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UN Nuclear Chief Boycotts BBC Over Gaza Appeal
The head of the UN"s nuclear watchdog has cancelled planned interviews with the BBC in protest at the corporation's decision not to air an emergency appeal for Gaza on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei makes a speech during the fifty-second regular session of the IAEA General Conference 2008 in Vienna September 29, 2008. (REUTERS/Herwig Prammer) In a statement to the Guardian, Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel peace prize winner, unleashed a stinging denunciation of the BBC, deepening the damage already caused by the controversy.
The statement, from his office at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the BBC decision not to air the aid appeal for victims of the conflict "violates the rules of basic human decency which are there to help vulnerable people, irrespective of who is right or wrong".
It said the IAEA director had cancelled interviews with BBC World Service television and radio, which had been scheduled to take place at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Saturday.
A BBC spokesman said: "We regret that Mr ElBaradei was not able to participate in an interview with the BBC while he is at Davos.
"Our audience around the world remains interested in what he has to say about a range of topics, and we hope he will accept an invitation at another time."
ElBaradei is due to leave his post as the IAEA director general in November.
He won acclaim for his scepticism over western claims that Saddam Hussein was attempting to develop nuclear weapons and his public opposition to the invasion of Iraq.
ElBaradei and the IAEA were awarded the Nobel peace prize in 2005.
Officials in ElBaradei's office said it was unclear how long his boycott of the BBC would last.
A spokeswoman said she expected him to review his position in light of how the corporation eventually resolved the row.
Both the BBC and Sky decided not to air the appeal by the DEC, an umbrella group of non-governmental humanitarian agencies, for aid for Gaza victims.
The appeal was broadcast by ITV, Channel 4, and Channel Five last night, and was watched by a combined audience of 4.5 million.
A voiceover at the beginning of the broadcast said: "This is not about the rights and wrongs of the conflict - these people simply need your help."
The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, said the appeal was not broadcast by the corporation because it would have damaged the impartiality of its coverage of the conflict.
Watch the Gaza aid appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee rejected by the BBC and Sky
15 Comments so far
Show AllWhat a dastardly decision by the BBC. I'd expect such a decision from the U.S. MSM, but would hope for better from the BBC. If anyone is interested in donating to Gazan/Palestinian humanitarian aid, I would suggest doing so through Islamic
Relief USA (http://www.irw.org) which is a 4-star rated organization by Charity Navigator.
Don't let our governments' little prejudices get in your way of helping those who cannot at this time help themselves.
Looks like BBC is going to be losing its viewership significantly around the world save for Israel.
You know. I bet you $1 that BBC world wide viewership doesn't even dip 1% because of this. Most people in the world, although the tell you they're political and active and progressive are a lot more concerned with watching UK Idol or Big Brother or whatever entertainment du jour the BBC is serving up these days.
Just look at us in the US. Only 5-10 thousand demonstrators as Israel bombs Gaza, but 2.8 million people to see Obama sworn in. Not every progressive, let alone every American, out there feels this was a bad event in the long run as it might push Hamas to concede that they are not going to get Palestine back. And you simply cannot sell the atrocities of a war not fought by us in a place that seems never to be at peace when Americans are worried about our own selves.
People vote (and demonstrate) their stomach, not someone else's misery.
Maybe the BBC could have compromised. Show the appeal but have a line running across the screen that says: the Holocaust was MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH Worserer.
I see that Israeli Rabbis cut relations with the Vatican over Nazi Holocaust denials. Who will cut relations with Israel and the U.S. over Israeli holocaust denials? This one is still going on since 1948.
The BBC, affectionately known as "The Beeb" in the better times, used to have a laudable reputation for reporting in a neutral manner. It used to state the overall facts with little or no bias or cherry-picking of the theme.
That regrettably ended with the Iraq invasion and embedded carefully crafted one sided news. The BBC is going much like all the other MSM outlets now as it is clearly politicised.
Another venerable institution gone to waste.
Is anyone here boycotting Al Manar? Didn't think so.
… for asymmetric propaganda impacting proportionally very few people ?
¿ Please do reply, which major first world country supports Al Manar and broadcasts its message to hundreds of millions of people ?
¿ And to demonstrate relative ( objective ) impact, just how many key voters are reached -- who might control the political future of the region ?
Namaste
go on line get the truth! no wonder so many newspapers a going under. people still do read the news just not the propaganda. the right wing will eventually collapse under the weight of their lies via msm.
I occasionally listen to the BBC world service on my local NPR station. They have always been right wing and pro-Israel. NPR is most always pro Israel. Actually most of the Ameriscum press is pro Israel which means pro imperialist world wide. Objectively the BBC is always pro Atlantis, neo-liberal economically and anti progressive. However, most of their listeners will claim very loudly they are "liberal" and that the BBC is Liberal. It is all a matter of perspective. To my mind they are scummy/conservative as all liberals are.
I occasionally listen to the BBC world service on my local NPR station. They have always been right wing and pro-Israel. NPR is most always pro Israel. Actually most of the Ameriscum press is pro Israel which means pro imperialist world wide. Objectively the BBC is always pro Atlantis, neo-liberal economically and anti progressive. However, most of their listeners will claim very loudly they are "liberal" and that the BBC is Liberal. It is all a matter of perspective. To my mind they are scummy/conservative as all liberals are.
Public Opinion Can Be Turned Towards Demanding Justice For The Palestinian People
"How?"
"We point out that our government's support of Israel puts us all at risk."
"Based on?"
"What the perpetrators of 9/11 have been telling us."
"Why would this change public opinion on the Palestinian-Israel conflict?"
"Self-interest."
The BBC is an appallingly poor source of unbiased reporting. The very idea that its attempts to defend its decision in order to 'remain unbiased politically' is an absolute joke. People have to buy a license to view their television sets. It is entirely politicised pro-Israeli and as biased as any msm in this regard. There are similar trends afoot across europe with National broadcasters many of whom are less well known. Long time past has the BBC lost any semblance of unbiased reporting as they play lapdogs to the USA and to their policical masters. The control is absolute in its editorial policies, as Zionists rule supreme there too, feeding a soporiferous unaware public 'its objectivity'. A totally discredited mainstream well financed propoganda arm o fthe elites and their cronies. As in much of the world more and more of the public are beginning to awaken to this and its monopoly is no longer secure. The lame pretensions of a reputation long gone existing is becoming a bit of a joke really. But a dangerous joke too. Pathetic and disgusting really. Thank goodness for the Internet.
The real culprit is Blair's "New Labour". He was responsible for wrecking the Labour Party of Britian, which was once such a progressive party. He moved the party to the right; so far to the right that he joined Bush's illegal imperialist adventurers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obviously, New Labour now controls the BBC and sets its political tone.
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Remember the butchery in Gaza by the IDF.
Herman Schmidt
As I recall, the BBC was bludgeoned by the Labour Party when it got involved in reporting contrary to the Labour Party's views on the Iraq fiasco. However much they toed the line then, it was not enough. There were some personnel changes then, and between the new management and a lesson learned, they stayed away from anything objective about Israel. Objectivity, the media knows, is not enough. They serve up propaganda and call it news. I don't think the British media have ever been any different, really..nor the American...nor the French, Russian, etc., etc. The major media being so blatant is perhaps a good thing, it causes people who want to know to be more diligent, less lazy in looking for facts.