It's not surprising to learn that President Bush refused to speak up on behalf of besieged journalist Jihad Momani, an editor who was brave enough to publish the Muhammad caricatures in al-Shihan, a Jordanian newspaper on the grounds that people should know about what they were protesting. Momani's journalistic integrity got him "fired, arrested, twice, denied bail and charged with blasphemy by the government of King Abdullah of Jordan."
When Bush met with Abdullah last week, he could have intervened on behalf of Momani and another editor being detained. But Bush blew the opportunity to make Momani's case an issue and to promote the freedom of the press in autocratic Jordan. It's unfortunate, because King Abudllah could not afford to disregard the president. Jordan is heavily dependent on U.S. aid, receiving one fifth of its annual budget from the U.S.
This episode confirms what various scandals (lying about the war, spying on civilians,etc.) already suggest: Anyone who believes that the Bush Administration truly cares about democratic freedoms is a damn fool.
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