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| Iraq |
| Iranian and Arab media attack Kurds and Kurdistan |
| 2003-04-08 |
| Since the beginning of the war on Iraq, Iranian and Arab media have launched a media war on Kurds and Kurdistan. The Arab media has made attempts to undermine the Kurdish issue. Last week, for example, Al-Jazeera brought a so-called Arab intellectual to attack the Kurds, who argued that the debate on the Kurdish issue was too "early", implying that a strong and centralist Arab government in Baghdad would have to be established first, before the Kurdish issue could "debated". They still seem to think that Iraq is a "Arab" country. The Iranian Arabic Satellite news station, Al-Alam, on the other hand calls the current war on Iraq, "the War of Control." Al-Alam has several reporters stationed in different locations in south Kurdistan (Iraqi Kurdistan) and reports news about the northern front regularly. Al-Alam hosts discussion programmes about the war in Iraq, in which speakers from south Kurdistan and the Arab world participate. Arab speakers participating in their programmes make comments such as "Kurds will pay a heavy price for their assistance to the US." Is that a threat? I think it was. Recently, Al-Alams reporter in Arbil, regarded the friendly-fire inccident in Dibiga as a "purposed and aimed" attack by the Americans. The reporter said that the American fighter jet attacked the Kurds on purpose to stop them from advancing. The Al-Alam reporter was unaware that four members of the American Special Forces were killed in the friendly fire accident. An Arab speaker from Egypt confirmed Al-Alam's claim. They knew that Special Forces were killed, it just didn't fit their view so they ignored it. Arab TV channels such as Al-Jazeera and Abu Dhabi TV, also aim to create chaos and disappointment among Kurds. After the friendly-fire accident, the Abu Dhabi TV reporter in Sulemani said that Wajeeh Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Special Forces, was confirmed dead, while Wajeeh Barzani was seriously injured in the incident and is currently in Germany for treatment. People in south Kurdistan seem not very happy with the attitudes of the Arabic channels. Recently, a group of students from Sulemani University arranged a demonstration against the media war on Kurds. I don't think I'd like it if the Kurds were not happy with me. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #2 We build a new middle east, one success at a time... Someday the Arab Street is going to run out of spittle. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-04-08 16:04:31 |
| #1 The Master Race isn't happy at all with the Kurd military successes. And hooking up with the Merkins makes them next thing to infidels. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-04-08 14:47:30 |