More Willful Obama Ignorance: Who Killed Daniel Pearl and Why?

Check out this post by Jim Hoft over at Gateway Pundit. (h/t Fuzzy at Fuzzy Logic)

While signing the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009, Obama gave this prepared statement:

"All around the world there are enormously courageous journalists and bloggers who, at great risk to themselves, are trying to shine a light on the critical issues that the people of their country face; who are the frontlines against tyranny and oppression. And obviously the loss of Daniel Pearl was one of those moments that captured the world’s imagination because it reminded us of how valuable a free press is, and it reminded us that there are those who would go to any length in order to silence journalists around the world. What this act does is it sends a strong message from the United States government and from the State Department that we are paying attention to how other governments are operating when it comes to the press. It has the State Department each year chronicling how press freedom is operating as one component of our human rights assessment, but it also looks at countries that are — governments that are specifically condoning or facilitating this kind of press repression, singles them out and subjects them to the gaze of world opinion in ways that I think are extraordinarily important. [emphasis mine]"

What? "Captured the world's imagination"?! Was this some kind of inspiring and uplifting Olympic performance? This is Obama's choice of words?

There's so much wrong with this, not so much the basically toothless Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act, but with Obama's statement that I don't know where to begin. Fortunately, Hoft does. Go check out his response, but here are some of Hoft's key points:

"Daniel Pearl was not beheaded because he was a journalist.

"Daniel Pearl was beheaded by Islamic extremists because he was an American and a Jew."

[...]

"After the Islamic radicals murdered Daniel Pearl they released a video of his beheading. This text was included:

"'My name is Daniel Pearl. I am a Jewish American from Encino, California USA. I come from, uh, on my father’s side the family is Zionist. My father’s Jewish, my mother’s Jewish, I’m Jewish. My family follows Judaism. We’ve made numerous family visits to Israel. Back in the town of Bnei Brak there is a street named after my great grandfather Chaim Pearl who is one of the founders of the town.'

"Obviously, the terrorists were not as concerned about Pearl’s writing as much as his Jewish blood line. But, when you are incapable of understanding who we are fighting and when you are unwilling to utter the words 'Islamic radicalism' then you tend to make these kind of mistakes."

Well put Hoft. Thank you.

Check out Jennifer Rubin's take on Obama's remarks as well, also referenced by Hoft.