, says Charles at LGF (check out some of the informed comments too). I think he means that with respect to the BBC’s journalistic reputation, to be caught reporting that the Jordanian people ‘are largely of Palestinian origin’ is demonstrably to be caught trying to turn the truth on its head:
‘However, the Jordanian people, who are largely of Palestinian origin, are strongly opposed to Washington’s policy in the region, particularly in Iraq and Israel. ‘
Still, I am sure such a ‘potted history’ would please the Glasgow Media Group [update: post edited- I was confused by the stealth editors at the BBC, who changed ‘largely’ to ‘many of whom’ in a subsequent version. You can see what someone was trying to imply in the original though].
Yes they changed the article.
They also changed old soldiers to ex soldiers in their rubbish piece about the Reserves (IRR) being called up, quoted a well known anti Bush ‘academic’ and have shown only comments that are from people who will not fulfill the obligation they contracted to fulfill and were or are currently being paid for! Also 2000 of the so called 6000 IRR are already in Iraq having VOLUNTEERED!
Clowns
If their in the nuance business, they really aren’t very good at it. Anytyhing more complex that “good-guy/bad-guy” seems to fall to pieces at the Beeb.
Pre-planning and exit strategy for kosovo anyone? anyone? please – jump right in….
When I lived in Amman, no one really knew how many people were “West Bankers” (Palestinian) or “East Bankers” (so-called “real” Jordanians). No one had conducted an honest and trustworthy census, because the results would be a political hot potato.
In truth, Palestinians are the majority in Jordan, primarily because it is a small country that didn’t slam the door to Palestinians, as many other Arab regimes have. There’s also a significant population from the Gulf and other parts of the Arab world. Most Palestinians I knew who came of age in Jordan after the 1967 war considered Jordan to be their home and had no intention of ever moving to the West Bank.
To be fair to the BBC, saying “65%-70%” takes up a fair amount of space and/or bandwidth….
Off topic – BBC Stealth edit alert.
Yesterday Elizabeth Blunt’s
“What drives US policy in Sudan?” oped
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3853671.stm
contained the following classic, according to blogger Expat Yank.
http://expatyank.blogspot.com/2004/07/back-to-oil.html
“. . . Other issues are more likely to be driving Washington’s policy.
One is the pressure from right-wing Christian groups in the US, who have taken up the cause of their fellow Christians in Sudan.
Their nagging – on the issues of slavery and the forcible imposition of Sharia law – helped get sanctions imposed on Sudan in 1997. . .
”
As of today, ‘nagging’ has been replaced by ‘lobbying’. The date and time of the article are the same though.
Those pesky Christians – nagging about slavery !
One would think Blunt would be critcizing anyone who waited until they were nagged before doing something about “slavery and the forcible imposition of Sharia law..”.
It’s astounding that people so willing to attack the U.S. are so blind to the real evils of the world.
For more on Palestinian refugees in the Arab world, read Palestinian refugees: championed by Arab world yet treated like outcasts, a report not likely to appear at the Beeb any time soon.
I believe from my trips to the Middle East that in fact Palestinians have almost no rights in any of the countries they live in away from ArafatLand. They cannot own property or apply for citizenship etc. Can we not get rid of the major cause of Palestinian poverty and extremism by asking Israel pretty please to remove Arafat. Send him to join his wife at her luxury suite in a Paris Hotel wheer she’s been holed up for years….paid for by OUR EU funds dear reader!
‘BBC finds new Nadir.’ I do hope they’ve turned him over to the authorities.
well i would like to have explained to me how Black September was in fact a welcoming party to the “palestinians” by their jordanian hosts.
Enloop ?
The original map of “palestine” include all of jordan..there fore the majority of the arabs living in israel ,west bank and jordon are palestinians..but we can all agree this is a political lable not a geographic one..like all the english living in england are really germans ,as are the french,etc..
A closer analogy would be in describing Spaniards, Portugeuse and others as Iberians. As with Palestine, Iberia is an arbitrary geographical description of ancient origin relating to a general area (except that Palestine was never so clearly delineated).
If Jordanians are Palestinians, then so are Israelis.
Black September is one of those things people don’t talk about in Jordan, as they also don’t talk about who’s an East Banker and who’s a West Banker.
It’s viewed as an attempt by ‘Arafat to overthrow Husayn. It’s not seen as Hashemite repression of Palestinians. Most Jordanians weren’t alive when it happened.
It’s almost impossible to overestimate the esteem Jordanians (including those who call themselves Palestinian) held, and hold, for Husayn. They would also agree that it was never wise to mess with Husyan. ‘Arafat tried to mess with him, lost, and that determined the nature of their relationship from that time forward.