Did Bush want to target Al-Jazeera?

[Firecat]

A leaked convo between Bush and Blair alleges that Bush wanted to hit al-jazeera and Blair talked him out of it

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_obje...name_page.html

It doesn't surprise me. I don't think it was an accident back in April of 2003 when journalists were killed in 3 seperate incidents on the same day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_8...s_by_U.S._fire

and of course back in the 90s. Nato bombed Serbian state TV stations (as well as others).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/326653.stm

So maybe the media isn't off limits....hmmm
_________________

[hajj]

This doesnt really surprise me, but that would have started another war. I really cant believe how someone can be that "self-centered."
But of course this hasnt been verified yet (which should never happen anyway ), therefore this can just be bullsh*t, which frankly I hope it is.

[zenkidori]

We just gotta ride it out untill 2008...

[YF19pilot]

My geography teacher had the class watch "Control Room" (the 'documentary' about Al Jazeera). When they got hit by the A-10, they were going on and on and on and on about how it was a big conspiracy by the US and Bush to silence them, or to scare them into backing down.

I could imagine Bush saying it as a joke, and maybe Blair pointing out that it was in bad taste, but I don't think he'd be seriously conspiring to blow them up. Otherwise, I don't think he would've let Blair know.

[Z Draci]

What do we normal civilians know?
I think the things that go behind those closed doors are way beyond our scope of understanding. Little sentences or phrases can be taken completely out of context by the media for pure publicity. I usually take everything in the news with a shaker full of salt.

I think we shouldn't take these "he said this & that" reports too seriously.
It's not like we can do anything about it as civilians.

[monkeymax]

Oh well - Al-Jazeera seem to be asking for answers now:
Al-Jazeera calls for No 10 talks

Extract:

Originally Posted by BBC News

The head of al-Jazeera is delivering a letter to Tony Blair demanding the facts on reports that President Bush suggested bombing the Arab TV station.

He wants a memo published which is alleged to show Tony Blair dissuaded President Bush from bombing its HQ.

Last week the Daily Mirror reported what it said was the contents of a memo showing Mr Blair had talked the US President out of the attack last year.

Wadah Khanfar is calling for the facts to be made public and urgent talks.

And at the end:

Originally Posted by BBC News

Many of al-Jazeera's employees have long been privately convinced that their offices in Kabul and Baghdad were deliberately targeted by the Pentagon in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

[Firecat]

Originally Posted by YF19pilot

My geography teacher had the class watch "Control Room" (the 'documentary' about Al Jazeera).

There really wasn't any need to use quotation marks. It is a [/i]documentary[/i]

Originally Posted by YF19pilot

When they got hit by the A-10, they were going on and on and on and on about how it was a big conspiracy by the US and Bush to silence them, or to scare them into backing down.

Like I said. On that same day journalists were killed in 3 seperate incidents. What would you call it?

And they didn't go "on and on about it"...that's a gross misrepresentation of that film, which I suggest everyone watch.

[Firecat]

Originally Posted by Z Draci

What do we normal civilians know?
I think the things that go behind those closed doors are way beyond our scope of understanding. Little sentences or phrases can be taken completely out of context by the media for pure publicity. I usually take everything in the news with a shaker full of salt.

I think we shouldn't take these "he said this & that" reports too seriously.
It's not like we can do anything about it as civilians.

Surely you'd take the word of the media over that which dribbles from the mouths of politicians.

[Z Draci]

Originally Posted by Firecat

Surely you'd take the word of the media over that which dribbles from the mouths of politicians.

Of course, it's better than the banter from politicians.
You also need to remember that the media has their own agenda as well. So how much better is that? A little, but not much.

My point was that what we can do is purely speculate and discuss things. We will never understand fully what really happened. That's why we need to take things with a grain of salt and leave possibilities open.

I'm not disputing that it did not happen. I think we shouldn't be surprised if it did either.

[Scott]

As a soldier, I wish they would have bombed the crap out of them... I know it will never happen, but they are the single biggest headache to those of us who are trying to end this thing...

[Scott]

Actually, let me take that back, I just wish the network would stop broadcasting. Bombing them will not stop that, so whatever it takes to get them off the air for good, that is what I support!

[///M]

Why do you wan't to take them off the air?

You do know that Al-Jazeera is hated by religious fundamentalists more than Americans, right?

Stop making these idiotic statements without even watching the network. I'm pretty sure they have an english channel now, watch it.

[Scott]

I have watched them, and I stand by what I said... thanks for assuming though...

[mmap]

Originally Posted by ssnapier

Actually, let me take that back, I just wish the network would stop broadcasting. Bombing them will not stop that, so whatever it takes to get them off the air for good, that is what I support!

So freedom of speach is a strange concept then, is it?

I can understand Bush & Co. wanting to shut them down. But even I have a hard time believing that they would be so incomprehensively stupid that they would atually do it. It would so be against EVERYTHING they claim to be fighting for.

[zenkidori]

I can see someone making an offhand remark, and someone taking it literally. Happens all the time.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by mmap

So freedom of speach is a strange concept then, is it?

ummmm, I am exercising MY freedom of speech to say that I support shutting them down.... have I done anything to actually forward that effort? NO, but as a guy on the opposite side of the fence from those nutjobs I would love nothing more than that network just disappearing.

[zenkidori]

Some would say you are a nutjob for wanting a press outlet to "disappear".

[///M]

Originally Posted by ssnapier

ummmm, I am exercising MY freedom of speech to say that I support shutting them down.... have I done anything to actually forward that effort? NO, but as a guy on the opposite side of the fence from those nutjobs I would love nothing more than that network just disappearing.

See, I'd understand if you have these feelings towards say the network run by Hisbollah.

The fact that you think Al Jazeera is on the opposite side of the fence and is aligned with the 'nutjobs' just shows how little you know. Al Jazeera is probably one of the most hated network in the middle east, due to their criticism of corruption and fundamentalism. You just want them gone because they're also critical of the American administration. You sound no different than the Arab governments that try to stifle the opposition, or even worse, the Muslim fundamentalists that also do the same thing.

[Firecat]

Originally Posted by Z Draci

Of course, it's better than the banter from politicians.
You also need to remember that the media has their own agenda as well. So how much better is that? A little, but not much.

See. That's the thing. What is the agenda of "the media?"....Is it a financial or political agenda? For the most part, I think it's the former.

[Firecat]

For those that have seen the documentary "Control Room"....the quote below is regarding the Marine Captain/Press Officer (he was pretty much the liaison between the military and the arab media).

In September 2005, Josh Rushing joined Al Jazeera International after being the press officer for the United States Central Command during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. Rushing will be working from the Washington DC Bureau. He commented that "In a time when American media has become so nationalised, I'm excited about joining an organisation that truly wants to be a source of global information..."