TEHRAN, Apr 22 - The mainstream media in the United States are highly influenced by spy agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Israeli Mossad, an American academic and analyst says, noting that Google's recent move in blocking Press TV's accounts was part of the American government’s pressure campaign against Tehran.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - James Henry Fetzer, a retired professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, made the remarks in a recent interview with Press TV after Google blocked the English-language news network's access to its official accounts on YouTube and Gmail.
Condemning the ban as a “completely inappropriate” measure taken by the administration of US President Donald Trump, Fetzer said, “Unfortunately, the mainstream media here in the US seem for long taken over by the CIA and its allies and [Israel's spy agency] Mossad.”
The scholar noted that the Trump administration has been pressuring Iran under the influence of the American Israel Public Relations Committee (AIPAC).
"I have no doubt that Press TV has suffered a tremendous amount of interference," he said. "I've been extremely concerned that the Trump administration has taken an extremely negative attitude towards Iran."
Following his decision in May 2018 to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Trump has reimposed a series of economic sanctions against Tehran while also designating the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
Continuing the hostile line of action, American tech giant Google blocked on Friday Press TV and Hispan TV's access to their official accounts on some of its platforms, including YouTube and Gmail, without prior notice, citing “violation of policies."
"Well, the idea of silencing Iran on the pretext that Iran is a terrorist state simply flies in the face of history and readily available evidence," Fetzer added.
This is not the first time that Google is blocking Press TV’s YouTube channels.
The original YouTube channel was established in December 2009, and closed in September 2013. A new channel was then opened, but it was shut almost two months later.
Another channel was opened, but it suffered the same fate after five months.
The fourth channel, however, remained active with over 270,000 subscribers until it was closed today without any prior notice for what Google calls “violation” of its terms and policies.
The Google ban seems to be in line with the US government’s stepped-up pressure on Iran and an all-out propaganda campaign against the country, which includes targeting Iranian media.
Source: Press TV
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