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[casi] the media



Television news is probably the most important medium to pressurise. If enough people
keep chipping away and complaining we can make progress. Is anyone able to post a
list of email addresses of UK television news programmes (and perhaps also individual
reporters).

Actual lies are much less common than failing to report the whole truth. I try and
complain whenever I see this 'being economical with the truth'.

Some common examples:

1)      no fly zones. They need to add that these have been set up without the approval
of the UNSC. They should not use words like 'police' which implies some legitimacy.
They should not state that they are there to protect the Kurds and the Shias. They can
state that the US & UK say that's why they are there.

For the first time that I can remember, BBC TV News tonight added "which were set up
without any explicit mandate from the UN". Still not enough but a big improvement!

2)      chemical weapons. It would be more balanced to include a reference to the
strong US & UK support of SH before and after these weapons were used. They even
tried to cover up that SH had used them at the time.

3)      the end of weapons inspections. They need to add that the US & UK attacked
Iraq without UNSC approval using data from the inspections and that some of the
inspectors spied with a view to helping Desert Fox assassinate Saddam Hussein.

4)      sanctions. These keep being referred to without any indication of estimated
deaths due to them. One million civilians (mostly children) is a reasonable estimate.

5)      US/UK weapons. Some of the weapons discussed include DU. They need to
mention this and the charge that these are weapons of indiscriminate effect which are
blamed for much increased cancers rates in southern Iraq and as a possible cause of
Gulf War Syndrome. They could also add that the US & UK have for the last decade
blocked the UN/WHO from investigating this.

6)      diplomacy. Never any mention of the fact that the US & UK have not tried
diplomacy with Iraq - they prefer 'war war to jaw jaw'. When Iraq tried to discuss their
concerns about resuming weapons inspections BBC TV News reported this as Iraq
wanting inspections on their terms.

7)      UN resolutions. Frequent referral to Iraq not fully abiding by them but very little
about Israel being in default of so many or the US/UK failure to get approval for their
actions in Iraq. No mention of the clause seeking WMD disarmament in the region
(Israel). Russia didn't veto that resolution because it thought that this would provide an
environment which would encourage Iraq to accept disarmament.

8)      The Gulf War. They should mention estimated casualties on both sides. The
disparity is so much greater than in those old westerns when soldiers opened up with
machine guns on indians with bows and arrows! Since then Iraq has got very much
weaker and the US/UK very much stronger.

Another tack to take is to ask them to ask particular questions in interviews eg

1)      with a member of the Iraqi Opposition supporting the US war plans: "can you
really support the US which has killed about one million Iraqi civilians and ruined the life
chances of most of the rest of your countrymen?"

2)      to Tony Blair: when did the UK Government last use diplomacy with Iraq? Will
you please urgently enter into negotiations with the GoI and listen to and address their
concerns eg a clear and quick path to ending sanctions, the spying by inspectors,
unauthorised bombing of Iraq, unapproved no fly zones, total unfairness when
compared to the treatment of Israel which is still brutally occupying Palestinian land etc

3)      US politicians eg Rubin (supporters of Israel): Iraq is a largely destroyed and
enfeebled country which presents no threat to us or its neighbours especially if we
maintain a deterrent force in the region. On the other hand, Israel is the regional
superpower and a threat to its neighbours. Yet we are in no rush to force it out of
occupied and annexed land or to ensure compliance with UNSC resolutions. Indeed we
give it huge miltary aid every year. It has WMD and it hasn't signed the nuclear non-
proliferation treaty. Indeed, it is the cause of Iran and Iraq seeking WMD in order to
defend themselves.

4)      US politicians (Sept 11th). How many died in Sept 11th? How many civilians
died in Afganistan? How many civilians have died in Iraq as a result of the Gulf War and
sanctions?
Mark Parkinson
Bodmin
Cornwall



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