Amazing! The Associated Press is repeating their bald assertion that Hamas cabinet ministers were “kidnapped” by Israel: Palestinian: Israel aims to topple gov’t.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Friday that Israel’s offensive in Gaza — including the kidnappings of some of his Cabinet ministers — was part of a premeditated plan to bring down the Hamas-led government.

AP propagandists like Ibrahim Barzak are dropping their usual quotation marks and their masks of impartiality, and flaunting their advocacy. It’s an MSM meltdown.

UPDATE at 6/30/06 10:02:18 am:

The Council on American Islamic Relations has issued another paid press release, using the same words as Hamas kingpin Ismail Haniyeh: U.S. Muslims Condemn Kidnapping of Palestinian Officials; CAIR Urges International Community to Repudiate Israeli ‘State Terror’.

WASHINGTON, June 29 /U.S. Newswire/ — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the United States and the international community to repudiate Israel’s kidnapping of dozens of democratically-elected Palestinian officials and cabinet ministers, including the deputy prime minister. CAIR called Israel’s hostage-taking a form of “state terror.”

It isn’t surprising that CAIR would echo the statements of Hamas so closely; they have many well-documented ties to the terrorist group.

And please note that CAIR did not issue a statement condemning the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit or the kidnapping and murder of 18-year old Eliyahu Asheri.