I try to monitor UK media reporting on Egypt ( since we have contacts and correspondents there and can check facts on the ground with near 100% accuracy) to see whether correspondents , analysts or columnists stick to the traditional fleet street criteria ( ie PPC Press Complaints Council Editors Code of Practice ) ; the Of-Com Broadcasting code ;& the BBC Editorial Guidelines ; the NUJ ( national Union of Journalists) Code of Conduct and last but not least the obvious commonsense practice of sticking to facts, sourcing information, abiding by laws, and making a clear distinction ( easily noticeable and understood by readers/viewers/listeners) between hard facts, and opinion, analysis or guess. In the light of such criterion I will try to highlight shortcomings or errors by British media. I hope fellow hacks and hackettes are not offended but try to see it as an extension or further explanation to what might have been overlooked in the rush to meet deadlines.
Category Archives: Britain
After Meeting Morsi, Ashton : Up to Egyptians, we carry no ideas
EU envoy Ashton meets Morsi, but didn’t refer to him by any titles like president, while emphasizing that Europeans have no plans or ideas to impose and it was up to the Egyptians to sort out their differences, while sources close to meeting said she advised Morsi to “accept new reality on the ground,” after the young people she met demanded that EU must recognise June 30 Revolution . Cairo politicians call British government ” Obama messenger boys,” as they give high profile to EU in defiance of America.
Today Daily Telegraph Leader Contains Factual Errors & its Message is Meaningless
The Daily Telegraph is normally better informed about the Middle East and Africa than other Fleet street papers, especially the leftwing ones like the Independent or Guardian who’s ideology blind them to basic facts on the ground. What is shocking about today ( Monday 29 July) Telegraph leader on Egypt it got it wrong, misleading, message is meaningless and worst of all contains factual errors and inaccurate facts.
PM Cameron meets UAE Crown Prince
Prime Minister David cameron received HRH Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at number 10 in Downing Street earlier today. The two leaders discussed areas of cooperation between the two nations and the progress hat has been made developing strategic partnership since the PM visit to the capital Abu Dhabi last november.
Egypt: Interim Government & anti-MuslimBrothers Popular Movement Quarrel with Foreign Media
The Qatar owned al-jazeera desperate to salvage $ billions invested by the former Sheikh of Qatar ( replaced by his son Sheikh Tamim) to back Muslim Brothers takeing obver Egypt. There has been over 30 staff resignation from the al-jazeera Egypt Studios ( Egypt Union of Journalists report) over MB bias, fabrications and incitement. Egypt wire, wireless ‘ air-waves and Satellite Licensing issued instructions to licensed providers to block al-jazeera Mubasher ( a cairo Qatari broadcast in Arabic) for failing to apply for use of airwave licence, failing to provide information of end user and beneficial). the Turkish Media desperate to back Morsi to prove that political Islam and democracy can cohabit hence they are selective in highlighting ” Morsi’s legitimac” and army excesses ; CNN & BBC sand other British and left wing European media who’s agenda is different; they either were taken by surprise since the reporters they sold to viewers and listeners as “middle east experts/editors” got it wrong proven they didn’t have a clue about what the Egyptian people want; and academics/armchair-experts who, with concealed racism towards Egyptians, Africans and middle eastern people , were obsessed with the Turkish model as the best for Egypt since in their view, what they perceive and ram down our throats as “Muslim nations” are allowed ONLY to be ruled by ” moderate” Islamic parties”, like The Obama Administration, they saw Muslim brothers as ” moderate” whose rule would be a necessary bridge to move from military backed autocracies started by 1952 Military Coup and the goal with is the Turkish Model, although some egyptians – not without justification see Obama’s plan as sinister move to create a pakistan model of puritan Islamist rule when the army is in the back ground if the Islamists overplayed their hand )
Lords to Quiz Ministers on Government Seeking Parliament Approval before Military Deployment
The House of Lords Constitution Committee to quiz three Ministers this week in the final of a series of evidence sessions of the peers inquiry into the constitutional arrangements for the use of armed force. This week’s session will focus on Parliament’s role in approving decisions to use armed force overseas, bearing in mind that MPs, from all parties, in the past few weeks were pressurising government not to supply arms to Syrian rebels fearing that might become a mission creep with British military involvement in that troubled and troublesome part of the world.
Supplying Arms to Syrian Rebels is not Policy but Lunacy
Against expectations, against experts advice, and against commonsense, Britain and France bullied the majority of European foreign ministers to lift the sanctions on supplying arms to Syrian “rebels” ( if indeed we know who they are), in a move which majority of sane observers see as escalation. pouring oil on fast spreading fire with real possibility that missiles would fall into te hands of terrorists to be used against us.
EU Council Meeting Monday: Is William Hague pushing a US Agenda to Arm Syrian Rebels?
Our foreign Secretary William Hague heads to Brussels to attended the European Union Council of ministers meeting monday ( 27 May), to discuss, among other issues, amending the embargo on providing arms to Syrian rebels fighting to overthrew the dictatorial regime of President Bashar al-Assad in a two year bloody civil war that claimed an estimated 94,000 lives and turned near one fifth of the population into refugees . Backed mainly by France, Hague wants to amend the embargo ( which comes to an end or renewal at midnight Friday 31 May), in order to supply more equipment to the rebels. In February, the UK and France persuaded other member states, overcoming considerable reluctance, to allow the supply to the rebels of non-lethal military equipment for defensive purposes.
Woolwich: schizophrenic Muslim Leaders & The folly of the British Left©
Reaction to the horrific, premeditated murder by Islamist fanatical jihadists was predictable. Our politically correct government politician walk on eggshells saying how barbaric the this attack was and we mustn’t confuse their action (which the two jihadists shouted they carried in name of Islam) and Islam as there is ‘nothing in Islam justifies this murder’ like what the Prime Minister David Cameron said (and give him credit for his measured reaction compared to Tony Blair who might have tried to capitalise on it). Then the self-appointed leaders of the ‘Muslim Community’ (and for years I have been struggling to understand what does it actually mean). As expected, they rolled out stock of the pre-prepared old rhetoric condemning the barbaric savage act, cursing the two individuals in question and insisting that there is nothing in Islam to support this action. However , we are unlikely to hear from those described as ‘moderate’ or respected Islamic clergy, a clear fatwa forbidding such acts or saying something to the effect that targeting an off duty soldier, or forcing your interpretation of Islam on others or engaging ( or promoting) acts of violence as jihad ( which actually means self control and holy mission of discipline to tread the correct path as an individual) is forbidden under Islamic teaching; a fatwa issued with the same zeal and strength as those fatwas we hear banning films, or condemning books, cartoons or works of art they claim offend Muslims sensibility and often lead to mob-lynching and violence . The third predictable reaction usually comes was from the British left trying to justify (they would say they try to explain or understand the motives) such nonsense by falsifying history linking this acts of extreme mad violence with British or ‘western foreign policy’ (they mean American policy since the left is anti-American).
Farewell and RIP Richard Beeston, Fleet Street Brave Soul
It is with aching heart and weeping soul that I started hacking this piece to remember my dear old friend and colleague Richard Beeston ( Feb 18, 1963, May 19, 2013) a son of great journalist by the same name – who, alongside his late wife- reported, and became part of a body of extraordinary people contributing to an important chapter of Britain’s post Imperial history in the Middle East- and in his footsteps Richard followed.