About a month ago, Scots BBC reporter Alan Johnston was abducted at gunpoint in the Gaza Strip. Unlike most non-Jewish hostages, he wasn't freed immediately in exchange for a healthy cash ransom and a conversion to Islam at gunpoint.
Hamas PM Ismael Haniyeh went on record shortly after Johnston vanished saying that he was familiar with the group that kidnapped the journalist, and that they `only wanted a small reward.'
And now, the Beeb has apparently been informed by none other than everybody's favorite Palestinian `moderate', President Abbas, that he has `credible evidence' that Johnston is alive and well.
Now here's a little question for Mark Thompson the director-general of the BBC - if both Haniyeh and Abbas both claim to know the whereabouts of Johnston, why haven't they put some of those expensive `security services' to work to free him?
Naturally, Joshuapundit wants to see Johnston return safely home. However, it is worth noting that Johnston, like the BBC, was noted for some of the most biased, double dealing pro-Palestinian coverage on record. Indeed, as I've documented here before, the Palestinian Authority only allows a non-Palestinian reporter access if they play ball and they had better report what the Palestinians want reported or risk being sent home - or worse.
What the BBC is finding out now is what other Palestinian hostages like found out - that shilling for the Palestinians is no guarantee of safety.
it's high time the BBC ( and other dino media outlets like them) started asking question of itself like the one above, quit compromising their journalistic integrity, got a clue and started providing fair and balanced coverage of the Arab Israeli conflict.
As the Beeb has seen, bending over for the likes of the Palestinians is no protection.
"Fair and balanced" coverage of the Middle East? From the BBC? Fat chance! Of course, the Beeb remains scrupulously impartial at all times, but its view of the world is unmistakable: EU good; US bad; Israel worse. It's a subtly but strongly biased institution, and its safe (and large) source of funding makes it unassailable. Frankly, the only real answer will be to privatize it.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that Johnston's predicament will wake any of the BBC's ruling wallahs up.
Cheers, Elliot!
ReplyDeleteNice to see you.
You have an excellent idea here.
We have the same sort of problem on this side of the pond with tax supported NPR and PBS.
Unfortunately, I don't think privatizing the Beeb will happen, certainly as long as Labour is in power.
Of course, if the coming vote in Scotland brings the SNP to power,British politics could undergo a very rapid change, to say the least.
More likely, I think is that events on the ground and the public's perception of them will force a change in the coverage, and/or competition.
As we've seen in the states, a vacuum of this sort can only exist for so long.
(BTW, Joshua's Army members interested in what's going on across the pond with the cousins should check out Elliott Joseph,Elliot's fine site)