Anything On The Other Side?
| 14:22 UK time, Thursday, 27 July 2006
Following on from the official military censorship on the Israeli side, I should also mention the difficulties of reporting from the other side of the line.
Apart from the obvious hazards of driving around southern Lebanon while Israeli jets and drones are looking for targets, Hezbollah have checkpoints, not all of which are friendly according to some who have met them.
So we are short of information from the Hezbollah side of the fighting.
We get official casualty figures from the Israeli Defence Force press office.
We get guesses based on sketchy reports from the other side.
Plus pictures and reports from Arab TV stations that are not trusted unquestioningly by Western audiences.
Our teams have put themselves at some risk in Tyre and further south. Yet part of the very careful ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ training in handling hazardous and hostile environments is to avoid them if at all possible.
The battle zone around the Lebanon/Israel border is very risky.
There are some brave reporters who have been able to get close and who we've interviewed.
One is Nick Blanford, freelancing for the Times of London.
Then there is Robert Fisk of the London Independent.
Robert is in some parts of our audience. And anyway, it is not appropriate for us to commandeer other news organisations' reporters.
After the front line, embedded journalism during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, we are not yet able to match the depth of that coverage in this conflict.
But we're working on it.
Comments
This is just to inform you that Bush is visiting Miami Florida. Bush was received with demonstrators in one of the main avenues Brickell Avenue. The demonstrators had different agendas.
1. Withdrawal from The Middle East.
2. Immigration Reform
3. Political Process Reform.
Right now in Miami Florida, focus has shifted from the Middle East to Cuba where it is rumored [and also broadcast on Radio Habana Cuba] that Castro delegated almost all of his powers to his brother Raul Castro. More soon.
The premier quality of Robert Fisk is the fact that he TELLS THE TRUTH. That, unfortunately, will make any journalist "controversal" -- especially when speaking truth to power; in this case, the US and Israel -- whose policies, distortions, excesses, and follies are reflexively championed by the major Western media outlets.
I've recently read Fisk's The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East (and I look forward to reading Pity the nation: The Abduction of Lebanon). TGWFC is an objective and monumental work of Middle Eastern history -- reflecting Fisk's extensive knowledge and experience of that region.
While reasonable people may disagree with Fisk's conclusions or recommendations (and I do agree with him), none should question his honestly, objectivity, intelligence, knowledge, experience, and humanity. He is certainly one of the most reliable and trustworthy reporting sources in the world today -- with an absolute commitment to Truth.
When will Dan Damon remove his cover of neutrality & expose his real disgust of anything Islamic or Arab. He gives Israeli spokespersons free reign to speak as they will(listen to almost any world update including 2.8.06 for confirmation) but interrupt, hustle and wrongfoot any member of the enemy - i.e. Arab, Muslim speaker. Come on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ when will you add some balance to your so-called "World Service"?
As an American, I am ashamed of my government's policy of supporting the wanton destruction of Lebanon. The lastest Israeli action in Bakaa is very distrubing because not only did they kidnap people, but also destroyed a hospital. Israeli arrogrance should be met with some meaningful criticism by the Bush Administration.
Thank You