If you read Cole's response, he is trying to imply more than he actually states. If you follow his implications, then essentially he says that MEMRI is a tool of the Israeli Likud Party that does not dare to come right out and say so. Neither does Cole dare to come right out and say so. He just tries to imply that as he tries to imply a lot of other things in his writings.

He has all along tried to paint the Iraq picture as if the administration is totally wrong and the whole country is a quagmire. The bloggers from Iraq put the lie to him but he still tries to paint himself as the last word in being an expert on Iraq. I hope MEMRI can do something to make him put up or shut up. I agree that a lawsuit is the wrong tactic but Cole has been getting away with far too much pretentious posturing on the subject of Iraq for a long time and he does need to be brought to bear for what he says and implies. It is definitely about time.

I don't think much of Cole. But it's the people we dislike that we've got to fight the most strongly for. Anyone can defend the freedom of speech we agree with. For our rights to mean anything, they've got to apply to the things we don't like. Regardless of what else Cole has done, he has done nothing legally actionable, and he therefore is not deserving of legal threats like this.