[Media-watch] Kirsty Wark on Newsnight

[Mark and Andrea Priestley]

<SPAN 
class=994162223-05032003>Kirsty Wark interviewed 
Iain Duncan-Smith tonight. As predicted he supported war. At one stage he 
described a highly simplified and distorted version of events since 1991, 
including the old lie that Saddam Hussein expelled the original UNSCOM team in 
1998. Kirsty Wark made no comment at this, despite the fact that the BBC has 
been reminded on numerous occasions that this is a falsehood - indeed Jeremy 
Paxman challenged the Prime Minister on this very issue in his recent 
interview.
<SPAN 
class=994162223-05032003><SPAN 
class=700014423-05032003> 
<SPAN 
class=994162223-05032003>Please write to Kirsty 
at <A 
href="mailto:kirsty.wark at bbc.co.uk">kirsty.wark at bbc.co.uk
<SPAN 
class=994162223-05032003><SPAN 
class=700014423-05032003> 
<SPAN 
class=994162223-05032003>My letter is as 
follows
<SPAN 
class=994162223-05032003> 
Dear 
Kirsty
I 
watched your interview tonight with the leader of the opposition. I have to say 
that the questions posed by your panel of amateurs proved to be more penetrating 
than anything you directed at him. In particular I was disappointed that you 
allowed him to get away with peddling a simplistic version of events since the 
last Gulf War, including the by now well worn lie that Saddam 'kicked out 
the inspectors' in 1998. This untruth is regularly repeated by politicians 
on BBC news programmes. Richard Sambrook knows that this is false, and so should 
you; and yet BBC journalists repeatedly fail to challenge it. Duncan Smith may 
believe it. <FONT 
face="Comic Sans MS">It's funny how a <SPAN 
class=941580323-19022003>lie repeated often enough becomes an accepted 
truth, and he probably lacks the intellectual sophistication to see past the 
obvious and oft-repeated homilies. 
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003> 
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003><SPAN 
class=941580323-19022003><FONT 
size=3>In fact the weapons inspectors were withdrawn on the 'advice' of the US 
prior to Operation Desert 
Fox. This version of events is supported by no less a person than 
Kofi Annan, who said, "I did get a call from Ambassador Burleigh saying that 
they are asking U.S. personnel in the region to leave. And they had also advised 
chief arms inspector Richard Butler to withdraw UNSCOM". All of this was 
widely reported at the time, and yet 
has become obscured by the political 
rhetoric since.
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003> 
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003>It is your job, and indeed your duty to the British 
people at a time of crisis, to challenge the lies and sophistries of 
politicians. I cannot believe that your failure to do so on this issue stems 
from ignorance or lack of ability, and it is 
thus easy to conclude that your lack of challenge reflects your own 
political assumptions. If this is the case, it is unforgivable, and furthermore 
makes a mockery of the claims of the BBC to impartiality. Richard Sambrook 
stated that 'I think it is absolutely the BBC's role to be the 
objective and calm voice, reporting what we know to be fact and exploring the 
various viewpoints involved. This has never been more important than in our 
coverage of Iraq. As you point out, the stakes are extremely high and huge 
numbers of lives are at risk' (private correspondence, January 
2003).  I am finding this hard to believe at 
present.
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003> 
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003>I would welcome your 
comments.
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003> 
<SPAN 
class=425112123-16022003>Yours sincerely
--------------
Mark and Andrea 
Priestley
17 Braemar Avenue
Dunblane
Scotland
FK15 9ED
  ---
Tel. +44 (0)1786 823709
Email - <A 
href="mailto:priestley at onetel.net.uk">priestley at onetel.net.uk