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| Iraq |
| Iraqi government prop mills off the air |
| 2003-03-26 |
| BBC Reporter's Log, Wednesday, 26 March (Most recent postings on the BBC warblog are at the top, so you may need to scroll down.) Baghdad :: Andrew Gilligan :: 0602GMT Iraqi TV is off air this morning, so is the rival channel owned by Saddam Hussein's son, Uday. Their normal breakfast diet of patriotic songs and pictures of Saddam Hussein has been replaced by wavy lines and static. It took the allies several tries to silence the broadcasts on Tuesday night. Programmes stopped at least twice, then resumed from relief transmitters. ------------------------------------------------------------ Washington DC :: Ian Pannell :: 0427GMT The Pentagon is confirming that Iraqi state television has been knocked off their air and that that was the target. They deny that the so-called e-bomb or microwave bomb was used. The purpose of the operation was to counter command and control abilities of the Iraqi regime and also to deal with propaganda and the disinformation campaign of Baghdad. At the moment, it is still too early to say how successful or otherwise the bombing campaign was other than the fact that the Iraqi state television is off air and the damage assessment continues. |
| Posted by:Kerry |
| #5 "If indeed SF have been issuing false (and suicidal) orders to Iraqi troops"...SEND YOUR BEST MEN TO AL NASARIAH, NOW! wow! |
| Posted by: john 2003-03-26 22:09:11 |
| #4 "Maybe Iraq TV wasn't the main target. Could have been collateral to other communication systems." If indeed SF have been issuing false (and suicidal) orders to Iraqi troops, it would be important to cut their other means of communication. This would seem extremely difficult, though. |
| Posted by: Michael Levy 2003-03-26 21:37:04 |
| #3 Maybe Iraq TV wasn't the main target. Could have been collateral to other communication systems. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-03-26 08:45:35 |
| #2 Baghdad :: Paul Wood :: 0851GMT BBC Warblog I can see the television building about 200 meters behind where I am standing now and the white smoke is still billowing from there, following the bombing last night. Service was only off air for about 20 minutes before it came back on, not as good a picture, but back on air. The leadership realises how important it is to keep the tv network broadcasting, and how important it is for him to be visible and to be seen to be still in charge. There was clearly a plan laid to keep this on air. Members of the government are looking astonishing confident and relaxed at the moment considering there is a quarter of a million coalition troops knocking on their door. We are seeing a lot more preparations around the city, an increase in sandbags on the street and a lot more military personnel are visible. |
| Posted by: Kerry 2003-03-26 05:55:59 |
| #1 The domestic service of Iraqi TV is back on the air now, but with a much weaker signal and operating from another location, according to Fox News. The international satellite channel, presumably including outgoing transmission capability, has definitely been knocked out. |
| Posted by: Joe 2003-03-26 04:44:57 |