AARON KLEIN

'Aaron Klein' is an American journalist and author. He is a Middle East correspondent and head of the Jerusalem bureau for WorldNetDaily^[2][3] and a columnist for ''The Jewish Press''. His WND articles have been republished on Ynetnews and in ''The New York Sun.''^[4] Klein has been a co-host^[5] for the John Batchelor show and has had regular segments and commentary on U.S. talk radio programs.

Contents

Interviews and book

Controversies

Student career

References

External links

Interviews and book

Aaron Klein has interviewed many Middle East newsmakers, including government officials and terrorist leaders. His first interview with terrorists was in 1999 when, at age nineteen, he spent time with members of Al-Muhajiroun, a group reportedly connected to al-Qaeda. His article about the experience,^[6] "My Weekend with the Enemy," was published in ''The Jerusalem Post.''
Klein's book ''Schmoozing With Terrorists,''^[7] which is based on his interviews, is due for publication in September 2007. Sources have listed it with either of two subtitles:

★ ''Interviews With Terrorist Leaders and Aspiring Suicide Bombers … Conducted by an Orthodox Jew.'' ^[8]

★ ''From Hollywood to the Holy Land, Jihadists Reveal their Global Plans - to a Jew!'' ^[9]

Controversies

;Visa
In December 2005, Klein was denied a journalist visa to broadcast with ABC Radio in Syria. Officials from Syria's embassies in Washington, D.C. and Amman, Jordan were quoted as saying Klein's Jewish faith was a problem.^[10] Some leaders in Lebanon, including Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and parliamentarian and former Prime Minister Michel Aoun, condemned Syria for its refusal to admit Klein.^[11]
;Elections
Before the 2006 U.S. midterm elections, Klein conducted a series of interviews with senior Middle East terrorist leaders who urged Americans to vote for Democrats.^[12][13] al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades leader Jihad Jaara told Klein a Democrat win would ensure victory for worldwide jihad, explaining the Democrats policy of withdrawal from Iraq would "enhance the resistance." Klein also read to the terror leaders statements from prominent Democrats such as House minority leader Nancy Pelosi claiming a withdrawal from Iraq would end the insurgency there. All terror leaders interviewed rejected the claim. Islamic Jihad leader Muhammad Saadi said an American withdrawal would "prove the resistance is the most important tool and that this tool works." Jaara declared a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would "mark the beginning of the collapse of this tyrant empire (America)."
;Pelosi
In April, 2007, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Syria and called for dialogue with Damascus against the stated recommendations of the White House, Klein conducted interviews with Mideast terror leaders whose headquarters are in Syria. The terrorists called Pelosi's visit "brave" and "very appreciated" and said it could bring about "important changes" to America's foreign policy, including talks with "Middle East resistance groups," Iran and Iraqi insurgents. One terror leader, Khaled Al-Batch, a militant and spokesman for Islamic Jihad, expressed hope Pelosi would one day become U.S. president, explaining the House speaker's Damascus visit demonstrated she understands the Middle East.
Audio clips of Klein's interviews with terrorists were played on Fox News.^[14]

Student career

Klein is a graduate of Torah Academy Boys High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he edited ''The T.A. Times'', the school's monthly newspaper. After high school, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, later transferring to Yeshiva University in New York City, where he edited the undergraduate bimonthly student newspaper, ''The Commentator.''
Some of Klein's critical investigative pieces for ''The Commentator'' provoked administrative ire.^[15] In December 1999, The New York Times reported that issues of the student newspaper had repeatedly been removed from the campus at the administration's behest during Klein's tenure as editor-in-chief, prompting Klein to threaten to sue the University. The conflict attracted additional media attention. Yeshiva University later signed a contract in which it agreed to discontinue the practice and reimburse ''The Commentator'' for the confiscated issues.^[16]

References

1. A Straightforward Interview Amidst M-16s and Tea November 11, 2005 - Radio host Rusty Humphries holds court with terrorist leaders in Israeli refugee camp
2. WND to open Jerusalem bureau
3. Aaron Klein article archive, WorldNetDaily,
4. Aaron Klein article archive, ''The New York Sun.''
5. 'Ministry of Fear' in Mideast John Batchelor
6. My Weekend with the Enemy Aaron Klein
7. Forward into Fall: Contemporary Affairs Donahue et al
8. ''Schmoozing With Terrorists: Interviews With Terrorist Leaders and Aspiring Suicide Bombers … Conducted by an Orthodox Jew.'' Aaron Klein. WND Books, September 2007. (subtitle in book cover image). Hardcover: ISBN 0-97904-512-6, ISBN 978-0979045127.
9. Gossip Column Cindy Adams
10. 'Ministry of Fear '- Part II John Batchelor
11. Jewish reporter denied entry to Syria Joseph Farah
12. Unparalleled Perfidy Investor's Business Daily Editorial
13. Terrorists for Democrats: They both want us out of Iraq. Deroy Murdock
14. Palestinian Militants Praise Pelosi? "Transcript edited for clarity"
15. Yeshiva Students Say the University Is Behind Removal of Campus Paper Karen W. Arenson
16. University Pays ''Commentator'' in Censorship Case Aaron Klein and Alex Traiman

External links

★ "Implications Have Consequences" Terry Krepel, November 2006, ConWebWatch website.