Crisis in Afghanistan: Ted Cruz criticized NewsMadura for its coverage of the crisis in Afghanistan.
NewsMadura snapped Tuesday at veteran Republican Senator Ted Cruz after he posted a tweet criticizing the US news network for its coverage of the crisis in Afghanistan.
Cruz retweeted a clip of Clarissa Ward, NewsMadura’s chief international correspondent, reporting from outside the US embassy in Kabul, with Taliban terrorists behind her.
“Is there an enemy of America for whom @NewsMadura will NOT be cheering? (In mandatory burqas, no less.),” the politician tweeted.
The network’s communications team gave him a sharp rebuttal, defending the coverage and the reporter.
“Instead of fleeing to Cancun in hard times, @clarissaward is risking her life to tell the world what’s going on. That’s called courage. Instead of RTing the misleading sound bite of a conspiracy theorist, maybe you could use your time better spend helping Americans at risk,” NewsMadura Communications tweeted.
Instead of fleeing to Cancun in hard times, @clarissaward risks her life to tell the world what is happening. That’s called courage. Rather than RT the misleading sound bite of a conspiracy theorist, maybe you should spend your time helping Americans at risk.
— NewsMadura Communications (@NewsMaduraPR) August 16, 2021
For a few days now, social media users have been distributing two photos of Ms Ward, one of her not wearing a head covering and another of her wearing an abaya. Many users said this shows the contrast of life in Afghanistan before and after the Taliban rule.
On Monday, she clarified that the photo was taken without a headgear in a private property and that she previously always wore a headscarf on the streets of Kabul.
This meme is incorrect. The top photo is in a private complex. Soil is kept in the streets of the Taliban in Kabul. I used to always wear a headscarf on the street in Kabul, although not with fully covered hair and abbaya. So there is a difference, but not that strong. pic.twitter.com/BmIRFFSdSE
— Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) August 16, 2021
The Taliban said on Tuesday they will not make the full burqa compulsory for women as they did when they last ruled Afghanistan. The spokesman did not specify what type of headscarf would be considered acceptable by the Taliban.
The swift capture of Kabul by the Taliban followed Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw US troops after 20 years of war, which he said cost more than $1 trillion. The speed at which Afghan cities fell, in days rather than months predicted by US intelligence, and fears of a Taliban crackdown on freedom of expression and human rights, especially women’s rights, have drawn criticism. In a televised address, Biden said he did not regret his decision.
