[Media-watch] Occupation - the British way

[John Meed]

Dear Mediawatch

Since the invasion of Iraq we have been sold the line that the British
soldiers are much better at occupying other countries than the rather
uncouth and trigger happy US marines. This argument serves several purposes:
it bolsters national pride in 'our boys', strengthens the logic of
supporting George Bush by providing a moderating counterbalance, and
insinuates that the people of Basra welcome such a genteel occupation.

Robert Fisk's article in Sunday's Independent undemines the argument. Fisk
alleges that a young Iraqi man died after being beaten by British soldiers
in Basra and several others were injured in a brutal assault on unarmed
civilians.
(http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=478174)

Then on Saturday British soldiers opened fire on a demonstration of
unemployed Iraquis. The BBC coverage of this was intriguing: on Saturday
afternoon they claimed that the 5 had been killed by Iraqui police (Five
live); by the evening the BBC1 news said that one had been killed by British
soldiers as he threw a grenade at them; and by Sunday evening the grenade
had become an 'explosive device'. The Saturday evening news on France 2
contented itself with saying that 5 Iraqui demonstrators had been shot by
British forces.

John