[Update: I see David has posted on this below. I think I will leave this post here for now, as it brings a different angle]
I suppose they’re out of practice, but the BBC has made a hash of reporting the terrorist attack on British soldiers in Northern Ireland. As Pounce and others have pointed out, and as I noticed too, the headline has shifted from “Two die in ‘barbaric’ Army attack” to “Two die in ‘barbaric’ Northern Ireland attack”. Like others, the first title had me confused as to who attacked whom. The current one completely lacks specificity, and the surrounding text fails to mention the nationality of the “military personnel”.
Even more interesting for me is the disappearance from the front page and from the links to the topic of this highly relevant contributionfrom Deputy First Minister McGuinness, who claimed late last week that “army special forces are a ‘major threat'”. It certainly seems that someone was listening very closely to the DFM’s words. Initially this must have seemed relevant to the BBC, as they published it alongside the main story of the attack. Now they seem to think it irrelevant. Or is it something else?
By the way, discussion of this topic will probably arouse strong feeling. I hope people remember we can see the BBC as meddlesome, ignorant, cringing and politically motivated without adopting too rigid a view of the issues behind the news.
god help those poor mens families.
it looks like northen ireland will continue to kill and the bbc will help hide the guilty.
ngg
I see the camp Nicki Campbell is spouting his shite on BBC 1 again with an audience full of bearded idiots.
“…and as I noticed too, the headline has shifted from “Two die in ‘barbaric’ Army attack” to “Two die in ‘barbaric’ Northern Ireland attack”.”
No it hasn’t. It still reads “Army”. I think Pounce was suggesting it should change, not that it has.
BBC “Have your say” introduction says “Gunmen have attacked a British army base north of Belfast…”
Which other army does the BBC believe would have a base there?
Accidental, insinuation that the British Army does not belong in Ulster?
Of course it doesn’t matter if the killers are found and prosecuted. All that has to happen is the group they are part of signs up to the Good Friday agreement and promises to be good boys and after 2 or 3 years they will be let out of prison.
What a joke.
Give it a day or two and BBC Northern Ireland will be spinning this around to present it as all the fault to the soldiers.
I suspect that the perps will neither be caught nor punished. The Blair shower stopped all that didn’t they! Mustn’t upset the terrorist gangs you know.
Derek
The BBC are quoting our great & deluded leader (per Mad Hattie – when he wills it, it will be done) declaring “I assure you we will bring these murderers to justice.” Does no one dare pick him up on his ravings?
The headline to me at first makes out at a Barbaric killing by the Army
Anyway as a foot note:
Poor Bastards…RIP..
I was stationed a Masserene Barracks, Antrim 92/93 – Antrim was a pretty safe town for Brit squddies in those days, as any PIRA activity would haver been picked up and “dealt with” by the self policed Loyalist gangs in the area.
I listened to Radio 4’s World at One this lunchtime in amazement. Speaker after speaker was brought on to tell us that this was a one off affair and nothing to worry about really yet never presented any evidence for this. Mentions were made of the Chief Constables call for the Army to bring back special forces but only in the sense that this was “embarrassing” for Sinn Fein. There was no investigation or analysis of changes in the Republican movement recently i.e is the PIRA is about to be replaced by another group in the same way they did the Official IRA in the late 60’s.
Also I know we have BBBC posters in NI so I wonder if any of you can say why the Chief Constable is calling for the special forces again ? It is quite clear something is happening but the BBC doesn’t appear to want to tell me it.
first squaddies to die in NI for a decade. a decade sounds a long time when it still seems like yesterday in your head
i wish Al beebs scumbag journalists would have used words like “terrorist” and “murder”
I wonder how long it will take the BBC to use the word ‘terrorist’ maybe they are worried it will upset the scumbags and infringe their ‘uman rights??