How could anyone describe pre-emptive strikes on a sovereign nation, occupation, genocide, torture, and human rights abuse by the Coalition of the Killing in a positive light?
The US is the last country in the world that should be complaining about biased reporting. So much so it blew up Iraqi Television. If that's not biased it's criminal. Independent media taken off the air! To go with that a warning for all the media in the rest of the world to get out of Baghdad because of some danger that the Iraqi people were going to get them. That's like playing cricket and taking away the bat and ball and blowing up the pitch and declaring you played by the rules.
How about the Iraqi people who blew themselves up at the market place. Perhaps it would be better if we were stupid.
The United States has signalled it is rapidly losing patience with what officials term "very inflammatory" and "very biased" coverage by Arabic-language media of the US-led war in Iraq.
For the second time in as many days, senior officials at the normally staid State Department have complained that many Arab media outlets are distorting the facts and perhaps deliberately misinforming their audiences about US policy, tactics and aims in Iraq.
"I'm afraid many in the Arab press have been misconstruing things and inflaming things," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "All we ask is, frankly, a fair hearing, that they look at the various views, that they look at the facts, that they not jump to conclusions."
But all of that is a bit hard when someone is blowing your country to bits.
Mr Boucher referred specifically to two reports which have received wide coverage in recent days: a deadly explosion at a market in Baghdad which Iraq has blamed on a US missile and an alleged bombing of a mosque by US forces.
This is the alleged un-biased report:He says the mosque bombing never occurred, and the market explosion was still under investigation although the US military says it may have been caused by an errant Iraqi missile.
"There have been people in Arab language media who automatically assume that the United States was responsible for this and they are turning it into some kind of American atrocity," Mr Boucher said.
"We don't think it's fair to jump to that conclusion, we don't think the facts support it.
"It's entirely possible it was an Iraqi missile that came down in that marketplace."
Mr Boucher would not identify the offending media but says they are not limited to broadcasting outlets such as the Qatar-based Al Jazeera which was criticised on Wednesday by Secretary of State Colin Powell. "We got very interested in some print media the other day," Mr Boucher said.
No black-listingA senior State Department official has told reporters although it is increasingly disturbed by the coverage, Washington has no intention of black-listing Arab media outlets.
The official says that shortly after Mr Boucher made his remarks, the spokesman was to appear on Abu Dhabi television and that Mr Powell, just hours after he criticised Al Jazeera, had given the network a live interview. However, the official says the United States is disappointed not only by "very inflammatory and very biased" coverage but by almost universally negative commentary which immediately follows interviews with US policy makers.
On Wednesday,
Mr Powell said Al Jazeera was portraying the invasion of Iraq in a negative light and accused it of exaggerating small military achievements of Saddam Hussein's regime. "Al Jazeera has an editorial line and a way of presenting news that appeals to the Arab public," he said.
"They watch it and they magnify the minor successes of the regime. "And they tend to portray our efforts in a negative light."Mr Powell says he hopes Al Jazeera will report on US efforts to improve the lives of the Iraqi people as the conflict continues and after it is over.
[But how could anyone describe pre-emptive strikes on a sovereign nation, occupation, genocide, torture, and human rights abuse by the Coalition of the Killing in a positive light?]By Give Usa Break Mate 28 March 03THE EAGLE: Pull the other leg it plays Jingle Bell'sRelated:Aust militants join front line as Democrats propose anti-war Bill: Pre-emptive strikes? Bad example sets a theme for disaster at law says, professor Wrong Precedent, from the NSW Bad Law Association. Pre-emptive strikes. Does that mean you go on strike if you think your boss will attack you? Or does it mean that you can walk down George Street Sydney with an assault riffle and take out citizens you think may strike you?
More Australians pissed about militants in Iraq:Public opinion has never supported war on Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps then, corporate media support for Australian militants, pre-emptive strikes and illegal and degrading war crimes against humanity, including occupation, genocide and torture involvement has fallen?
Australian Govt feels sorry for blowing up Iraq and donates $2 million to Iraqi children's appeal "We're in Basra right now as we speak , in fact I've had a note just this morning from our people in Basra and they are working today in Basra to restore water and to deliver clean water to as I say 100,000 children under the age of five," Ms Phillips said.
Coalition force 'surprised' by stiff resistance for food aidAbout 4,000-5,000 allied forces have launched what they vowed would be an all-out blitz. "We're going straight through that city," a US Marine officer, who asked not to be named, said. "It will be a Hail Mary with guns ablazing."
US Shoots Coalition in the foot? IRAQ GENOCIDE!A US Patriot anti-missile has downed a British Royal Air Force Tornado jet during an operation in the Persian Gulf. [No loss, they should shoot them all down as they're just killing machines.]
Australians don't support US military action: pollThe second Australia-wide poll since the war began has found most Australians disapprove of the United States using military force to depose Saddam Hussein.
Explosions rock Baghdad, jets overhead IraqBAGHDAD, March 20 [Rooters] A handful of explosions rocked Baghdad at dawn today as jets roared overhead, Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries opened up and air raid sirens sounded.
AUSTRALIA AT WAR! Moment of death..."The opening stages of the disarmament of the Iraqi regime [? resource war on Iraq regime] have begun ," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer [should have] said minutes after the strikes. He said Bush would speak at 2.15pm (AEDT).
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back No War, Jack Straw, No War, No War! LONDON: Nick Buxton, organising the protest outside Mr Straw's house, said: "We got the message across that the war is going to have a very huge humanitarian impact and people are angry about this war."
Moment of death 'HoWARd'JOHN Howard lost the war for public opinion as Australia braces to invade Iraq by the end of the week. With nationwide anti-war protests, and Labor scrapping 30 years of bipartisanship on sending troops overseas, the Coalition has failed all Australians.
Evidence that Howard was complicit in CIA, false flag, call to arms, Bali bombings War criminal John Howard was complicit in the call to arms - false flag operation - Bali bombings - instigated by the CIA - and the Coalition of the Killing - to bolster support - and quell dissent for their illegal and degrading resource wars in the Middle East.
War criminal Howard high-jacks HRCA to 'legitimise killing'The Human Rights Council of Australia (HRCA) says it fears Prime Minister John Howard's comments in support of the execution of [CIA operative] Osama bin Laden show his eagerness to overturn three decades of national opposition to the death penalty.
PM lost in space! Pre-emptive Strikes & Star Wars Defence!!War criminal PM backs missile defence investigation but he is not on his own. Bob Carr dubbed Darth Vader after draconian laws were introduced in NSW following John Howard's threats to strike first and ask questions later.
State terror units caused the terror!The level of suspicion and surveillance created by the [US false flag operation and call to arms] Bali bombings, created by [ the Coalition of the Killing and Australian's complicity to go to war on Iraq] means that all Australian's suffer the loss of their human rights, civil rights and their democratic rights, as well as those Australian's who lost their life in Bali.
Al-Qa'ida or poor people without hope?Anyone contemplating war without a UN sanction is nothing more than a common criminal and not acting in accordance with the law. Isn't Richardson the head of ASIO? A law enforcement agency? Al-Qa'ida is a Coalition of the Killing demon made up by the CIA. These people are just scapegoats, patsies, and peasants."
Doom gloom and 'Boom' Downer shakes the room?"Optimism is better and so is 'constructive feedback' because using constructive feedback means that the negatives also have a role in the construction of a nation. In short we have all the time in world to solve problems properly and that is what our leaders should be focusing on when they decide to inform all Australians. Hey what's the rush?" He said.
Hypocrisy not Democracy? No Blood for Oil!Howard has refused to back down on the threat of war despite hundreds of thousands of Australians rallying against it. The question is why?
Red paper classes Australia as terrorist suspectsAustralia's old foreign policy red paper says Australians have become targets because their own government is being run by war criminals that are complicit in state terror, torture, murder, occupation and genocide.
Australia backs CIA Reichstag, Downer's propagandaThe Foreign Affairs Minister says the latest message from Osama bin Laden is worrying. [Just plain rubbish!]
UK Reid, Blair and the reichstag London threat!The nature of the [alleged] terrorist threat to London is on the scale of the [USA false flag] September 11 attacks in the United States, the chairman of Britain's governing Labour Party said.
Bin Laden calls? CIA blind man's bluff!A [US propaganda, fear-mongering] taped message purportedly from Osama bin Laden has warned Arab nations against supporting a war against Iraq but has branded Saddam Hussein an infidel.
U.S. AMBASSADOR WARNED TO STOP MEDDLING:The Australian Federal Opposition and Labor Party Leader, Simon Crean, has again warned the U.S. ambassador to stop meddling in Australian politics.
War: Part one The human costOn the road to Basra, ITV was filming wild dogs as they tore at the corpses of the Iraqi dead. Every few seconds a ravenous beast would rip off a decaying arm and make off with it over the desert in front of us, dead fingers trailing through the sand, the remains of the burned military sleeve flapping in the wind. "Just for the record,'' the cameraman said to me. Of course. Because ITV would never show such footage.
Mandela speaks out against Bush, BlairFormer South African leader Nelson Mandela has lashed out at US President George W Bush's stance on Iraq, saying the US leader has no foresight, and cannot think properly.
All the way with (LPK) Love Peace and Kindness: Dalai LamaCommunication is a two way street. Threats and punishment solve nothing and serve none. In fact it is against the law in most countries to threaten or punish a person.
Hill defends decision to attack Iraq: Step by step?FEDERAL Defence [War] Minister [Sinister] Robert Hill has defended the government's decision to send troops [ send militia] to the Persian Gulf [ to attack Iraq] in readiness for any [pre-emptive strike that would cause a] conflict with Iraq.
Pleas for peace ring the globeAnti-war demonstrators turned out in their hundreds of thousands around the world on Saturday to protest against United States military preparations for an invasion of Iraq.
Not too late for Iraq peace, Blix saysBut we all know that's rubbish now. The Coalition of the Killing were not seeking WMD in Iraq, they were there for their resource wars. So who gave the 'UN' and Blix the wrong information back then? War criminals!
George Bush's other poodleJohn Howard, Australia's PM, is the mouse that roars for America, whipping his country into war fever and paranoia about terrorism within.
US prepares for trade talks with Australia but it's not worth it!The office of the United States Trade Representative has started formally preparing its negotiating position for the first round of talks on a free trade agreement between Australia and the US.
First strike and you're out!The ideology of a super loser? John Howard shocks the nation again. A nation who cannot believe Howard's stupidity following his [complicity in the CIA's false flag operation, the Bali bombing.]
UN charter doesn't reflect new self-defence needs: Hill?The Defence [War] Minister, Robert Hill, says the United Nations' charter needs to be changed to help countries defend themselves against potential threats. [?] [Pre-emptive strikes on soveriegn nation states like Iraq and Afghanistan?]
Middle Eastern: Specific Legislation"If there is a target person the police would have powers in relation to that type of person," Mr Costa said. Asked what he meant by "type of person", Mr Costa said: "The example that's been given is if there's a description of somebody, an identikit photograph released by Interpol or other agencies ... these powers may well be exercised on that type of person."
Howard defends terror alertPrime Minister John Howard says the Federal Government would not have issued a terror alert if it had not come from a credible source. (America?) Speaking for the first time since the Government revealed the warning, Mr Howard says he wants people to be more careful, but not to stop living. [As long as they don't go dancing in Bali? And sure we'll all be depressed for as long as John Howard and Bob Carr say so.]
Carr backs Fed Govt's terror alertNew South Wales Premier Bob Carr has defended the Federal Government's decision to issue a warning to Australians about a possible terrorist attack in Australia.
NSW Police Force may get 'special powers'Civil libertarians are questioning the need for further anti-terrorism laws, which will be announced in the New South Wales Parliament on Tuesday.
When Johnny comes marching home again: 'hoorah hoorah'Posted on the Resistance web page Bronwyn Powell, an organiser of the youth-led mobilisation told Green Left weekly that "in the face of attacks on civil liberties, it is unfortunate that some union officials have felt they need to submit. It could set a negative precedent for upholding the hard-won right to demonstrate in the street."
Give peace a chancePIERS AKERMAN DT 28 Nov 02: JUSTICE John Dowd should be removed from the bench. His crime? Stupidity. In a breath-taking display of hand-wringing sanctimonious morality, Dowd has condemned the State and Federal Governments' anti-terrorism measures, claiming they erode rights and give encouragement to oppressive regimes.
The scavengers of terrorThe NSW Government is to introduce increased police powers bill. Legislation giving New South Wales police special powers to deal with an emergency terrorist situation [emergency scapegoat situation] will be introduced into the New South Wales Parliament today.
About Protesting &: Corporate media, Ben English and Rachel Morris who spell their names in capitals? [Yes too right! Ordinary people some protesting against the occupation, murder and genocide of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children. And you call yourselves reporters? You should hang your head in shame and go get jobs defending those poor innocent people. Shame on you!!!]
WASHINGTON: In a case that could affect the visitation rights of millions of prisoners, Supreme Court justices on Wednesday struggled with the question of whether inmates have a constitutional right to visits with friends and family.
