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Katie Curic: Is he a traitor or a pioneer this past week? The controversial Arab network al-Jazeera announced it's hired a very unusual choice to appear on its new English language news channel. He's a former US marine. Our national correspondent Jamie Gangel has the first TV interview with the man who finds himself at the center of a fierce debate. Jamie good morning.
Jamie Gangel: Good morning, Katie. With 30 to 50 million viewers in the Arab world, al-Jazeera is both the most popular and as you said the most controversial Arab language network. But now it's getting new attention for its new star.
In this country, al-Jareera is best known for exclusives like this: messages from Osama Bin Laden, graphic footage, of hostages and prisoners of war.
(Where all do you come from? Texas.)
And while top Bush administration officials have done interviews with the network, they've also called it biased, inflammatory and dangerous.
Donald Rumsfield: Lie, is what they do. They, they, they just simply put uh... things on television that are not true.)
So why is this former US marine captain Josh Rushing going to work for an Arab news network accused of being anti-American?
Josh Rushing: My personal goal is... I wanna represent to the world the best of what I think America stands for. When I traveled the world they had such harsh opinions about us right now. And I hope when they see me, maybe someone that they, can relate to, somebody to listen.
Jamie Gangel: You think you are going to promote a pro-American message?
Josh Rushing: Ab, absolutely. I've made no attempt to separate myself from my past, so no attempt to separate myself from being a marine of 14 years, a guy from Texas, a blue-eyed American son.
But while Rushing, a former Public Affairs officer, was considered talented and smart by his marine corps superiors,conservative critics are saying the thirty-three-year old ex-marine is now being used.
Cliff Kincaid(Accuracy in America): He's being naive and thinking that he is going to have any real impact over al-Jazeera . He's gonna be an American face, perhaps a punching bag that they can use in their news reports to say: "Hey! We are balanced. Look! We've got the American on the air. "
Rushing insists he knows what he's getting into.
Josh Rushing: They are not hiring me for my journalistic skills. They are hiring me to represent my viewpoint on the air as on their personality. So, do I think I'm being naive? No.
So, why did al-Jazeera pick him? Rushing admits it was because of his appearance in this movie.
Josh Rushing: I mean it's about the 23 million people of Iraq and bringing them freedom.
Last year, Rushing became a minor celebrity as the accidental star of the documentary Control Room. A sympathetic behind the scene's look at al-Jazeera's coverage of the Iraq War. In the movie, Rushing is seen in his job as a liaison to the Arab language network.
Josh Rushing: We don't wanna occupy Bagdad.(but you are) We don't want to keep troops here.
At times he's critical of coverage. But he also develops a respect for the news organization. And he remains quick to defend al-Jazeera today.
Josh Rushing: I wrote off al-Jazeera because you're biased. I'm afraid I have to write off not just the American media, maybe the world's media, you know. Show me a news station that doesn't have some kind of bias in the Senate. It's, I think, is impossible.
Jamie Gangel: And to the naysayers, the people who think you are a fool, you're getting used?
Josh Rushing: Who cares? I mean the marine's taught me do the right thing for the right reason. Damn the consequences! Everyone is gonna have their opinions. And if you are doing anything worthwhile, you couldn't have critics.
Jamie Gangel: Rushing admits he doesn't even know exactly what he'll be doing in studio work or field reporting. The network K goes on the air next spring, and has yet to be picked up by the American Cable Company. Katie?
Katie Curic: And Jamie, if he doesn't like it or if he feels he is being used, he can always quit, right?
Jamie Gangel: Absolutely. But he doesn't really know yet how they are gonna use him and so it's a wait-and-see. All right.
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