A televised report on CBS News Saturday morning included ludicrous pro-Obama administration spin by London-based correspondent Elizabeth Palmer on reaction to the nuclear framework deal with Iran that downplayed the continued chants by Iranians of “death to America.”
Palmer spoke over video footage of a large crowd at a Tehran mosque.
“At Friday prayers there was the usual chant of ‘death to America’, but more habit than conviction. The sermon by Senior Ayatollah Kashani made it clear that Iran’s leaders support this deal. “I congratulate those who led the talks,” he said. “Great job.”
Palmer emphasized the phrase ‘more habit’ to make it sound more convincing.
Palmer made her report from CBS’ London bureau, not from Tehran. The idea that chants of ‘death to America’ aren’t to be taken seriously is Obama administration spin.
CNN’s Jim Acosta reported on March 23rd that Obama administration officials were downplaying Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei saying, “Death to America” at the previous Friday’s prayers.
“At a speech over the weekend, in front of a crowd chanting “death to America” Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei agreed, condemning economic sanctions on his people. “Yes, death to America,” Khamenei told the audience, because America is the original source of this pressure…”
…”As for the ayatollah’s “death to America” comments, administration officials are suggesting those kinds of remarks are aimed at an Iranian domestic political audience. What matters, officials caution, is what they agree to at the bargaining table.”
CBS News deleted a tweet posted Saturday by its CBS This Morning Twitter account that teased Palmer’s report.
https://twitter.com/DefendWallSt/status/584422324054712320
The deleted tweet was saved by Weasel Zippers. It is almost verbatim of what Palmer reported, so it is unclear why CBS pulled it.
The CBS tweet read:
“At Friday prayers….there was the usual chant of Death to America…but more out of habit than conviction. — — @elizapalmer”
The video of the report was still available on the CBS News website as of Saturday evening.
