Kerry's criticism of the White House, al Jazeera cites his complaints that "Bush misled Americans on the degree Iraq posed a threat," along with accusations from the Massachusetts Democrat that Bush isn't "working closely enough with the wider international community."
The al-Qaida-friendly network also notes, "[Kerry] says excluding France and Germany from rebuilding Iraq was 'dumb and insulting'" - and spotlighted Kerry's charge that the Bush Justice Department has stigmatized "innocent Muslims and Arabs who pose no danger."
Calling Kerry "a relatively liberal senator," al Jazeera explained that he "made a name for himself on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he ... exposed the role of President Ronald Reagan's aide Colonel Oliver North in smuggling guns to the Contra rebels in Nicaragua."
Stopping just short of an endorsement, al Jazeera concludes: "Kerry is well placed politically between his party's radical left and arch conservatives. And he has the funds to last the whole season if necessary."
