Britannia Radio

November 30, 2010

Op-Eds and Features Liberal editorials ignore the plain truth about perceptions of Iran Just Journalism's Carmel Gould analyses how the left-of-centre editorial lines elide the reality of a consensus on the threat posed by Iran. The response from the left-wing press to the news that Arab states have been actively lobbying for US military action against their supposed regional ally, Iran, is genuinely revealing. This section of the media has long been sceptical of the Israeli and US position that Iran poses a serious threat and has often characterised Israel's lobbying for tough measures against the Islamic Republic as unjustified belligerence. On the idea of military action against Iran, a Guardian editorial last year sniped, 'No one will be happy, except Israel and Dick Cheney perhaps'. So, how have these same editorial boards coped with the stunning revelations that Saudi Arabia urged the United States 'to cut the head off the snake' - the snake being Iran; or that the king of Bahrain reportedly told the US to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons 'by whatever means necessary'; or that Egypt described Iran as 'a significant threat to Egypt ... supporting jihad and spoiling peace'; or that when discussing Iran, Jordan employs the metaphor of an octopus 'whose tentacles reach out insidiously to manipulate, foment, and undermine'?... Read more>> Media Analysis Guardian news report emphasises Arab enmity toward Iran In another day of heavy news coverage, the WikiLeaks disclosures about secret US embassy cables has prompted The Guardian's Middle East editor Ian Black to report on what various Arab leaders think about Iran and its nuclear weapons programme. Yesterday, Just Journalism analysedThe Guardian's editorial coverage of precisely this issue, finding that the newspaper severely downplayed Arab fears about Iran as both an incubator and exporter of terrorism as well as an aspiring nuclear power in favour of portraying Israel as the main de-stabilising actor in the Middle East. Significantly, four of the contributors to The Guardian's editorial 'roundtable' on the WikiLeaks story denied that Iran was even pursuing a nuclear bomb; two called it a US-promoted 'myth' whilst another claimed there was 'no evidence' to substantiate the allegation. Black's article ('Arab states scorn "evil" Iran') in many crucial respects counters this editorial line...Read more>> The Wire US embassy cables reveal sources of Iranian arms Tues. 30 Nov. @ 14.28 - The US Embassy cables, as released by WikiLeaks, have revealed that Iran is believed to have acquired arms from countries such as Armenia andNorth Korea. In 'Wikileaks: North Korea 'assisting Iran's development of nuclear weapons'', Holly Watt of The Telegraph reports that the US had asked China to intercept shipments between Iran and North Korea. Watt writes: 'The Americans had particular concerns about jet engine parts being sent from North Korea to Iran on board the national airlines Air Koryo and Iran Air on at least 10 occasions.' Duncan Gardham, also of The Telegraph, reports on a cable sent on February 24 this year which, 'makes clear that US intelligence believe the North Korea have shipped complete versions [to Iran] of their more powerful BM-25, based on the Russian design'...Read more>> Special Event and invite you to a panel discussion on 'Squaring the Circle? Britain and the De-legitimisation of Israel' sponsored by