Just Journalism Spokesperson Michael Weiss writes in The Daily Telegraph on the BBC's uncritical portrayal of Syrian state TV reports. Let's say it's an especially dark year of the Brezhnev era and you come across this headline in Pravda: "Kolyma labour battalion completes people's railroad 2 years ahead of schedule." Or perhaps: "CIA-Trotskyite agitator shoots self in head multiple times." Would you report this as news or as state propaganda? Perhaps Bashar al-Assad has not yet murdered and maimed enough Syrians for Western media outlets to question the authenticity of various "reports" coming out of his state-controlled Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). Yet here is the BBC website yesterday: Syrian state TV is reporting the deaths of at least 120 security personnel in battles with hundreds of gunmen in the north-western town of Jisr al-Shughour. Tues. 7 Jun. 2011 @ 14.15 - Following Palestinian violence at funeral in Syrian refugee camp, which saw multiple deaths and militant headquarters burned down, some sources claim trigger was anger over encouragement of Naksa day protests. Radically different explanations have emerged for violent clashes that erupted yesterday in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria. Following Sunday's Naksa day protests, which saw hundreds of Palestinian activists attempt to breach the Israeli border from Syria, a funeral was held in the camp for those allegedly killed during the ensuing confrontation with Israeli forces. According to all sources, mourners attacked the headquarters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a Palestinian militant organisation, resulting in multiple deaths as well as the destruction of the building itself. Conflicting explanations have been given for why the PFLP were targeted, with some sources claiming it was because they had directly encouraged participation in the protest - thus endangering Palestinian lives - while other sources claim that it was because they hadn't supported the protest. Mon. 6 Jun. 2011 @ 16.34 - Hamas bluntly rejects new French peace proposal, following Abbas' cautious welcoming of latest initiative. Last week French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe visited Israel and the Palestinian territories to discuss the peace process, and offered a new initiative aimed at restarting talks between the two sides. Juppe offered to convene a broad 'political conference involving the negotiation process' in Paris, before the end of July. The French proposal includes the discussion of border issues, based on the 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, and security arrangements for both sides, but discussion of refugees and Jerusalem would be 'put off to a later date'. As reported by Ma'an, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad 'welcomed the idea', as did Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: '"Our first choice is negotiations, our second choice is negotiations and our third choice is negotiations," he said.' Tues. 7 Jun. 2011 @ 10.48 - Independent is only outlet to report that both Egypt and Hamas closed Rafah crossing for several days, in contrast to widespread reporting of its opening last week. On Saturday, Egypt temporarily closed its border with Gaza at the recently re-opened Rafah border crossing. After it was re-opened, Hamas then closed it again, 'in protest' at Egypt's actions. Palestinian media outlet Ma'an cited the terminal's director, Ayyoub Abu Sha'ar, who stated that: '...operations had been halted after disagreements about capacity and coordination, and would not resume until officials on both sides came to an agreement on its operation.' The article also quoted a senior Egyptian official who contradicted this, claiming that passage was 'functioning normally', and that Hamas' explanation for why it was closed was a 'pretext': 'Passage from Egypt to the Gaza Strip is functioning normally, but no Palestinians have arrived in Egypt because Hamas has closed the terminal on the pretext of examining, with the Egyptians, the mechanism for its operation'.June 7, 2011 Op-eds and Features The BBC swallows Assad-controlled Syria media rubbish whole. Then reports it as news
The Wire Conflicting reasons given for Palestinian camp violence
The Wire Hamas rejects French peace proposal
The Wire Hamas closes Rafah border crossing with Egypt
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
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