Nidra Poller on the New Twist in the Al Dura Trial

Nidra Poller is writing about the trial for Pajamas Media--and the trial looks like it is taking an unexpected turn:

Philippe Karsenty has scored a significant victory. The al Dura report has been questioned ever since it was first broadcast seven years ago. The 27-minutes of raw footage have served as a protective shield for Charles Enderlin and France 2—the “proof” that was never presented. Even after reputable journalists had viewed the footage and testified to its nature, it retained its magical quality and was used to discredit anyone who questioned the veracity of the al Dura report.

Today, a French Appelate Court destroyed that magic. The raw footage is forced to enter the sphere of reality, where it will be judged by rational standards.

The outcome remains uncertain.

Will France 2 discover a way to slip out of this injunction? Will the court temper its demand? Will the footage be produced, viewed, and dismissed as irrelevant?

Will President Sarkozy exert his authority and imperatively request state-owned France 2 to come forward, produce the evidence and, eventually, dismiss collaborators who have participated in this hoax…as requested in the incriminated Media Ratings release?

And, finally, when will the French media tear off their false faces and admit what they know about the al Dura affair?

Despite an AP release and extensive international coverage over the past few weeks, no mainstream media reporters attended today’s hearing. They missed an early warning that the rules of the game may well be changing.

We are talking about something that happened 7 years ago. When Israel recently requested the raw footage from France2, it seemed to be much too late and a waste of time--yet that request itself played a role in tripping up France 2.

Read the whole thing.

[Hat tip: Instapundit]

Technorati Tag: Al Dura and France2.