KPFK Does it Again!



After a long fight between factions at Pacifica radio, Mike Ruppert was on KPFK's The Morning Show on Thursday, 6-13-02.

Unfortunately, KPFK reverted to its old behavior, sandbagged Ruppert, and devoted approximately 1/3rd of the show distracting Pacifica's listeners from hearing the truth about U.S. government involvement in 9-11.

Sonali Kolhatkar, host of The Morning Show, opened the segment seeming to give Ruppert a free hand in putting out the information Pacifica's listeners have been denied. Kolhatkar asked a few somewhat interesting questions, but then a different agenda appeared. Kolhatkar asked Ruppert about his belief that U.S. government agencies were the perpetrators of 9-11. Ruppert calmly explained that he has never said or written that the any government agency was the overt force committing the 9-11 atrocities, and that what he has been discussing is the government's foreknowledge of the events and cover-up of that foreknowledge afterwards.

Kolhatkar went on with the interview, but at three additional points asked Ruppert the exact same question about evidence the U.S. government organized and committed the 9-11 attacks, something Ruppert has never said or published. It was obvious Ruppert had been set-up. Then, 20 minutes into the show, Pacifica showed its disdain for its listeners, and what their true agenda is. And their agenda is apparently not the dissemination of information.

When she opened the show Kolhatkar discussed the controversy that Ruppert's work has created in the mainstream press, and mentioned, specifically, David Corn, Washington Editor of The Nation. She said that Corn had been invited to appear on the show but had declined. This on-air statement is a direct contradiction of what Kolhatkar had told the FTW office. In arranging the interview FTW office manager Andrea Shepherd was told, by Kolhatkar, that Ruppert would be on for the entire 8:00

i was listening to the show that morning, and had never heard of Mike Ruppert or David Corn.

mike ruppert sounded like an instigator

I missed the broadcast but I am aware of the conflict

between Ruppert and Corn. Ruppert's testimony about

911 and CIA plots has been criticized all over, including

Corn's piece in the LA "Weakly" (left-bashing wusses) and

does demand scrutiny. But Corn is a spineless, whining

wimp who tows the line for spineless centrists and moderates and needs to be checked too. Corn gets more coverage in

print media while Ruppert has to wrangle with KPFK, which

is sensitive about their credibility, to say nothing of

their broadcasting integrity.

Maybe an outside committee sponsored by other organizations can set up a real debate, since KPFK is in a precarious situation with this.

I missed the broadcast but I am aware of the conflict

between Ruppert and Corn. Ruppert's testimony about

911 and CIA plots has been criticized all over, including

Corn's piece in the LA "Weakly" (left-bashing wusses) and

does demand scrutiny. But Corn is a spineless, whining

wimp who tows the line for spineless centrists and moderates and needs to be checked too. Corn gets more coverage in

print media while Ruppert has to wrangle with KPFK, which

is sensitive about their credibility, to say nothing of

their broadcasting integrity.

Maybe an outside committee sponsored by other organizations can set up a real debate, since KPFK is in a precarious situation with this.

Why are some people so adamant about defending Ruppert? Sounds like a new religion to me.

I also heard the show. I like when there is true disagreement on my media. If I want to hear a bunch of self-congratulatory neo-liberals I'll turn on the TV, thank you. No debate in TV land – everybody happy.

Where else on the planet are you going to hear the likes of Ruppert and Corn battling it out like on Pacifica? It brought a smile to my face to think that these voices, so marginalized by corporate media, could be heard back-to-back on my favorite radio station. Was Ruppert set up? Hey, if he can't handle a little heated debate he should stay out of the kitchen. And if Corn didn't have Ruppert to bitch about wouldn't his life be boring? Yes it would.

I didn't hear the Morning Show that morning, but I have read and been forwarded much of Michael Ruppert's material and am not sure how much merit it has. On his website, Ruppert complains about other journalists too who have questioned the validity of his material.

Sonali Kolhatkar is an amazing activist, speaker - extremely intelligent, and a very good radio host given how new to it she technically is. She is the VP of the Afghan Women's Mission and has written several incredibly well-written articles about US involvment in Afghanistan. Don't bash her!