[Media-watch] Through European eyes

[John Meed]

Dear Mediawatch

Here are a few extracts from some European media since the outbreak of war.

Regards

John Meed

On the media front, Claus Christian Malzahn comments that ŒGerman newspapers
and TV senders are already warning about the consequences of embedding¹:

"I sleep in the same tent as a number of soldiers normally stationed in
Germany. For nearly 3 weeks I have been wearing a steel helmet on the head
and a bullet proof vest over my shirt. (Š) there is however a problem (Š) I
am in the midst of the attackers. I belong to the war party. I am at least
very near to it. Too near? Most officers are of the same age as me, they
listen to the same music as me, like the same films. (Š) If I were sitting
with these soldiers in Germany, I would  drink a beer with them and even
make friends with some of them. I get up in the morning with them and in the
evening I fall exhausted on my bed like them. I exchange aspirin for washing
powder, cigarettes for  CDs. I lend my new short wave radio."
Claus Christian Malzahn, Der Spiegel, 31/3/03
www.spiegel.de

While one of France¹s leading journalists points to the problems of not
being embedded:

"When you are not embedded it is very difficult... You have to enter
clandestinely or join in with a convoy which is risky given the insecurity
in Iraq... The anglo-american soldiers won't even let us camp in their own
compounds, and it is too risky to ask for hospitality with the local
population as there is a certain hostility. So we have to camp near to a
compound and tell the sentry that we are not enemies... You have to take
your hat off to the non-embedded reporters."
Phillipe Rochot, France 2 ­ quoted during Interception, France Inter,
30/3/03

In any case:

"There is no such thing as innocent information, above all in time of warŠ
What we see (on our screens) each night is an impossible march towards
neutrality, relentless and harrowing, along a road mined on all sides.
Daniel Schneidermann, ŒSous l¹info, les mines¹, Le Monde, 4/4/03
www.lemonde.fr

Poor Iraqis ­ after Blair¹s bombs things may just get worse:

"Tony Blair intends to distribute a tract to the people in Southern Iraq.
The tract, which features a photo of the Prime Minister and some phrases in
Arabic, resembles those that Tony Blair used in the last UK general
election. In addition to  precisions about Blair¹s war aims it contains
promises to improve public services such as hospitals and education."
(The same programme affirmed that 1,000 Iraqis had been killed in the battle
for the airport while the BBC was reporting 300.)
7pm News, France Inter, 5/5/04
http://www.radiofrance.fr/chaines/france-inter01/information/journaux/

Mind you, there is some confusion over which bombs we are usingŠ

"Firstly, (the British) stated that they had used cluster bombs during the
first two weeks of the war. A few hours later they qualified this: ŒWe have
not used cluster bombs in Basra¹ stated Colonel Chris Vernon. ŒWe have these
weapons and will use them when we believe it is necessary.¹Š Other military
British sources confirmed that they had used the weapons in Œcleared¹ areas
close to BasraŠ The bright colours (of cluster bomblets) resemble soft drink
cans and are attractive to children."
El Pais, Page 6, 4/4/03
www.elpais.es

Šbut little confusion over the effects they have:

"Without arms, without father and mother, without brothers and sisters,
without uncles, aunts and cousins ­ the bomb that took 12 of his family
spared Ali Smain, 12 years old. Hours later the same hospital received tens
of children injured as a result of a missile falling on one of the poorest
parts of Northern Baghdad, which left six children and a woman dead."
El Pais, Front page, 1/4/03

And while the cat¹s away:

"Castro counts on the silence of an international press occupied beside the
Tigris and the Euphrates; he hopes to make the most of the passivity of
western governments trying to patch up the disagreements caused by the
anglo-american military operation. When the war against Irak broke out, the
Cuban police carried out one of the harshest repressions seen on the island
for over 10 years. In 2 weeks they have arrested 78 dissidents."
Le Monde, Editorial, 4/4/03

El Pais sums things up pretty well:

"The propaganda line from Washington presents this war as one of Œthe
coalition¹. The military coalition is essentially limited to the USA and UK.
But the coalition of hypocrisy is much wider: from Washington to Madrid."
El Pais, Editorial, 23/3/03