Article

2003-03-26 Iraq

Basra: Why they are not cheering (according to the Beeb)

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Posted by Kerry 2003-03-26 05:57 am|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I always enjoy reading the BBC. They aren't very smooth at spinning, though I'm sure it works for their target audience. You actually get good information out of them - once you learn to read between the, "Although it may appear that"... XYZ... "closer examination reveals that the sky is falling and that Jews and Americans are pigs".

Posted by becky 2003-03-26 06:45:43|| 2003-03-26 06:45:43|| Front Page Top

#2 A lot of the hostile quotes are already a day or two old. You see the same story reappearing everywhere. The situation is not clear and we'll have to wait and see. I hope the reports of an uprising continue but I doubt now that the allies will be celebrated liberators. People (including me at times) let their optimism get the better of themselves. I imagine there will be something closer to Afghanistan where the resistance will crumble and people will be glad to get rid of the old regime, no matter how distrustful they are of the foreigners. Americans yearn to be loved but all we need is a little grudging respect and mostly success.

Posted by Tokyo Taro 2003-03-26 07:07:09|| 2003-03-26 07:07:09|| Front Page Top

#3 A different BBC reporter in Iraq has blasted his own network's dishonest and defeatist coverage in an internal memo that was leaked to our favorite balls-to-the-wall British tabloid, The Sun.

Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2003-03-26 07:13:08|| [www.nuclearspace.com] 2003-03-26 07:13:08|| Front Page Top

#4 Oh hell, I don't want to get into a rant about the BBC. It does provide a comprehensive news coverage, and because it's not got sponsors to keep happy, it posts whatever it gets straight onto the internet. This gives it a huge and unfair advantage over just about anyone else, UK or US included, who have to rely on (primarily TV) advertising or subscription.

The BBC grows fat thanks to British TV licence-payers, who are obliged to pay this mandatory tax which benefits just the one media corporation. It's message will always tend towards the left as it relies on state money for its very existence. There's growing disquiet about this, especially as it spends an ever increasing amout of time promoting itself and its own subscription TV channels.

The TV licence also pays for BBC national and local radio stations, of which there are a great many and variety. Commerical stations are somehow expected to compete.

Posted by Bulldog 2003-03-26 07:13:50|| 2003-03-26 07:13:50|| Front Page Top

#5 "Although the sanctions regime allows for the provision of food and medicine, this is not always delivered to the poor. Saddam Hussein is not blamed but the United Nations and the United States are."

Figures -- it's another good reason to keep the UN out of Iraq during reconstruction.

Posted by John Phares 2003-03-26 07:50:20|| 2003-03-26 07:50:20|| Front Page Top

#6 In a way this is a good thing, the administration has a tendency to see everything outside their inner circle as being nothing but objects to be manipulated. It's past time they wised up

Posted by Hiryu 2003-03-26 08:29:03|| 2003-03-26 08:29:03|| Front Page Top

#7 from the New York Times

"The British moves came amid reports of rebellion in the Shiite-dominated city and harsh reprisals by security forces loyal to Mr. Hussein's government.

A woman who waved to British forces on the outskirts of the city was later found hanged, an American officer said, and the Iraqis moved D-30 artillery in place to shell rebellious residents."

Posted by liberalhawk 2003-03-26 09:13:38|| 2003-03-26 09:13:38|| Front Page Top

#8 Don't take it personally bulldog...our National Public Radio is equally biased and gloomy. Ditto the NYTimes.

Posted by becky 2003-03-26 11:56:45|| 2003-03-26 11:56:45|| Front Page Top

#9 "When I saw the dead Americans I cheered in my heart." And yet he did not support Saddam Hussein: "We don't want Saddam, but we don't want them [the Americans] to stay afterwards."

And if it were up to me, you freakazoids would be contained to your own land were you could continue to gleefully kill each other and leave us the hell alone.
Tell us where the WMDs are, lead us to bin Laden, quit killing Israelis, and stop fostering sick Islamic hate and you can be left to finish each other off.
Then Westerners can cheer in their hearts, too.

Posted by Celissa 2003-03-26 19:09:01|| [www.celissasblog.com/weblog.php] 2003-03-26 19:09:01|| Front Page Top

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