. There is a difference of opinion between BBC journalists John Simpson and Nick Gowing over the deaths of journalists in Iraq- and it’s worth noting. When Simpson says that any journalists not ’embedded’ with troops became ‘potential targets’, he does not mean that they were deliberately targeted. Nick Gowing does- he believes in an Orwellian kind of conspiracy to ‘take out’ journalistic opponents. No steps are taken to separate the two forms of accusation that are currently circulating- presumably in order that the mud should stick more effectively. Simpson calls it, strikingly, the ‘ultimate act of censorship’. I suppose that would lead me to question whether in fact there is a disagreement between the two men, since they are happy to create the same impression through differing arguments in different outlets.
A month or two back I watched Simpson’s lengthy, atmospheric documentary about being the target of friendly fire in Northern Iraq. He did not spare to mention that the BBC failed to provide enough flak jackets to give protection to his Kurdish assistants. What he didn’t examine was whether he himself was culpable for trying to emulate his march into Kabul during the Afghan campaign, or whether they were sensible to be so near contested territories that they could be indistinguishable from the military when viewed from a distance- or whether they might have unwittingly contributed to the incident by expanding the convoy they joined. There was an old-fashioned high minded arrogance that the journalists are indispensible to the proper conduct of a conflict, and that the professional journalist ‘knows best’. There was a corresponding kind of patronising contempt for the honesty and integrity of the military. With such a frankly low opinion of the authorities and their men and women, I honestly wonder why Simpson put himself and his crew in the way of their ignorant sights. I also wonder why he thinks we should listen to him, and in fact how he can show his face at all.
Finally, I can’t help wondering what the BBC think they’re doing allowing journalists (often the same people that pick up Baftas and present television shows for extraordinary fees) to claim and define for themselves an exalted status and security in any warzone they might wish to enter. Can the same people who routinely parade errors of judgement and accuracy for the world to see persuade us that, far from being unlucky, or targeted, they themselves didn’t contribute to their own downfall? Meanwhile, their antagonists, soldiers, are ordinary people on ordinary pay, fighting- a thing that isn’t attractive or tidy. And anyway, Mr Simpson, try selling this spiel to the North Koreans, the warring Sudanese or Somalis next time you drop in on one of their military camps unannounced to check on the uprightness of their conduct. (Thanks to PJF for the Guardian article, and for his fine comments following my ‘more caterwauling’ post).
From Simpson’s Guardian article –
“It was not the first time al-azeera has been attacked by American forces. The Qatar-based channel’s Kabul office was bombed during the war in Afghanistan in 2001.”
That was the explosion that smashed the windows of the BBC Kabul Bureau, caught on camera.
At the time Rageh Omaar said that the US had bombed a nearby house (a few doors away – he must have known what was really hit). Perhaps he considered it better for anti-US sentiment in the UK than the victim being al-azeera or indeed the nearby Taleban Ministry of Truth (or somesuch name) & leaders’ residences.
Did anyone lese see the documentary where Saddam obviously stayed in a bunker underneath the Journo’s hotel?
They were his protectors, his human sheilds. There was lots of warnings about being in Iraq, they should have got the hotel and Saddam in it.
Contracts for the rebuilding of Iraq
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3306621.stm
This is a fairly lengthy article about excluding French, German & Russian companies from bidding for contracts.
It fails to mention that the money is being put up by the US taxpayer. Why should not the piper call the tune?
I wonder whether Simpson paused to consider the obvious point about his own behaviour. Given that the BBC itself had been celebrating loud and long the fact that the only effective resistance that the US had faced during the two weeks or so of the war up until his attack came from fighters dressed as civilians using convoys of Japanese built 4-wheel drive vehicles for hit and run attacks on US columns, what made him think that being part of a convoy of Japanese-built 4-wheel drive vehicles would be safe?
update on Iraq contracts
stealth edit added with quote about source of funds being the US taxpayer
Many issues that are violating Human Rights in America are being ignored by the USA Government and many of those HUMAN RIGHTS are being violated by the USA GOVERNMENT…
Mariiage is one of those issues…
But First I will tell you I and MANY Americans are not happy about the legal wallet rapers called the USA COURT SYSTEMS….! First you are required to take the oath,,,(started on the Holy Bible,,, didnt it?)…The court fines and court fees and court mandates and procedures show the ignorance and lack of intelligence this country uses in its procedures to the many uneducated in society today,,It is a complete violation of HUMAN RIGHTS and Liberty…, It is sad when a clerk of the courts calls himself a competant and cred-able witness, when in fact his IQ is lower than that of the victim of whom the court is raping the wallet…! And when a judge asks if anyone has any misunderstanding of the court procedure, and yet requires respect by the victim (by making most victims stand ther
stand there and answer yes or no to what most do not even understand.).. The prodeeding are a crock of lies and rules of desceptive practices=called legalism and legal rape, of the victim=called the courts defendant…! Many times I see people arrested for the use of marijuana,,, yet they are accused by the courts of violating the peace by their use,,, I accuse the courts of violating the peace,,, and if they intend to lock up and persecute for the possesion and cultivation of marijauna then they had better arrest the highest supreme court Judge, Lord GOD almighty for he not only possesses it, cultivates it, but creates it as well…! It is sad that man made crap is sold to people legally as well as illegally, while our president shakes more than hands with the pharmacy companies…!
You seem to thing Gay rights of marriage should be your agenda,,, what about the rights of the disabled to marry without losing their income, or medical support, or food?
Gays are free to marry but the
Either SHOUT has been smoking some Almighty spliff, or the comments system is getting some crosstalk interference. 😉
Ed, I’d bet you couldn’t slip a fag paper between the actual views of Simpson and Gowing on this – it’s more likely that Simpson is just more subtle in his presentation. If he genuinely doesn’t believe the US was targetting journos deliberately, he has used a very poor choice of phrasing to dress up his piece. It’s so typical of contemporary BBC style to lace reports with words and phrasing that slant the facts in the general direction of the left (it used to be towards the right).
My own views on war correspondent ‘safety’ is that any military of any persuasion should not be required or expected to give special consideration to journalists not under their own ‘official’ protection. ‘Unauthorised’ journalists on the battlefield deserve no more and no less consideration than any other non-combatants present.
.
Update on Iraqi contracts.
Ben’s message ate 4.39 pm says that there has been a stealth edit re the funds being US taxpayers money. May be a coincidence but I sent an email to BBC Complaints Dept on the matter at 4.09 pm. I may have been one of many but at least they do seem to respond to complaints about bias. They would save themselves a lot of trouble if they wrote unbiased reports in the first place!
Correction please read ‘at’ for ‘ate’ above.
Well Brent Sadler of ITN/CNN was targeted deliberately by Iraqi forces when he merrily drove into a town ahead of the advancing allies. He wasn’t “censored” permanently because he was thoughtful enough to have a machine-gun mounting and a man using it who sprayed the attackers with return fire (on camera).
Journos know damn well war is dangerous to their health. But it’s such a great opportunity for immortality on the byline front, which outweighs mere self-preservation.
I hope nothing happens to Orla Guerin or Matt Frei. I’d miss their happy little faces, and their thoughtful,scrupulously fair reports.