Al Jazeera

[nicky g]

Last week Donald "We KNOW where the weapons are" Rumsfeld launched another clueless attack on AL-Jazeera. From the Guardian: "Last week Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, accused the Arabic television station al-Jazeera of "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable" reporting for suggesting hundreds of civilians had died there. "It's just outrageous nonsense," he said. " Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1194878,00.html)

Funnily, he made no mention of Reuters, which reported similar casualty figures from the same sources al Jazeera used (local doctors and five Western aid agencies, who said that over 400 of the 600 killed so far were women and children as well as many unarmed and elderly men). I've seen no criticism since of the Guardian, or OpenDemocracy.net (a very goo dsite by the way), or alternet.org, all of which published eyewitness accounts of US soldiers targeting ambulances, killing unarmed civilians and the fact, not often mentioned in the mainstream press, that the US bombardment destroyed the city's main hospital.

Aside from the fact that the figures appear to be accurate, why does AJ alone get the flack? I can imagine that the two smaller sites don't figure on his radar, but the world's biggest news agency? Could it be the same reasons that AJ was banned from attending CPA meetings for calling the Iraqi resistance "the Iraqi resistance", while western news outlets that used the smae wording didn't receive so much as a ticking off? Or the same reason that AJ gets called "Jihad TV" for rebroadcasting obviously newsworthy tapes sent to it by Bin Laden et al, that Western news outlets not only rebroadcast but helpfully translate without any criticism? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that AJ is the only news team with reporters inside Falluja and has been unhelpfully showing footage of dead civilians (no doub they killed them themsleves, just to irritate poor beleagured Rummy). Maybe it has something to do with the fact that AJ and Al-Arabiya are the only two free TV channles in the Middle East and repeatedly boadcast footage, open debates and news that irritates Rumsfeld's repressive allies in Israel, Egypt, Saudi and the Gulf states?

And maybe it's the usual anti-Arab racist garbage.

[superleeds]

[ QUOTE ]
And maybe it's the usual anti-Arab racist garbage.

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Bingo. Critising Western News outlets would bring some legitamancy to the stories. The main source of news for tha general public, i.e. television, would have to then investiagate but blaming an Arab News service for making up stuff leaves most of the western world comfortable in the knowledge that Al Jazeera is in the pay of the terrorists and therefore is just worthless propaganda. Television has become so dumbed down and is owned by so few people that apart from the weather and sports results its news coverage is almost worthless.

[adios]

Al Jazeera is viewed by many as promoting the interests of anti US factions in Iraq and anti Israeli interests in the Middle East. My understanding is that Al Jazeera purports itself to be an objective news source. Although no source is all that objective IMO (which is why I don't have major problems with Al Jazeera), there are some legitimate questions regarding Al Jazeera's objectivity IMO. Now I guess I'm a racist.

[nicky g]

"Now I guess I'm a racist. "

Not at all. I thought the rest of your post was a model of common sense and good argument. I agree that there may be some legitimate questions, as there are with many organisations; there's nothing wrong with looking into that. Singling it out however for stating the exact same things as a wide range of Western outlets that don't come in for any criticism have, as Rumsfeld, Blair and a bunch of others have done, is what leads me to conclude racism is a factor.

[MMMMMM]

al-Jazeera seems to always take the Arab line. I don't think I've ever read an al-Jazeera article that seemed to cast ill light on the Arab view or side of things. Of course maybe I missed them since I don't read them that much, but my impression from TV was that they are more slanted than Fox;-). Contrast this with CNN and many other Western broadcasters which quite often heap criticism on their own countries or on the West; al-Jazeera from what little I have witnessed is always pro-Arab versus the West.

[MMMMMM]

(excerpt)

"Last week, when Al Jazeera reported that hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed by U.S. forces in Fallujah (search), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (search) called it "vicious, inaccurate, outrageous and inexcusable.""

(end excerpt)

In context:

[b]"Said to be the most watched Arabic network, available in 53 million homes around the world, Al Jazeera promotes itself as independent and professional, with journalistic integrity.

It often has the first video of hostages, including the Italian security guard who was killed on camera last week. The network also regularly airs footage of roadside bombs going off and other attacks on coalition forces, leading some to wonder if their crews are being tipped off in advance.

Last week, when Al Jazeera reported that hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed by U.S. forces in Fallujah (search), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (search) called it "vicious, inaccurate, outrageous and inexcusable."

And the U.S.-led coalition says it has documented 34 instances last week alone of Al Jazeera hyping, misreporting or distorting events in Iraq.

Media experts say the coalition's criticism is valid and critics say the network may be fanning the flames of hatred against the United States.

But representatives from Al Jazeera say the network abides by the rules, acting as professionally as possible in an Arab world not always accustomed to freedom of expression.

Al Jazeera said it would be censorship not to run videos of Westerners being killed and deny it is in bed with the insurgents.[b]"

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,117560,00.html

[ACPlayer]

And maybe it's the usual anti-Arab racist garbage.

Even worse, it is blatantly playing to the anti-Arab racists in the US and building additional anti-Arab racism. Cant wait to see MMMMMM's response!

[nicky g]

"Last week, when Al Jazeera reported that hundreds of thousands of civilians had been killed by U.S. forces in Fallujah (search), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (search) called it "vicious, inaccurate, outrageous and inexcusable."" "

Blatantly ridicuous Fox lies, I think you'll find. AJ never reported that "hundreds of thousands of civilians" had been killed in Fallujah; it reported that around 600 people had been killed and many of them (around 430) were civilians, quoting local doctors and aid agencies, and also quoting US denials (- as did virtually every other serious news network I've seen. Fallujah is a town of about 200,000 people so such a report would be obviously absurd. how stupid can Fox make themselves look?

Furthermore AJ did not screen the video of the Italian hostage being murdered, as is implied. AJ gets sent videos by al-Qaida et al because it is the premier Arab media outlet, and reaches AQ's targeted audience - the Arab world. The BBC used to get IRA statements and warnings; that did not make it an IRA collaborator. The Guardian interviewed Yassin before he died; that does not make it a terrorist organisation. All news sources try to cultivate contacts and sources in any newsworthy situation; AJ has the best middle eastern terrorist contacts for the blindingly obvious reason that it is the major middle eastern television station.

[nicky g]

Here is the relevant section from the press conference:

"Q If I could follow up, Monday General Abizaid chastised Al- Jazeera and Al-Arabiyah for their coverage of Fallujah and saying that hundreds of civilians were being killed. Is there an estimate on how many civilians have been killed in that fighting? And can you definitively say that hundreds of women and children and innocent civilians have not been killed?



SEC. RUMSFELD: I can definitively say that what Al-Jazeera is doing is vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable.



Q Do you have a civilian casualty count?



SEC. RUMSFELD: Of course not, we're not in the city. But you know what our forces do; they don't go around killing hundreds of civilians. That's just outrageous nonsense! It's disgraceful what that station is doing."

Hundreds of thousands my arse. Who writes Fox News, their interns? And you watch this garbage?

[MMMMMM]

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Hundreds of thousands my arse. Who writes Fox News, their interns? And you watch this garbage?

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No, I read it.

[MMMMMM]

Think al-Jazeera might deliberately inflame the Arab street at times?