[Media-watch] Iraqi Child Torture

[YvonneMarshall]

Dear Richard Sambrook,

I'm following BBC coverage with mounting rage and disbelief - ITN broadcast the interview with the Iraqi journalist at approx 10.30 last night - he had witnessed a 12 or 13 year old girl being assaulted by US guards as her brother listened from his cell. An ITN artist had already done sketches of the scene as described. Although ITN  was running the story as an 'Exclusive', this surely does not excuse the BBC avoiding the revelations. I watched the BBC News 24 broadcasts until approx 2.30 a.m. and the allegations were not mentioned. Again, today BBC News 24 has made no mention of it at all.

What is going on ?? 

Do you imagine you can ignore this and it will go away ?? 

You people have received remarkable public support of late, and this is your 'thank-you' - breathtaking spinelessness. If BBC staff are so contrained in their professional lives by tacit Govt dictat, perhaps they will be forced to respond to this story on the simpler basis of being human and possessed of some fundamental sense of empathy with others.  If you and your journalists cannot face up to your responsibilities and acknowledge the gravity of what is happening in our name, you are complicit in these crimes.

I recognise you will be busy, but I'm happy to wait for a response to this, no matter how long it may take. 

Ian Brotherhood
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