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Chimp 'wanted to bomb Al-Jazeera'
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4459296.stm
The White House is denying it but then this would be the same White House that was denying just 3 weeks ago it had used white phosphorus in Iraq as a weapon, only to admit to the contrary a week later.
Perfectly reasonable action if you ask me. At the end of the day democracies always bomb media outlets that are seen as critical of them. That's what free countries do, and we want to set an example to those barbaric undemocratic regimes in the Middle East of how things should be done, don't we?
:rolleyes:
The White House is denying it but then this would be the same White House that was denying just 3 weeks ago it had used white phosphorus in Iraq as a weapon, only to admit to the contrary a week later.
Perfectly reasonable action if you ask me. At the end of the day democracies always bomb media outlets that are seen as critical of them. That's what free countries do, and we want to set an example to those barbaric undemocratic regimes in the Middle East of how things should be done, don't we?
:rolleyes:
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments
But he was talked out of it at a White House summit by Tony Blair, who said it would provoke a worldwide backlash.
A source said: "There's no doubt what Bush wanted, and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it." Al-Jazeera is accused by the US of fuelling the Iraqi insurgency.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_obje...name_page.html
The attack would have led to a massacre of innocents on the territory of a key ally, enraged the Middle East and almost certainly have sparked bloody retaliation.
A source said last night: "The memo is explosive and hugely damaging to Bush.
"He made clear he wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in Qatar and elsewhere. Blair replied that would cause a big problem.
"There's no doubt what Bush wanted to do - and no doubt Blair didn't want him to do it."
A Government official suggested that the Bush threat had been "humorous, not serious".
But another source declared: "Bush was deadly serious, as was Blair. That much is absolutely clear from the language used by both men."
Yesterday former Labour Defence Minister Peter Kilfoyle challenged Downing Street to publish the five-page transcript of the two leaders' conversation. He said: "It's frightening to think that such a powerful man as Bush can propose such cavalier actions.
"I hope the Prime Minister insists this memo be published. It gives an insight into the mindset of those who were the architects of war."
Bush disclosed his plan to target al-Jazeera, a civilian station with a huge Mid-East following, at a White House face-to-face with Mr Blair on April 16 last year.
At the time, the US was launching an all-out assault on insurgents in the Iraqi town of Fallujah.
Al-Jazeera infuriated Washington and London by reporting from behind rebel lines and broadcasting pictures of dead soldiers, private contractors and Iraqi victims.
The station, watched by millions, has also been used by bin Laden and al-Qaeda to broadcast atrocities and to threaten the West.
Al-Jazeera's HQ is in the business district of Qatar's capital, Doha.
Its single-storey buildings would have made an easy target for bombers. As it is sited away from residential areas, and more than 10 miles from the US's desert base in Qatar, there would have been no danger of "collateral damage".
Dozens of al-Jazeera staff at the HQ are not, as many believe, Islamic fanatics. Instead, most are respected and highly trained technicians and journalists.
To have wiped them out would have been equivalent to bombing the BBC in London and the most spectacular foreign policy disaster since the Iraq War itself.
The No 10 memo now raises fresh doubts over US claims that previous attacks against al-Jazeera staff were military errors.
In 2001 the station's Kabul office was knocked out by two "smart" bombs. In 2003, al-Jazeera reporter Tareq Ayyoub was killed in a US missile strike on the station's Baghdad centre.
The memo, which also included details of troop deployments, turned up in May last year at the Northampton constituency office of then Labour MP Tony Clarke.
Cabinet Office civil servant David Keogh, 49, is accused under the Official Secrets Act of passing it to Leo O'Connor, 42, who used to work for Mr Clarke. Both are bailed to appear at Bow Street court next week.
Mr Clarke, who lost at the election, returned the memo to No 10.
He said Mr O'Connor had behaved "perfectly correctly".
Neither Mr O'Connor or Mr Keogh were available. No 10 did not comment.
Other Links...
http://www.islamonline.org/English/News/2005-11/22/article02.shtml
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1336963
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/Iraq/2005/11/22/1318020-ap.html
http://newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEL20051122054901&Page=L&Title=B+R+E+A+K+I+N+G++++N+E+W+S&Topic=0
http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/br/article/528987/george-bush-planned-bomb-al-jazeera-offices/
The US doesn't like Al Jazeera because unbelievably it believes America has the right to show pictures of dead insurgents and enemy combatants, and endless press conferences for propaganda purposes on TV stations across the world, but the enemy doesn't have the right to do the same, and any TV station that dares to even show the bodies of dead US soldiers deserves to be closed down or bombed to pieces.
For a government who uses someone like Donald Rumsfeld to give regular briefings to the world to complain that a TV station is giving free publicity to the "terrorists" when it broadcasts statements from the insurgents is unbefuckinglievable.
You really couldn't make it up.
Now for this thread, hmmm i am not sure. I really am not sure.
On the one hand, Al Jazeera shows messages that Osama bin laden makes and other Al Quida leaders make, promoting racism and hate and advocating mass murder and terrorism. But on the other hand the US networks show those same videos when they get their hands on them with subtitles and translations, which is kind of stupid to me.
As for the issue of showing dead soldiers, i am very much against Al Jazeera doing that, but i am also not happy US networks show dead non-combatants. This all comes down to the Geneva conventions and other various rules about parading prisoners infront of the media, but as the enemies of states have now become terrorists, who technically are not seen as soldiers but criminals, they have less rights then the criminals you see getting arrested on COPS. Its all technically legal for one and technically illegal for others.
Also, when i read the thread title, i didnt realise at first chimp meant Bush, i thought it was an actual chimp with a bomb strapped to it until i looked more closely.
Erm, bomibng it? Pointless now, Al-Queda got their own station now, innit?
Anyone remember the fake 'abuse' photos printed by the Mirror? Disgusting.
This one could be untrue of course, but like the boy who cried wolf the US government shouldn't be surprised if people don't quite believe what they say.
When was the last time anyone from the Bush adminstration was caught on camera telling the truth about anything?
In any case, even if the US government hadn't thought of bombing Al Jazeera the deep displeasure with that broadcaster has been very obvious in Republican circles for a while now. Didn't the White House try to have it closed down or restricted at some point?
Do millions watch Voice of the Calliphate? I can't find it! Anywhere!
Interesting to note NQA that if it's such a rumour, then why have media editors been warned not to publish proof of what was said, or face prosecution under the Official Secrets Act.........I think that's enough evidence for me that they want to keep this one under wraps.........and people think we live in a democracy, free speech etc blah blah :rolleyes: .........the media aren't even allowed to report when their colleagues are being targeted by the american government, that's how fucked up things are......
Actually they are allowed to report it. They are not allowed to publish details of a stolen document.
i like your phrasing but the bbc article says it was 'leaked'.....lots of confidential stuff is leaked all the time but not hushed under the official secrets act, the govt just wants to avoid an embarassing scandal, of course the media can write about it but if they published fact it would cause the pollies a lot of grief........