The relationships between Iran, Hezbollah, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon are complex, but it would seem that the Lebanese government is in great danger of being toppled by Hezbollah.
A UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is about to issue indictments for four top Hezbolla commanders for the murder in 2005 of the former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri.
Jew-hating Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah, has warned that he would “cut off the hand” of anyone who tried to arrest any of its members.
Now, a documentary series made by ORTV, a British-Saudi production company, originally commissioned by al-Arabiyya TV, a Saudi-owned satellite channel, but dropped because Saudi wanted to ‘improve relations with Syria’, has been adapted and re-edited for us, dear reader, we listeners to the BBC. But hey, you know the rest. The film has been expurgated, expunged, pulled.
The producer Christopher Mitchell said “the trigger for the decision by the BBC seemed to have been a front-page article in Al Akhbar, a pro-Hizbollah newspaper, attacking the film for blaming the organisation.”
The BBC has decided, at the twelfth hour, just before the clock strikes
half past yer hands chopped off, that the film was too hot to handle.
The BBC said the film had not yet complied with its editorial guidelines.
The relationships between the BBC, the government, the licence-fee paying public and Islam are complex, but I wonder if the BBC is in great danger of being toppled by Hezbolla?
Doesn’t Abu Bowen live in Beirut?
Robert Fisk certainly does. Maybe they share digs when AB is in town?
EDitorial Guidelines? They must mean the clause that reads:
“Any item dealing with the morally perfect Palestinians* must portray Israel as cruel and imperialistic.
* Please note that this includes Hizbullah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, assorted Islamista and anyone who wants to kill joos.
This is just more fodder for those who rail against the eeeeevil Jooooish Lobby. The BBC wrings their hands and get to appear impartial again.
The BBC was toppled by Hamas and The Army of Islam (aka the Dagmush Clan, aka Al-Quaida in Gaza) when they kidnapped Alan Johnson.
The price we all pay, and Israel in particular for his release, was the BBC’s surrender.
Long before Johnson’s ‘holiday’ the BBC was a propaganda mouthpiece of Arab/Islamic terrorism.
The BBC hasn’t been toppled by Islamism. It knelt down and begged to be taken.