Censorship by death

[Ned]

With the news that the Saddam regime paid al Jazeera, killed CNN staffers, threatened CNN and other media, threatened any who cooperated with Blix with death or worse, threatened to kill the King of Jordan and others who cooperated against the regime, should we also not at least assume that he did the same with anyone who dealt with the regime?

Censorship by death and intimidation. I wonder of other news outlets will reveal the level of intimidation they were subjected to. I wonder if Blix and his team were bribed and/or intimidated.

If Saddam did this, I think similar intimidation/censorship happens in other Arab totalitarian states, such as Syria. What do you think? Are we getting the full, complete and accurate story about Syria and other Arab states even from Western media?

Here is just one link on this topic:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/04/11/sprj.irq.cnn.plot/index.html

[Velociryx]

Ned, as you well know, the ONLY media on the planet that has any sort of bias is the US media. This is obviously propaganda....never happened!

-=Vel=-

[SlowwHand]

Absolutely, is my belief, Ned.

Syria is another problem child, looking to get spanked.

[PLATO]

Bah! Just more American Propoganda.

We all know Saddam spent his time making sure that the baby milk factories were working efficiently.

Just like the Saudis are helping us in the war on terror!

[chequita guevara]

In further news, the sky is blue.

[Ned]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
In further news, the sky is blue.

What does this mean Che? That you're not in favor of a Free Press, or that you knew all along that we were being fed propaganda by every news outlet covering Iraq -- even our own?

[chequita guevara]

You act like censorship in Iraq is news. Everyone new that. The media itself said as much every snigle time they reported from Ba'athist Iraq.

I'm more concerned with the self-censorship of America's media.

[Kropotkin]

Oh well, this was a pointless thread.

[Ned]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I'm more concerned with the self-censorship of America's media.

Good, because that is the news here. CNN has admitted to censoring its reports because of intimidation by Iraq. Can we not assume that ALL media operating in Iraq were similarly censored.

Cannot we not go one step further and assume that the UN inspectors were intimidated as well to avoid looking where they should and to tip the Iraqi's off to their plans so that sites could be cleaned up.

I will never understand why Blix never insisted that scientists and their entire families be removed from Iraq and be protected before they were interviewed. Blix had to be under intimidation or the influence of bribery.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Kropotkin
Oh well, this was a pointless thread.

Sure -- you knew all along that all news out the Arabia was censored even by Western media?

[Sandman]

I will never understand why Blix never insisted that scientists and their entire families be removed from Iraq and be protected before they were interviewed.

Because it's kidnapping?

[Kropotkin]

With all fairness you're really jumping to conclutions here. There's quite a difference between threatening to kill a couple of journalists without permits that's in the region illegally and to kill of a number of weapons inspectors. Not that it's not quite possible they did try the same methods but this is hardly good enough a indication for that.

[Ned]

For those of you who do not live in the United States, you should understand that CNN's confession is the major story of the day. The US press has long prided itself on being free and willing to tell the truth even despite government intimidation. Many of us believe that a free press is essential to freedom itself.

So, when we find that our own press has be censoring the news it gives us due to Arab intimidation, we are SHOCKED!

[General Ludd]

Are you trying to tell us that CNN is biased towards Iraq?

[Ned]

Originally posted by Sandman


Because it's kidnapping?

Insisting and kidnapping are two different things. If he insisted and Saddam did not comply - that may have been enough for the UN Security Council. But, he did not insist.